LG enV VX9900, Camera Cell Phone Verizon Wireles
Placed in LG |
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The brand-new LG enV VX9900 is the better phone available for text-messaging junkies, but it could be so much more if it weren’t for Verizon’s shortsighted, avaricious, and consumer-unfriendly software options. That allows me oddly ambivalent about a phone that in several ways I like a lot.
The enV comes up on Verizon’s LG VX9800, which introduced its unusual design. It looks like a standard candy-bar phone, but flip it open and it reveals a spacious QWERTY keyboard, big screen and stereo speakers. The enV, 4.6 inches long, resembles a VX9800 that somebody sat on and squashed: It’s considerably thinner (0.8 versus 1 inch) and lighter (4.6 versus 5.2 ounces), but slightly wider (2.1 versus 2 inches) Yes, it’s a big phone, but it’s comfortable to hold and talk on, and it does fit into a pocket.
Like most high-end handsets, the enV lets you listen to music on Bluetooth headphones. The phone also offers a music-only mode, which lets you listen to tunes while the cellular signal is switched off, making it okay to use on a plane.
Calls were generally loud enough with the speakerphone and handset, and our callers reported that they could hear us well. In our experience around the San Francisco Bay Area, call and signal quality was satisfactory. LG’s estimated 4.5-hour talk time was on a par with our usage, and the handset lasted for three days with regular use before needing a charge.
If you’re a messaging junkie, stick with the bigger but easier-to-use Sidekick II. However, if you want a phone that takes pretty good photos, plays music, streams video, and is good enough for casual text messaging, the enV is a strong contender.
Conclusion
On the plus side, the LG VX-9900 enV from Verizon Wireless is an excellent mobile communicator with its not overly huge form factor, well designed QWERTY keyboard, and landscape-oriented interior color display. The speakers are loud, the camera works quite well, and the slick design of the inside is pretty darn sexy. On the downside, the exterior design begs for a makeover, the flash is pretty much useless, and the displays are too small. In a future iteration (9950? 10000?), I prefer to see a larger 16:9 widescreen on the inside, a more usable flash for the camera, and an exterior redesign. The LG enV, an alternative to the T-Mobile Sidekick worth considering, is available now from Verizon Wireless for $150 with a 2-year contract.
Highlights of Features
- QWERTY keyboard – V CAST enabled – Integrated music and video player – Preinstalled Verizon VZ Navigator – Bluetooth 1.2 (including A2DP) – Music-only mode – Stereo speakers – 2.0 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash, and video – Wireless Sync Email – High-speed EV-DO
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