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162 of 164 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Verizon's best phone for 2009?, June 8, 2009
Here is this product's obligatory page-long review. I drew some basic comparisons to two other Verizon phones -- the Samsung Omnia i910 and the LG Dare. I hope this review may ultimately save some of you some time. :)
I have been looking for a phone with a high-resolution, fast camera, and PDA-like features. I use the camera when traveling to clients' premises, and am surprised how many devices made by Apple, RIMM, Palm and others treat cell-phone cameras as an adolescent feature that wastes the time of employees (like surfing emails and internet cannot be abused this way). As someone who needs the coverage of the Verizon network in my area, not too many phones fit into the above two categories -- particularly without the need to buy a $30/month data plan. I intentionally delayed using my NE2, knowing that Verizon often releases phones in June. After nearly choosing the Samsung Omnia i910 and LG Dare, I'm glad I did.
I read in other Amazon reviews that some user's of the Sammy 910 made the effort to set the phone up properly so that they didn't have to dig through menus. But personally, I found the i910 very difficult to do almost anything, even with shortcuts right on its desktop, even after trying it out 6 times at Verizon stores. I'd hate to tell a relative, "Here's my phone, go make a call!" It's excellent 5mpix camera almost convinced me, but it was too hard to text in either landscape or portrait, and it requires the $30/mon data plan, plus has a non-standard headphone jack. The LG Dare was much simpler to pick-up an use, although (without having tried calibration adjustments) I found I made mistakes every time I did a sample text message with it's touch screen, in either orientation. The camera was also slow at times, especially when using auto-focus, taking as much as 2 seconds to take a picture, and more to wait for the camera to prompt you with the save/erase options.
Enter the enV Touch (and in some similar respects, the LG enV3 VX9200 Phone, Blue (Verizon Wireless) or the LG enV3 VX9200 Phone, Maroon (Verizon Wireless). Finally, a company has figured out a way to keep a real, non-touch-screen qwerty board embedded in an updated, semi-smart phone, especially for those of us who cannot or do not like haptic-feedback touch screens. Personally, I prefer the center-located space bar, although some of the older enV user's may need time to get used to this. The keyboard, with my fairly large, iron-grip hands, is easier to use than any touch screen keyboard I've tried, and the 3.2 megapixel camera is one of only a few Verizon phones that offers better than 3 megapix resolution -- shameful in my opinion. Pictures snap quickly too, in less than 1 second. The full 3" screen viewfinder makes you feel as if you are using a devoted still camera, although I'm noticing that I have to be a bit careful how I hold the phone so as not to cover the sensor. This will improve with practice.
But about that front touchscreen -- I am very impressed. Even without a hard keyboard, this would have been the first phone from any US provider where I can actually type out a text message, completely error-free, using only the traditional numeric keypad in portrait mode. And getting there is easier too -- the tab-up feature to use the touch screen is very easy and intuitive. Screen resolution is very good, though perhaps not quite as leading edge as the iPhone or Storm color and resolution. However, the screen is large enough to see the touch keyboard and a large enough portion of a text or email message without having to scroll through as much as with the Dare/Omnia. But the phone is also fast -- my old Motorola motorazr had ongoing slow-responsiveness to pictures, notepad activation, even ringing for incoming calls! The enV Touch is fastest phone I've used, with a near-instant 1/4th second or better response to opening or activating almost anything. This iPhone-like device also does not require a data plan if you just need a feature-rich cell phone without always-on email. However, at $1.99/MB, I will have to try out email push and browsing to see if a data plan may yet be desirable. I travel to Canada frequently, and hope not to have any "always-on" data roaming fees -- I have read horror stories about iPhones incurring $600 bills as owners blithely cross borders or even roaming within the US. But to my current, possibly wrong understanding, I don't think this phone automatically data-roams. The phone also offers airplane mode and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack -- finally, no more need to take an iPod and cell phone and camera with me on trips. Now only if we had unlocked GPS...maybe this will work with Google Maps? Another interesting device I'm looking at purchasing is the Motorola MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone which blue-tooths the phone's audio or phone calls to the car stereo -- safer for calls and convenient for music. Another nice change: The CLEAR and END keys on the front screen are well separated now -- no accidentally erasing an unsent message when you thought you were backspacing.
It's not perfect. Despite the terrific 16GB capacity, Verizon's menu system still retains a 200 text-message limit. Wha?? After nearly 10 years with this design, couldn't this be a tiny bit larger by now? Of course, that's a Verizon issue, not really LG's mistake, but since this phone is currently only used on Verizon's network, it's an issue. The phone is a little bit wider at .61 inches than comparable, non-keyboarded competitors. I gladly accept this trade-off for the convenience of two styles of keyboards though. It's also little taller than the similar enV3. So far, that's all I can say on the con side.
As much as I love the touch screen, it's still not what I'd consider a true iPhone contender though, which with a new release today, seems like it still has a more vibrant display and of course much better apps. But the enV Touch was, for me, the closest Verizon phone to the iPhone, if only because it seems so intuitive, and it is easily the best cell phone I've ever owned.
As I use the phone, I will update the review with notable pros and cons.
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57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Brilliant!, June 7, 2009
After 2 other LG phones that were buggy and had issues with dropped calls, I told myself I would NEVER buy LG again. But because I wanted a qwerty touch screen phone, my options were limited, so I thought I'd give LG one last try.
I could not be more happy! This phone is amazing, touch screen is very responsive, call quality rivals landline quality, takes great quality photos, brilliant display screen, loud ringers, good sized qwerty keyboard for texting, I could go on and on!
There are many ways to customize this phone to your needs, there are a multitude of settings. This is the phone I have been waiting for.
I got a Samsung Impression last week, but wasn't entirely happy with the phone, but mostly unhappy with AT&T service, many places I found myself having no signal, for a 3G phone in a major city, this was unacceptable.
So I returned the phone and found myself searching for something similar, the Lg Envy Touch was similar, but better as far as features, I was just afraid to try another LG, but they have restored my faith.
There a a few minor things I don't like about the Envy Touch, the vibration mode is not that strong, if you have the phone in a case, and your in a noisy place unable to hear the ringer, you need to rely on vibrate mode, but you can hardly feel it vibrate, my wife has an Envy 2, and the vibration is very strong, if it's on a table in vibrate mode, it will move when it rings several inches from where it was because the vibration is so strong, but the Envy Touch is not even close.
Would also prefer a slide open instead of a flip, but not a big deal, just a preference. And lastly when texting, the beginning of a sentence does not start in caps, you must hit the shift key, every phone I had the sentence would start in caps, but again no big deal.
The pros of this phone are many, the cons are few, there is no such thing as the perfect phone, but this comes pretty close.
The Envy Touch is definitely a keeper and I highly recommend it!
Update:12/9/09
I've had this phone for 6 months now, and it's starting to randomly shut off, took it back to the Verizon store, they gave me a software update, but this didn't help.
Also too, when I get text messages, sometimes when I flip open the phone to read my message the screen is blank, I have to close and open it several times before I see anything.
I should not be having these problems after only 6 months :(
Update: 1/4/10
I am now on my 3rd Envy Touch, Verizon gave me a like new replacement, but it had the same problems as the first one, keeps shutting off by itself.
So now I'm on my 3rd like new replacement, lets see what happens with this one : (
I have once again lost my faith in LG phones, seems they are not built to last.
Update : 4/16/10
My 3rd Envy Touch died! Never again will I buy LG phones! Totally unreliable!
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105 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So, I decided to buy an IPhone . . ., July 14, 2009
It seemed inevitable:
* I had been using a simple flip phone for several years. I deserved an upgrade.
* Apple had just introduced new models and all the reviewers said some flaws on earlier models had been corrected.
* Apple had lowered the price of the 16GB model to $200. Seemed like a bargain.
* There are a gazillion "apps" that will run on the IPhone. Surely one of them would make me smarter, quicker, more productive.
* My nieces and nephews can't stop playing with their IPhones.
* I already had a desktop computer, a laptop, and a netbook. Buying a "handtop" seemed a natural progression.
* All the "beautiful people" have IPhones - I can see them in celebrity pictures, holding on to them like security blankets
So I trucked on down to my local Apple store and got an IPhone demonstration from the courteous, articulate, and helpful young salesman. He smoothly and expertly sized me up as someone not interested in games on an IPhone and demonstrated a variety of productivity and ease of use features.
He let me try out the virtual keyboard on his IPhone and it worked fine for me. He explained to me that the wonders of the web could be mine with the IPhone and the required $30 per month data plan - less than I was paying for broadband service for my other computers, as he pointed out.
I was sold.
But just to fill the rest of the day I wandered on over to Best Buy to play with all the other IPhone pretenders. After a period of button pushing and handset handling, doubts began to arise about my IPhone purchase decision.
As I held the non-IPhones, I began to appreciate the comfort and advantages of data entry with a physical keyboard. I realized that with a virtual keyboard, the keys, your clumsy little fingers, and whatever text was being displayed, were all competing for the same scarce 3" of display space.
More troubling, in the days that followed I searched through the various reviews of the "best" apps for the IPhone and found there was only a few that held any interest at all for me.
It began to appear that I might lose my chance to join the "beautiful people."
The LG Touch must be one of the largest and heaviest cell phones currently made.
And I love every inch and ounce of it. Tiny controls on cell phones may be fine for 20 YOs, but not for 60 YOs.
The Touch combines the convenience of the external touch screen for phone use, with the huge (OK, about 4" wide) internal physical keyboard for data entry.
The real deal-killer for the IPhone was the required monthly $30 data plan. Over a 24 month contract, my $200 IPhone was going to cost me $920! Verizon also offers a data plan for the Touch for $15 a month - I guess a bargain.
However, they also offer a pay-per-go plan of $1.99 for every megabyte of data you transmit\receive. Certainly, if you plan to regularly browse typical web pages you are going to need a monthly data plan. However, trying to read the home page of the NY Times on a 3" screen seems to me to be an exercise in masochism.
I limit my browsing to the "mobile" versions of the larger commercial websites. They are generally all text. They load very quickly. You don't have to "pan and zoom" over a page built for 15" monitors in order to read them. And most important, on the days when I have to go on-line the costs are measured in pennies, not dollars.
Earlier I mentioned my "productivity" requirements. Ordinary productivity features such as contact lists, voice mail, alarms, and texting are a breeze on the Touch.
Beyond this, my other productivity needs when I'm away from my desk, mostly involve lists and reference materials that I need to access. You can "sync" this stuff on a variety of phones but I've hated the wires and procedures of "syncing" since the days of my first Palm PDA.
If the material is just something to which I will need to refer, I format it in a MS Word document in 12 pt type, for a custom sized 4" wide x 11" page. Reads perfectly on the Touch. (Didn't I mention that the Touch will read MS Word documents -- but won't edit them) I then copy the Word file to the memory card of the Touch and I'm off
If the material is something I expect to have to edit on the Touch, I either create it or copy it on a Google Document or Task file. Google has a "mobile" portal for both these types of documents. Once again, these Google mobile files read easily on the Touch. Edits made on the Touch are automatically saved on Google, and I can access the revised files on any of my other computers.
Of course, you can type notes directly on the Notepad program of the Touch - or even type notes in an email draft. But as much as I value the 4" keyboard on the Touch, I still try to type on a "real" keyboard for any significant amount of data entry.
So that's the story of my lost IPhone. I'm sure over the next 24 months of my phone contract I'll find some warts on the LG Touch. But for now, it was the right choice for me.
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