LG Vu CU920 Phone, Wine (AT&T)

by LG

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches ; 3.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001PKTRK8
• Item model number: CU920
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,458 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Elegantly and simply designed, the LG Vu CU920 for AT&T features a stunning 3-inch touchscreen that provides excellent viewing of AT&T's new Mobile TV offering, which allows you to watch TV-quality programming from Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and more. This wine red-hued Vu CU920 even comes with a TV antenna that can be extended for optimal TV reception. This quad-band GSM phone also runs on AT&T's dual-band HSDPA/UMTS high-speed 3G network, making it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music's partners Napster and eMusic.

Enjoy AT&T Mobile TV on the LG Vu's brilliantly colorful 3-inch interactive touchscreen.

The intuitive touchscreen controls makes it easy to navigate through all the features of this power-packed phone, which also includes a 2-megapixel camera that can be used with AT&T's Video Share service, multi-format digital audio player, and downloadable games. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets and stereo music streaming, microSD memory expansion (up to 4 GB), FM radio, access to email and instant messaging, and up to 3 hours of talk time.

AT&T Service Options
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900 MHz network (also known as WCDMA), making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services with speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

The LG Vu also features Bluetooth stereo music streaming, MicroSD expansion (up to 4 GB), and an FM radio.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You'll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.

With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company's 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.)

You get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the go, access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal. And it has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T's MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Note that if you want to enjoy the full audio and video capabilities of your UMTS phone, be sure to select a MEdia Max service plan option during checkout. If you do not sign up for a MEdia Max service plan option, you will be paying per KB when you use the over-the-air UMTS audio and video features on your phone (upwards of $10 per minute).

Choose from a wide assortment of channels from AT&T Mobile TV.

AT&T Mobile TV
AT&T Mobile TV with FLO is a revolutionary video service that delivers full-length television content and sporting events from top networks to your phone while you're on the go. Joining with MediaFLO USA's award-winning FLO TV service, AT&T Mobile TV with FLO provides an intuitive program guide that makes it easy to flip from one channel to the next. The service includes more than 150 simulcast and/or time-shifted programs, as well as live sports events, from CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2Go and Nickelodeon. Additionally, the Mobile TV service includes two channels exclusive to AT&T users:

• PIX, from Sony Pictures Television, offers a variety of contemporary films, including comedies, cult classics, action films and family favorites from the studio's vast library.
• CNN Mobile Live provides users with access to 24 hours of breaking news with live streaming anchored coverage from CNN.com Live as well as CNN's most popular programs, including American Morning, Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNN Election Center, Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360°, and CNN International.

AT&T provides several packages for accessing Mobile TV, and it offers parental controls that provide content filtering and purchase blocking on your phone so that you can restrict access to content that may be inappropriate for younger viewers.

The intuitive navigation lets you quickly move from one function to another.

Phone Features
With a focus on simplicity, the LG Vu CU920 has a large 3-inch interactive touchscreen that's accompanied by a minimalist scroll bar design. The touchscreen provides vibrating haptic feedback so you know that you've pressed a button, and it includes a screen lock to prevent unwanted key actions. The phone also includes three hard keys--send, clear, and power/end--right below the screen. It comes with 155 MB of internal memory and it can be expanded using microSD memory cards up to 4 GB in size. The phone book has a capacity for 500 contact entries, each with space for storing 5 numbers, 2 email addresses and a picture ID.

This phone also shines as a mobile digital music player, with compatibility for MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+/eAAC+ files, customizable equalizer, playlist creation and management, and large capacity storage via MicroSD memory cards. Synchronize music from your PC (including music files from online services such as Napster and eMusic) via USB 2.0. The phone also offers USB mass storage capabilities for storing your most important documents and files.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 1.2 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, object push, file transfer, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server. Send contacts, calendar events, and pictures/videos/voice memos wirelessly. The phone stores up to 20 Bluetooth pairings.

Lift the antenna for great TV entertainment.

The 2-megapixel camera offers five resolution settings--from 1600 x 1200 pixels for prints to 160 x 120 pixels for sending via MMS--and it features a 2x digital zoom, multiple shutter tones, night mode, multi-shot capabilities, self-timer, and customizable brightness, and white balance. An in-phone photo editor lets you resize, crop, rotate, and add color effects. You can also shoot video clips at 320 x 240 and 176 x 144 pixels. You can keep shooting for as long as you have space on your microSD card, or cap the length at 42 seconds for sending via MMS.

In addition to voice calls, text messaging, and MMS capability, the phone is also compatible with mobile email from services including Yahoo!, AOL, Windows Live, AT&T Yahoo!, and BellSouth, as well as instant messaging (IM) from AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo!. The Vu also comes stock with a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing via MEdia Net (with WAP 2.0, WML, iHTML, xHTML, and WCSS compatibility). T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Other features include:

• Speed dial (8 entries, plus 1 voicemail default)
• Speaker-independent voice commands
• Voice memo recording
• 11 unique ringtones with vibrate and silent modes; real music ringtone support
• Flight mode for listening to music and watching video with the phone functionality turned off
• USB charging via computer and mass storage capabilities
• Java 2.0 support for downloadable applications and games
• PIM tools: Calendar, alarm clock, notepad, calculator, tip calculator, world clock, tasks, stopwatch, unit converter
• Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Vital Statistics
The LG Vu CU920 weighs 3.16 ounces and measures 4.25 x 2.16 x 0.51 inches. Its 1000 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T's 850/1900 MHz 3G frequencies (UMTS/HSDPA).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you want an iPhone, get an iPhone, May 6, 2009

By 

M. Hong - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LG Vu CU920 Phone, Wine (AT&T) (Wireless Phone)

I chose the Vu over the iPhone & a few other touchscreens--not b/c the Vu is better than or just as good as the iPhone, but because for my purposes, it makes more sense. I wanted a stylish-looking phone that was lightweight and easy to use, that could check email and get on the internet, that could handle a few apps, and that didn't cost much. I'm pretty happy with the Vu, even recognizing that I would prefer an iPhone if cost didn't matter. Here's how I decided:

1) After reading online reviews, narrowed my choices to iPhone, LG Vu, LG Xenon, & Samsung Eternity (I was already an AT&T customer). Visited the AT&T store to try out phones, and narrowed it further to iPhone or Vu based on ease of use and size/weight. In terms of functionality and ease of use, the iPhone wins; its touchscreen is superior to any brand, it supports the most apps, it does cool tricks (like that turning-on-the-side thing), and it's easiest to sync with my Mac. But the Vu was lightweight, fun, and intuitive to use.

2) Cost comparison. For me, iPhone's required data plan was more than I wanted to pay. The math: Vu over 2 years (life of contract) works out to about $1,590 ($6 phone/shipping + 450-minute plan + monthly taxes/fees + $15 unlimited data plan). iPhone, if I bought a refurbished 8GB (cheapest option), would be about $2,050 ($99 phone + cheapest iPhone plan + monthly taxes/fees). Difference = approx $460 over 2 yrs. So, were iPhone's advantages worth that much to me? Ultimately, no.

3) Things I like about Vu:
- Easy to use. Simple & quick to get on the internet, make calls, reach your apps, change settings, etc. The few physical buttons are convenient and easy to get used to.
- It is a really sweet-looking phone. Love the wine color.
- Screen is bright, crisp & easy to read.
- Lightweight & compact compared to other touchscreens. iPhone is bigger (won't fit in a pocket as well) and significantly heavier.
- Can't comment on Mobile TV since I don't get service in my area. That would not have been an important feature to me.
- Voice dialing works great.
- It's a bargain and accessories are cheap.

4) Drawbacks of Vu:
- Limited ability to download and use apps unless you're a pretty proficient hacker/programmer (see #5 below).
- Generally, touchscreen works fine but scrolling can be tricky. The screen simply isn't as responsive and accurate as the iPhone. But we all knew that, right? It's fine for dialing. For text, you can use the dialpad or a QWERTY keyboard. QWERTY keys are quite small so I do make mistakes; this is a problem with all touchscreen phones. A stylus might help. I wouldn't write a thesis on the phone, but I do update my facebook status, check email, run searches, send text msgs, no problem.
- Lack of Gmail or POP/IMAP support. You can use the phone's email software for Yahoo, Hotmail, a few others, but not Gmail. You can download Gmail's user-friendly app which works great except...see #5.
- Fingerprints like you wouldn't believe. It's ok, though. No one's looking that closely.
- Limited # of bookmarks allowed. Irritating since AT&T forces some useless ones on you that you can't delete.

5) About apps. One thing I love about iPhone is the ability to download a gazillion useful apps. For Vu, there are a few apps available, all with monthly subscription fees, from AT&T. Bleh. Here's the thing. The Vu has a lot of untapped programming potential. It supports Java, which theoretically could give you functionality pretty close to an iPhone's; you can find non-iPhone mobile apps all over the internet. But AT&T, no doubt to protect the iPhone's market position & higher-priced plan, has placed an annoying Java security feature on the Vu so that when you run a 3rd-party app (i.e., one AT&T didn't sell you), you get an annoying permission screen at every turn. If you go to www.lg-vu.com, you can find detailed instructions (even video) for how to hack your Vu to get rid of this feature, as well as delete all the trial version apps and other nonsense that are on the phone. I'm working on this--haven't succeeded yet, but others have, so I'm hopeful I'll eventually get it. Meantime, I downloaded gmail and googlemaps (free apps) and I put up with the security feature. Doesn't prevent me from using the apps; it's just annoying. Happily, there are lots of mobile websites optimized for phone use, everything from shopping to news to lolcats, so you can do quite a bit even without apps. You do not need an app to use facebook or twitter or to look up movie times, gas prices, or weather, or watch youtube (it's blurry).

So if you really want an iPhone, get an iPhone. If you know the limitations of the Vu and nevertheless think it meets your needs--esp. if you just want a good phone (no internet/apps)--I think you'll be very happy. This is a really nice device. Just don't expect it to be an iPhone.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent customizable features, June 25, 2009

By 

Kay from Houston TX - See all my reviews

This review is from: LG CF360 Phone, Blue (AT&T) (Wireless Phone)

My review is for those who actually want a phone for its telephone features. I am middle-aged, don't text at all and I rarely use the camera. However, this is the best phone I've owned for ability to customize -- not only can you customize the 4 front buttons, but you can create a favorites menu as well. I like the non-slip grip surface and the slideout snaps firmly with a feeling of quality. Both your address book and speed dial list can be accessed with a touch of a button. The sound quality is loud both for calls and ringtones. Battery life is excellent, but again, I don't text. Buttons on the front serve dual purposes, such as a "hold" button and "speaker phone" instead of having buttons in all different places. I like the memory card slot at the top, so you don't have to open the battery compartment just to insert a memory card. Also has a USB port. I also like that it does not clutter your screen with icons that you will never use. I've owned Rzr, Samsung Eternity (which doesn't even have speed dial), Nokia 6550 (which runs hot), and this phone puts them all to shame when it comes to the basics. My only complaint is that this phone doesn't have voice command.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great substitute for the iphone, March 26, 2009

By 

Kunal Vijayakar "Kunal" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LG Vu CU920 Phone, Wine (AT&T) (Wireless Phone)

If you dont care of the status symbol that the iphone brings then this is a great phone. The interface, the buttons and touch screen are all very user friendly and easy to navigate. The phone has all the features i required like internet browsing, google maps, a decent camera. Ultimately its a phone and functions perfect as a phone. As long as you do not expect it to be a computer or a camera then you shud be happy. The only complaint I have is that it shuts itself off if I leave the memory card inside. Not sure why and read on the forums that a lot of people had the same problem. So I leave the card out as I was not intending to use it as an mp3 player anyways.

Overall I am quite satisfied. May be my expectations were not too high anyways from this phone.