LG vx9900 EnV

Permalink: LG vx9900 EnV by Franz Bicar

At first glance, the LG vx9900 EnV looks like a slightly bulky, run-of-the-mill candy bar-style phone. However, the phone opens horizontally to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard that is far from standard cell phones and looks more like a PDA or a smartphone.

The handset, when closed, features a small display, basic navigation controls, and a numeric keypad. The phone’s exterior has a nice-looking silver finish with a small external screen that some users will find disappointing. At just 1.25 inches diagonally, the display is hard to see, and the empty space surrounding it could have been put to better use. The keys, though small, are easy to enter phone numbers on.

As mentioned, the enV feels thick and bulky in your hands. However, it provides great features and impressive performance. It provides reasonably good call quality. Talk-time battery life is good as it lasts for 5 hours, 5 minutes in most tests.

Looking at the exterior, a lot of people won’t be impressed with this handset. But once you open it, it is going to be a whole new story. Inside are a spacious QWERTY keyboard, a bright 2.25-inch screen, and keys for accessing the phone’s many features.

If you don’t need a full-fledged PDA phone with mobile office applications but still want a QWERTY keyboard for easy typing, the EnV is an excellent choice.

It comes with a dedicated e-mail key for quick access to Verizon Wireless’s VCast Wireless Sync e-mail service. This app costs an additional $20, but lets you easily sync your phone with your POP3 or IMAP e-mail account. The EnV also includes mobile versions of AOL, MSN, and Yahoo instant messaging clients.

In addition, the phone has a built-in 2.0 megapixel camera that takes rather avergae quality photos. The lens sits on the back of the handset and is protected by a sliding lens cover. The camera’s autofocus tool captures still shots well, but the resulting shutter lag of up to 2 seconds can cause you to miss a moving subject. However, you can switch this feature off, and use the phone in fixed-focus mode instead.

The phone’s shutter-release button, found on the right side, doesn’t allow you to start up the camera, and you have to dig deeper than you should in the phone’s menu system to reach this instruction. Still, the button is positioned nicely when you hold the phone horizontally for use as a camera; and the EnV also captures serviceable video clips.

Sources:
http://reviews.cnet.com
http://shopping.yahoo.com
http://www.mobiledia.com