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| LG enV Phone (Verizon Wireless) | 
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| Brand: LG
Category: Wireless
List Price: $399.99
Buy New: $76.27
You Save: $323.72 (81%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  81 reviews
Sales Rank: 2476
Color: White
Media: Wireless Phone
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
Model: enV
UPC: 652810813112
ASIN: B000LNOFH0
Release Date: December 4, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Promotion: Data not available Terms and Conditions
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Awesome phone with plenty of extras! November 27, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I recently upgraded my phone as my two year plan was up and I had a $50 credit with Verizon.
I chose the LG enV for the large "qwerty" keyboard (which i love), graphics and BONUS there was a navigational system built right into it that I didnt know of! And futhermore I have discovered that you can record a phone call. Great features and this phone is reasonably priced.
You can access your email, use Vcast for your videos/online, and even expand your music library with the mini SD card slot.
Tons of features for a great price!
Awesome Phone November 19, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love the full keyboard. The space button being in the lower corners is interesting to get used to but once you are, it's easy to use. I like the text to voice for messages, especially while driving, and the voice to text application is awesome. The voice commands needs a little work because it doesn't understand everything the first time and any background noise will cause it to misunderstand you as well. The screen is a bit smaller than I'd like. And the mic being on the inside of the flip makes me sound muffled to others. I couldn't get the bluetooth to sync with another LG phone, though I know this is to prevent ringtones from being shared, I wanted to send pictures. So, as much as I love the phone, I just couldn't give it a 5. I really hope that if LG comes out with another generation they fix the mic issue from being on the inside of the flip, to maybe just the bottom of the phone. A bigger screen would make this phone a total SideKick LX killer. And an app for MySpace mobile would be most excellent. But for now it's only a 4 star.
Very good phone. In-depth review with samples. October 13, 2007
40 out of 40 found this review helpful
(This review was originally written for the LG enV Orange, but is also being posted here as almost all of the review applies to the silver enV as well.)
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The background paragraph: I work for a cell phone software company porting games to the many cell phones available on the market. What that can be boiled down to is that I have a lot of knowledge of handset quirks/bugs, stability, and look+feel, but not much knowledge for comparing handsets on how well they operate when placing actual phone calls, or trying to carry the phone around in your pocket, etc. It should also be noted that I mainly have experience with brew phones (Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, Cricket, etc), and next to no experience with j2me phones (Sprint, Cingular, etc). The vx9900 is a brew device.
When it came time to upgrade my old LG vx8100, I choose the LG vx9900 Orange (enV Orange). Based on my own personal needs, I feel it is the best brew device on the market at the time of this writing. I did not give it a 5-star rating because the web browser on all current Verizon phones leaves something to be desired. This looks to be changing for the new models of phones being released later this year.
Below, any point which is a positive editorial is prefixed with a "(+)". Any point which is a negative editorial is prefixed with a "(-)". A neutral editorial is denoted with a "(.)".
SHAPE
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(+) The phone feels good in the hands. Not every phone does. Its edges are well curved.
(.) Nothing special about how well it is carried in a pocket. It's not as light as the various razr's, but it is the slimmest brew device that offers a qwerty keyboard.
(+) As a previous reviewer pointed out, the 9900 actually LOOKS like a camera when it is used for that purpose. See the "camera" section below for more details.
(-) When the device is opened, and if is placed on a desk to type on like a mini desk-top computer, it will wobble. This is because the back of the phone is not level, on account of the camera lens which protrudes 2mm. The wobble does make using the keyboard in this manner impractical, though not impossible. Luckily, it won't damage the lens due to the lens cover.
HOWEVER: Something which I have not read in other reviews which have written about this design flaw is that the wobble can be reduced to a practical level (but not eliminated entirely) if the phone is opened to a full 180 degrees. A little-known feature of the device is that it has two available angles when opened, about 135 degrees and 180 degrees. At 180 degrees, the wobble is reduced, but now the screen is flat with the table and so is not as convenient to look at, though not in a crippling way.
In field testing, I find that I'm rarely in a situation where I need to use the keyboard while sitting at a desk anyway. In those situations, there's usually an actual computer in front of me. Rather, I use the phone's keyboard when out on the town, in which case it is held in the hands. The thumbs do get sore when typing in this manner, however.
KEYBOARD
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(+) Along with its predecessor the vx9800, the vx9900 offers the best keyboard available on brew cell phones, hands down. Most notably because it has a dedicated row for the numeric keys. On all other qwerty brew devices, this is not the case... with the exception of the LG ax490, although its keyboard is impractical for other reasons (do a Google image search on the device to see what I mean). The keys give a quiet, mechanical "click" when pressed, which is nice feedback.
(.) A number of reviews have complained about the space bar not being positioned at the bottom center of the keyboard. Personally, I've had no trouble adapting to the space bar positions.
(.) A number of reviews also criticize the positioning of the volume keys. When the clamshell is opened to its 135 degree position, it's difficult to wedge your finger behind the screen to reach the volume key. However, when I need to access those keys I simply pop the screen down to its 180 degree position, easily play with the keys to my heart's content, then pop it back to 135 degrees.
(+) Unlike its predecessor the vx9800, the vx9900 hinges its clamshell in such a way that the screen folds behind the keyboard. This makes access to the two soft keys easier.
(+) The symbols written on the keys light up, making it easy for night time use. Handy since I mainly use the keyboard when out on the town.
(.) Some of the keys are shaded grey rather than black to make them stand out as keys to use as an alternate directional pad (there's already a dedicated directional pad on the keyboard.) As a game developer, I can fill you in that Verizon REQUIRES games to accept these keys as alternate directional input for the vx9900. So you know it is supported. However, I don't find them any easier to use than the dedicated directional pad. The only advantage I can think of is it may be more natural if you are left handed.
(+) The vx9900 Orange has a special button in the upper left corner labeled "enV". For the silver version of the vx9900, this button is instead labeled "email". Though I have not tried the button on my company's silver vx9900, I believe I've read that it only can bring up the email app, just like it's labeled. For the enV Orange, however, you can assign this button to any of a number of shortcuts. Unfortunately, you can not assign it to be ANY shortcut you'd like (what I'd really enjoy would be to have it launch the web browser to a specific URL of my choice.) Instead you can only assign it to one of 10 options granted to you (Email (which launches the web browser), Text Message, Video Message, Mobile IM, Wireless Sync, V CAST Videos, Picture Message, V CAST Music, Pacman, and Tetris). Holding the button down launches your assigned shortcut. Tapping the button brings up a list of all the mentioned shortcuts, for you to scroll to and then launch.
(+) There's a dedicated speaker-phone button right on the keyboard.
PHONE CALLS
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(+) I've yet to experience bad reception on my end.
(.) I do not know if I've had dropped calls due to my phone. There have been calls dropped, but the person I called blamed it on their phone.
(-) A complaint I've read about numerous times for the vx9900 is that it will sometimes launch a speed-dial when you are not using the phone. I've never used speed dialing on my previous phones, and after reading this complaint I've made a decision to not use it on this phone. Having not tried it, I can not comment on this. However this complaint has arisen enough times that it should be taken seriously if you are someone who enjoys speed-dial features. An alternate may be to use voice-command dialing instead.
As an aside, one of the reviews I read attributed this defect to the clamshell getting wedged in a carrying case or purse in such a way as to open its clamshell slightly, which would deactivate the key-guard for a few seconds, allowing accidental key presses during that time to launch their assigned speed-dial numbers. Out of curiosity I compared my enV Orange against my company's silver enV to see how far the clamshell needed to be opened in order for the key guard to be deactivated. My Orange needed to open by a smaller amount for this condition to be met.
CAMERA
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(+) The phone LOOKS like a camera when you use it as one. It is held horizontally, and you tap your finger on the top right corner to snap a shot.
(+) It has a lens cover.
(-) If auto-focus is activated, which you will want to use, then photos are not taken instantaneously. You have to wait for the click.
(+) 2.0 megapixels.
(+) Decent frame rate for videos. Better than my vx8100. There have been times when it looked choppy, but often it looks fluid. Examples are below.
(+) If you have a memory card, videos recorded to the card are not given a short time limit.
(-) When examined closely, the photos look grainy. I suspect, but have not confirmed, that the camera does not have the full range of millions of colors we are used to on computers. To see what I mean, take a look at the example photo linked to below. Look closely at the pink of the toy in that photo, or the red bow on the toy. The toy is supposed to be smooth plastic, but it looks a bit grainy.
If a photo is shrunk down (and they are rather large), this can eliminate the graininess.
(-) Videos look very grainy.
SAMPLE PHOTOS and VIDEOS:
I've put onto the web some photos/videos of a friend and I dismantling an Etch-a-Sketch to see what was inside. With the exception of the drawings, which were scanned in, the images were taken with my vx9900 Orange.
http://www.rashid-clark.com/etch-a-sketch/
Here's a direct link to a sample photo, taken at the phone's highest resolution setting of 1600x1200:
http://www.rashid-clark.com/etch-a-sketch/victim.jpg
Here's a direct link to a sample video, taken at the phone's highest resolution of 320x240. I speak very quietly by nature, so don't worry video volumes are normally ok. Also, the phone does not natively save videos to .wmv format, I had to convert them:
http://www.rashid-clark.com/etch-a-sketch/stylus.wmv
BATTERY LIFE:
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(+) So far I'm happy with this. I've been recharging maybe every 4-10 days, depending on how the phone is used that week. I'm not a heavy user. Do make sure to follow the carrier's suggestion of fully charging your phone before using it for the first time, and to fully (or near-fully) use up the battery before the first few recharges.
MISC:
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(+) The device comes with a GPS Navigation app, complete with a voice giving you directions. I have not had a chance to use this, as I do not have a car. Sounds cool. However, Verizon does charge you out the nose to use it. You can buy a monthly subscription, or pay to use it for a day. Also, the car phone-holders currently available for the vx9900 seem like they can only hold the phone in its closed state, though I have not tried them.
(+) Nice, stereo speakers when open.
(+) Accepts micro memory cards.
*NOTE*: There are reviews on this site stating that the vx9900 will not recognize any memory beyond 1 Gigabyte. This was true for old firmware versions, BUT IS NO LONGER THE CASE. If you get a phone (weather it's the enV or not), do make sure to update its firmware first thing, as it's free to do. I am using a 2 GB card, and the phone recognizes the 2GB available. It's possible go higher than 2GB (I forget what the current limit is, but I think it's 4 GB). HOWEVER, reviews I've read state that any card greater than 2GB will be so thick that tweezers are required to remove it from the phone. The 2 GB card I use slides out just fine. I have not personally tried larger cards.
(.) Many reviewers noted the front screen's small size as a mark against the enV. It is a very small screen. If a large front screen is a part of your needs, you may want to wait until the vx10000 is released (details below).
Personally, I prefer a functional, non-impressive front screen. The reason being that the front screen is exposed to the elements. I stuff my phone in my bag, and so if anything bad were to happen such as the phone getting scratched, then the nice large screen shall remain unharmed. When I feel like breaking out of stealth-mode and showing off the phone's dazzle, then I open it up. And when in show-off mode, it DOES impress - people ask me what phone it is when it is opened.
(+) Lots of blue tooth options. I have not played with any of them, and so can not comment.
(+) The IM client works swell, and having a keyboard really shines here. Verizon will charge each message sent and each message received as a txt message. Actually running the IM client doesn't cost you anything, however.
(.) I have not tried the vcast features, and so can not comment on them.
(+) Most people don't care for cell phone games, but speaking as someone who works in the cell phone game industry, I can say that games on this device look a lot better than they do on plenty of other devices. Verizon requires games to make use of a phone's full screen, so the wide screen of the vx9900 is a nice feature.
(+) From a programming stand point, the vx9900 is stable without a lot of quirks (this can not be said for a lot of devices). From a user's stand-point, this doesn't mean much, but can be reassuring to know.
VX9900 vs vx10000
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The vx10000 is the successor to the vx9900. At the time of this writing, it is not yet available in stores, but will be soon. If you are thinking of getting a vx9900, should you wait until the vx10000 is released?
Well, the vx10000 is not in my office yet, so I have not had a chance to play with it. And although I do have access to its technical information, I am under agreement to not share that with the public. However, if you perform internet searches you can get some details. Namely, it has a HUGE front screen. This screen is touch-sensitive. It also has what looks to be a much better web browser. A good browser interfaced with a touch-screen has a lot of potential of they implement it right. The internal screen is also larger. Further, the back of the phone is flat, eliminating the "wobble" problem described earlier in this review for the vx9900.
On the minus side, the vx10000 does not yet look to be orange. =D
I love love love this phone! October 6, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I recently upgraded from another LG phone. I wanted access to e-mail and for $5 extra per month (and related airtime), Verizon has an app. that gets me to my e-mail. The QWERTY keyboard is great. The sound quality is fine. Battery life terrific! The phone has a nice solid feel. I also bought the silicone cover to protect it. It has a nice smooth feel and is see-through so you can see the keys, etc. Read the great review from independent reviewer CNet.com. It is BlueTooth enabled and also EV-DO (whatever that means!) It has a lot of other features (Music, VZ Navigator, etc.) which naturally cost more, but I just want phone, e-mail and good battery life. A super phone!!!
Ultimate text phone September 26, 2007
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I got this phone 2 weeks ago and I LOVE IT. I was looking for a chocolate bar style phone (Im over the flip phone phase) and this is perfect! I LOVE the keyboard if I choose to text that way. This phone is perfect for text messaging! I Love the rings it came with, and the keys feel nice. The size and weight is perfect in my hand! A few of my friends say is bulky, but I would disagree, its longer than a flip, but this phone is skinnier than my Samsung flip phone. Slides in your back pocket nicely. You can hear people clearly. The phone has more display options than a Samsung or Motorola and I love that. Mine is orange and the color is awesome! LG is a great cell phone company and I would recommend this phone to anyone looking for something new!
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