Arnold
DexterReview: LG Viewty (KU990) 5.1-megapixel camera phone
February 13th 2008 22:15
After spending a week with the LG Viewty touchscreen 5-megapixel camera phone, I've come to the conclusion that despite having some minor flaws (more on that later), this is without doubt one of the best LG phones in a very long time and quite possibly one of the best LG phones ever.
Let's just say if the Viewty was an Apple product, it'd be selling like hot cakes, no questions asked and in terms of features - 5.1-megapixel camera, 3G HSDPA 2100 compatible etc. - and looks (arguably), it puts the much hyped iPhone to shame.
Korean brand LG has been a longtime advocate of touchscreen phones, most notably, the 'Chocolate' series which was released on the market years ago. I'm not sure how comparable the touchscreen of the Viewty is when up against the iPhone which I've never had the pleasure of using, but what I can say is that it shows a marked improvement over their previous efforts.
The screen is very responsive and can be set to vibrate when you touch it which is fantastic as it gives a whole lot more feedback than a regular flat display - a great touch and innovation from LG.
While it may lack the ease of use of a conventional number pad, it more than makes up for this inadequacy in the looks department. And talking about looks, the understated design exudes a lot of class with the centrepiece being the large touchscreen and just three mechanical keys at the bottom. The phone feels light to the touch but not plasticky due to the high quality of materials used.
The picture quality of the Schneider-KREUZNACH 5.1-megapixel camera with xenon flash light is superb and allows the user to adjust the size of images, picture quality, ISO and white balance etc.
Other highlights of the phone includes a photo viewer software that allows you to view pictures as if they were scattered on a table. A flick of the finger allows the user to brush away a picture and onto the next. The DivX playback function means you can store films on a microSD card and watch them on the large screen while the in-built music player supports the usual AAC, AMR, MP3, WMA and WMV formats.
While my use of the phone has been far from intensive, I have been very impressed by what it has to offer thus far. My only gripes at this early stage are the fingerprint and scratch prone touchscreen and the unprotected lens cover for the camera. I find myself having to wipe the screen of fingerprints after the slightest of touches which can be annoying, but something that you will have to learn to live with.
The unprotected camera lens is more of a concern, however, as it is open to scratches and what not considering that the bottom side of a phone usually comes into contact with a lot of surfaces i.e. tables, desks etc.
I would strongly recommend a protective pouch for the phone when it's not in use for those that like to keep their phones/gadgets in tip-top nick.
Overall, I would have no hesitation in recommending this phone to anyone that is after a high-end touchscreen mobile with a powerful camera - it does what it's meant to do well and looks the part while doing so.
You can find the full technical specs of the Viewty here.
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Comment by Harry
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What I'd really like is a phone with
1) A great camera
2) Decent sized memory for mp3's
3) Is light enough to take jogging -- this is a hard one.
4) Has a phone
When I can also hook one of these up to a portable keyboard and some kind of portable screen with decent internet access I'll be in heaven. Maybe on of these cinema glasses would be the go.
Comment by Arnold
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If you're looking for a great phone, great camera and media playback (DivX) then this is the phone for you.
1) Yes it is - 5.1-megapixel.
2) It's MicroSD compatible - 1GB & 2GB disks are getting cheaper by the day
3) It's no lightweight but doable at 112 g. I'm not sure where/how you would fasten it though.
4) Yes, and touchscreen too!
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Anonymous