- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
- 17,080
- 136
I already found my dream phone, which I will review eventually. But I went over to AT&T just to check things out and got the LG Vu for experiment purposes. Nice as it is, I wont keep it.
Apologize in advance for my pics. Am using an 8 year old camera (which works suprisingly well compared to many modern cameras) and never learned much about photography. I do know I need better lighting but I dont feel like setting all that up just for an informal review.
BUILD:
Slick. I never thought a phone was "sexy". I think girls are sexy, especially their toes. But phones are just "easy on the eyes" or "not easy on the eyes" to me. I think this phone is nice though. Its an iPhone ripoff to be sure, but I like it better. Its much slimmer and lighter. Glossy black plastic body with a silver rim.
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/zoom.php?h=3030
Its a simple bar design and quite thin. No sliding keyboard or anything. Almost all functions are done on the touch screen. Solid feel all over, but its certainly not a durable phone. The whole thing is a fingerprint magnet and I suspect the screen may scratch easily. I hate cameras on phones but this one is flush with the back and you will never notice it during normal handling.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ens/01_OverallSize.jpg
Three sides are blank, the right side has a single data port which also handles the charger and wired headphones (included). Right side also has a small volume rocker, dedicated camera button, and lock button.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/02_SideView.jpg
Front is beautiful. Screen takes up most of the face, with a little room on the bottom for the tiny Send & End buttons, which you will rarely use. Almost everything is done from the touch screen. There are 4 buttons found along the bottom of the home screen, Menu, TV, Contacts, and Call.
The call button brings up your numerical keypad, and its plenty big enough for large fingers.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ylickens/04_Keypad.jpg
The device lights up well in the dark, and you can adjust the brightness level & timeout settings.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/03_Darkness.jpg
BATTERY:
OK, but not great. Its to be expected from such a powerful phone thats also small and low weight. I guess they figure you will be charging this thing at work and in your car. Which is funny because they didnt include a car charger and you need a special one to work with this devices proprietary plug. Its not even the same as all of the other LG's micro-usb phones.
INTERFACE:
You can easily change themes between black, blue, butterfly and fish.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...5_Menu_water_theme.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ckens/06_Menu_onyx.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...nu_butterfly_theme.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s.../08_menu_fishTheme.jpg
If you choose to not use a wallpaper the fish & butterfly themes have moving objects on the homepage.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...n_Fish_NoWallpaper.jpg
If you only want something simple and basic its best to go with the Onyx theme and no wallpaper. But this makes the homepage a little too relfective (you can see my camera). http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...e_Onyx_NoWallpaper.jpg
Some folks complained about this device being useless in the sun but I was able to enjoy all its functions with no issues. Fish theme looks best outside.
Touching works fine even for my fumbling fingers. You can enable haptic feedback which is a tiny little vibration every time you touch something. I dont think its the next best thing in cell phones but some folks seem to like it. You can drag your finger up and down to scroll through menus or web pages. If you have chubby fingers you may be out of luck, this device does not include a stylus. Incidentally, the haptic feedback on the Vu feels much nicer than the Voyager. I have no idea why that is.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/15_Contacts.jpg
Another little advantage is you wont be opening & closing it constantly. No sliding or flipping. All the keyboard stuff is done onscreen. This is actually much nicer than my Env2 and Voyager which require you to constantly open them.
For some strange reason the menu on the Vu is much easier to navigate than the Voyager or Env2. I suspect this is a carrier issue and not one with the phones. It might seem unimportant but since none of these phones allow menu customization, its actually a big deal. The Voyager and Env2 allow shortcut customization but its not very good. Certainly not as good as my Nokia 6301 was. Maybe they figure you wont care if you have a big screen, which is probably true.
MULTIMEDIA:
This is where the phone shines. It was specifically designed to take advantage of AT&T's new TV service. The phone even includes an extendable attenna to help reception (which I never used). http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/11_TV.jpg
Amazingly enough they have a Victorias Secret Channel, along with about 8 others. None of them are special but they are all good quality, much better than any sort of streaming video currently available, and you dont have to wait for the slow-ass 3G network to cache the data. YOU PAY FOR THIS SERVICE SEPERATE FROM DATA! At&t runs the TV channels on their own, not leeched off Comcast or DirectTV or anything. For the extra money this feature is really only useful to hardcore multimedia junkies, especially considering the limited number of channels you get.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...lickens/12_TV_menu.jpg
You can do basic things with your subscription directly from the phone, even do parental controls.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ens/13_TV_Settings.jpg
Most of the shows have some sort of description, just like your favorite digital TV provider.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s.../14_TV_description.jpg
The device has a basic music player and can do streaming or local videos as well. Obviously you pay extra for any sort of streaming service. In fact this sucker doesnt seem
to have much of anything thats free. This may be a step down from iPhone and Google phone junkies.
You dont get many apps by default and all the ones you can find cost extra. Havent seen anything that was free.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/24_ATT_Mall.jpg
In fact the few things they do include are all trial versions.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/26_apps.jpg
Even the weather service.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ens/27_weather_app.jpg
This may seem like a nitpick but its different from what I have with Verizon wireless and my LG EnV2. With full data service you get a cute little personalized web and can access all sorts of information for free (as part of your data plan).
But the LG Vu with AT&T makes you download special programs pay service fees for damn near everything. HOWEVER, you can access most anything you want with their web browser. As good as it is you may just find it easier to type in a URL and make a shortcut.
This is the loading screen for the browser. Get used to it, you may spend an aweful lot of time here.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/20_Web_open.jpg
Web viewing is good but not great. Some sites automatically load up their mobile page, others do not. Anandtech loads the full page and it takes FOREVER on 3G speeds. I always got bored and left before it was done. The good news is you can always hit the End button and get out quickly.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/22_vertical.jpg
You can swap between vertical and horizontal viewing easily.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ckens/23_Landscape.jpg
They also have a Media Mall which is very expensive and kind of pointless if you know how to copy stuff to your SD card. The box from AT&T did NOT include a USB cable, just the charger. Music sounds decent through the included headphones. If you wanna use your own headset it will need to be BlueTooth.
The device also has quick access to a Java based XM radio service, which costs extra.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/25_XM_Radio.jpg
MESSAGING:
First off, this sucker has an awesome keypad.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ylickens/21_QWERTY.jpg
I thought I would be making lots of mistakes but didnt.
It has basic IM clients.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...s/16_IM_Clientsjpg.jpg
And email service, which is Java Based.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...kens/17_email_main.jpg
You can only use the services they include.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s..._email_add_account.jpg
Which lacks Google Mail.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...19_email_add_other.jpg
GMAIL will have to be done through the web browser. Luckily their site recognizes the device and loads up the efficient mobile pages.
It has very basic productivity tools. Again we are reminded this is a phone for media enthusiasts, not power users.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...lickens/28_goodies.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/29_tools.jpg
You can also enable shortcuts on the home screen.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s..._shortcuts_enabled.jpg
If not using these shortcuts you can change the clock format.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s.../31_clock_settings.jpg
You are also allowed to customize the touch feedback. Vibrate of various levels and sounds of various levels. Or nothing, which many folks may prefer.
The LG Vu has all the features we'd expect from a high end phone. Airplane mode, full security options, touch screen calibration, and one-button update for all your apps.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/32_Other.jpg
Also, when you hit the volume rocker you get a screen showing you exactly how loud and if vibrate is enabled. It only lasts a split second and wont detract from your normal usage. http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...s/33_volume_rocker.jpg
CONCLUSIONS:
Neat little multimedia phone. Could have used GPS & Wifi but that would make the thing much bigger and heavier. Its suprisingly light & thin for all its usefulness and maybe thats what folks need. We already have plenty of super-phones like the offerings from Apple and Google. Not to mention all the new Blackberry's. And thats why it may be difficult to recommend this phone. It could have been so much more. I suspect folks who would want all these multimedia features would also want more advanced goodies as well. I also dont like that cool stuff like Cellular TV, XM radio, and most any app will cost you extra, usually in the form of a monthly fee. All that stuff adds up after a while and isnt really worth the money in a phone thats lacking advanced features. Of course, if you dont care about XM radio, TV, streaming video and the others, this is still a darn nice touch phone. Email, IM, and web browsing are all good. Not fantastic but probably enough for most people. If you load up your own videos and music on an SD card you will be able to enjoy those things as well.
Along those lines, if you find touchscreens to be more trouble than they are worth, this one wont change your mind. You cant adjust the size of the keys but they are very accurate. I highly recommend you try one out in the store before you buy. I recommend everyone go to an AT&T store and check it out, just for fun. Have been told by phone geeks that this puppy has a better than average touch screen.
Again I have to say the LG Vu is only good for media enthusiasts. Power users and professionals will need something better. It may be too much for the average Joe. Its certainly out of proportion with any bargain hunters budget.
Apologize in advance for my pics. Am using an 8 year old camera (which works suprisingly well compared to many modern cameras) and never learned much about photography. I do know I need better lighting but I dont feel like setting all that up just for an informal review.
BUILD:
Slick. I never thought a phone was "sexy". I think girls are sexy, especially their toes. But phones are just "easy on the eyes" or "not easy on the eyes" to me. I think this phone is nice though. Its an iPhone ripoff to be sure, but I like it better. Its much slimmer and lighter. Glossy black plastic body with a silver rim.
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/zoom.php?h=3030
Its a simple bar design and quite thin. No sliding keyboard or anything. Almost all functions are done on the touch screen. Solid feel all over, but its certainly not a durable phone. The whole thing is a fingerprint magnet and I suspect the screen may scratch easily. I hate cameras on phones but this one is flush with the back and you will never notice it during normal handling.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ens/01_OverallSize.jpg
Three sides are blank, the right side has a single data port which also handles the charger and wired headphones (included). Right side also has a small volume rocker, dedicated camera button, and lock button.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/02_SideView.jpg
Front is beautiful. Screen takes up most of the face, with a little room on the bottom for the tiny Send & End buttons, which you will rarely use. Almost everything is done from the touch screen. There are 4 buttons found along the bottom of the home screen, Menu, TV, Contacts, and Call.
The call button brings up your numerical keypad, and its plenty big enough for large fingers.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ylickens/04_Keypad.jpg
The device lights up well in the dark, and you can adjust the brightness level & timeout settings.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/03_Darkness.jpg
BATTERY:
OK, but not great. Its to be expected from such a powerful phone thats also small and low weight. I guess they figure you will be charging this thing at work and in your car. Which is funny because they didnt include a car charger and you need a special one to work with this devices proprietary plug. Its not even the same as all of the other LG's micro-usb phones.
INTERFACE:
You can easily change themes between black, blue, butterfly and fish.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...5_Menu_water_theme.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ckens/06_Menu_onyx.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...nu_butterfly_theme.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s.../08_menu_fishTheme.jpg
If you choose to not use a wallpaper the fish & butterfly themes have moving objects on the homepage.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...n_Fish_NoWallpaper.jpg
If you only want something simple and basic its best to go with the Onyx theme and no wallpaper. But this makes the homepage a little too relfective (you can see my camera). http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...e_Onyx_NoWallpaper.jpg
Some folks complained about this device being useless in the sun but I was able to enjoy all its functions with no issues. Fish theme looks best outside.
Touching works fine even for my fumbling fingers. You can enable haptic feedback which is a tiny little vibration every time you touch something. I dont think its the next best thing in cell phones but some folks seem to like it. You can drag your finger up and down to scroll through menus or web pages. If you have chubby fingers you may be out of luck, this device does not include a stylus. Incidentally, the haptic feedback on the Vu feels much nicer than the Voyager. I have no idea why that is.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/15_Contacts.jpg
Another little advantage is you wont be opening & closing it constantly. No sliding or flipping. All the keyboard stuff is done onscreen. This is actually much nicer than my Env2 and Voyager which require you to constantly open them.
For some strange reason the menu on the Vu is much easier to navigate than the Voyager or Env2. I suspect this is a carrier issue and not one with the phones. It might seem unimportant but since none of these phones allow menu customization, its actually a big deal. The Voyager and Env2 allow shortcut customization but its not very good. Certainly not as good as my Nokia 6301 was. Maybe they figure you wont care if you have a big screen, which is probably true.
MULTIMEDIA:
This is where the phone shines. It was specifically designed to take advantage of AT&T's new TV service. The phone even includes an extendable attenna to help reception (which I never used). http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/11_TV.jpg
Amazingly enough they have a Victorias Secret Channel, along with about 8 others. None of them are special but they are all good quality, much better than any sort of streaming video currently available, and you dont have to wait for the slow-ass 3G network to cache the data. YOU PAY FOR THIS SERVICE SEPERATE FROM DATA! At&t runs the TV channels on their own, not leeched off Comcast or DirectTV or anything. For the extra money this feature is really only useful to hardcore multimedia junkies, especially considering the limited number of channels you get.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...lickens/12_TV_menu.jpg
You can do basic things with your subscription directly from the phone, even do parental controls.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ens/13_TV_Settings.jpg
Most of the shows have some sort of description, just like your favorite digital TV provider.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s.../14_TV_description.jpg
The device has a basic music player and can do streaming or local videos as well. Obviously you pay extra for any sort of streaming service. In fact this sucker doesnt seem
to have much of anything thats free. This may be a step down from iPhone and Google phone junkies.
You dont get many apps by default and all the ones you can find cost extra. Havent seen anything that was free.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/24_ATT_Mall.jpg
In fact the few things they do include are all trial versions.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/26_apps.jpg
Even the weather service.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ens/27_weather_app.jpg
This may seem like a nitpick but its different from what I have with Verizon wireless and my LG EnV2. With full data service you get a cute little personalized web and can access all sorts of information for free (as part of your data plan).
But the LG Vu with AT&T makes you download special programs pay service fees for damn near everything. HOWEVER, you can access most anything you want with their web browser. As good as it is you may just find it easier to type in a URL and make a shortcut.
This is the loading screen for the browser. Get used to it, you may spend an aweful lot of time here.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/20_Web_open.jpg
Web viewing is good but not great. Some sites automatically load up their mobile page, others do not. Anandtech loads the full page and it takes FOREVER on 3G speeds. I always got bored and left before it was done. The good news is you can always hit the End button and get out quickly.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/22_vertical.jpg
You can swap between vertical and horizontal viewing easily.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ckens/23_Landscape.jpg
They also have a Media Mall which is very expensive and kind of pointless if you know how to copy stuff to your SD card. The box from AT&T did NOT include a USB cable, just the charger. Music sounds decent through the included headphones. If you wanna use your own headset it will need to be BlueTooth.
The device also has quick access to a Java based XM radio service, which costs extra.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ickens/25_XM_Radio.jpg
MESSAGING:
First off, this sucker has an awesome keypad.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...ylickens/21_QWERTY.jpg
I thought I would be making lots of mistakes but didnt.
It has basic IM clients.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...s/16_IM_Clientsjpg.jpg
And email service, which is Java Based.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...kens/17_email_main.jpg
You can only use the services they include.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s..._email_add_account.jpg
Which lacks Google Mail.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...19_email_add_other.jpg
GMAIL will have to be done through the web browser. Luckily their site recognizes the device and loads up the efficient mobile pages.
It has very basic productivity tools. Again we are reminded this is a phone for media enthusiasts, not power users.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...lickens/28_goodies.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/29_tools.jpg
You can also enable shortcuts on the home screen.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s..._shortcuts_enabled.jpg
If not using these shortcuts you can change the clock format.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s.../31_clock_settings.jpg
You are also allowed to customize the touch feedback. Vibrate of various levels and sounds of various levels. Or nothing, which many folks may prefer.
The LG Vu has all the features we'd expect from a high end phone. Airplane mode, full security options, touch screen calibration, and one-button update for all your apps.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/32_Other.jpg
Also, when you hit the volume rocker you get a screen showing you exactly how loud and if vibrate is enabled. It only lasts a split second and wont detract from your normal usage. http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/s...s/33_volume_rocker.jpg
CONCLUSIONS:
Neat little multimedia phone. Could have used GPS & Wifi but that would make the thing much bigger and heavier. Its suprisingly light & thin for all its usefulness and maybe thats what folks need. We already have plenty of super-phones like the offerings from Apple and Google. Not to mention all the new Blackberry's. And thats why it may be difficult to recommend this phone. It could have been so much more. I suspect folks who would want all these multimedia features would also want more advanced goodies as well. I also dont like that cool stuff like Cellular TV, XM radio, and most any app will cost you extra, usually in the form of a monthly fee. All that stuff adds up after a while and isnt really worth the money in a phone thats lacking advanced features. Of course, if you dont care about XM radio, TV, streaming video and the others, this is still a darn nice touch phone. Email, IM, and web browsing are all good. Not fantastic but probably enough for most people. If you load up your own videos and music on an SD card you will be able to enjoy those things as well.
Along those lines, if you find touchscreens to be more trouble than they are worth, this one wont change your mind. You cant adjust the size of the keys but they are very accurate. I highly recommend you try one out in the store before you buy. I recommend everyone go to an AT&T store and check it out, just for fun. Have been told by phone geeks that this puppy has a better than average touch screen.
Again I have to say the LG Vu is only good for media enthusiasts. Power users and professionals will need something better. It may be too much for the average Joe. Its certainly out of proportion with any bargain hunters budget.
Facebook
Twitter