- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
- 17,081
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Hello and Welcome Back!
Those of you may recall that around October/November of last year I finally got fed up with my lame Tracfone and decided to go with a big service. First I tried the Nokia 6301 from T-mobile. Didnt like it much but I did make a review.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=y&keyword1=nokia+6301
Did the same thing with the Moto i580 from Sprint and the Vu from AT&T.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=y&keyword1=nokia+6301
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...t_key=y&keyword1=LG+Vu
Finally settled on Verizon, BUT, I didnt get my dream phone without a lot of experimenting. Played with a Blitz and the Env2 before finally figuring out what I wanted.
The LG Voyager is an aweful lot like a combination of the Vu and the Env2, which is one reason I've been holding off on my proper review. The Vu is a bar style phone, (no sliding out or flipping) and its pretty much all touch screen except for a few buttons that you might not ever touch. The Env2 is a sideways flip phone (like opening up a little notepad or address book) with a huge keypad on the outside but a tiny display up top. Inside it has a much nicer QWERTY keypad and bigger display. The only downside to this arrangement is you will almost always be flipping it open to do stuff. LG came up with a better solution in the Voyager.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_01.jpg
It has a nice big touchscreen on the outside but flips open to a full keypad and display on the inside. Personally I thought they could have saved a few bucks and just made it a slider with one really nice display like the Blitz or the Google Phone or even the Sidekick, but its not a huge issue.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_02.jpg
This bad boy is just about as long as a CD and about as wide as a dollar bill. The display is much less smaller than a credit card, but a little larger than a business card. It only has the SEND, END and CLR buttons on the face. The CLR is also a back button while digging through menues. The END almost always kills all programs and takes you back to the home screen. You can customize just about every application to not ask it to be closed.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_03.jpg
Its just about as thick as two CD cases, which is relatively fat these days.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_04.jpg
On the back you have the camera lens and battery. The latch is relatively sturdy. You also have the pullout antenna for the TV service. It should be noted the battery has its own cover built on to it and melds to the body of the phone. This is important because if you order another batter you will want to make sure you get the correct color (black or grey). The hinges are quite durable and have a solid feel.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_05.jpg
On the left side you have the dedicated camera button, the screen lock (slider with red dot) and the volume rocker buttons.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_06.jpg
Right side only has the headset jack and the tab for your micro SD card. There is nothing on the top and the bottom only has the USB port, which is also the charging port. It should be noted that this phone uses a slighlty different micro-USB connection. Make sure you have the correct model when you order a replacement charger or a car adapter.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_07.jpg
You can get an extended battery for this thing, but it seems to only come in black (the color of the original Voyager) and it sits up a ways from the body.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_08.jpg
This makes the bulge in your pocket even bigger. Given the size of this thing it probably wont fit in your hip or back pocket, especially for females whose jeans are painted on their butt. It will normally be in a purse, backpack pouch, or jacket pocket.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_09.jpg
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_10.jpg
Opening up the phone you see another nice display and full keypad, complete with Shift, Symbol and directional keys. I would have preferred a single, large Space Bar in the center, but its not a big deal.
The internal speakers are stereo, located on each side of the screen. Music quality is OK, nothing special. You will probably want earphones. Its recommended you open it 3/4 while using the phone on a table or maybe even your lap.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_11.jpg
While holding it in front of your face you will probably open it up fully.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_12.jpg
The 3/4 open is the only way it sits flat.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_13.jpg
The home screen looks good and can be customized with two color themes and your choice of wallpapers. You can have a variety of clocks on the outside, or none. You get to see your signal status for both old digital and new 3G cell towers. If TV is available you can see that too. Note that even though I cancelled TV service the phone still lets me know whether its available or not. You also have a notice telling you if the GPS Locater is always on, or just used during 911 calls. (Mine is always on.) And of course the battery meter is just as useless as most other phones. Since I got the extended battery I dont even worry about it anymore. You can choose to have the phone auto-lock and also manually lock it from the side. The Touch Unlock doesnt respond very well, but at least that ensures it wont be hit accidentally.
On the bottom of the home screen you have 4 soft buttons to do the most important functions.
Messaging:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_14.jpg
works well from the outside, but its a little more flexible on the inside with the full keypad.
You can make a call:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_15.jpg
as always, even though such things may seem trite for modern phone users. The soft buttons are big and respond nicely.
The menu button:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_16.jpg
brings up the home menu in Vertical format. Personally I thought the AT&T menu on their Vu was a little easier to navigate.
The last soft button on the home screen is Contacts:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_17.jpg
You can quickly jump around with the buttons on the top. Each contact can have several numbers and emails as well as custom ringtones and pics.
If you are on the home screen and you tap in the middle you get a shortcut page:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_18.jpg
most of which are repeats of the Menu. But you can customize to put almost anything you want right up here. I never did figure out how to make a shortcut to any of my Tools, like notepad.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_19.jpg
My Pictures is alright. Not as good as ACDSee, but fine for a phone. You can also customize your wallpaper here, in addition to the Display tab doing it.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_20.jpg
Messaging is basic and limited when using the outside touch screen. I never did figure out how to force it to use the widescreen QWERTY keyboard like on the Vu. It comes up randomly.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_21.jpg
The calander is basic but functional. You can make different types of events, repeat them at intervals of your choice, and make multiple alarms for them.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_22.jpg
The email service is where this puppy shines. You get default choices of Yahoo and Hotmail, but you can also manually setup GMAIL and other accounts with a minimum of hassle.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_23.jpg
Browsing is a bit slow, even with 3G speeds. Even though the display is big they waste a little space on your stupid status bar at the top. Blackberry fans will be unimpressed.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_24.jpg
You have an alarm clock. It lets you use any sounds you want as well as vibrate.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_25.jpg
My Music is just OK. They would much rather you bought more stuff that easily access what you already have.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_26.jpg
Digging through your music isnt terribly pleasant.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_27.jpg
The media player is functional, but not much else. You cannot access anything else while playing music. I dont know if this will be addressed by any firmware releases.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_28.jpg
VZ Navigator is the pride and joy of Verizon. If you havent used it your should check out your local store. Its a heck of a lot better than any other phone service, and often better than the regular car GPS systems like Garmin & others. The only downside is whether your phone has a loud enough speaker. This one does NOT, even in the open position with them pointed at your face. Other than that its great. Nice variety of local businesses (POI's) and it makes good directions. Detouring is easy and effective. It receives regular updates.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_29.jpg
The web browser is good but not great. Again Blackberry lovers will not be swayed. The basic screen has easy access to all the important stuff. The News was especially simple to use and has a variety of services. You can access your email here as well. You can also do quite a bit of customer service stuff on the phone, like cancelling the overpriced TV service.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_30.jpg
The inlcuded Weatherbug is nice but you can also download and use others.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_31.jpg
The optimized web is not very good. Its layed out poorly and slow. Even at 3G speeds you will probably get bored waiting for pages to load. All email should be done through the email program, NOT the web. It should be noted that scrolling through programs and web pages on the touchscreen was not easy. The Vu is much better. You will probably find yourself opening up the phone and using the direction pad to get around.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_32.jpg
The inside has a little more functionality built in to it. The keys are easy to press for a fellow with small hands (like myself). I cant speak for those with sausage fingers. The inside screen is just as reflective as the outside. You can see my camera and forehead in the photo. I recommend the White color scheme and a lighter wallpaper. You get the same status info here and can customize the clock.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_33.jpg
Text messaging is also better. You can see much more and type easier.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_34.jpg
You have all the normal messaging options, including the ability to change font and backround, though I dont know if all your recipients will be able to see it. Probably not unless they have a higher-end multimedia phone.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_35.jpg
Contacts are actually a little harder to read here, mostly because they force the pic on the left even if you dont have any pics for your contacts. And they still use the silly status bar on top.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_36.jpg
You can view all calls, or just missed calls, or just dialed. You get cute little icons for each type.
As always you can save them to an existing contact or create a new one.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_37.jpg
The outside is a little easier due to the verical layout.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_38.jpg
You have tools often found on a high-end multimedia phone. Voice commands work fine, but I'm not big on them.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_39.jpg
I wish there was someway to put the Notepad on one of your shortcuts. Digging through the Tools menu isnt much fun.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_40.jpg
You can customize every aspect of every sound on this thing.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_41.jpg
Same with the display settings. You can have a banner message on this inside or outside. You can change the timeout of the backlight, but not the brightness or contrast. Wallpaper can be easily changed for the inside and outside screen. One thing I should note is that it wont autorotate. If you make your own you will have to make two, one portrait and one landscape. Then setup each of them seperately. You can change the screen you get (inside and outside) while charging the phone. I set it up to be like a classic flip tab alarm clock. You only get the choice of two themes, white and black. The Vu from AT&T also let you choose from two interactive themes, Butterfly and Fish, which had animals crawling around the home screen and responding to your touch. There are not other themes available, even with updates. My friends on the Voyager forums have been anxiously awaiting more.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_42.jpg
You are allowed quite a few fonts throughout the menu system and calling screens.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_43.jpg
The Digital 2 outside clock is probably the easiest to read.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_44.jpg
For touch settings you can setup Haptic feedback, which is a little buzz whenever you tap the screen. For some strange reason the vibrate on this phone isnt quite as good as the Vu. But most folks wont care.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_45.jpg
You may customize the type of vibe.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_46.jpg
Or even have a simple sound effect.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_47.jpg
You are able to check your memory status at any time and set the default save location for downloaded junk. This is good if you intend to get by with a small SD card or upload lots of MP3's to the phone.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_48.jpg
In phone info you can remind yourself what the number is (which I often need to do) and check your firmware versions. This is important because multimedia phones tend yo get frequent updates and sometimes you even find new features installed after you are done.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_49.jpg
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_50.jpg
Last but not least you have a database of all the icons used on the phone. This is nice if you dont plan on carrying around the manual with you.
So why did I get this phone?
Its a little bigger than the Env2, with much bigger keys (easier for me to press). It also has a kickass outer touchscreen. I got hooked on them when I played with AT&T's Vu for a week. Sadly the touchscreen is not as responsive as the Vu's and Verizons menu layout makes it difficult to scroll around and hit what you want unless its one of the four main buttons. But its still better than most.
As far as functions & features, this has everything good that the Env2 did and more. It should be noted that while this is an awesome multimedia phone its still not a smartphone or PDA. Contact and Calander features are minimal and the Email is not up to Google Phone or Blackberry standards.
Also, even if you get an unlimited data plan (which I highly recommend simply for the Navigator service) you will still have to pay for downloaded music and video. I didnt care much for the TV service. It was 15 bucks a month and had a poor selection of channels.
I did NOT get this phone for the camera. Cameras on phones stink, plain & simple. They are only good for crummy pics to be used in the contacts list. Anything else and they are unaccpetable. You would do better to get a fifty dollar camera from Walmart. It will take much better pics and then you can completely ignore camera quality when phone shopping.
So who is it for?
Text & email lovers who also want solid GPS and decent multimedia along with news, sports & weather. The web browsing is too slow and ugly for most people. Since the prices should have dropped a great deal from MSRP it should be a good choice for kiddies, college students, and soccer moms. It is NOT a good choice for gadget freaks or businessmen. Its also not appropriate on the side of a mountain or at a construction site.
My only real complaint is the poor battery it ships with. Dont believe the hype on the sites advertising this phone. With the standard battery you will be dead in less than a day of casual talking, texting, and browsing. Music use or constant GPS will drain it even quicker. For such a high-end device you think they would have tried harder. I highly recommend getting one of the extended batteries. I found two online. A double capacity for about 20 bucks (if you look around) and a super-duper-mega-ultra capacity for about 100 dollars. If you are the kind of person who refuses to buy a 3rd party battery then I am afraid this phone will disappoint you.
Call quality is not stellar but I can get over that. If its your number one priority I think you can do better and still get good multimedia features with another phone. I have no idea what the differences are between the original and Titanium. I have the Titanium.
See InfoSyncWorld for a more brutal story on this phone.
http://www.infosyncworld.com/r...s/lg-voyager/8597.html
Post questions if you have them and I will try my best to respond. Also, I am using a much better camera than I did for the Vu review but I am still having difficulty. By the time I got it setup for good pics in the sunroom, the sun had moved. But I think they came out alright. Again, for outside viewing I recommend the White theme and a lighter wallpaper.
Those of you may recall that around October/November of last year I finally got fed up with my lame Tracfone and decided to go with a big service. First I tried the Nokia 6301 from T-mobile. Didnt like it much but I did make a review.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=y&keyword1=nokia+6301
Did the same thing with the Moto i580 from Sprint and the Vu from AT&T.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=y&keyword1=nokia+6301
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...t_key=y&keyword1=LG+Vu
Finally settled on Verizon, BUT, I didnt get my dream phone without a lot of experimenting. Played with a Blitz and the Env2 before finally figuring out what I wanted.
The LG Voyager is an aweful lot like a combination of the Vu and the Env2, which is one reason I've been holding off on my proper review. The Vu is a bar style phone, (no sliding out or flipping) and its pretty much all touch screen except for a few buttons that you might not ever touch. The Env2 is a sideways flip phone (like opening up a little notepad or address book) with a huge keypad on the outside but a tiny display up top. Inside it has a much nicer QWERTY keypad and bigger display. The only downside to this arrangement is you will almost always be flipping it open to do stuff. LG came up with a better solution in the Voyager.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_01.jpg
It has a nice big touchscreen on the outside but flips open to a full keypad and display on the inside. Personally I thought they could have saved a few bucks and just made it a slider with one really nice display like the Blitz or the Google Phone or even the Sidekick, but its not a huge issue.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_02.jpg
This bad boy is just about as long as a CD and about as wide as a dollar bill. The display is much less smaller than a credit card, but a little larger than a business card. It only has the SEND, END and CLR buttons on the face. The CLR is also a back button while digging through menues. The END almost always kills all programs and takes you back to the home screen. You can customize just about every application to not ask it to be closed.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_03.jpg
Its just about as thick as two CD cases, which is relatively fat these days.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_04.jpg
On the back you have the camera lens and battery. The latch is relatively sturdy. You also have the pullout antenna for the TV service. It should be noted the battery has its own cover built on to it and melds to the body of the phone. This is important because if you order another batter you will want to make sure you get the correct color (black or grey). The hinges are quite durable and have a solid feel.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_05.jpg
On the left side you have the dedicated camera button, the screen lock (slider with red dot) and the volume rocker buttons.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_06.jpg
Right side only has the headset jack and the tab for your micro SD card. There is nothing on the top and the bottom only has the USB port, which is also the charging port. It should be noted that this phone uses a slighlty different micro-USB connection. Make sure you have the correct model when you order a replacement charger or a car adapter.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_07.jpg
You can get an extended battery for this thing, but it seems to only come in black (the color of the original Voyager) and it sits up a ways from the body.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_08.jpg
This makes the bulge in your pocket even bigger. Given the size of this thing it probably wont fit in your hip or back pocket, especially for females whose jeans are painted on their butt. It will normally be in a purse, backpack pouch, or jacket pocket.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_09.jpg
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_10.jpg
Opening up the phone you see another nice display and full keypad, complete with Shift, Symbol and directional keys. I would have preferred a single, large Space Bar in the center, but its not a big deal.
The internal speakers are stereo, located on each side of the screen. Music quality is OK, nothing special. You will probably want earphones. Its recommended you open it 3/4 while using the phone on a table or maybe even your lap.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_11.jpg
While holding it in front of your face you will probably open it up fully.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_12.jpg
The 3/4 open is the only way it sits flat.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_13.jpg
The home screen looks good and can be customized with two color themes and your choice of wallpapers. You can have a variety of clocks on the outside, or none. You get to see your signal status for both old digital and new 3G cell towers. If TV is available you can see that too. Note that even though I cancelled TV service the phone still lets me know whether its available or not. You also have a notice telling you if the GPS Locater is always on, or just used during 911 calls. (Mine is always on.) And of course the battery meter is just as useless as most other phones. Since I got the extended battery I dont even worry about it anymore. You can choose to have the phone auto-lock and also manually lock it from the side. The Touch Unlock doesnt respond very well, but at least that ensures it wont be hit accidentally.
On the bottom of the home screen you have 4 soft buttons to do the most important functions.
Messaging:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_14.jpg
works well from the outside, but its a little more flexible on the inside with the full keypad.
You can make a call:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_15.jpg
as always, even though such things may seem trite for modern phone users. The soft buttons are big and respond nicely.
The menu button:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_16.jpg
brings up the home menu in Vertical format. Personally I thought the AT&T menu on their Vu was a little easier to navigate.
The last soft button on the home screen is Contacts:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_17.jpg
You can quickly jump around with the buttons on the top. Each contact can have several numbers and emails as well as custom ringtones and pics.
If you are on the home screen and you tap in the middle you get a shortcut page:
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_18.jpg
most of which are repeats of the Menu. But you can customize to put almost anything you want right up here. I never did figure out how to make a shortcut to any of my Tools, like notepad.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_19.jpg
My Pictures is alright. Not as good as ACDSee, but fine for a phone. You can also customize your wallpaper here, in addition to the Display tab doing it.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_20.jpg
Messaging is basic and limited when using the outside touch screen. I never did figure out how to force it to use the widescreen QWERTY keyboard like on the Vu. It comes up randomly.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_21.jpg
The calander is basic but functional. You can make different types of events, repeat them at intervals of your choice, and make multiple alarms for them.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_22.jpg
The email service is where this puppy shines. You get default choices of Yahoo and Hotmail, but you can also manually setup GMAIL and other accounts with a minimum of hassle.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_23.jpg
Browsing is a bit slow, even with 3G speeds. Even though the display is big they waste a little space on your stupid status bar at the top. Blackberry fans will be unimpressed.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_24.jpg
You have an alarm clock. It lets you use any sounds you want as well as vibrate.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_25.jpg
My Music is just OK. They would much rather you bought more stuff that easily access what you already have.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_26.jpg
Digging through your music isnt terribly pleasant.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_27.jpg
The media player is functional, but not much else. You cannot access anything else while playing music. I dont know if this will be addressed by any firmware releases.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_28.jpg
VZ Navigator is the pride and joy of Verizon. If you havent used it your should check out your local store. Its a heck of a lot better than any other phone service, and often better than the regular car GPS systems like Garmin & others. The only downside is whether your phone has a loud enough speaker. This one does NOT, even in the open position with them pointed at your face. Other than that its great. Nice variety of local businesses (POI's) and it makes good directions. Detouring is easy and effective. It receives regular updates.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_29.jpg
The web browser is good but not great. Again Blackberry lovers will not be swayed. The basic screen has easy access to all the important stuff. The News was especially simple to use and has a variety of services. You can access your email here as well. You can also do quite a bit of customer service stuff on the phone, like cancelling the overpriced TV service.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_30.jpg
The inlcuded Weatherbug is nice but you can also download and use others.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_31.jpg
The optimized web is not very good. Its layed out poorly and slow. Even at 3G speeds you will probably get bored waiting for pages to load. All email should be done through the email program, NOT the web. It should be noted that scrolling through programs and web pages on the touchscreen was not easy. The Vu is much better. You will probably find yourself opening up the phone and using the direction pad to get around.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_32.jpg
The inside has a little more functionality built in to it. The keys are easy to press for a fellow with small hands (like myself). I cant speak for those with sausage fingers. The inside screen is just as reflective as the outside. You can see my camera and forehead in the photo. I recommend the White color scheme and a lighter wallpaper. You get the same status info here and can customize the clock.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_33.jpg
Text messaging is also better. You can see much more and type easier.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_34.jpg
You have all the normal messaging options, including the ability to change font and backround, though I dont know if all your recipients will be able to see it. Probably not unless they have a higher-end multimedia phone.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_35.jpg
Contacts are actually a little harder to read here, mostly because they force the pic on the left even if you dont have any pics for your contacts. And they still use the silly status bar on top.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_36.jpg
You can view all calls, or just missed calls, or just dialed. You get cute little icons for each type.
As always you can save them to an existing contact or create a new one.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_37.jpg
The outside is a little easier due to the verical layout.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_38.jpg
You have tools often found on a high-end multimedia phone. Voice commands work fine, but I'm not big on them.
http://s658.photobucket.com/al...rent=LG_Voyager_39.jpg
I wish there was someway to put the Notepad on one of your shortcuts. Digging through the Tools menu isnt much fun.
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You can customize every aspect of every sound on this thing.
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Same with the display settings. You can have a banner message on this inside or outside. You can change the timeout of the backlight, but not the brightness or contrast. Wallpaper can be easily changed for the inside and outside screen. One thing I should note is that it wont autorotate. If you make your own you will have to make two, one portrait and one landscape. Then setup each of them seperately. You can change the screen you get (inside and outside) while charging the phone. I set it up to be like a classic flip tab alarm clock. You only get the choice of two themes, white and black. The Vu from AT&T also let you choose from two interactive themes, Butterfly and Fish, which had animals crawling around the home screen and responding to your touch. There are not other themes available, even with updates. My friends on the Voyager forums have been anxiously awaiting more.
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You are allowed quite a few fonts throughout the menu system and calling screens.
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The Digital 2 outside clock is probably the easiest to read.
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For touch settings you can setup Haptic feedback, which is a little buzz whenever you tap the screen. For some strange reason the vibrate on this phone isnt quite as good as the Vu. But most folks wont care.
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You may customize the type of vibe.
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Or even have a simple sound effect.
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You are able to check your memory status at any time and set the default save location for downloaded junk. This is good if you intend to get by with a small SD card or upload lots of MP3's to the phone.
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In phone info you can remind yourself what the number is (which I often need to do) and check your firmware versions. This is important because multimedia phones tend yo get frequent updates and sometimes you even find new features installed after you are done.
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Last but not least you have a database of all the icons used on the phone. This is nice if you dont plan on carrying around the manual with you.
So why did I get this phone?
Its a little bigger than the Env2, with much bigger keys (easier for me to press). It also has a kickass outer touchscreen. I got hooked on them when I played with AT&T's Vu for a week. Sadly the touchscreen is not as responsive as the Vu's and Verizons menu layout makes it difficult to scroll around and hit what you want unless its one of the four main buttons. But its still better than most.
As far as functions & features, this has everything good that the Env2 did and more. It should be noted that while this is an awesome multimedia phone its still not a smartphone or PDA. Contact and Calander features are minimal and the Email is not up to Google Phone or Blackberry standards.
Also, even if you get an unlimited data plan (which I highly recommend simply for the Navigator service) you will still have to pay for downloaded music and video. I didnt care much for the TV service. It was 15 bucks a month and had a poor selection of channels.
I did NOT get this phone for the camera. Cameras on phones stink, plain & simple. They are only good for crummy pics to be used in the contacts list. Anything else and they are unaccpetable. You would do better to get a fifty dollar camera from Walmart. It will take much better pics and then you can completely ignore camera quality when phone shopping.
So who is it for?
Text & email lovers who also want solid GPS and decent multimedia along with news, sports & weather. The web browsing is too slow and ugly for most people. Since the prices should have dropped a great deal from MSRP it should be a good choice for kiddies, college students, and soccer moms. It is NOT a good choice for gadget freaks or businessmen. Its also not appropriate on the side of a mountain or at a construction site.
My only real complaint is the poor battery it ships with. Dont believe the hype on the sites advertising this phone. With the standard battery you will be dead in less than a day of casual talking, texting, and browsing. Music use or constant GPS will drain it even quicker. For such a high-end device you think they would have tried harder. I highly recommend getting one of the extended batteries. I found two online. A double capacity for about 20 bucks (if you look around) and a super-duper-mega-ultra capacity for about 100 dollars. If you are the kind of person who refuses to buy a 3rd party battery then I am afraid this phone will disappoint you.
Call quality is not stellar but I can get over that. If its your number one priority I think you can do better and still get good multimedia features with another phone. I have no idea what the differences are between the original and Titanium. I have the Titanium.
See InfoSyncWorld for a more brutal story on this phone.
http://www.infosyncworld.com/r...s/lg-voyager/8597.html
Post questions if you have them and I will try my best to respond. Also, I am using a much better camera than I did for the Vu review but I am still having difficulty. By the time I got it setup for good pics in the sunroom, the sun had moved. But I think they came out alright. Again, for outside viewing I recommend the White theme and a lighter wallpaper.
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