A now budget touch screen phone from LG when compared to other touch screen phones (LG KU990 Viewty)

Member Name: ianoir

Product:	LG KU990 Viewty
Date:	18/05/09 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Large clear screen, excellent camera, wide range of features

Disadvantages: Not as flexible as iphone, battery life can be suspect

With this being my first touch screen phone I was really excited by getting it as part of a contract through 3 Mobile. Having previously played with one in store I sort of knew what to expect from it. The big touch screen is beautiful and clear and most menus are easy to understand and read. Often though when trying to insert a emote in a text I've found myself hitting the "save to drafts" button instead or mistyping in a text hitting a button above or below the one I was after, this is a minor error though and easy to fix when it happens. The only solid buttons are the call connect and end ones, the cancel one (used to delete characters in texts etc) and the lock, camera mode select and camera shutter buttons (found on the side). At a push the zoom and volume control could be counted in that previous list seeing at its the rotating section round the camera lens.

The connectivity is well rounded on this phone, with bluetooth and 3G capabilities built in, as well as a DivX codec and TV out included. Internally the phone can handle flash documents, as well as streaming videos from youtube etc.

Navagating the mobile internet is simple, even easier when the window is turned 90 degrees as any entry boxes can be filled in with a full onscreen qwerty keyboard, this mode of entry is also available for composing text messages. So far the only text entry section I've found that doesn't have this option is the login section for Gmail and the address entry for the Search function in googlemaps. This is a minor complaint at best. The other form of text entry is handwriting recognition, using either the whole screen to scribble on, or a box at the bottom half of the screen. This is responsive although I personally don't use it since my handwriting is bad enough as it gets without having to learn a new alphabet to use on my phone.

The camera is above par though, handling a range of modes and 5 megapixels it rivals many cheap digital cameras. An easy to use interface adds to the final effect and means the camera can be operated quickly and easily.

The only other downside is battery life. Personally I find mine runs off a full charge for anywhere from a single days relavtively heavy use to maybe at a push 3 days of very light use. Charging is fast though with a clear progress indicator on screen.

This is a premuim phone, and feels it through and through. From the metal backing plate to the large bright clear screen and even the robust packaging finished in black and red its obvious at release this was top of the line.

For the asking price of roughly £160 and upwards this phone may be steep but holds up as an iphone alternative, there are newer LG touch phones now but this one works well for the those not needing the newest on the market but still wanting a premuim touch screen phone.

EDIT: I've recently started using the hands free kit that comes with the phone so I thought I'd add my thoughts on that to this review.

The hands free kit comes in two parts, the earphones are regular enough with a 3.5mm jack (the normal one for MP3 players etc) and odd length cables to the earpieces. This lets you put the left one in then wrap the cable for the right one behind your neck and put that one in, keeping the cables neat and out of the way. The second part connects to the phone in the same socket as the charging plug for the phone and ends in a unit with a button, volume control and 3.5mm socket for the headphones. This clips onto a collar or whatever and thats the whole setup.

The mic is responsive, and the inline volume works well, though I have to have mine up pretty high, there is some room to turn it down before the person on the other end is too quiet. The earphones make the conversation louder and clearer I think.

The cable also acts as an aerial for the built in FM radio which is what you'd expect.

Summary: An excellent all rounder for those who want a touch screen phone that isn't an iphone

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