Much has been made about the LG Vu: Its large touchscreen and multimedia functionality immediately draw comparisons to that other, similar-looking phone in AT&T's stable. But while the $299 Vu is sleek and elegant and has several features unavailable on the iPhone, such as AT&T's Mobile TV and 3G data speeds, it lacks Wi-Fi, and its touchscreen and multimedia functionality aren't up to snuff with its largest competitor. Nevertheless, this more affordable device is a fun and easy-to-use iPhone alternative.
Check out the LG Vu in video action.
Vu Design
The first thing we noticed when we picked up the LG Vu was its light weight. Before anyone in the office took notice of its large and crisp, 3-inch, 240 x 400 widescreen display that takes up nearly the entire front, they, too, commented on its 3.2-ounce weight. The BlackBerry Curve, by comparison, weighs 3.9 ounces, and the iPhone weighs 4.8 ounces. Its 4.3 x 2.2 x 0.5-inch form factor makes it marginally smaller than the iPhone and perfect for pockets, but its screen is 0.5 inches smaller. At first, the Vu feels almost cheap compared with the iPhone, but we grew to like how easy it was to tote.
There are only three buttons on the front: one for making calls, one for ending calls, and one central Back button for navigating backward through menus. We love the minimal use of buttons, and the phone has a silver striped border, leaving most of the navigation to the clean UI and touchscreen. The right side does have a few additional buttons for volume controls, locking the phone, and launching the camera. On the top right corner is a barely noticeable slot where a large antenna hides; you can pull it out to improve TV reception.
Simple Touchscreen Navigation
The Vu has a clean and speedy user interface that's easy to use with its haptic feedback touchscreen, which is similar to the LG Voyager's. We appreciated the soft buzzing that confirmed our fingers had made contact. We rarely saw delays, and we liked the animated icon movements and menu system. LG and AT&T didn't clog up the home screen with icons, making the UI look fresh and uncluttered; instead you'll find the basic signal bar, battery life, and other small icons up top to access your music or quick menus at a touch. Four primary shortcuts along the bottom of the phone (represented by four dots) lead to the Menu, TV, Contacts, and the dialpad.
Inside the Menu, you'll find four tabbed icons along the right-hand side. One offers settings for your contacts, address book, recent calls, and messaging features. Another is a shortcut to your multimedia, including music, games, camera, and video. Yet another gives you access to your pictures, alarm clock, calculator, calendar, and other tools. The last tab is for your phone's settings. The UI is sharp but not as crisp as the iPhone's interface. However, users will find it easy to launch applications. Just don't expect features like multi-touch gestures.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
Comments