- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 182 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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15 out of 15 people found this review helpful
5.0 stars
"So much better than I ever expected."
Pros: Large (beautiful resolution) external and internal displays. Touch screen adequately responsive, & accurate. Call reception, volume, & clarity are good. Image & video quality are excellent. Features & tools are superrrb. Keyboard well-spac
Cons: Glitch with "beautify" photo editing tool makes phone restart. A bit heavy. Battery life could be better. No "clear entry field" option. Only 2 display themes. Slight text lag. Sometimes internal screen "blacks out" & requires prompting to re-appear.
Summary: I wanted to make sure I actually got used to this phone so that I could write an educated, experienced review. I've had this phone for about a week, and I have never been so pleased with a cellphone.
So where do I even begin? Bare in mind that my previous phone was an EnV. Fancy little gadgets and knick-knacks were just things that OTHER people had on their phones. Not me. So I'm probably impressed with things that most people are already used to - forgive me. I honestly shunned touch screens before this phone. The actual reason I wanted this phone in the first place was for the animated wallpaper - the night sky one equipped with twinkling, and shooting stars, trees that sway in the wind, and fireflies. The exterior is nice - the "chrome" is attractive. I've read complaints about the texture at the bottom of the phone on the front where the buttons are, and that it holds fingerprints - honestly, i don't notice it. besides, with a case, you don't have to worry about it. I do wish they had made this phone in a couple more colors. I liked the blue buttons on the Env3. Anyway, let's get to the juicy details. The touch screen is great. I find myself constantly playing with the little "curtain" which unveils the screen. It's very entertaining for those easily amused. I like that you can keep this little "curtain" down and still view the date and time. The transparency and "glow" when this curtain is down is nice. The curtain unveils a BEAUTIFUL touch screen. The shortcuts at the bottom of the screen are nice. One of the best things about this screen is that (aside from the "locked" shortcuts at the bottom) you can move any widgets anywhere on the screen. The MEMO widget is GREAT. You can make a little note, and then place it right on your screen so you see it every time you unveil your front screen. It's just like a little sticky note. Very convenient. You can also move the time and date icon to wherever you want on the screen. The DRAWING tool is fantastic. Extremely similar to the iPhone's. I also like how the notepad tool displays your note on a lined paper background. It's just very fancy. The functionality of the touch screen is excellent. It's adequately accurate and responsive, and the vibration as you touch is nice. It's nice that you can adjust how strong, and how long that vibration is.
I'm a huge texter, so that was one of my priorities with this phone. I love being able to open the phone to use the keyboard, but to be honest, I probably use the front screen almost as much. I like to use the regular keypad and use T9. It's also nice to be able to use a keyboard on the front if wanted, just by flipping the phone on it's side. I love the layout of the messages. It's nice to display messages by contact, it's like looking at an Instant Message conversation. The photo ID that accompanies each message is just awesome. The internal keyboard itself is very nicely spaced out, and the keys have a nice give.
I do wish there were more display themes other than the 2 offered. Neither are all that great.
What IS great is the starry sky animated wallpaper. I said to myself that this phone was made for me as soon as I saw it.
& the games are EPIC. Tilting your phone to steer the car in Need For Speed RULES.
Anyway, moving on. The CAMERA on this phone is superior. It takes very crisp photos. Looking at photos on the external touch screen is a blast. You can scroll through them in the same manner as the iPhone. The slide show option is great. The options to edit the photos are also wonderful. Looking at photos internally is also nicely done. I love the ability to adjust an image before setting it as your wallpaper. Video quality is also good.
The actual call quality on this phone is great. Loud, and clear.
I do have a few complaints. When trying to use the "beautify" photo editing tool, the phone restarts. I've Googled, and discovered it isn't just my phone. Not a big deal. The phone is a little heavy for my preference. Again, not a show stopper. The battery life is MEH, not the best. Sometimes there's a lag when I text internally (could just be I text too dang fast). Occasionally the internal screen is black for a moment, and I have to hit a bunch of keys before it re-appears.
& one complaint i've always had with phones is the inability to "clear entry field" of a text. It is annoying to have to start a whole new message when sending multiple page texts to non-verizon people.
I will say this - I had to return my first phone because the right side of the screen ended up completely malfunctioning, but Verizon quickly replaced it. Honestly, I have no qualms about it. This phone is new. There are going to be glitches that are going to happen, and it will take time before software upgrades come out. It's normal.
I wish I had more room, but, in conclusion, I continue to discover things with this phone that assure me it was the right choice for my upgrade, and that I'll certainly be happy with it for the next 2 years.
- 4 replies to this review
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Thank you for this review. I have the enV and will be getting a new phone in a couple of days, since my 2 years are up. I have already picked this phone to be the replacement, and it's nice seeing a review from someone else who moved from the original enV. I've also had qualms about getting a touch screen, and I am a texting demon, so this review made me feel better about it. The starry sky wallpaper sounds right up my alley, and the gaming apps and MEMO widget sound awesome too. The only thing I am really concerned about is the battery life, but considering all that this phone has going on, I guess it's to be expected. And as you stated, glitches are to be expected with a new phone. Some things they wont know to fix until they get feedback from users. Again, thanks for the review. I look forward to getting my enV Touch in a few days.
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Thank you for the extensive review. You seem to have the same priorities as I do. Question for you though -- I am also someone who has their phone on vibrate 90% of the time, and I currently have the original enV, so I'm used to an extremely strong vibrate that I can feel even when its in a heavy coat or purse. Does this phone have a strong vibrate too?
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Personally, I am satisfied with the volume level. Though, my phone is on vibrate 90% of the time, so I could care less either way. The nice part is being able to have vibrate on WITH the ringer, so if you can't hear it, you might still feel it. I think the quality of the phone is enough to compromise for a quiet ringer. But again, I personally have no complaints about it. If you're unsure, I'd go to Verizon and take a listen for yourself.
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Thanks for a very thorough, excellent review. Can you comment on the ringer volume? The only complaint I've read about this phone as that the ringer volume is too low - some folks saying they can't hear it if its in their pocket or purse. Thanks again.
LG enV Touch (Verizon Wireless):
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