LG EnV2 (black, Verizon Wireless)

Pros: camera, qwerty, size, clarity, reception, battery life

Cons: i didn't get it sooner

Summary: i've had almost every phone, but i'm averse to the touchscreens bc it's a cool feature but not very durable/reliable. i've been researching phones for a few weeks now--read and watched every review out there. most people i know have a blackberry, and i was leaning toward the pearl 8130... until i tried it out. the learning curve for the pearl version of a qwerty keyboard (known as sure-type) was simply too steep, and the trackball worked nothing like a mouse in that it would only move the cursor up/down and left/right--diagonal, which feels more natural, was entirely unsupported.

the env2 did not initially catch my eye, but the reviews were astoundingly favorable. i went to my local verizon store and gave it a test drive. not just good, but great. the texting was fast and easy; the camera was far better than the reviews let on. so i ordered it, and have had it for a week now.

incredible. best phone ever. not enough superlatives to describe it. first of all, the reception is unsurpassed. i've never had problems with my razr, but the call quality is clear as a bell on this phone. the volume can go very high (if needed)--no more missed calls when i'm in a noisy environment. texting has been a breeze. 30-second videos i've sent to family members do not seem like a camera phone at all. haven't really used the music feature, but room for 8 gigs of memory, are you kidding me?! fantastic all-around phone. can't say enough for it. graphics are vivid, crisp. the front screen allows for more function than most front screens, and the opened phone does everything short of making breakfast. very customizable (shortcuts, layout, make use of that bluetooth feature!). oh, and it just FEELS good in my hand. nice weight, nice size. solid phone--durable! i'm terrible with my phones. i drop them all the time, it's awful. this thing is indestructible, and i get compliments on it all the time.

absolutely perfect.