When I received a call to say that my mobile phone provider was offering me a upgrade I rushed down to the shop to take a look at what new toy I could get next, after much browsing and scratching of the head I decided upon the LG Viewty it seemed to fit all the functions I required in a mobile phone and looked stylish as well. Was I let down by falling for it's silky good look's or did I just buy a stairway to mobile heaven read on to find out.
Phone
As a phone for making call's the Viewty is great with a big touch screen display you can easily dial numbers or access the phonebook with ease, a stylus is supplied in the form of a lipstick shaped dongle but this soon becomes disguarded and the finger is easily used in its place. Text messaging
is slightly more difficult when using the fingers however the predictive text and memory for words is brilliant along with its ease of use when it comes to adding multiple recipients to messages.
Camera
As with most mobile phones nowadays the Viewty comes with a very powerful 5MP camera which is located on the back of the phone. It has some great functions available with a flash, zoom, quality selector and video option it did everything and more I hoped a phone camera could do. The switch to operate the camera is a slider located on the side of the phone with three options Playback, Video or Capture. A simple flick of the switch and your in the mode to shoot pictures show people photo's you have already taken or film a bit of fun.
The picture quality is excellent and transfers onto the PC very easy through USB or Bluetooth, also with the camera you get all the software you need to load onto your PC for file transfer and phone management simple to set up and use. If I was to find a fault with the camera aspect of the Viewty it would have to be that the lens is not very well protected when not in use and the twist zoom can be slightly annoying as it's quite clunky. On the whole however in my opinion it is a very good camera.
Internet & Radio
As with most phones the Viewty has the usual access to the internet if you like that sort of thing and can also link directly with sites such as YouTube, however I have only ever used it a couple of times to download some ringtones. The Viewty has a built in radio which is only usable when connected to the headphones as these act as an Ariel as well as earphones multiple channels are available but not always of the best quality.
Battery Life
If there is one major fault with the Viewty it would defiantly be the battery life as it dies very quickly and with very little warning. The vibrate function and a couple of beeps is the most warning you get before it goes completely dead. The battery was ok for the first 2 months but after that I am having to charge at work mid way through the day after having made only a couple of quick calls. I am not the only one I know who has this same problem with the Viewty.
Sound Quality
I use my Viewty as a music player at times however since the battery has been dying I have almost stopped completely, the volume is very loud when at maximum but this is easily adjusted with the rotating zoom switch around the camera lens. Sound quality is clear and sharp as well as playback and video sound.
Supplied with the Viewty I received a headset that plugged into the phone allowing me to listen and control my call's and music in peace however this last about 2 days before breaking and me having to replace it.
Ring Tones
You get all the usual basic ringtones and a couple of MP3 tracks but nothing great or to write home about, then again its first and main function is as a phone which is something that seems to get forgotten with today's technology. Supported file formats for putting music on to the phone are MP3, AAC, WMA, WMV, and AMR
Messaging and Data
As above the messaging is good but can be hard without a stylus, you can send all types of message from SMS to all types of multimedia messages. You can also send and receive emails using the internet access on the phone.
Bluetooth
The Bluetooth is very simple to use with easy option in the menu consisting of find devices, send to device and manage devices; these are all straight forward ways of connecting and sending info to your friends and family.
Overall Opinion
I would defiantly recommend the Viewty to someone looking for a reasonably priced or free phone on a contract that likes having a great camera function, however if you are a phone addict and spend lots of time on the phone then this probably is not the phone for you due solely to the short battery life. The Viewty still retails at about £175 and is available free on most networks with a contract.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Touch screen, 5MP camera, web browsing, fashionable appearence Disadvantages: Lack of Wi-Fi, lack of Sat Nav/GPS, occasionly un-responsive screen.
AshleyM138 04.03.2008 (04.03.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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