Our LG Viewty Review

Design

The LG Viewty KU990’s design is elegant and chic. From the very first look we were wooed by its sleek curves and black glossy surface. Its design gives off the illusion that the screen is much bigger than it is. Unlike some LG phones, it does not look cheap and tacky. It gives off a feeling of graceful lightness both in your hand and pocket.

Screen

Measuring in at 3 inches, the LG Viewty KU990’s LCD screen excels with a WQVGA 240 x 400 pixel resolution, although the glossy touch screen is susceptible to fingerprints and scratches. You’d have to be extra careful to keep it away from harm’s way. The screen is quite responsive and sensitive to the finger’s touch improving click rate and accuracy.

User Interface

The Viewty's home screen is based on a 3 x 3 icon grid offering quick access for different applications such as the web browser, games, calendar, and Bluetooth settings. While working on screen is pretty straight forward, a handy stylus pen is provided for extra control of the user interface. The menus are neatly organized with top-levels leading to clear sub-categories.

Keypad

The LG Viewty KU990’s touch screen keypad functions are basic and easy to work with. The on-screen alphanumeric keypad can be a bit hard to deal with at first, but we got used to it after a couple of messages. We found that using the stylus is more accurate and easier for those with large fingers.

Camera & Multimedia

The LG Viewty KU990’s 5.0 megapixel camera supports the much loved Schneider-Kreuznach lens. It competes fiercely with the Sony Ericsson’s Carl Zeiss lens. The camera features include: SmartLight technology for improving dark images, autofocus, ISO settings, image stabiliser and after effects.

We were excited to try out the video mode as it boasts a whopping 120 frames per second. Most high-end handsets in today’s market are fixed at 30 frames per second, so you can imagine what our experience was like. We loved the built-in video editing features including the slow motion film. A supplementary camera is available for video conferencing.

While the LG Viewty KU990’s camera competes with Sony Ericsson’s Cybershot, the Viewty’s music player is nowhere near the Walkman series’ audio quality. What we did love was the fact that the LG Viewty KU990 supports almost every file format under the sun including: AAC, AAC+, and WMA. It comes with crystal clear stereo headphones for great music playback.

Connectivity & Battery Life

It is no secret that the LG Viewty KU990 transcends many LG handsets with its 3G integration. The 3G HSDPA support can transfer data with a speed of 3.6 Mbps for smooth web browsing and music download. The LG Viewty KU990 also supports Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0 for PC syncing and data transfer. On the downside, we couldn’t find WI-FI connectivity which was a big disappointment for a handset with this price range.

We loved using the LG Viewty KU990’s web browser and messaging features. The interface, like most LG handset interfaces, is a hassle-free. A useful document viewer is supplied handling word, excel, and PDF documents.

The LG Viewty KU990’s battery life is yet another disappointment we had to live with. The colourful touch screen drains the battery with heavy browsing. We wouldn’t even bother with the estimated battery rates as they vary greatly from reality. You should expect to charge your handset on a daily basis.

What We Liked

Its touch screen, impressive camera and 3G HSDPA support

What We Disliked

The lack of Wi-Fi connectivity and battery life.

Our Final Verdict

The LG Viewty KU990’s is a handset of great quality. From the 120 frames per second video shooting, to the camera features, and music playback support, we loved exploring LG’s newest handset. If you’re looking for a harmonious balance between connectivity and multimedia – this is your handset of choice.

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	LG Viewty
General
Form Factor	Candybar
Dimensions	103 x 54 x 15 (mm)
Talk Time	210 mins
Standby Time	285 hours
Weight	112 g
Quad Band	Yes
Photo and Video
Integrated Camera	Yes
Camera	5.00 megapixels
Camera Flash	Yes
Video Player	Yes
Phone
Vibrating Alert	Yes
Voice Recognition	Yes
Polyphonic Ringtones	Yes
Internal Memory	170MB
Memory Card Type	MicroSD
Messaging
EMS	Yes
MMS	Yes
Photo Messaging	Yes
Predictive Text	Yes
Video Messaging	Yes
Screen
Colour Screen	Yes
Touch Screen	Yes
Handwriting Recognition	Yes
Screen Resolution	240 x 400 pixels
Screen Colour Depth	256k colours
Connectivity
3G	Yes
EDGE	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes
Email	Yes
GPRS	Yes
HSDPA	Yes
Web Browser	Yes
Music and Radio
FM Radio	Yes
MP3 Player	Yes
MP3 Ringtones	Yes
Additional Content
Downloadable Content	Yes
Downloadable Games	Yes
Downloadable Ringtones	Yes

LG Viewty Full Specification

General

Photo and Video

Phone

Messaging

Screen

Connectivity

Music and Radio

Additional Content

User Comments