Get info about new reports and updates
A full-featured multimedia touch-screen phone for Verizon
- Large, bright LCD screens
- Decent 3.2-megapixel camera with flash
- Good web browsing and media playback
- Short battery life
- Touch interface can be quirky
- Mediocre call quality
- No Wi-Fi
LG's enV gets a touch screen
LG's enV Touch replaces the LG Voyager touch-screen phone, and it differs from LG's enV2 and enV3 in a number of ways. Most notably, the LG enV Touch has two 3-inch, high-resolution (800-by-480-pixel) LCD screens. The exterior screen has a touch interface, while the interior screen does not; some reviewers say the interior display has a brighter, crisper image. To accommodate these large screens, the enV Touch is a bit larger and heavier than the enV3, measuring 4.5 inches by 2.2 inches by 0.7 inches and weighing 4.9 ounces.
Critics are quite pleased with the LG enV Touch overall, and most find it superior to the less expensive enV3. Experts like the QWERTY keyboard and agree that the user interface is intuitive and contemporary. Surfing the Web using the full HTML browser is uniformly praised, though reviewers recommend using the keyboard with the internal display, as many report difficulty surfing using the touch screen. The enV Touch also has a 3.2-megapixel camera with an LED flash, which reviewers say creates reasonably good photos for a camera phone, better than that of the enV3. Video capture quality is also lauded. The enV Touch has Bluetooth connectivity, but lacks Wi-Fi.
Messaging and music
The enV phones are built for text messaging, and the enV Touch offers a few nice touches such as a messaging shortcut button on the keyboard. In addition, the enV Touch supports threaded text messaging, meaning your texts read like conversations rather than one-sided lists. The music player makes the grade with a graceful interface and good sound quality. The only complaint is that the headphone jack is not standard, so you'll need an adaptor in order to use your headphones; you can also pair it with a stereo Bluetooth headset. The microSD slot accepts high-capacity cards up to 16GB.
Reviewers say call quality and reception are adequate, but not exceptional. Some complain about dropped calls, though others report no major problems. Talk time is not particularly long -- about four hours -- and many testers report that battery life is even shorter when using some of the phone's multimedia features.
The LG enV Touch is well represented on tech websites; the most comprehensive reviews of the phone can be found at CNET and PCMag.com, both of which give it their Editors' Choice awards. CNET also offers a helpful head-to-head comparison of the LG enV Touch and the Samsung Impression. In addition, PhoneArena.com, InfoSyncWorld.com and MobileBurn.com provide detailed and well-balanced looks at the enV Touch. We also found some helpful commentary from blog-style reviews at TGDaily.com and MobileTechReview.com.
Our Sources
1. CNET
CNET editors pit the LG enV Touch and the Samsung Impression against each other in this five-round comparison. Three judges score the two phones on sexiness, navigation, features, multimedia and call quality, with enV Touch proclaimed the victor. Each round includes a helpful chart that picks apart the specs and grades performance.
Review: Prizefight: LG enV Touch vs. Samsung Impression, Kent German, Brian Tong, and Nicole Lee
2. CNET
CNET's review of the LG enV Touch praises the phone's keyboard, twin LCD screens and touch-screen interface. The combination of features and quality earn the enV Touch an Editors' Choice award. However, Nicole Lee says the touch responsiveness isn't perfect, and she isn't thrilled with the web browser either. More than 100 users chime in; there are several complaints about battery life and a few about the touch screen, but most reviews are glowing.
Review: LG enV Touch VX11000 (Verizon Wireless), Nicole Lee, June 5, 2009
3. PCMag.com
Jamie Lendino gives the LG enV Touch an Editors' Choice award for its call quality, media playback and spacious QWERTY keyboard. However, call reception is criticized as spotty. The 3.2-megapixel camera functions well outdoors, but Lendino says photos get grainy indoors. Battery life is about five and a half hours of continuous talk time. Overall, Lendino calls the enV Touch a "first-rate handset."
Review: LG enV Touch VX11000 (Verizon Wireless), Jamie Lendino, July 2, 2009
PhoneArena's review of the LG enV Touch is very thorough, with screenshots and sample photos taken with the enV Touch's camera. Most comparisons are made with other models from LG, such as the older Voyager (which the enV Touch replaces) and the LG Dare. Call quality is described as uniformly good, though the speakerphone is said to be quite loud at top volume.
Review: LG enV Touch VX11000 Review, Editors of PhoneArena.com, June 6, 2009
Philip Berne is impressed with the LG enV, though there are a few quibbles to prevent this InfoSyncWorld.com review from being totally complimentary. Berne loves the internal screen, but says the external screen isn't as bright and complains that the touch interface is spotty. Video and audio playback are generally very good, and Berne also praises the QWERTY keyboard as roomy and responsive. He reports talk time of about five hours, but speculates that that figure won't hold true for heavy media use.
Review: LG enV Touch Review , Philip Berne, June 11, 2009
Michael Oryl gives the LG enV Touch a Highly Recommended designation. Though he isn't particularly fond of the keyboard layout or the slightly large size, he says the enV Touch is a "do-anything handset" that is the next best thing to a full-featured smartphone. Web browsing and the user interface are listed as strengths, and the camera is adequate, if not spectacular.
Review: LG enV Touch for Verizon review , Michael Oryl, June 11, 2009
7. TGDaily.com
Praising the LG enV Touch for its wealth of features and calling it "top of the line" for day-to-day use, reviewer Samantha Rose Hunt isn't particularly impressed with the touch screen (especially for web browsing), saying its performance falls short of the LG Versa. Music playback is simple and straightforward. Call quality is described as "acceptable," though Hunt says calls are consistently dropped. Hunt also says that she didn't achieve the claimed 4.3 hours of battery life, though she admits to using many multimedia features, which likely accelerated the drain.
Review: Review: LG enV Touch, Samantha Rose Hunt, June 15, 2009
MobileTechReview.com provides a relatively short look at the LG enV Touch. Web browsing is best with the internal keyboard and D-pad, which Tong Zhang describes as "a mini-laptop experience." Battery life is described as fair, with about 3.5 hours for a combination of talk and other tasks, but about two hours for web surfing and video watching.
Review: LG enV Touch Review , Tong Zhang, June 29, 2009
