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A disappointing entry-level messaging phone
- Inexpensive
- Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
- Good looking screen
- Doesn't run on high speed 3G network
- Touch screen limited to dialing numbers
- Poor photo quality
LG's basic texting phone disappointing to most
The LG Neon is an entry-level messaging phone, with a form and price presumably with teenagers in mind, and reviewers indicate that it is similar to LG's Xenon, only with fewer features. The Neon's green and white casing features clean lines and rounded edges, which some reviewers find stylish, although others find the Neon's look rather juvenile. The main feature in this inexpensive phone is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard but critics feel that its small size and layout take a bit of getting used to, and the keys themselves are a bit small.
The LG Neon features a good-looking 2.4-inch "hybrid" touch screen -- it only functions as a touch screen for dialing phone numbers, while all other functions must be performed through physical buttons or the QWERTY keyboard. Reviewers are uniformly dismayed by this limited functionality, and users, many of whom expected a true touch screen, have voiced complaints.
Phone performance and multimedia features
Call quality is a bit of a mixed bag; some reviewers like it, while others find it sub-par. PhoneArena tester find voice quality better on outgoing calls than incoming. The external speaker is described as poor by everyone, however. Battery life is quite good, and some testers report continuous talk time well above the manufacturer's three-hour rating; CNET clocked in a whopping eight hours. Interestingly, users at ATT.com and Amazon report short battery life, though it's not clear if they're referring to talk time or standby time.
The Neon, unlike the Xenon, is not compatible work with AT&T's faster 3G network. Reviewers complain that loading times are very slow, making the Neon unsuited for all but the most basic online tasks. The Neon has a built-in 2-megapixel camera, which testers find average, though their expectations for such an inexpensive phone are not high. Processing power is also underwhelming, as some complain of running out of memory while surfing the Web.
Online reviews for the LG Neon are quite sparse. Only CNET and PhoneArena.com provide in-depth coverage of this particular model. MobileMag.com reviews the LG Neon on a Canadian network, and AT&T Cell Phones Blog provides a few useful observations as well. We also found user reviews at AT&T's website and Amazon, but most are not very long or thorough.
Our Sources
1. CNET
Nicole Lee's review of the LG Neon for CNET is generally positive. Call quality is good, although call recipients could tell the caller was calling from a cell phone in tests. The speakers, both in speakerphone and music playing, are described as tinny. Lee is puzzled that the touch screen only functions as a phone dialer and notes that the Neon is too slow even for music downloads.
Review: LG Neon (AT&T), Nicole Lee, June 11, 2009
PhoneArena.com expresses disappointment in the LG Neon in their review. The design and casing is called "cutesy" and "cheap," reflecting the young target market of the Neon and its low price point, but awkward keyboard controls knock it out of the running as a viable texting phone. Testers here are also at a loss as to why LG limited the touch screen to dialing numbers.
Review: LG Neon GT365 Review, Editors of PhoneArena.com, June 5, 2009
Michael Kwan, reviewing a variant of the Neon for a Canadian carrier, likes its touch screen and slide-out keyboard, but says that "every good point comes with a 'but' statement shortly afterward." He is disappointed that the Neon's touch screen is "crippled," only used for dialing, while he finds the layout of the keyboard takes some getting used to. Performance also seems to be weak, as Kwan complains that the phone crashed during web browsing.Â
Review: Review: LG Neon TE365F QWERTY Messaging Phone, Michael Kwan, Apr. 17, 2009
This very brief look at the LG Neon commends the sound quality, touchscreen, and overall looks of the phone, but is critical of build quality and overall functionality -- the phone is summarized as "time-consuming." While the Neon's built-in camera is praised as good for a low-budget model, the tester is not impressed with its photo editing capabilities at all.
Review: Review for AT&T LG Neon GT365 , Editors of AT&T Cell Phones Blog, June 7, 2009
5. ATT.com
More than 170 customers review the LG Neon with ratings all over the map. Many of the reviews are rather short and offer little more than "I love this phone!" Combing through the reviews does yield some common observations though. The lower rated reviews refer to durability issues, intermittent freeze-ups and short battery life - positive reviews also refer to the latter two problems. Most reviews stress that it's mainly a texting phone and features like web surfing aren't worthwhile.
Review: LG Neon, Contributors to ATT.com, As of Aug. 2009
6. Amazon.com
The LG Neon gets only about half a dozen reviews at Amazon, evenly split in ratings. Complaints are similar to those at ATT.com, reporting freeze-ups and accidental shut-downs. The slideout QWERTY keyboard is praised.
Review: Customer Reviews: LG Neon GT365 Phone, White/Green (AT&T), Contributors to Amazon.com, As of Aug. 2009
