Posted by Mia in After the success of iPhone touch screen mobile phones have rapidly become a separate trend of telecom. In the given direction especially succeeded Korean manufacturers, particularly LG (the model KP500 breaks all the records of sales so far). The company now takes the third place in the world sales rating of cellular phones, overtaking such grandees of branch, as Motorola and Sony Ericsson. The developed portfolio and knowledgeable marketing have made a miracle, and even in Russia the brand is already taken in an absolutely different way, than it was some years ago when the LG company had problems with the service and other attributes of successful sale. The recent model LG KM900 Arena is a bright example of changes which has become one of the most popular in its category. The sales made 300 000 pieces in one month from the moment of production startup in Europe, and more than one million advanced orders were received. Our today’s hero is a photo pair to this hit in the line of LG and it continues the best seller of the last years – the well-known Viewty.
Specifications of LG GС900 Viewty Smart
Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 1900/2100 MHz, GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA
Screen: 3- inches touch-screen TFT, capacitive technology, resolution 480 х 800 pixels, 16 millions of colures
Camera: 8 Mp (the resolution of the photo 3264 х 2448), optics Schneider-Kreuznach, video record D1 (720 x 480 @ 30 fps), no protective shutter.
Memory: 1,5 Gb build-in memory+ slot microSD HC (to 16 Gb)
Services: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, A-GPS, FM-tuner с RDS
Other: 3D-interface, S-Class, accelerometer, illumination sensor, Dolby Mobile, ТВ-out
Accumulator: changeable, lithium-ion, 1000 mAh
The claimed time of off-line operation (GSM): till 330 hours in the waiting mode, till 5.5 hours in talking mode
Gabarites: 108.9 x 56.1 x 12.4 mm
Weight: 102 g
Sell start: end of July 2009
The Design and Ergonomics
LG Viewty Smart is a compact and light mono block with a big touch screen. Basically it is a typical combination, but not for a powerful camera phone. At present time it is the thinnest (12.4 mm) and the lightest (102g) 8 Mp mobile phone. As a result it is a real pleasure to use the novelty. Viewty Smart perfectly lies in the hand, it doesn’t bother in the pocket and it is simply ergonomic in every possible way. On the other hand it is a loss of a style. If Arena can boast of glass and metal, our hero is simpler in that sense, its case is completely of plastic. Therefore it is less durable. Two colors of Viewty Smart are accessible – black and grey, both look good.
In comparison with LG Arena the set of management elements has changed, it turned out in the style of iPhone – one mechanical button to return to the screen of “fast” start. The admirers of the Apple brainchild will obviously be happy. The rest of the elements are standard (the on-off button of the camera, swing of volume etc.). There are some changes on the end surfaces, too, the biggest one is the refusal from 3.5 mm of an audio socket which was decided to be left only for multimedia Arena. From the point of view of marketing it is an absolutely right position, however, it adds no usability. The biggest loss is, certainly, on a level of metal and glass in the case in comparison with Arena.
Services
The services are presented by version 2.1 Bluetooth module with EDR, and also Wi-Fi 802.11. Profile A2DP is supported and it allows to use stereo to Bluetooth-set with the phone (the quality is usual, nothing special here), and the speed of data transmission reaches 800 kb/ps. In the options of Bluetooth there is a mode of invisibility, a restriction of time detection, a list of profiles. There is TV-exit with standard options (as it was marked, the cable is not included in the package), demonstration of the image takeout to TV can be watched in our video. It was the program realization of Wi-Fi that one would not like. For example, if you do not have the established connection yet, the browser will not offer to activate the module; the absence of the connection will be simply verified –similarly to “children’s” diseases of Nokia and others. There are restrictions on Wi-Fi while SIM-card is absent (for example, the functionality of the E-mail). We do hope, the future insertions will correct the similar small troubles.
Against the iPhone background the screen of LG Viewty Smart looks small, but 3 inches is an objective norm for today. Elements are well optimized for a finger, they are quite small (for example, the reproduction line in the player) they are redoubled with separate buttons, no problems occur. In the model GC900 a capacitive TFT-display is used with high resolution 800х480 points which makes the image maximally accurate for the average diagonal, the granularity is imperceptible (unlike in the same iPhone). 16M colors are displayed, the quality of picture is not bad (the color rendition gives way to iPhone; the image seems rather turbid in the comparison). The corners of review are excellent, according to this parameter LG Viewty Smart is one of the best touch phones in the market. But in the sun the display behaves not the best way, under direct beams it is difficult to make out anything. It’s a perfect analogy to Arena.
In LG Viewty Smart 1.5 Gb of memory is set –according to the measures of modern phones it is not much, but it is not little either. For more demanding users an expansion with a microSD to 32 Gb is provided with support to “hot” replacement. The memory cards aren’t included in the Arena package, 1.5 Gb are supposed to be enough for base needs, and it is true.
Interface S-Class 3D
Even the debut PRADA (model KE850) from LG had a very pleasant interface with a striking animation. After some years, the LG program platform in touchphones has strongly changed, and together with decoration, the functionality in Viewty was pleasing too. At last, in the last edition from KC910, KP500, KS660 and other touch novelties of LG it turned out to be ideal with interesting discoveries including the ergonomics. Undoubtedly among the abovementioned is for example the possibility to order widgets at the expense of the movement sensor — it is simply enough to shake the case. The similar trifles make the interface of the LG touchphones the best in the market of phones, closely approaching the manufacturer to the smart phones (Symbian, Windows Mobile and, of course, ubiquitous iPhone). In the new GC900 the company LG has surpassed itself, as the software-platform here comes to be almost the most important advantage.
The program stuffing
During the first load or change of the SIM-card, the phone suggests adjusting the time, date and also informs on some features of their management. It is possible to refuse phone adjustment during the first load, but to do it later is possible only manually as the launch of the auxiliary mode from the menu is impossible. In a sleeping mode, the information isn’t displayable, but by pressing any of the keys, the information on time and date is highlighted. To remove blocking it is necessary to press the virtual key; there is not a separate button on the end surface. In an expectation mode, in the bottom of the display there are four icons to access the main menu, a telephone number dialing, the menu of messages and a phonebook. The top part of the display is traditionally taken for the status information and displays the following icons: multitask mode, level of battery charge, current profile, alarm clock if it is established, a background mode of a player, Bluetooth (depending on an operating mode of the module and the connected sets the icon changes) and the level of the network charge, and also Wi-Fi. By pressing these pictograms it is possible to cause the full list with the status information about the necessary functions, appendices. If the musical player works in the background mode, then а running line appears under the status line with the information on a current composition.
The organizer looks as follows. There are standard applications – the calculator, the converter of currencies, dictaphone without a limit for the period of record. There can be several alarm clocks, the operation time, the days of repetition and signal type are adjusted for each one. The calendar has two types of display, for a month, week and day. There is a system of removal of the old events; new events can be of three categories: a meeting, anniversary and birthday. For them the theme, the beginning and termination period are also fixed, the signal with repetition possibility is established. For a meeting it is possible to establish the date and beginning and termination time, to add the description (138 signs), the place, and also to specify time of operation for a signal: concrete, for 15, 30, 60 minutes or 1, 3, 7 seven days. Signal repetition can be fixed on disposable operation, daily, weekly, monthly, annual or by will of the user – daily, weekly, type of month 1 or 2, type of year 1 or 2. For each of personal options are also provided the separate ones where it is possible to specify that it will be every other Tuesday of the month, or every 77th day of year, for example, etc. Last field allows choosing the date of the end of the event. For an anniversary, similar possibilities are accessible as to meetings. The only thing that they differ from each other is the badges which are marked while viewing the calendar. Unlike the previous two types of events, birthday has only time and a date of start, description, time of operation of a signal and repetition – once or every year, and also fixing of the end of the event.
The player is completely processed. A lot of effective animations present, everything turns, runs… The Vertical list is automatically packed from the found compositions. Sorting is possible according to the performer, the album, the genre, and also the choice of the selected or all the compositions. Here it is possible to make your own playlists. To add a folder or to lose a folder is impossible – as in iPhone. It is an unpleasant nuance for the multimedia device against the same SE surface at which all is ideal with a player. In the basic lists sorting alphabetically or by date is accessible. There is a search.
Visualization in LG Viewty Smart concerns only to the allocated composition, its five types are available. Moving in a composition by pressing with a finger it a proper place does not work, it is required to rewind. Mode Dolby Mobile is activated by pressing the specially taken out element is similar to video. As it was marked, the mode makes the sound louder and full, it works similarly to an equalizer. Except it, 22 equalizers are also accessible. Standard options of an order of reproduction are not lost, and neither the Bluetooth-set.
The calculator allows making not only elementary calculations, but also calculation of cos, sin, tan, ln and other mathematical values. Probably, the presence of the given possibilities for someone will be a useful addition to the general functionality of the device. Realization of world time does not have anything new in itself except visual registration. Here it is possible to choose current time zone, and to establish simultaneously display for no more than six cities. The converter of sizes includes a possibility to transfer from one to another, for such popular sizes, as: currency, the area, length, weight, temperature, volume and speed. The stop watch is absolutely standard.
Camera
If in brief, for available dimensions and weight of 8 Mp the chamber is unique that is why it is inappropriate to demand the maximum quality, it is prerogative of Renoir. There is no protective barn door, a flash is light-emitting diode. The module almost does not act over the case. Ready photos and video turn out to be good, but not more that. It is not necessary to demand from Viewty Smart best 8 Mp results, and it will not disappoint. We will especially note the interface; it has turned out the best way without discounts for mobility. We liked mode Intelligent Shot: there is an analysis of a subject, a background and illumination conditions thanks to what shooting will be made in the most suitable mode from seven presented. There is nothing special in it, it is simply auto tune of parameters of shooting, but LG has displayed the indicator of real time which lets know what occurs and supervises the process – it is a very pleasant counter. For other details and shooting examples it is recommended to address to our separate materials on chamber Viewty Smart.
