Released in November 2009, the LG GW620 is the first of its kind. Also widely known as the LG Eve, LG came out with its first android phone in an already crazy cell phone market. A beauty in its own, the phone has gained a lot of publicity right after its launch. With the consumer's ever increasing appetite for social networking, the company got off with its new venture at the nick of time.
Design and Dimension
106 x 55 x 12 mm- that is what the GW620 measures to. Weighing around 139 g, this phone comes quite handy. Good to look at, it features a slide on QWERTY keypad and a 3.0 inches touch screen that scores high on one's requirements. It's sturdy and also easily fits the hand. With curved edges and a black blue color compilation, it grades high in appearance and presentation.
Camera
The GW620 has a 5 mega pixel camera that speaks for its quality. With 2560 x 1920 pixels, and primary autofocus, images are quite good. It features a LED flash too. Though there is no secondary camera, QVGA videos is supported. Some of the important features like Beauty shot, face detection and Geo tagging is also available along with Image stabilizer.
Basic features
Though not irresistible, the GW620 has some impeccable qualities that cannot be denied. The phone was majorly built with the social networking strata in view. It offers some integrated entertainment packages, and a comfortable keypad ensures user satisfaction. Good camera, new interface and fast web browsers add on to its appeal.
Interface: The handset originally runs the Android 1.5 Cupcake operating system. Though the interface is a bit old drawn, it can be upgraded to the Android 2.1 Éclair. The OS is quite prompt and responsive. Due to the standard resolution of the phone, most of the applications available for Android phones are supported. It consists of basic interface features like home screen and widgets that have been customized by the company.
Phonebook: Some 1000 contacts can be stored in the phone. However, multiple numbers under a single contact name is not supported.
Screen
The phone features graphical display in the 3.0 inch screen. With a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, it is not harsh on eyes. The touch screen is resistive and obviously not as good as its capacitive counterparts. Due to the light sensitive display, the screen is quite visible in sunlight. The 256K colors and 65k effective colors bring the screen to life. It also comes with an accelerometer sensor.
Keypad and Controls
Beneath the 3.0 inch display are three buttons- Menu, Home and Back. These three are also touch sensitive. On sliding, the full QWERTY keypad comes to view. The five row keypad is more or less like the PC keyboard and properly spaced. The keys are well responsive. The micro USB port is on the left side along with volume rocker. The micro SD card slot is on the right and so are the music and camera keys. On top perches the 3.5 mm audio jack.
Audio
Well endowed speakerphones are available in the phone for music lovers. It comes with a MP4 player and also supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, EAAC+ and WMA. A built in FM Radio and a 3.5 mm audio jack is also offered. The sound quality is good and the phone can also be used as a PMP.
Messaging
The phone offers threaded message viewing for the ease of text savvies. The QWERTY keypad adds on to the comfort due to the well separated keys. There are arrows that make scrolling easier. It comes with all the basic features- MMS, Instant Messaging, Email and Push Email.
Media
The media factor in the LG GW620 is as per necessity. The media player is apt for playing video files. The standard music player comes with basic features, and the interface is user friendly. The image gallery application is superb and allows 3D image viewing. Photos can be shared through MySpace, Picasa or via MMS. The camera is also decent.
Internet
The GW620 is equipped with 2G as well as 3G networking ability. The HSDPA works at 7.2 Mbps. The phone is appropriate for internet usage, thanks to the quality keypad and supportive OS. Social networking has been made easy and a WAP 2.0 browser makes all the difference.
Storage
The Smartphone has 150 MB internal memory. It has a micro SD slot, and the external memory is expandable up to 32 GB.
Connectivity and Data
Connectivity is commendable in terms of options available. EDGE, GPRS, 3G HSDPA, and Wi-Fi are all there for the users. Along with it, a micro USB 2.0 is supplied and Bluetooth 2.0 is used to connect to other phones. Though Flash is not supported, it comes with a standard Webkit browser. The built in GPS supports Google Maps already installed in the phone. With all the other accessories, connectivity is not to be a problem.
Usability and Performance
The device can be called versatile. Usage is uncomplicated and easy and makes up for all basic features that a general phone has nowadays. It supports photo call and the quality of call reception is laudable. Decent image quality, image editor, basic document viewer and motion based games- all makes this phone a great choice.
LG GW620 Phone Specifications
- Weight: 139 g
- Width: 109 mm
- Height: 54.5 mm
- Thickness: 15.9 mm
- Display size: 3.0"
- Announced: 2009, November
- Colors: Black, Gray, Blue
- Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - HSDPA 900 / 2100 for 3G
- Screen Resolution: 320 x 480 pixels 256K colors, TFT resistive touchscreen
- Data: GPRS Class 12, EDGE Class 10, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB v2.0 microUSB, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA
- Memory: microSD, up to 32GB and internal 150 MB storage
- Connectivity: USB v2.0 microUSB, Bluetooth 2.0
- Web Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
- Media and Music: MP3/MP4/AAC/DivX/Xvid player - MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A player Supported (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WAV - MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, RealVideo 10)
- Camera: 5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, IM - IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
- Expansion Slot: microSD
- Tones: Vibration, Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
- Software Features: Java MIDP 2.0
- Other Features: Voice memo, Games, Alarm, Calendar, To-Do / TV-out, Stereo FM radio
- US Sar Values: Head: 0,71, Body: 0,21
- Battery: Li-Po 1500 mAh
- Talk Time: up to 480 mins
- Standby: up to 600 hours
Pros and Cons
Pros:
» Slender design and easily pocketable.
» Very fast User Interface.
» Good display quality and pleasant contrast.
» Social networking made more convenient.
» Sunlight sensor for improved viewing.
Cons:
» Older Android 1.5 OS.
» Resistive touch screen.
» Insufficient talk time.
Conclusion
As the GW620 is the first Android phone by LG, it is more sort of a beginner in the market. The phone ranks good in appearance, but when it comes to competition, it stands nowhere close. The GW620 is good for a start, but if you're looking for something more, you may want to check out other options.
