LG Incite CT810 Phone, Silver (AT&T)

A Very Good First PDA/Phone April 15, 2009

Reviewer:  Ben C. Forsberg "Technologist, Cheapskate."  (Portland, Oregon) -

Wow! The reviews of this item are all love or all hate! I suppose nobody posts a review if they feel just okay about an item. But I thought I'd put something up here that doesn't sound like a press release and also doesn't make this sound like it will give you diseases.

This is a perfectly good phone/organizer with which you will be perfectly happy if you don't set your standards irrationally high. It's got a load of features and they all work as advertised.

The major complaints seem to be about it being slow and unresponsive. It runs Windows Mobile 6.1. Slow and unresponsive are hallmarks of the Windows brand, what did you expect? But it is fast enough to make your calls and organize your contacts and play your music, which is what you want this phone for. If you want this phone for too much else, you don't want this phone: you want an iPhone, and you're going to have to pay for an iPhone.

This is not an iPhone, but it also doesn't cost nearly as much as an iPhone.

I think a major culprit to the "slow and unresponsive" complaint is the "haptic response." This is a cool idea that has fallen a little behind in the implementation. The idea is that it runs the vibrator a little when you hit a key. Unfortunately, what it does is it hits the vibrator a little *after* you hit the key. This immediate feedback really makes any little lag hit home. If you turn this feature off, you probably won't notice the delay at all: it'll run just like any other of your Windows CE or Windows Mobile devices.

Also, for a speed boost, try deleting some of the Java game demos and parasite-ware that come on it. If you're not going to pay for the full version of Ms. Pacman or Finance Mobile, wipe them and get that memory back.

The complaint about the full qwerty keyboard being too big is entirely valid. It is really useless. However, it still has the default Windows Mobile full qwerty keyboard available---which is much smaller---and one of the best handwriting recognition tools in the hand-held device market. (If you're really feeling hackish, try out the Dasher input method!)

There's a complaint that the interface, beyond the "Today" screen, is standard Windows Mobile fare and requires the silly little stylus fob. True, the stylus fob is really... well... it's gay. (It's gay in that way that homosexual people almost never are, if you must know.) On the other hand, the touch screen (slow as it is) is pretty good at working out where the center of your finger is. I've got big flat sausage fingers, but I can navigate the Windows menus fine and even play the tiny little game of solitaire without the silly little stylus. So the stylus is a non-issue. (And get yourself one of those pen/pencil/stylus combos from any Wallgreen's if it is an issue for you.)

Someone had a complaint that the registration was off: when you hit the screen with the stylus, the hit registered off on a diagonal. You need to configure your screen. There's a little test they give you where you have to chase a cross around the screen with the stylus. They used to do this on first boot and whenever the OS was reset. Now you have to dig a little to find the program that does this, but it's still there. Under the Start Menu (upper left) hit settings, then hit the "System" tab and hit "Screen." This is a pain, I know, when your screen is badly misaligned (as it will be out of the box), but the thumb-wheel will help you. You need to run through it three times: once for portrait mode and once for each of the landscape modes.

Here is the absolute coolest part of this phone: Google.

AT&T has a turn-by-turn GPS map app that they charge you extra to use. But the GPS is built into the phone. If you download Google Maps, it is able to use the GPS data from your phone and track you in real time... for free! (Well, you're still paying for the data package, but you're not paying additional for the map service.) Google Sync also works: for this device, Google pretends to be an Exchange Server and you point Active Sync at m.google.com. This syncs your Google Calendar and GMail Contacts to your phone. (These can by synced to your desktop or laptop with other software.) The mail app has IMAP support, so you can use that to sync to your GMail messages or use the mobile version of GMail in either of the two built-in browsers (IE or Access Whoozit, the AT&T browser.)

Google Docs all have mobile versions. There's a mobile YouTube app if you don't like the Cingular Video service. Post to your Orkut profile with ease (you have an Orkut profile, right? No? Well, anyway...)

This phone + Google's mobile apps is really pretty fly!

Here's the bottom line: if you've played with an iPhone and are looking for an iPhone: get an iPhone. This is not an iPhone.

If, on the other hand, you're looking for an inexpensive organizer/phone with a fair amount of style (stupid little dangly stylus aside), or if you're upgrading from an older Windows CE device, this is really a solid choice. There's a lot of value here for the money.

***UPDATE***
The too-large full qwerty keyboard that everybody hates? It has a little arrow in the lower right that makes the control bar at the bottom of the screen go away, giving you another line of input. This doesn't always make the difference you hope it would, but it makes the full qwerty usable for text messages in particular and for entering searches in the Google Mobile app (not included).

Mixed feelings February 16, 2009

Reviewer:  Alok Govil  (CA USA) -

Pros: Great phone in terms of features:
1. Windows OS provides lots of features. Windows-based phones are mini-laptops in terms of features. (In addition to normal phone functionality, you have Word/Excel/PDF/etc.)
2. Outlook synchronization works great. (Learned that Microsoft's sync tools do not sync SMS messages etc. Only the stuff supported by MS Outlook like contacts, tasks, emails, etc.)
3. Wi-fi works great (many users report that it does not work, that is only because default settings on the device are set to connect to the Internet using AT&Ts network. Online search reveals how to change settings...).
4. Looks great in spite of the bland gray body color.

Cons:
1. Touch screen keyboard size occupies almost all the screen in landscape mode (only way to get full keyboard). The text field into which you are typing does not even scroll into view in the remaining space. Result is you cannot see what you type.
2. No arrow keys on the keyboard. Once you make a mistake typing (see 1 above), then you need to retype the whole thing again.
3. Not so good touch-screen. I use my fingers only, not the supplied stylus. Most of the time it works great, but sometimes need to press really hard for it to recognize. Finger-nail works right.
4. Slow response - If I disable screen-tap sounds, it appears that the phone has not recognized your touch (takes so long for it to respond). This is clearly a software issue since some applications respond great!
5. When scrolling contacts, I use gestures (impossibly hard to use thin GUI scroll bar with a thumb). Now it scrolls multiple pages in one shot. Not possible to scroll at just the right speed to see everything - always miss many contacts since it scrolls so many pages.
6. No space to put stylus within the phone. Stylus hangs to the phone like a key-chain. Who gives these people such ideas?

I am trying to find a replacement AT&T phone that has such features (pros only :-)), yet does not mandate a data plan.


Minor cons:
1. Screen has mirror polish. Who gives these people such ideas. I see screen plus my reflected face on the screen all the time.

by far the best! December 2, 2008

Reviewer:  M. Foster "mmsfoster3" 

I have had many phones over the year. usually get one each year; mainly because I like new stuff! However< this phone is by far the best out there! I have had the Iphone which did not have the features that I really wanted (ie. video, picture messging, microsoft word, etc) When I saw this phone was to be released I investigated it thoroughly. I am not sure what the other reviewer was speaking o...I have had the phone for a few weeks no and it truly is the next best thing since sliced bread! I have 2 businesses and since getting this phone< i rarely go near my computer! it takes care of all of my email needs (both personal and isuness) i am able to produce and open power point pojects, word document, spreadsheets and more!! also, he wi-fi feature is great! the touchscreen is wonderfl and the slight vibration feature is great! (let's you know the phone has registered your touch) the phone's response time is quick. as ar as the battry..not sure what the other reviewer was speaking of...i am on my phone constantly with voice, email and internet and the batter i the longest lasting around! also the voice astivation feature is great! I can operate my phone via voie and my appointments are spoen to me when i choose to be alerted! how awesome is hat!
well...i could go on and on about this phone and how wondeful it is, but i actually have to get back to work!

I've owned every generation of PDA/smartphone since 2002 February 7, 2009

Reviewer:  Thomas L. Johnson 

[[ASIN:B001L1S52W LG INCITE CT810 Phone, Silver (AT&T)]]

I am an early adopter...I've owned every major smartphone OS: Treo 270, Hitachi G1000 (Windows Mobile), multiple Blackberrys (8100, Curve), Treo 650s - and I've upgraded, tinkered with all of them to watch feature length movies, do remote server access behind firewalls, etc...in other words a PDA geek. I was a millimeter away from buying an iPhone in 2008 - when I was talked out of it and into my BB Curve. I have every SW synchronization running on my laptop - Palm OS, BMS, Win Mo 6.1 --- the LG CT810 is by far the smoothest, slickest device I have come across. I migrated my contacts from BB through Outlook, my iTunes converts into Win Mo Mediaplayer, I'll upgrade the data management S/W to utilize the OS/processor interface so it will be even smoother...I don't understand others complaints about this phone. It does have idiosyncrisies...no embedded stylus...landscape typing leaves a small view of text...color vibrancy is not equal to iPhone; however, this device has more connectivity options than an iPhone [HSPDA, UMTS tri-band, Edge, 3G, GPRS, GSM quad-band, satellite connectivity, WiFi + FM radio receiver] ...all of which I tested and am impressed by. Watching CNN, Superbowl commercials and music videos, viewing Facebook in full - For $0.01 - I think I just found true smartphone love.

This phone Incites frustration with Unacceptable flaws February 15, 2009

Reviewer:  B. A. Jones "JoBob_55"  (Little Rock, AR, USA) -

I chose this phone recently when I started a wireless contract with AT&T. It had a history of problems (noted in many past reviews online)with the touchscreen accuracy and system stability, but it seems that LG had a recall (at least at the AT&T stores) and the one I purchased is the newer one which is only sans the famous bugs.
I want to start off by saying this phone is jampacked with powerful productivity/ multimedia features, definitely enough to run alongside the iPhone in that regard. What brought me to this phone was having WM 6.1, its ability to connect Wifi, and GPS without any additional equipment which seems to be the norm for most of the higher end 3G smartphones nowadays. It's also a pretty sleek phone, simple yet almost effective design.
However, any Incite owner (or frustrated former owner) will tell you that its biggest shortcoming is the screen size versus the virtual keyboard; an ideal ratio between using the keyboard and seeing what you're typing just isn't there for this size of a screen. Instead of at least half and half, the keyboard occludes about 70% of the screen during texts, and 80% while inputting fields on a browser. It's tolerable when you text, but not when you're browsing. I wonder how the think tank at LG could get so close to making one of the best Windows Mobile competitors against the iPhone and come short by making such a basic flaw as having the screen too small to comfortably touch-navigate the phone without the stylus, which by the way is not embedded into the phone's frame.
Shotcoming aside, I do really like what this phone has to offer feature-wise; most of the other phones compared to it are on the high end, so I'm going to try to find some 3rd party software that might make its crutch tolerable. Avid texters need not apply.

UPDATE: I never felt 100% about keeping this phone and I gave it try for a week and decided to take it back within the 30 day limit. I remade this review to give it its proper rating which is definitely a 1. An important feature of any phone is to effectively receive input from the user (i.e. texting, phone dialing.) This phone clearly cannot deliver that to its owner without possible 3rd party mod or an accessory which is simply unacceptable. I was enamored with the bold features (that came cheaper than the Fuze) at first, but now not being able to see what I type is getting old quickly. What I was looking for was between this phone and the HTC Fuze and I decided to put out a little more cash and grab the Fuze, a phone I know I'll be happier with in the long term-- BUYER BEWARE! It's cheap because it sucks, simply put.

A great PDA phone December 29, 2008

Reviewer:  Y. hou "yhou" 

This is my fourth PDA phone with Windows Mobile system. After comparing all of phones with WM, I selected this one. Have used it for about one month. It is the exact phone I need and works great.

Pros: GREAT call quality, Windows Mobile 6.1, lots of free third party applications available online, Wifi, GPS, 3G

Cons: have not found yet, maybe the screen is not large as iphone.

Lots of features for great price December 31, 2008

Reviewer:  Software Professional  (San Jose,CA) -

I was not looking for smart phone but touch phone (samsung eiternity) & price below 100 bucks was not bad. You get wi-fi and lot more plus support for large size microSD card (up to $16GB)

It is not everyone because it is not very easy to figure out or let says different from normal phone because windows mobile operating system.

As software guy I love the features but text size can be large so you can operate everything without stylus. Also they didn't attach stylus with phone which was big NO if you have large figures.

Call quality, battery life, responsive (not slow at all) and everything else is much better compare to other smart phones. For the price you can't beat this phone..

I love this phone!! March 23, 2009

Reviewer:  Timothy J. Alexander "Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionist"  (Pennsylvania, USA) -

This is my first smartphone, and I love it!! I looked at various ones before deciding on the Incite, and I'm happy with my choice.

I read some of the less than stellar reviews, but they all still seem to say phone has functionality comparable to the iPhone. Let me tell you the big plus over the iPhone... expandable memory. I can add up to a 32gig card into this, while the iPhone makes you choose a phone with built-in memory that cannot be upgraded.

Many of the complaints seem to be from people who did not take time to learn their phone. One complaint I read was screen size versus the virtual keyboard, there is more than one keyboard available and each have setting controls to customize... issues with the browser not having a side bar, Incite comes with two browsers. The one causing people issues is the MediaNet browser, but the IE browser works like a dream.

The one thing I did not like was the AT&T Xpress Email client, which allows you to access Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, and other webbased emails. It was glitchy, but the fact is I receive more and better functionality logging into Yahoo's mobile mail directly. I setup Outlook for my regular mail, and had absolutely no problems.

The iPhone *may* be a better phone ultimately, but when I compared price and functionality, the Incite was a better value. There is nothing additional the iPhone has that makes it worth spending the money on... and the issue with not being able to add memory was a big minus for me.

This is a phone you will be happy with.

Update 3/24/09: The issues I was having with the AT&T Xpress Email client turned out to be caused by network maintenance, and not an issue with either the phone or the software. I still think using Yahoo mobile mail is better, but with Xpress Email notices of new emails pop up on the phone and you can sync up with you online contacts.

Great Smartphone for the price! January 12, 2009

Reviewer:  R. Brode "witter22"  (Louisiana, USA) -

This phone is awesome. If you love PCs and have a good understanding of navigating a PC you will have no problem! This phone is 100$ (after rebate) and you get what you pay for. For 100$ this phone has tons of options.

Some reviewer said that you could not customize ring tones or text sounds. Well to that I say "You clearly have not spent time getting to know your LG Incite" You can do much more that customize ring tones! You can add lots of Applications from games to Mozilla Fox browser (assuming you have wifi). Its amazing what you get with this phone.

The SD micro card is a must have. So with that rebate money buy a 4GB at the least! It comes in handy.

I will say that it does take a little time tweaking to get to your specifications, and I still after having the phone 2 weeks am not quite there yet. I had trouble with the wifi at first. It did not work, but learned to turn off the automatic Proxy Manager, and now it works like a charm.

Many people who hate this phone have very little patient and believe that after 2 days they should know all there is to the phone. But this isn't a phone... it is a smartphone. Did you know your Vista or XP backwards and forwards after 2 days? 2weeks? No.

The LG Incite smartphone is a great gadget for its price.

Generally Pleased with the Incite May 6, 2009

Reviewer:  Dan Georges "dangeorges"  (Cleveland, OH USA) -

First - I am a long time Palm Treo user. So when my Treo 650 started showing lots of signs of wear and tear, I started looking around for a replacement. I was hoping to get another Palm OS unit, because of the tons of applications I have built up. However I wanted WiFi on my phone - I didn't want to pay for a PDA data plan with AT&T.

The Incite came along at a decent price ($49.99) as an equipment only upgrade (allowing me to keep my current plan).

Pros:
-Very sharp screen
-Call quality very good
-Very clear dialing application
-Windows Mobile - it works as advertised - pro product out of the box
-Synchronizes as advertised
-WiFi works great
-LG support top notch (helped me with WiFi)
-Smaller and lighter than my Treo
-Tons of free and low cost applications available
-GPS is great - lots of fun Geocaching software out there (most need a WiFi connection, FYI).
-Camera is better than Treo camera

Cons
-Sometimes the SD card isn't recognized. I'm not sure why this happens.
-Screen is sometimes slow to rotate
-Input is sometimes difficult without a stylus
-No stylus silo - idiotic lanyard idea from Krazy Koreans
-Speaker phone distorts at higher volumes
-Can't get the blasted thing to sync via bluetooth.