LG enV3 VX9200 Phone, Maroon (Verizon Wireless)

Env3; A Phone full of great improvements June 8, 2009

Reviewer:  D. Bowman "Tech Dork"  (LA, CA) -

I've owned every LG "V" series phone. I started with the LG 9800 V, then 9900 enV, 11000 Voyager, enV2.

I really believe this phone offers the perfect layout for a phone for people who love to text.

When the phone is closed. It is a phone. Big numbers and a display big enough to see what you need to see, but it doesn't try to do more. If you want more, open it up. Inside you have it all. The QWERTY board, great music player speakers, huge bright high res display. Photos look great, videos look good. My kids watch videos of cartoons on my phone.

It is clear that LG really interviewed previous owners of their phones.
The changes are more improvements than really "new" features. All that makes this phone that much better.

I'll compare it to the env2.
The enV3 is basically the same size as the enV2.

The improvements.

Better camera. Now 3.0 megapixel and an added flash.
The flash isn't super, but it is better than nothing.
There are some new options as well. Panoramic view shooting.
When you hit the camera button, it goes to the camera mode a lot quicker.
They also added a slideshow mode to the viewer.

When the phone is open, there are 5 key improvements
1) The QWERTY keyboard features a new layout. The space bar moved to the bottom middle
like a real keyboard. This is taking a while to get used to, but I will eventually.

2) There is a quick access text message button. I can't believe I lived without this, haha.

3) The display is quite a bit bigger inside. The image is brighter and high res.

4) The speakers play music really really loud, and way better quality. Not fantastic, but what do you expect.

5) They added a new quick contacts button. You can add 10 fav friends. It makes it that much easier to pull them up.


When the phone is closed there are four great changes.
1) The display is a lot bigger. You can see pics and read text messages wayyyy better.

2) There is a joystick that replaces the old up/down toggle. Nice improvement.

3) No more pocket dialing. You can set the unlock to having to push the "OK" button twice.

4) There is a new "Contacts" button that makes it quicker to get to your address book.

Carry over features are great as well.
The navigation system from Verizon is top notch. I never rent a navi with my rental cars anymore. My phone is superior.

The visual voice mail is a must. You can now select which voice mail you wish to listen to. You no longer have to listen to all of your messages just to get to the last one. All voice messages show up on your display with the caller ID attached.

Oh, and always sign up for the "Back-up Assistant". This sends all of your numbers to your Verizon account on their web site. If you lose of destroy your phone, you can pull all of your valuable numbers and e-mail addresses back off the site. This app is priceless.

Pretty cool, but a few complaints June 1, 2009

Reviewer:  Michelle Jeffrey  (Right outside Philly) -

I just got this phone a few days ago. The battery life is excellent. It's sleek and has great call quality. The 3.0 mp camera takes very good pics.

However, it's hard to access the video camera without opening the phone. My old LG had an external button for the camera AND the video camera.

Also, once the camera is open and you play a video, it's hard to raise the volume as the button is right in the crease of the opening.

Small complaints - altogether a pretty great phone.

NICE for non Iphone folks July 10, 2009

Reviewer:  Gretchen Collier "old school is new cool!"  (beatsville, LA) -

I got this phone a week ago when I switched over to Verizon. I've never had more than a basic flip phone before, and was kind of hesitant to get a phone that does more.
However, after careful consideration and reading reviews, I decided to jump feetfirst into 2009 technology.
Things I like for devices: an MP3 player, a digital camera, and a device with which to communicate with other people.
Using a microSD card, I am able to turn this into a fabulous MP3 Player. I also got a set of the MOTOROKR or whatever the motorola stereo and voice headphones are. these give GREAT sound and also no complaints with voice quality.
I also have used the camera quite a bit. It is a 3 MP, which for a camera phone, works just fine for me. If I really want High quality pictures, I will still use a regular digital camera. But in a pinch this still works good. Even with a fairly unsteady hand the pictures still are acceptable.
As a phone, it is good to use. I get good clarity, acceptable battery life (3-4 days before it REALLY needs it so far. I still will charge it just about every other day though.
It took me a little time to figure out navigation, but once you get used to it, its not that difficult. I TOTALLY love the keyboard on the inside. I can fire off a text in no time and dont have to fight with using all the little number keys. I do like that you can view the texts from either the outside or the inside. I also like how it threads texts by who you're sending them to so you can isolate individual conversations. I am not per se a "heavy" texter, but I do use them to communicate frequently throughout the day to my loved ones across the country.
It also comes with a very intelligent adaptor if you get the one I got from the Verizon store. At age 32 I still muttered "Awesome". It is a USB/ wall charger: there is the usb end that can plug into the computer, and the AC has a female USB end that the male end goes into, very well thought out in my opinion. Instead of making you buy two separate cables in order to synch and recharge, one can do it all. I'm thinking that if you are travelling you can just carry the USB only cable and recharge it from a computer. Not sure on this, I have never used it for that purpose.
I also REALLY enjoy the keyboard on the inside. Its not superhuge, but I rarely mistype either.

This is not a "sleek" phone. It's about the size of a deck of cards, about the same weight, and is not lightweight by today's standards. However, considering its capabilities, that is OK with me. Knowing that I don't have to carry around multiple digital devices is awesome in my opinion.
I hope this stands up to the test of time, for a first time user, I am really enjoying it.
I also invested in one of the silicone things to go around it from the verizon store, and some of the screen protectors. I usually carry this in my pocket and i REALLY don't want it to get messed up. So far both seem to work well.

Do not buy the env3 December 7, 2009

Reviewer:  Karen James  (New Jersey) -

I bought the LG enV3 for my son in June. Almost immediately, it started randomly shutting off. He was at college and could not replace it (no Verizon store nearby), and the problem got worse and worse until he could not complete a one-minute conversation. Verizon replaced it when he came home. Same problem with the new one. We are on our third phone as Verizon will not let you replace it with any other model. We have since learned that this is a widespread problem with all env3's. Verizon claims they have a software fix for the issue, but they don't. Other LG's do not seem to have this problem. My daughter owns the enV Touch, which does not shut down (although the touch screen gave her problems immediately, which were not fixable via recalibration).

Not for Teens November 21, 2009

Reviewer:  J. Gearhart 

Got this phone for my daughter because she is a teen and likes to text , after a week the phone starts shutting itself off , got a replacement , another week the same thing happens , another replacement phone , when this 3rd phone does the same thing I ask the Verizon rep why this phone does this and am told that the ENV3's do that when you text too much !! The phone is promoted as a TEXTING phone !

A big improvement from the LG enV2 June 6, 2009

Reviewer:  CoffeeGurl  (MA) -

I wasn't impressed with the LG enV2, so when Verizon Wireless sent me a review sample of the enV3, I had some reservations about it. However, the enV3, with its new super-sleek design, larger external display, and more user-friendly capabilities, is a vast improvement from its predecessor.

The enV3 comes with a camcorder, something that wasn't available with the second-generation phone. The 3MP camera is also an improvement. Even though I had the same problems taking pictures as I had with the enV2 (difficulty aiming the camera when opening the phone), I was able to take better pictures with the external display with better ease. It is easier to unlock your phone now. Just press the OK button for about a second and you'll be all set. You can change to lock options to whatever time you'd want for the keys to lock again. You flip open the enV3 phone sideways, like the previous two versions, and the display is slightly larger and sharper and the QWERTY keyboard is more comfortable for the thumbs. The multimedia menu is the same though. You get Verizon's V Cast capabilities and quick mobile browsing/e-mail features. The one big difference is that this phone comes with Verizon's lightning fast EV-DO network (the same found in the BlackBerry Storm), making these features all the more attractive. You can use messenger and download games, videos and music on this phone. You also get a full HTML browser. Rendering heavy pages is still somewhat challenging though, but at least you can view full HTML pages in this new version. The phone book/speed dial features are better here than they were in the enV2. The micro SD card is expandable to 16GB -- something wonderful to bear in mind. This phone also contains visual voice mail, voice command, airplane mode, GPS and Bluetooth capabilities.

Some cons come with this phone. The front keys are still tricky to use. You have to pay separate fees to have access to visual voice mail, broadband connect, GPS and V Cast with rhapsody. You may get a bundle fee that will include most and/or all of those features though (pricing depends on area). Battery life is middling and LG phones aren't compatible with Macs (you cannot sync music/address book/etc. from or to Macs).

All in all, I was impressed with the LG enV3. If I weren't an AT&T subscriber, owned a Mac and loved my iPhone 3G, I would probably get this messaging phone. (I probably wouldn't though, since I'm not a heavy texter.) I recommend this phone if it fulfills your particular needs. It is also available in black.

All the Bells and Whistles October 31, 2009

Reviewer:  Amanda M. Snyder "ginpotterfiction"  (Lincoln, NH United States) -

I enjoy this phone. It is a few steps above my last phone - a no nonsense Motorola phone.

I like the aspect of having two separate things the phone and then the text messaging/internet/e-mail capabilities. I've had many compliments on it sense purchasing it. It is a nice looking phone.

The camera takes good pictures as does the camcorder considering the size and space on the phone for it. I do agree with another reviewer who stated that it is hard to (really impossible) to adjust the volume once you have the phone open to the internal screen. Any attempt shuts the phone because the volume button is situated directly in the middle of the side of the phone and in closed over when the phone is open.

I do have to mention that I don't feel that I get as good of a connection when using the phone aspect of this phone. I don't know if that is a Verizon thing (I previously used US Cellular) or not - maybe it's the phone.

Over all I think it is a good phone but I would never buy it outright at the prices they are going for now. I would try and purchase this in some combination of offers from the cellular company. If you want just a phone this is not the one for you but if you want all the bells and whistles out there right now then this phone is for you.

LG env3 VX9200 Phone, Don't Bother if you TEXT December 1, 2009

Reviewer:  MsPLG "MsPLG"  (Fort Washington, MD United States) -

In June (it is now November), we renewed our phone contract and purchased to env3s and three env Touchs. The env3s have been replaced at least 4 times now due to malfunctions. It appears these phones are NOT designed for high-volume texters, even though it was highly recommended. Both of my children text constantly, but do not talk much on their phones. The external microphones have given out for no apparent reason and the phones started locking up after a while. And, the external backlight was not working on one of the phones.

When we take them back, they're readily replaced with yet another phone that gives out after about a month or two of use. It's driving us crazy and we're going to work with our carrier to switch to a different phone style. So, if you're a high-volume text person, be warned!! Other than that, the phones were fine!

Very bad phone February 23, 2010

Reviewer:  Robert Anderson 

Have had the VX9200 for about 6 months and the phone has been replaced 3 times and every one randomly shuts off. It does not power down it just shuts off whether in your pocket or sitting on the table. The third brand new one did not get out of Verizon's parking lot before it shut off. VERY poor quality phone.

Piece of JUNK February 19, 2010

Reviewer:  Kitty Hassinger 

This thing is a total piece of junk. I've had it for about 3 months and it randomly shuts off by itself or it freezes on a white screen. Therefore, I miss important phone calls. As my luck would have it, it naturally shuts off when I'm waiting for an extremely important phone call. Then, when I realize the person hasn't called me back yet, I look at the phone and !BAM! I realize it's shut off. I turn it on and low-and-behold I have a missed phone call. Fantastic.

LG products suck. Don't waste your time or money on them. Put money out for a quality phone that actually WORKS. I don't know why I bought this knowing that LG is crap.