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LG KU990 Viewty review

07/12/07 03:53:56 pm by Matt - 1965 words
Categories: Mobile/Computing, Reviews, Spotlight

LG Viewty reviewty.

A phone with a quality digital camera or a digital camera with a phone?

INTRODUCTION

Well for the first time in probably 5 years – I’ve not used a smartphone for a week. The LG Viewty, and its other brother the Prada phone thing have interested me for a while, so when Matt rather randomly asked me to review LG’s latest and greatest I was more than happy to.

LG Viewty
LG KU990 Viewty

Lets get one thing out of the way first off: This is not an iPhone beater. As long as you don’t expect it to be – you’ll be fine.

It’s very much a “chav-phone”, and it will sell by the bucket load regardless of this, or any other review. It’s a bit of a looker really as well – surprising considering the huge touch screen.

What’s in the Box?

A decent package, which looks expensive and well thought out. I especially liked the named boxes within the main package, which make it clear which lead is from where. Especially useful when sending review devices back!

LG Viewty Box
LG Viewty Box

For the full low-down have a look at Matt's unboxing video.

LG Viewty Specification:

  • 3" 240 x 400 pixel touch screen
  • 5 megapixel digital camera with flash
  • 55 x 104 x 17 mm
  • 112 grams
  • GPRS, EDGE, UMTS & HSDPA
  • Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP
  • microSD card slot
  • DivX video capture VGA 30fps, QVGA 120fps
  • built in email client and web browser
  • bespoke flash based UI
  • front facinng camera for video calling
  • GENERAL

    At 103.5 x 54.4 x 14.8mm it is larger than the older Prada phone, but not by much. The extra space I guess its to do with a pretty special 5mp camera included in a still small form factor. It is most definitely not too big though – fits nicely in the pocket, and although it’s slightly heavy – it's not a problem.

    Lets take a look around the device then, and on the front, as you might have guessed – a dominant 3 inch touch screen running at 240 x 400. The screen seems to be high quality – and sometimes you could also be fooled into thinking some of the displayed buttons are hardware based!

    While the standard earpiece and forward facing camera are found at the top of the screen, a single row of three buttons is all we find at the bottom. They are the rather common(!) call and end keys, sandwiching the ‘back’ button in the middle.

    LG Viewty Buttons
    LG Viewty Buttons

    Moving to the right hand side, we see the two position camera button – auto-focus, take photo, and a 3 position sliding switch, allowing the user to select between photos, videos, and playback/review. In between these, is the unlock/lock push button. Slightly concerned about this really – although I had no problems, I think the chances of accidently unlocking the device in your pocket could be quite high.

    LG Viewty right side
    LG Viewty right side

    On the opposite left side, all we find is the headset/data/charger socket, behind a sliding cover. This is most definitely not a standard socket I’ve seen – although I’m not sure if it's an LG standard – maybe someone in the know could comment about this?

    LG Viewty left side
    LG Viewty left side

    On the top of the device – just the battery compartment release. There is no fixed power button on the device – it shares this function with the call end key. Just like old times!

    LG Viewty top
    LG Viewty top

    Finally on the bottom.... well there is no bottom. There is no flat edge – it just flows round from the hardware buttons on the front, to the LG logo on the camera front.

    LG Viewty bottom
    LG Viewty bottom

    Just a quick note on the reverse of the phone – it’s been designed to look exactly like a digital camera – and they have done an unbelievable job in achieving that aim. You really would not be able to tell that it isn’t a digital camera from the front.

    LG Viewty 'back'
    LG Viewty 'back'

    I guess that I should also mention the strange stylus that's included. Unlike most other devices I've come across, that would have the stylus slide into a slot in the phone itself, LG have elected to include a stylus that dangles from a string. It's like a cross between a phone-charm and a lipstick. I think this will be something that the ladies may like but that the guys will leave in the box!

    LG Viewty stylus
    LG Viewty stylus

    SOFTWARE

    Interesting section this. Obviously at Tracy and Matt, we tend to stick to a semi-rigid template for out review to aid comparisons. But how do you review software on a non-smartphone?

    The OS is usable. It's certainly not going to win any awards – despite being skinable, and certainly not letting the side down too much. As it is a touch screen, you are without doubt going to compare it to the iPhone. As I said earlier – it's not an iPhone beater, but then it isn’t £270 on an 18 month contract. Having said that, it does have 3G and a half decent camera – so specs wise, the Viewty isn't bad at all in comparison.

    The touch screen UI is nice, but even when doing simple scrolling – its very apparently that this isn’t exactly a speed machine. Remember the lovely scrolling interface on the iPhone? Well its not really like that – think scrolling in XP without your graphics card driver installed. It's usuable, but hard work at times.

    Unfortunately the speed issues don’t end there – and the camera functions also suffer. It isn’t the fastest to take photos, but it does OK. Certainly suitable for camera phone use, if not as a replacement for your digital camera. The main problem is looking through and reviewing old snaps. I don’t know if the 5mp size of the photos, coupled with the low spec CPU is the problem – but I suspect it probably is. It's torturous trying to skim through photos – with each one taking up to 15 seconds to display.

    The rest of the O/S is pretty straightforward, and works rather well. Messaging is a breeze – even compared to the iPhone - with both an onscreen T9 board and full keyboard present. There is handwriting recognition, but somehow LG have managed to make it even worse than that built into Windows Mobile.

    Highlights:
    Ease of use: I like smartphones, but it was nice to go back to a phone that just works. No silly bugs, no silly keypresses required, overly complicated menus etc – just a decent easy to use phone.

    On-screen T9/vibrating touch screen: It really works. The screen is great – and I assume a high quality touch sensor too – very accurate, very ease to tap out a message – and the vibrating response to a press really does work, and help to improve typing speed – at least for me

    Battery life: It doesn’t appear to go down. I’ve been needing a phone on me a lot this week – so have been charging it regularly – but I’ve never seen it go beyond three-quarters full.

    3g: It’s great to see 3g making it to almost all areas and markets of the mobile phone industry now. Personally, I think any phone without 3g should be taken off the shelves immediately, but equally LG deserve praise for including it.

    Lowlights:
    Poor PC Software – LG Suite. Stay away from it at all costs. Save photos to the storage card and use mass storage mode instead!

    Speed: Low spec compared to the iPhone I suspect, and it does at times suffer from it. I’m being picky in most cases, but the camera and picture review functions are a real let down.

    REVIEW

    Anyway, back to the review. On startup I was very surprised (And a little confused to be honest), to find it had auto-selected Orange settings for me – despite no user input. The device was supplied direct from LG, so I suspect it may have auto-created these itself, finding the network from the SIM card. Odd that it didn’t bother to tell me, but a nice feature anyway.

    With this all setup, I had a bit of a play with the web browser (web, rather than wap), and the finger scrolling is especially useful, if a little hard to master.

    A major problem I have these days, having used Windows Mobile devices for so long, is message storage space. I’ve never deleted a text message or email from my WM phones – unless I’m hard resetting. Unfortunately like all non-smartphones, the LG only has so much room reserved for messages – regardless of microSD card installed. This is a pain in the bum LG!

    I should also note that LG maintain that a Youtube client will be installed on the final version, which will allow both download and upload of videos. Unfortunately it wasn’t available on this review unit.

    I hope this addition will be couple with an upgrade of the camera applications and tool as well. The options are endless – and its all very, very impressive in such a small, cheaper unit. It’s just way too slow. Hopefully this might be improved in the official released units – because the options available to edit photos and video – on the device – are some of the best I’ve used.

    To review this device though, I have to look at the day to day use of it. I have been lucky enough to have used the Viewty for quite a while, and I’m really impressed with the simple usability and stability of it. From the simple, if scary, unlock button to the onscreen qwerty keyboard in landscape mode.

    One other thing that bugs me about many devices at the moment, the LG Viewty included, is that they seem to come with their own proprietary connectors for headphones, chargers and data cables. I find this frustrating that each time you buy a new phone you have to buy new chargers etc. or you have to buy adapters in order to use any headphones other than the ones supplied. On the plus side there is a nice sliding cover over the connector which will help to prevent dust getting in there but is it too much to ask for a standard headphone socket and mini USB connector?

    LG Viewty connector
    LG Viewty connector

    One little titbit to end with, that I found while using the camera on the Viewty – the rocker switch around the camera lens, used to digitally zoom in and out when taking photos – is also an up/down rocker key throughout the entire O/S. Not ideally positioned – but sometimes useful when trying to move to a set position in a text! Another hardly-advertised feature is the support for divx movies. This coupled with the microSD slot makes the Viewty a small portable media player. Not bad for what isn’t exactly an expensive phone.

    LG Viewty camera
    LG Viewty camera

    CONCLUSION

    I really didn’t expect to get along with this. The idea of a touch screen being the only input method was not something I fancied trying. Equally, I didn’t really fancy dropping my ultra smart TyTN for a ‘normal’ phone either.

    It did take a while for me to come around to the ideas behind the Viewty – but now as of Monday, with the device going back tomorrow, I’m almost sad to see it go. Its not smart, and in many ways is very limited compared to the phones I’m used to. But it just works. The touchscreen input – just works, the navigation – just works. It doesn’t do anything particularly special, but everything I really need it to do – it does.

    I think I like a non-smartphone.

    Review by: Mark

    [Post tag(s): , , , , , , ]

    If I have to!

    196 comments

    Comment from: arif [Visitor]
    nice review guys!! thanks for sharing with us. :)
    i was wondering if there's a text editor in this baby. qwerty keyboard seems joy to use.
    oh well, it's a non-smartphone.

    but, i might as well give it a go. :)
    08/12/07 @ 07:09
    Comment from: scott [Visitor]
    Hi,

    Does anyone know why, when i send an SMS that is longer than 2 full messages the phone converts it into an MMS!!! Its costing me everytime!!

    GRRRR
    08/12/07 @ 22:04
    Comment from: Mark (Reviewer) [Member] Email · http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/reviews
    scott - I REALLY REALLY hope you are mistaken :@

    I've spent loads on this review if this is the case :(
    10/12/07 @ 09:58
    Comment from: Liam [Visitor]
    i have had this phone for lets say a week now, and i love it found that everything works ok and its just a good phone all round. it took a while to get used the use of all the features and the scrolling but after a bit of practice its easy. i have had one problem with the phone that is of it freezing when i am doing certain things, mainly tends to do this when i go onto media i.e songs and pictures. but a part from this little glitches the phones fantastic.
    12/12/07 @ 16:55
    Comment from: stuart [Visitor]
    @scott,,,,

    there is an option in the text messages section to toggle exactly the problem you are having. you can disable it so it only sends it in text format.. not to sure why people would want to convert it into MMS but im sure LG have a reason.
    12/12/07 @ 18:13
    Comment from: Sean McDonald [Visitor]
    Hi. I've just been bought a Viewty for my 40th and love it. I was at my sons carol singing today and videoed it. I am trying to transfer the video to my laptop so that I can burn off a few copies for Grannies and Grandads. Can't seem to see how to do this. Any ideas??

    Sean
    12/12/07 @ 18:16
    Comment from: stuart [Visitor]
    dont get me wrong this phone is very nice indeed have had it a few weeks now but there are a few down sides starting to show them selves.,.

    1, lack of customization such as been able to arrange menu orders to suit the most accessed things.
    2, the software to link to the PC is totally awful its buggy its slow its something i would expect from the first ever phone with usb compatibility.
    when you view your pictures saved on the cam you have to click them one by one to get a preview and must do this before dragging and dropping to an location on your pc.
    it wouldn't be so bad if you could just browse the phone like any other device with storage and use windows explorer to do your work.

    all this rave on about the camera,, yeah its good for a phone but the pic quality aint all that.
    and where is this so called " upload direct to youtube" i was hearing about prior to buying the phone..
    there also seems to be a huge lack of after sales support on this phone..
    there is more on sites like this than on the actual LG site..

    12/12/07 @ 18:19
    Comment from: stuart [Visitor]
    @sean..

    you have to use the crappy software provided.
    and once connected click on the contents button.
    when its loaded up there will be a videos folder and your file should be in there, unless you are saving to the external memory ( aka memory stick ) then it will be elsewhere.
    12/12/07 @ 18:21
    Comment from: stuart [Visitor]
    i have an update...

    after spending some time here

    http://www.ku990.co.uk/

    i have learnt a lot...
    @sean, turn your handsets usb settings to mass storage device.. and now it can be viewed and used as an external device like a hard drive.. so draggin and dropping using windows explorer means no more using the software supplied
    12/12/07 @ 19:15
    Comment from: steven [Visitor]
    This review is a joke i read the first part then stopped after seeing "Iphone Beater" for a start its a camera phone and secondly as already been proved that unless your a complete idiot then yes its far in advance of a Idiotphone, feature wise the iphone is lagging behind.

    And then i saw "chav phone" hmm i doubt this you actually think those idiots can afford this ? and anyway you know what chavs are like i.e. not intelligent which i would say is more likely to make them opt for a Iphone on contract.
    13/12/07 @ 18:20
    Comment from: Mark (Reviewer) [Member] Email · http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/reviews
    i'd say it suits you perfectly steven :)

    Thanks for your comments.
    13/12/07 @ 18:49
    Comment from: mr viewty [Visitor]
    something your review didn't mention is the 120 fps mode, which was the single most important feature for me, and why i got the phone in the first place. i'm an animator, and the ability to shoot slow-motion reference of everyday stuff with my phone, MY PHONE I TELL YOU, is amazing.

    and its free under contract. brilliant. like others i'm having niggly problems with the UI, keyboard etc, but nothing so terrible to make me return the phone. i'd be more bothered if i had to pay money, but for free, its great.
    15/12/07 @ 18:14
    Comment from: jaylie [Visitor]
    dear all viewty users,
    i have a problem using the LG PC Suite. After i achieve my phone sms to PC storage, all the sms achieved to PC memory has been disappeared after next connection with the LG PC Suite.

    does anyone have the same problem as i do? i cant make it fixed, even reinstall the software for serveral times and install with 3 different PCs.
    18/12/07 @ 11:57
    Comment from: Stace [Visitor]
    Mark, Just wanted to say thanks for the review, its great :D This phone has captured my interet for a while but i was worried about upgrading my contract to this one due to a bad experience with the LG Chocolate. Hopefully this phone will be much better!!!!!
    18/12/07 @ 18:25
    Comment from: Si [Visitor]
    Hi, i have jsut got a viewty today and was wondering how i can turn the usb mode to mass storage device, the software is terrible. Also is it possible to instally 3rd party applications.
    Thanks
    si
    20/12/07 @ 01:23
    Comment from: Mike [Visitor] · http://LG PC Suite
    Does anyone know where I can download the software from? My laptop doesnt accept the small cd that was provided with the phone.

    Many thanks.
    20/12/07 @ 18:16
    Comment from: A [Visitor] · http://www.asgsoft.net
    Would you buy this (Viewty) or K850i?

    I'll be using it for camera and music player

    So what would you recommend?

    Cheers
    22/12/07 @ 22:09
    Comment from: Andy [Visitor]
    I would without a doubt go for the viewty (just got one on 3). I tried them both out in the store and the viewty was by far better, i found the buttons on the k850 really fiddly, as far as camera and music player I think the LG takes it by storm.

    I gave up my smart tytn (T-mobile MDA Vario) and have no regrets.

    As for the long texts you need to go: messaging>settings>text message>send long text as and pick multiple sms.

    I think it beats the iPhone for us upnorth (with no wifi hot spots but plenty of 3g and some hsdpa)remember the iPhone doesn't have 3g.

    I think chavs in our area would have the n95 over this because they think the touch is 'nerdy'.

    I love it!, takes a bit of getting used to and once you delete the software and just use the mass storage, its ace.

    Andy
    23/12/07 @ 11:51
    Comment from: A [Visitor] · http://www.asgsoft.net
    Thanks for that advice Andy

    I am planning on getting it on 3 too

    But why did you say you removed the software?

    Also what do you mean by mass storage?

    Also do the fingers get in the way when zooming in?

    Does the stylus get annoying when you carry it?

    Finally does it really take up to 15 secs to load a pic?
    23/12/07 @ 23:00
    Comment from: gordon [Visitor]
    i got this fone for my xmas and it is the best fone ive had and i think its better than the iphone as it can do the same and has a better camera. i dnt find it slow at all but i find the startup very slow compared to other fones but tht maybe cause of the gorgeous touchscreen. good review and was helpful as i didnt no about half of these features . thanks . gordon
    24/12/07 @ 05:34
    Comment from: bored [Visitor]
    A - don't use the stylus. Just use your finger. Works just as well. And it doesn't take anywhere near 15 secs to load a pic. mass storage lets you use your viewty like an extra drive on your pc. you can therefore drag and drop files between pc and phone. i'm sure Andy meant he deleted the crap lg software to use mass storage instead
    24/12/07 @ 11:05
    Comment from: Andy [Visitor]
    Yeah, thats exactly it, the software it rubbish so you just change the setting on the phone to usb mass storage.

    I haven't bothered with the stylus because it looks like a lipstick, once you get used to the touch screen it works really well with your finger.

    This phone is a lot faster than my previous mda vario, speed wise I thik its very good.

    After being with three for 3 days now, I wouldn't choose any other network, i've had 02 and t-mobile and three are by far the best.

    I did expect the zooming/lense to be a problem but it isn't, it's actually a very good design and you hold it just like a normal camera and using the camera funtions is very easy. Whether its dark or light it takes pictures that are as good as my dedicated 4mp samsung digital camera.

    'Bored' is absolutely right.

    Theres a knack to the scrolling and some of the features but after only 3 days, I'm used to it and it is brilliant.

    You would have to pay me to swap this for the iPhone (I love my iPod classic) I've tried the iPhone, the K850i andn this is the leader - I love it!!!

    I hope I haven't just banged on about how much I love the Viewty compared to any other phone and three compared to any other network and actually given you some useful advice!

    Andy

    24/12/07 @ 14:15
    Comment from: kilner [Visitor]
    Alright fellas,

    Looking to get a Viewty just after crimbo. Heard some bad reports about the LG Chocolate so the LG thing is kinda off putting. However i do think some so far make the phone look quite good!

    At the min ive got a k800i and i after nearly 18 months with this and a year with the k750i its time for a change.

    Overall how you recommend it, and whats this about usb mass storage.

    Thanks in advance
    24/12/07 @ 23:01
    Comment from: A [Visitor] · http://www.asgsoft.net
    Thanks everyone for your reviews

    I am going to get the Viewty after all.

    I just don't understand the mass-storage idea

    Am I able to remove the software then bring it back later?
    26/12/07 @ 17:06
    Comment from: Nenah [Visitor]
    I really dislike the texting limit on this phone, even when you change it to "send long texts as" your maximum limit is a 2 page text and if you go over 2 pages, it changes it to a MMS which costs more and some people cant recieve.

    Is their any way the Viewty can send longer texts than 2 pagers? please help i would be very greatful.

    Thankyou
    27/12/07 @ 14:32
    Comment from: Neil [Visitor]
    Nenah, Just go into your text message settings and change it to sms instead of mms.... sorted!
    27/12/07 @ 19:05
    Comment from: Neil [Visitor]
    I upgraded just before xmas and am still getting used to it. The camera video and stills are much better than my old K800i. However I still think that the software in the Sonys is better.
    Maybe I am just used to Sony...?
    The most annoying thing however is the Lg PCsuite software which is useless. Doesn't recognise own its own usb connection unless running software and then pluging in phone. It then drops the connection completey. Bluetooth connection eventually worked but is hit and miss! You can change the phone to be a mass storage USB drive which shows on windows but only the external memory card. Cheers.
    27/12/07 @ 19:10
    Comment from: Nenah [Visitor]
    Neil, i have my settings on "Send text long as...multiple SMS" but your still only aloud 2 page texts, if you go over two pages it sends as a MMS still. :-S

    Is this the way you meant or is there a different way im unaware of?

    Thanks for your help so far. :)
    27/12/07 @ 19:48
    Comment from: harry [Visitor]
    the phone is nice and stylish......but lots of weakness that i have noticed...the bateri doesnt last as stated...mine not even lasted for 24 hours....the flash player cant even play the file as it will stated the file size is exceeding the limit....and the file us only 250kb..... its also didnt equip with a2dp as u need to spend extra money to get the a2dp headset in order to let u play mp3 via the headset.....there is no voice dial as its makes u difficult to dial when u are out of hands. and the most disappoint part is that the support for this phone is very very poor....lacks of software for this phone in the market.... the games not suitable for the os and so far i cant even find theme to download which compatible with the phone....
    i wish i didnt buy the phone........sorry to say that this will be the last time i buy LG phone.......probably gonna change it to something else.....
    28/12/07 @ 09:53
    Comment from: Biggus [Visitor]
    Harry, i think you must have a dodgy handset, mines working perfectly.

    Theres only one thing im not happy with... and call me stupid for not realising an obvious thing, but is there a way to delete all the messages? I previously had Sony K810i, was a wizz to manage, but deleteing 170+ messages individually is a pain in the you know where!

    Overall, a cracking phone!
    28/12/07 @ 18:58
    Comment from: harry [Visitor]
    to delete the masage select mark/unmark and check the small square at the left upper part of the screen....
    at first i thought that the phone is having problem....therefore i change the phone with a new one on the second day........still the problem persist...even change the battery......
    today gonna get n95 8 gb..........which is 3 times better than lg phone.....
    29/12/07 @ 01:32
    Comment from: John Z. [Visitor]
    Ok I admit I'm a big fan of LG mobile phones, this being my 4th. My previous Lg phone was the LG KG 920, 5 megapixel camera phone. This phone looked amazing and the overall quality was superb. (camera only good on sports mode though).

    When I heard about the LG KU990, Viewty. I had to take out an additional 18 month contract to get one, ( Mad, I know! ). I've now been using it for over 5 weeks, and love this handset. For any-one who's never used a touchscreen phone before, it's going to feel a bit weird. Getting used to it, but you will. In summary, I think this is without a doubt the best LG phone I,ve used, I like the menu's, camera, video and overall look of the phone. Cheers.

    30/12/07 @ 22:38
    Comment from: chris.b [Visitor]
    I got my viewty just before christmas on an upgrade and think its a good little phone just one problem though battery consumption it only lasts for for 12 hours i took it back to the shop and got a new battery still no good changed the handset and still had the same problem , ive turn on power saving made sure the bluetooth is off but still having problems anyone got any ideas? I did try to change it for a nother model but orange wont because its on contract and are adamant they wont change it so if i cant sort it stuck with a phone thats useless (but they did say they would keep exchanging it tuntill i got one that would hold a decent charge madness!)
    31/12/07 @ 08:01
    Comment from: harry [Visitor]
    proudly announce that have change my lg no nokia n95 8gb........just regret that i didnt buy it in the first place.......so much better than my lg ku990.......now really happy to to my work...the battery last longger and can do a lot more better than my lg ku990
    01/01/08 @ 17:02
    Comment from: javier. q [Visitor]
    I own a nokia n93 i, an iphone, and my friend has an n95 8g.love the ku990 i think that it has a little of both worlds, perfect for a camara/video phone, not great for a touch phone but better overall than the iphone, not great as the n95 but it has a touch function than the n95 8g lacks...for now i will use the ku990 as my primary phone its great for texting and i do that a lot...it only takes a few days to get use to it...you won't go wrong..buy it is worth it..
    02/01/08 @ 02:09
    Comment from: D [Visitor]
    THIS PHONE IS REALLY BAD!!

    No one will probably read this, but just a warning to anyone who wants this crap thing...

    A few things that annoyed me about this phone:

    1 - Camera quality - Poor quality...takes ages to take a
    pic...cannot use in the dark (unless you want a s**t photo)...my 3.2mp camera phone works better.

    2 - Battery life – I’ll keep this comment short, just like the life of the batt…

    3 – It sends any SMS over 2 messages long as an MMS...even if you change the settings for it not to do this…it still does!

    4 - The stupid lipstick stylus...why?!

    5 - The general way the phone works...my Sony-Ericsson P800 (which is 4 years old) is more user friendly. Writing a message with this phone is a pain and time consuming.

    6 - The 'un-lock' button...it’s in a stupid place, I take the phone out of my pocket/case and its in camera mode...maybe this is the cause of problem 1…

    7 - Tried to be too fancy with the packaging...leave it to apple!

    Buy a Sony-Ericsson (the best mobile phone manufacturer if you ask me) or a Nokia. The current range may not look great, but you don’t really care after a month anyway!
    04/01/08 @ 14:23
    Comment from: crimper [Visitor]
    thanks for ALL the comments, have just ordered one of these so will have further comments once i have a play!!!
    04/01/08 @ 23:55
    Comment from: Libby [Visitor]
    I have a couple of challemges as far as being partially sighteed although I have functional vision to use pc and larger fonts and also suffer with a progressive neuromuscular disease and have strength and dexterity issues.

    I have been researching touch phones online for some months now as I can't go and try them out real time. I have now centered my focus on the KU990 and it seems to have been well reviewed in general despite a few problems with the photo storage and text message length for which there seem to be fixes for.

    Would any users of the phone like to say if they think the fonts on the screen are easily seen and if the touch screen is forgiving or requires much precision?

    I look forward to hearing from you all!

    Libby
    05/01/08 @ 11:52
    Comment from: Hanna [Visitor]
    In reply to "THIS PHONE IS REALLY BAD!"

    1) The comera is as good in the dark as in the light. If you go onto the flash
    settings in the top right hand corner of camera screen and switch it to Auto then it takes good quality pictures in the dark, they are when viewed on the computer.

    2)The battery life is compleatly the same as all other phones. It's just the initial charge. I am 15 and i wanted to play with this phone straight away like everone else, if you jsut leave it on charge for 12 or so hours, the battery only needs charging once every 2 - 3 days depending on how much you use it for calls.

    3)If you change the settings to send long sms messages as "multiple SMS" they do send as multiple sms.

    4)I like the stylus better in a "lipstick" form. If the stylus is stored in the phone,
    if it gets lost you have a hole in your phone.

    5)The phone with its QWERTY keyboard is easier and LESS time consuming than a normal
    phone, you can also change it to an ordanariy keypad if you wish. I agree though, if
    you are walking it is harder to text.

    6)The lock button is in one of the best places it could be. any un-lock button is going
    to be a poin when you take it out of your pocket.

    7)Its Packaging! does it really matter?

    You wont be able to put this phone down. I have found little flaws so far Love it!

    05/01/08 @ 21:05
    Comment from: Hanna [Visitor]
    For people that are having problems with the less than satisfactory pc
    suit like me, if you go to phone settings - connectivity - USB connection Then select
    Mass Storage, when you come to plug your phone into your computer, senect "open as fils"
    and it is as easy as dragging ad dropping files on or off your phone.

    In reply to chris.b.
    My phone was the same. What i found is that you have to charge the battery up fully (over night) and then let it run down so it turns its self off. You need to do this about 6 or 7 times before your phone will hold its full charge.

    Hope this has helped
    05/01/08 @ 21:14
    Comment from: doodles14 [Visitor]
    Hi,
    I am thinking of either getting the Lg Ku990 Viewty or the Sony Ericsson K850i. I like the Ku990 Viewty more because of the touchscreen feature and the 120fps video recording. All of my previous phones have been Sony Ericsson- Am I making a mistake by buying the Lg Viewty? I definitly want one of these two phones.

    Also- is what people are saying true about the software- is it really bad- and also is the phone really slow?
    Someone please write an answer to this because I really want to know.
    06/01/08 @ 13:25
    Comment from: Hanna [Visitor]
    doodles14 :

    I had a sony errcson W850i before my LG Viewty, and i can safely say it is one of the best phones i have ever had. You should get it in my opinion. If you are unsure in some Carphone wearhouses, there are Lg viewty phones up and running for you to try.
    The software is bad, but useable. If however you find it is not, it is easy to switch your phone to a USB mass storage device and then you can just drag and drop things in or out of the phone memory.
    The phone is no as slow as people believe. You can navigate fluently around the menus and there is little to no wait, but again you can go to a carphone warehouse and try this phone out, but trust me you will be amazed :]

    Hope i have helped :)
    09/01/08 @ 16:31
    Comment from: Liam [Visitor]
    Hello in my past comment i said how i loved the phone just
    that it kept freezing wen i went onto certain functions ie music and pictures, it would just freeze then restart since going
    back to orange they exchanged it for another one and have
    had no problems what so evere, i love the phone so easy to
    use and dont get bored of the design.
    09/01/08 @ 17:12
    Comment from: shohid [Visitor]
    Had this phone for 3 weeks now and i have to say overall im very impressed (apart for the dire camera).

    Navigation about the screen is great no slowness whatsoever. No more using a Dpad to move around, one touch and your there (unless its taking you to a further menu). The internet is a joy to use thanks to the browser, large screen and touch controls and hedspa.

    Battery life is surprisingly good (especially on standby mode) if you dont use it much 4-5 days id say, though it takes a few charge discharge cycles to get full capacity. Intensive use will require a charge every day or two.

    But the bad is its awful camera, especially in low light condition (i.e indoors) and its difficulty in focusing. Most indoor photos look very blurry from its bad focusing and very high levels of noise. Also the so called zenon flash is weaker than my N73 (which by the way takes far superior pics)

    If you dont believe me check phonearenas comparison.


    Texting is also a joy to use when in full qwerty mode, the haptic feekback is a great idea, thou its a shame its not avalilable in all modes.
    Overall apart from the bad camrea I really love this phone.If your thinking of buying this phone just be warned about the crappy camrea.
    09/01/08 @ 22:59
    Comment from: Hanna [Visitor]
    doodles14:

    I would definatly go for the Viewty. Before mine, i had the Sony Ericcson W850i and i am so glad that i chose the LG viewty. It is not as slow as people make out. You can navigate through the menus with little to no wait which is supprising because of the masive touch screen!
    The software is bad, but useable. The best thing to do is to make your phone into a "mass storage device" this is easy to do. Then it is as simple as dragging and dropping.
    Also, in some carphone wearhouses, you can try out the viewty if you are unsure.

    Hope this helps!
    :]
    11/01/08 @ 20:00
    Comment from: scott [Visitor]
    I've spoke to TMobile regarding this phone and they said that regards messages over 2 sms long being sent as MMS this is by design from LG, it's cheaper to send as MMS as 3 texts messages as SMS costs more, not a good idea though if the receiver can't receive MMS messages!!
    BAD DESIGN!
    12/01/08 @ 20:51
    Comment from: Curtis [Visitor]
    Hi

    How do i turn the 3G off on this phone ? i cant find the setting
    13/01/08 @ 16:16
    Comment from: damien hogan [Visitor]
    first of all very good review didnt overly praise the viewty but didnt totally slate it either. i just bought mine on friday lasy andi have to say i love the phone i only have to small small things that are bugging me first off as in the other members comments it does tend to freeze but so did ny nokia n73 secondly the scrolling part of the viewty is not perfect but as mark said its not an i phone so dont expect it to be overall great phone no one i know has one & my friends like it too but cant afford one ha ha
    cheers for reading and bye all
    damien
    ireland
    14/01/08 @ 18:16
    Comment from: damien hogan [Visitor]
    opps sorry about the typo's lol
    14/01/08 @ 18:18
    Comment from: b [Visitor]
    reply to Libby:
    I would suggest u try one out @ ur local phone shop who will let u have a play with one is the best idea! I checked out the various settings & in Profiles it enables u to set various ones... I found that if u set it to Black it creates a Black profile throughout the menus which includes white txt...which may b a suitable enviroment for u to comfortably use. Also the touch screen is easy to navigate. All in all I found this phone xcellent all round...I haven't xperienced any probs with it at all!...try it for ur self....hope this helps... :)
    15/01/08 @ 09:44
    Comment from: b [Visitor]
    reply to curtis:switching the phone off;
    lol....jus press the red phone symbol!!....:)
    15/01/08 @ 09:46
    Comment from: kathryn [Visitor]
    Hi

    i have a lg viewty which is good but when sending picture messages the recipient never gets them as say they are too large how do i resize the pic before sending

    thanks
    15/01/08 @ 14:09
    Comment from: a fordy [Visitor]
    i cant sent text on my vewity it just says wait? what is the problem? adam
    15/01/08 @ 17:10
    Comment from: tim [Visitor]
    Had mine for 6 weeks.
    overall ok and like it.

    But the software is appalling.
    Deleting text messages is a problem.
    Editing long SMS is difficult (as in going back and checking for predictive typos).
    Camear is poor in the dark.
    Battery life ok, but battery warning suddenly appears. And then you only have about 1 hour of normal use.
    Scrolling in some modes (editing) can be tedious.

    I use FMA, but not yet scripted properly.
    16/01/08 @ 09:28
    Comment from: jo [Visitor]
    I got my viewty yestarday and was very pleased with the whole package. Espectially the camera and the screen display.

    Then today i had to call orange about my account, i was asked to select options 1-4, i had to unlocked the phone to display the keypad and each time i had to make a selection i had to unlock the phone. this became annoying espectially when by the time i inputed the number it was not recognised because i took too long.
    To top this they then automatedly asked for my password which is letter form and this is not displayed on the keypad.
    Of coarse got cut off because i could not give my password.
    However I was prepared when i redialed, the next time i used my old mobile!!!
    18/01/08 @ 18:26
    Comment from: Hanna [Visitor]
    If you switch sending long messages to SMS then you should have no problem with long messeaes sending as MMS
    21/01/08 @ 17:25
    Comment from: Nath [Visitor]
    i got one of these yesterday and its fab.

    typical bloke i havent read the instructions. I want to put certain people into groups. For some reason all my contacts are in one group and i cant or it wont let me move them around.

    And battery life is simple.

    If you first get the phone and it has charge in it, leave it on and let it drain,

    The cells in the battery have a memory, without sounding geeky, im not let it drain and give it a full charge, let it drain again till the phone cant switch on, let it do that a few times then you should see a dramtical improvement. The battery on my phone had about half full... why im not sure!
    22/01/08 @ 11:42
    Comment from: smickers666 [Visitor]
    Hi was just thinking of buying an LG's KU990 but the 2gb limit I dont like the sound of,so even if you use 8gb card in it as a mass storage device on your pc it still only shows up 2gb is this true??????
    Any Help Would be Dandy...
    Cheers Smick.........
    22/01/08 @ 21:32
    Comment from: kt [Visitor] · http://visitor
    hi ya, just wondered if any1 has tried out da Samsung G800. The reason for askin is cos i dnt no whether 2 get dis fone (viewty)or samsung. it will b my 1st contract an so i want a fone that i will definately like. cheers kt
    23/01/08 @ 01:23
    Comment from: Steve [Visitor] · http://www.stephengibbs.co.uk
    Hi,

    Just got the LG Viewty phone after reading lots of reviews online including this one (good review by the way) and must say I love it, really easy to use, the only grip I have so far though which I hope can be easily fixed is that I'm finding hard to scroll up and down the menu screens using the scroll bar on the right, basically they don't move at all, took me about half hour to move one of them the other day, I know I can use the wheely thing on the back but surely you are supposed to use your finger or have I just got it wrong.

    Any help appreciated.

    Steve
    24/01/08 @ 19:57
    Comment from: hotrod [Visitor]
    Steve I was having problems scrolling the screens too but its simple. After much playing with it all you do is touch the screen and drag your finger up or down...the little bar on the right just indicates that there is more further down the page.
    26/01/08 @ 17:44
    Comment from: hotrod [Visitor]
    To Jo regarding the phone keypad locking itself...go into "phone settings" then "security" and you will find auto keylock which you can turn off. Hope it helps
    26/01/08 @ 17:50
    Comment from: Steve [Visitor] · http://www.stephengibbs.co.uk
    Yep cheers hotrod, figured this one out yesterday, like some say it does get some taking used to but once you're there it's a brilliant phone.

    Basically hold your thumb down on any part till it vibrates and then move up or down, feel so silly now by trying to move the blue scroll bar he he
    27/01/08 @ 14:30
    Comment from: Steve [Visitor] · http://www.stephengibbs.co.uk
    Oh yeah, cheers for the auto keylock option, that had been annoying me too, turned it off now.
    27/01/08 @ 14:32
    Comment from: Jenni [Visitor]
    chav-phone? i dont think so. I dont really think you know what a chav is if you say this is a phone for them.

    I also agree that i think it beats the iPhone.

    I adore this phone, only thing is uploading stuff from phone to the computer and i cant say i have tried that hard yet at it . But hopefuly it wil work
    28/01/08 @ 16:34
    Comment from: Jenni [Visitor]
    ok i just uploaded the pc suite and i think its great.
    Ive already uploaded every photo from my phone to my computer and i am now uploading songs to my phone, its perfect.

    If its working slow for you im guessing its your computer..
    28/01/08 @ 17:33
    Comment from: colin [Visitor]
    i got this phone the new viewty u990 theres one thing i cant figure out
    when im on a call the keyboard locks, does anyyone know how to disable this feature?
    29/01/08 @ 16:01
    Comment from: gemma [Visitor]
    hello there people first can i say what a good idea this is on this site and second can any one tell me what the 2 blue squares mean at the top of homepage on phone on main menu as i have just got it up and i have had the phone for a month now or just over and it only been up for a week and it confusing me????
    31/01/08 @ 14:18
    Comment from: Matthew [Visitor] · http://www.freerevolution.co.uk
    Blue Boxes means you have multiple applications running. Click on multi tasking (top right hand corner) and exit those apps shown running.

    Easy! Had this phone since November and I love it!
    01/02/08 @ 10:30
    Comment from: gemma [Visitor]
    ok cheers matthew good it was doing my head in
    love the phone to cant go wrong really
    04/02/08 @ 09:22
    Comment from: Mia [Visitor]
    I just got this phone last week and love it to bits. It's perfect for those who love fancy phones but can't justify paying over £300 for a mobile when you can get this free or pretty reasonable on a contract. It brings together the organisational facilities of a PDA with the user friendly, fun and multipurpose use for the average phone user. My housemate seemed to be partial to an Iphone until he had a play on mine & saw it's capabilities, I think it changed his mind.
    08/02/08 @ 11:17
    Comment from: Candan [Visitor]
    Can any one login to ku990.co.uk forum..
    Please let me know Candan@seznam.cz
    08/02/08 @ 22:01
    Comment from: Tom [Visitor]
    I just got this phone 2day but ant figure out how to delete all messages at once any help????
    08/02/08 @ 23:18
    Comment from: Neil Smith [Visitor] · http://www.neilsmithdesigns.co.uk
    Cracking review Tracy and Matt - I have this phone so thought I would also write one.

    Overall I like the phone. It really is the poor mans iphone but if you consider it in its own right there is nothing wrong here at all.

    I have written a full review on my blog page at...

    http://www.neilsmithdesigns.co.uk/

    Neil Smith Designs

    Viewty Review

    Thanks
    Neil
    09/02/08 @ 10:37
    Comment from: sean [Visitor]
    can anyone tell me if its possible to lock my messags pivicy
    10/02/08 @ 18:54
    Comment from: john [Visitor]
    software software ive got a dead disc and can not fined the software anyware im at jhickton@hotmail.com many thanks
    11/02/08 @ 10:04
    Comment from: Johnny [Visitor]
    What exactly is the 'chav-phone' comment supposed to mean? I think it's a cracking phone other than the crappy software & glad I didn't see the review until after purchase as that would have put me off. Chav's are tasteless, uneducated oiks who hang around bus stops & co-ops sporting FAKE designer tops with their tracky bottoms tucked into their white socks, fake gold sov's & baseball caps worn at jaunty angles listening to awful, tinny mp3's on their cheap PAYG handsets - I don't see what relevance they have to this handset? It's pretty insulting to those of us who've got the handset. Also it's not the 'poor mans iphone' - it's a good alternative to the iphone. The iphone is obviously better but not £280 better, so this is a good alternative, particularly when there's deals giving 80gb ipods free with the handset!
    13/02/08 @ 12:26
    Comment from: sean [Visitor]
    i need to lock my in coming texts and videos pictures contacts etc
    14/02/08 @ 13:13
    Comment from: danni [Visitor]
    I have had my LG viewty for 3 weeks now it has been working fine and i think its a great fone, but the other day it came up with INACTIVE USIM, i cannot get incoming calls or make outgoing calls since this started. I took it into the orange shop and he said to take it back, is there anything i can do without having to take it back????? i love this fone i just want it to work!!
    18/02/08 @ 21:46
    Comment from: jo [Visitor]
    ive um'd and r'd about getting one of these, my contract runs out in a month so im due an upgrade, im with three and their mobiles are abit boring to say the least
    21/02/08 @ 20:41
    Comment from: STEVE [Visitor]
    Hi I was wondering if anyone knew how to adjust the time it takes the phone to go onto locked when not in use. maybe its becasue im still getting used to it and taking a bit longer doing things but it keeps lokcing too soon and is particulary annoying during a phone call where you need to use the key pad to select options witht he key pad!

    Is there a function so I can only manually administer the lock button?

    Thanks
    23/02/08 @ 23:53
    Comment from: emma [Visitor]
    hi i have had this phone for just under one week and still trying to make my mind up on it! The one thing that is annoying me at the mo is when i text anymore than 2 sms it converts it into a mms! i have checked the settings which is selected to send long messages as an sms! i am with t mobile who i have contacted and they are trying to tell me its the phone, when i no someone else who has the same model and is with o2 and can send up to 7 sms in one! can anyone help???
    24/02/08 @ 22:44
    Comment from: gemma [Visitor]
    i know a lot of people that have had that problem u need to ring up lg and get them to help you
    25/02/08 @ 17:44
    Comment from: emma [Visitor]
    thanks for your help. i have since contacted t mobile and they mentioned a software update and told me to ring lg when i did lg they told me there is no software upgrade!!! i think i might change to the nokia n95!!
    25/02/08 @ 22:14
    Comment from: henry [Visitor]
    how much memory dose it have al together
    26/02/08 @ 19:20
    Comment from: gemma [Visitor]
    well i have 2 alubms on mine 2 long vidios and pictures and still got space but not a lot more. so u can get a memory stick with it.
    29/02/08 @ 09:11
    Comment from: steve [Visitor]
    I have had mine a week now and love it, I tend not to use the stylus pen as it over complicates the phone for me and makes it too fiddly, plus I dont like things hanging and dangling off my mobile either.

    regarding the 2sms/mms thing, mine is fine, it just sends multiple sms's. Im with Orange so i dont know if they've just modified it or what.

    I asked earlier in the thread how to change the keypad lock feature, ive since found this myself anyway.

    love the phone and the camera is brilliant, thinking of even selling my seperate digi camera now becasue this one , although a lower megapixel does all i need.
    29/02/08 @ 11:06
    Comment from: steve [Visitor]
    oh and for those wondering the phones memory capacity, I belive its 120 MB
    29/02/08 @ 11:07
    Comment from: steve [Visitor]
    reply to jo,

    I did exactly the same thing phoning orange! and was baffled too when it came to inputting the 1st and 3rd letters of my password!
    29/02/08 @ 11:12
    Comment from: tom [Visitor]
    hi i have heard something about this phone saying that the software isnt compatable with windows vista does anybody know if this is true

    thankyou :)
    02/03/08 @ 20:52
    Comment from: hongkongstuey [Visitor]
    i love this phone, love the way people think i have an iphone, but then i tell them im daft not stupid, gets a laugh, then they want a look, i show them the features and everyone i have shown loves it, good enough for me.

    i only have a few problems with it,

    freezing, not during use, i leave it on a shelf, chair etc and i come to unlock it, its frozen,i take the cover off and battery, then put it back together and its fine, bit annoying when i used it as an alarm, cos i have an hour drive to work!!

    i upgraded from a k800i sony, that had excellent camera and flash, the macro on the viewty is a big disappointment, so are the 5mp pictures, i use it set on 3mp for all pics now, but it still wont get as close in as my sony, as an example, with my sony i could take a picture with the sony of my thumbprint, it would go in as close detail as the furrows of my print with excellent detail, the viewty is nowhere near? played about with all settings and still no good :(

    i have good internet at work with the hspda and am impressed, but disappointed with the fact most sites it finds are mobile versions packed in with no detail, the long winded way of using browser and address is a bit of a pain, i use it for facebook and thats about it.

    the video is good when set to max widescreen mode, but it takes a big chunk of memory cos of the resolution of the file, i suppose i could get a card but i dont use the video more than ten times a week, just the odd replay on my 360 to upload to youtube, which it is pretty good at.

    im on 3, paying 30 quid a month mix and match, felt a bit conned having to have the 9 quid a month video calls instead of paying for the phone, video calling will NEVER EVER take off, its far too personal

    stuey
    04/03/08 @ 19:07
    Comment from: L_dIvers [Visitor]
    Hi! When I heard about all the faults on the Viewty it some what put me off buying it (though I could never be fully put off!) Then I found out that LG have released a second version, except it is in "dark silver". LG say that many of the problems have been resolved, so now I am getting one, though I will have to save up my pennies for a little long. Chav phone...?
    06/03/08 @ 19:54
    Comment from: vj [Visitor]
    For some reason my 'lock' feature has changed. when i used to press the lock button it would take me to the black screen with the times and date etc, buut now juts a little lock come up on the main home screen?

    How have i done this and how do i change it?!
    07/03/08 @ 14:01
    Comment from: Laz [Visitor]
    Had a KU990 for a month now (replacement for my NOT95) So far so good, I do have one bone to pick and its the 'in-call' keypad.

    For example contact any mobile or consumer helpline nowadays and they will ask you to select the appropriate person/department.

    Thing I came across the other day was whilst contacting my bank the robotic voice asked me to punch in my password some of which are letters...guess what! there are no letters on the 'in call' key pad..grrrr..what gives. (ok so i will have to change my password to No's short term)


    For the life of me i couldn't remember where on which key the alphabet letters sat.

    Anyone got any sensible ideas/workarounds
    11/03/08 @ 08:46
    Comment from: unsatisfied [Visitor]
    This phone is a great idea but ultimately completely flawed.

    1) The camera is very slow at capturing images (shutter lag as it's known)
    2) Its OS is flawed to the point where you wonder if they actually asked anyone to test it before releasing it? Why do I have to reset my last used settings when putting in text to the phone? Why does the phone not remember your camera settings if you change cameras (front/back)? Why can't I quickly find a contact (who thought seeing two at a time would be a good idea) - it's supposed to be a phone primarily? Why does it contuinually lock the keypad when you are making a phone call (even though you turn lock to off in the settings)? This and many more things will eventually drive you nuts.
    3) MP3 support is broken - all of my high bitrate 320kb> MP3 files won't play on it and there is no documentation on exactly why this is or how to ensure your MP3s are in the correct format i.e. bitrate, filename convention etc to play
    4) The LG PC Suite is surely a product of child labour or designed by monkeys - it's useless.
    5) 3RD support is at best hugely limited.

    I will ultimately get the iPhone, but for now I will remain very frustrated with this promising bit of kit.
    12/03/08 @ 11:54
    Comment from: Wayne [Visitor] · http://www.blazole.net/spaces
    what they mean by chav phone is........

    CHAVS WILL BE ATTRACTED TO ROBBING THIS PHONE CUZ ITS THAT DAMM GOOD !

    lol
    19/03/08 @ 02:28
    Comment from: jo [Visitor]
    had the viewty for 3 weeks and i absolutely love it! the one small problem i have with it is that i can't seem to be able to save any of my pictures as my contact photo. i know it's not life or death or anything but it's really bugging me! i know how to do it in theory,you click on use as... in whichever pic you want to use,and click on contact image.but when i do this it comes up saying no matching name!? anyone else had this problem.or does anyone know how to do it.
    22/03/08 @ 14:52
    Comment from: fiona [Visitor]
    Hi i got my lg today an have 1 prob when i conect the usb to the phone an port itsays its connected but then i go in to musicfile an it disconnects why does it do this is it because i not got a memory card yet, it driving me mad i only want to tranfer music an photos from pc to phone please help some one xx
    28/03/08 @ 14:02
    Comment from: J [Visitor]
    Hi Can anyone help me? I can't figure out how to attach a photo to a text message, I'm sure you can do this it works when calling but not for a text. please help. Thanks
    31/03/08 @ 19:37
    Comment from: LG ku990 viewty [Visitor]
    Bluetooth isnt working...I cant send or recieve!! and on my devive visibility
    it's vivible...so how can i fix that?
    31/03/08 @ 23:13
    Comment from: Jim [Visitor]
    Just got the LG Viewty. Excellent so far. Just once question... what does the R symbol at the top of the screen mean, which seems to come and go??
    03/04/08 @ 11:06
    Comment from: J [Visitor]
    Hi Jim
    it means roaming! nothing to worry about.
    04/04/08 @ 13:27
    Comment from: Gavin Free [Visitor] · http://Roosterteeth.com/gavino
    I have this phone and it is by far the best I have ever had. I can't believe you didn't mention the 120fps video mode. Hand held slow motion!?
    That was the deal breaker for me. Had a look at the k850i and the viewty and the 120fps clenched the deal.
    06/04/08 @ 12:52
    Comment from: Jim [Visitor]
    Cheers J. Does that mean roaming in the sense of being connected to 3G or something like that, rather than international calls? Forgive me... I'm no teckie! Thanks.
    07/04/08 @ 12:52
    Comment from: J [Visitor]
    4 Jim. Just in the sense of 3g i think after all im a woman not a teckie! lol but i'm obsessed with the phone so learning as i go along. ta
    07/04/08 @ 20:56
    Comment from: Leah [Visitor]
    I have just got rid of my viewty as i didnt think it was that good at all, after nagging my hubby to get me one it was a real let down! Its sound quality was rubbish and pictures were not that great even on the highest settings. I actually sent my 1st one back within 3 weeks due to the speaker sounding like i was speaking into a tin can, the feedback when speaking on it made it impossible to have a decent conversation(and yes all my settings were correct) & after trying to get along with viewty number 2 i gave up. The scroll design and touch screen are ok but i am much happier now i have an N95, a fantastic phone that beats the Viewty hands down. In my opinion the Viewty is not worth the money, but a great gimmick if you like that sort of thing.
    10/04/08 @ 14:13
    Comment from: martial [Visitor]
    I have this LG KG viewty now for a week and I still am not able to shoot pictures of a good quality once you transfer to the pc. On the LG they look fine but not on your pc. Can anybody tell me which are the best settings to shoot optimum pictures? As well when I shoot a video and transfer it to my pc it does not play back as a video?? Can anybody help as this is not at all as I expected from the LG Viewty!! Thanks
    10/04/08 @ 15:45
    Comment from: sinbrad [Visitor]
    Had a number of sony ericsson k series phones and each one
    has a far superior photo capture than the viewty. Indoors is
    especially blurry. Not good at all. Other than that the
    phone is an excellent bit of kit. In reply to scott with ref
    to the cost of sms v mms. Well with all these deals of free
    texts now a days there is going to be no way that multiple
    texts are going to be cheaper than a single mms. Unless of
    course someone can tell me a phone company that gives away
    free mms messages! Also for the reviewers of this site, why
    oh why didn't you include a review of the photo capability
    of this phone?

    Comment from: scott [Visitor]
    I've spoke to TMobile regarding this phone and they said that regards messages over 2 sms long being sent as MMS this is by design from LG, it's cheaper to send as MMS as 3 texts messages as SMS costs more, not a good idea though if the receiver can't receive MMS messages!!
    BAD DESIGN!
    11/04/08 @ 15:46
    Comment from: gary [Visitor]
    hi may have already been posted but i see some people asking about touch scrolling and having problems try using the the zoom on the back of the camera this also acts as a jog wheel for scrolling
    13/04/08 @ 15:27
    Comment from: Mosey [Visitor]
    Back after a few months of using the phone. There are pros and cons. The scrolling isn’t that bad once you get used to it, so I don’t know why people would complain about it. Of course, I don’t own an iPhone or iTouch(?) but I have played with one, and the ViewTY is less responsive, but once you get used to scrolling throuh content and touch screen, the next time you pick up another phone, you wonder why it’s not the same?

    IN terms of usability, I have found the ViewTY to be just fine for what I need. I tend to message about 5-10 times aday on average, and just use the keypad option rather than the keyboard+stylus (although the latter is great when you’re wearing gloves) The interface is well designed, and is pretty intuitive.

    The only thing that really gets me down is the camera. After being used to Sony Ericsson and hoping that the 5mb ViewTY would take far better pictures, I can’t help but conclude that SE is definitely further down the road than LG at this stage. I’ve played around with the settings a bit, and there must be something I’m just not doing right to really maximise the camera.

    Music wise, I find it great for listening to music (I use it in place of an iPod) but it does drain battery life, and it helps if you have your own good earphones (I’m using Sennheiser - haven’t tried the ones provided).

    The annoying thing is that with Orange, they don’t give you an extra memory card for free, which you’ll need for music and pictures and video. I got mine (a 2GB Sandisk inc. postage) for 7 GBP from a seller on Amazon which I would recommend.

    Reception is generally good for this phone, although I have noticed it isn’t as good as my old Sony Ericsson w810i. But mostly I have no problems at all.

    Oh and finally battery life: I don’t feel that my ViewTY has an extremely short battery life, but it is shorter mainly because I use it so much for music. However, I do occasionally go through the whole thing of letting the battery drain completely to recharge; and making sure that the fewest number of processes are running at any one go (it drains battery life)

    Would I recommend it to people? Yes, if you want something a bit different that will change the way you think about phones, stylish and practical (it’s pretty solid - I’ve dropped it a few times) then I’d recommend you try it out before you buy for at least a week before saying yey or neigh (it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it will provide you with hours of entertainment -with a charger - as you can spend your time editing photos etc. on the go if that floats your boat) but if you’re looking for something with a good camera, I would say wait for LG to improve their technology in that area.

    Hope this helps :)

    p/s:I tested the document/pdf viewing function, and it works a treat :)
    18/04/08 @ 02:38
    Comment from: adam [Visitor] · http://adam
    I have a little O2 box in the corner of my screen and does anyone know how to get rid of it please
    20/04/08 @ 12:11
    Comment from: tiageri [Visitor]
    does anyone have setting for 3 network? i bought the handset sim free and can't use any of the functionality except phonecalls and txt message. please help!!
    25/04/08 @ 13:34
    Comment from: Babs [Visitor]
    Does anyone know if you can delete individual letters from txt message without having to come out of the whole message and start again?
    28/04/08 @ 17:48
    Comment from: adam [Visitor] · http://adam
    Reply Babs: press the C key on the actuall phone
    29/04/08 @ 00:17
    Comment from: Zulekha [Visitor]
    Has anyone figured out yet how to send a text thats longer than two? I am finding this really annoying my free text messages dont seem to be worth it!!! :(
    30/04/08 @ 22:41
    Comment from: Matt [Visitor]
    Hi. I've had the ku990 for a couple of weeks now. Like the camera and the video mode etc. Find it a bit simple. I have been using smart phones, (smarter than the lg), for some time now and have come to the conclusion that if you are looking for a phone that is more than a basic phone with a good camera, then the lg probably isnt for you. Syncronising with outlook is limited, sending messages to groups is difficult if the group has too many members. Office functions are not there at all really. Having said that, the phone is great if you take it for what it is, (a simple phone with a good camera).



    03/05/08 @ 11:29
    Comment from: michelle [Visitor] · http://problem
    the problem i have is that some calls are unable to get through and i just get a missed call message and other times i have to retry out going calls sometimes up to 10 times. is there any upgrade downloads available
    12/05/08 @ 19:54
    Comment from: Snuffy [Visitor]
    Libby - has good size 'virtual buttons' so easy for those with difficulty. vibration feedback also helps..

    Does not do all it says on the box, but often this is the fault of the service provider.. i.e. T-Mobile UK do not allow IMAP secure connections
    Also google pack is not included as suggested..

    On google map - location finder does noy work...

    But still a great phone..

    13/05/08 @ 13:43
    Comment from: alex [Visitor]
    Hi all,
    I am considering buying the Viewty as it is impossible to buy the iphone at the moment unfortunatley, however I am quite looking forward to getting the viewty after reading all your reviews!! I just have a quick question, could someone describe to me what the web browser is actually like? i.e is it more w850i or more iphone? also i will be getting the Viewty on o2 so will i get youtube? and more importantly, Google maps?

    Please respond
    Thanks
    14/05/08 @ 11:38
    Comment from: laura [Visitor]
    Take my advice, don't ...REPEAT! Don't buy this phone. Battery life is atrocious, LG's
    call centre is atrocious it's like talking to robots. The phone is just 4 mths old and has already developed a problem (not through mis-use) It switches itself off even though there is a charge in the battery.

    To get switch it back on you need to remove the back of the phone, then remove the battery and put the battery back in, only then will it boot up again. It's has been back to LG twice with this problem, each time it comes back it isn't long before the same problem re-occurs.

    I have refused a third repair (it's still under guarantee) as I feel the fault is
    terminal. Another problem is, when you make a call it does not connect first time you need to redial twice sometimes three times before connect is made. Other little negative are no lens
    cover ++++. I am now in dispute with manufacturer and the company I bought the phone from as each are playing me against the other. It's overrated, back-up (LG back-up) is bad. phone was a waste of £350.00..buy at your own risk

    25/05/08 @ 01:33
    Comment from: Patrick Bliss [Visitor]
    Does anyone know if 4G and 8G cards work with this, or do they they they only show up as 2G?

    Thanks
    29/05/08 @ 12:01
    Comment from: Dan [Visitor]
    DONT LISTEN TO HATERS OF THIS PHONE! READ!

    This phone..is simply gorgeous for a start off.

    Do not listen to people who say the battery life is bad...It isnt. They are just lazy.

    1.To improve the battery life, all you have to change is one default setting. And if you dont wish to do that, then charge it overnight.

    I use my phone all day, and if you charge it overnight, its always fine. Youll have no problems. With 3g on or not.

    2.If you turn 3g off...Its fine.

    3.Camera is superb, People are not cleaning the lens.

    4.Memory is Cheap TO expand.

    5.Dead easy to use. Give it a week, and you wont want to use anyone elses phone. Im constantly trying to touch others screens >.<

    6. Superb phone, With everything that is superb, The only reasons you wouldn like this phone is...

    - Some have a problem, that limits how many txts can be sent, mine is 4, before it turns into a MultiMedia Message.

    - Battery WILL be bad, If you leave 3g on and CANNOT Charge overnight. Last about 2 days then, Depending on what your using it for and how much.

    - If your a gamer, This isnt a good phone.

    Youll LOVE this phone if...

    - You love a simple to use phone.

    - You like a stylish phone.

    - You like to Text. If you dont have that problem, or dont mind it being put into a multimedia message, this phone is extremely easy to text with, it has an onscreen keypad or keyboard.

    - Good camera with easy to use editing.

    - Quick use of a phone.
    02/06/08 @ 19:16
    Comment from: alex [Visitor]
    Not a patch on the Samsung F480 'TOCCO'
    06/06/08 @ 11:38
    Comment from: brody77 [Visitor]
    Loving this phone, but got one major query/issue - is it possible to save my sms texts to my pc like I could with my sony ericsson phones in the past?
    Please say yes, as I don't wanna lose them!
    08/06/08 @ 23:51
    Comment from: jess [Visitor] · http://visitor
    i've had this lg viewty for 4 months now without any problems but today i can't get the phone to even charge it seems to freeze, just keeps flashing the lg symbol, i've tried all the usual, taking out battery, sim, cleaned all the dust out of it, tried a different socket, anybody had any similar problems? or any suggestions please help
    15/06/08 @ 22:38
    Comment from: Sel [Visitor]
    anybody know where you can download
    LGPCSuite for this phone..?
    damn,my pc doesnt read the cdrom properly.
    19/06/08 @ 12:48
    Comment from: chris [Visitor]
    Anyone had any problems with not recieving some txt msgs that are more than 1 sms long? This happened to me three times already ive only had the phone 2 days?
    26/06/08 @ 14:06
    Comment from: Fred [Visitor]
    Just had my viety for about a week now still trying to get used to it after having a 'normal' phone Nokia N73.

    Has anyone noticed that adding contacts to groups function is not there and adding contacts via a group does not work (or have I missed something)?

    There was a great feature on my nokia where you could label an individual contact with a photo and a music file, I don't see that you can do this in the viety, anyone know if it can be done ?

    The PCsuite is not great as mentioned in the review, I was able to add my music files from my previous phone (via the PC) , but getting my old pictures is proving problematic, again if anyone has be able to do this appreciate the knowledge, tks.
    08/07/08 @ 00:04
    Comment from: Alyster [Visitor]
    Firstly, this is by far the most useful mobile phone blog I have come across!
    My Viewty is almost totally OK. Having sorted out most of the glitches - mostly achievable by changing settings - I am left with just one irritation. The packaged PC Suite is appalling! Having been hugely impressed with the Nokia PC Suite for a couple of years now, the LG equivalent is not only amateurish in design but also virtually unusable!
    Can anyone tell me if LG have developed a functional update or new version for their PC Suite? Trying to get any help from their Customer Care department is a waste of time!
    10/07/08 @ 11:44
    The LG Mobile Phones and Samsung Mobile Phones are the latest mobile editions which are feature-rich, fashionable and boast the latest technologies. These handsets are incorporated with all the multimedia functionalities that make them attractive to the users.
    11/07/08 @ 13:15
    Comment from: sunny [Visitor]
    when i try to use the music manager it doesn't acknowledge the phone and then the phone switched off. have tried uninstalling the software but no luck.
    14/07/08 @ 20:56
    Comment from: Rich [Visitor]
    I am thinking of buying one of these within the next few days, do you think I should, from the videos i've watched and the reviews I have read it seems like a fantastic phone, I was going to get an iPhone but they are overated. Thanks

    Rich
    15/07/08 @ 18:32
    Comment from: Ally [Visitor]
    I'm also having problems with the freezing and battery life. Getting a replacement, but would like to know how to turn off 3G. I note someone else also asked but haven't seen an answer. Is anyone able to help please? Tnx Ally
    18/07/08 @ 13:27
    Comment from: Sammie -Jo [Visitor]
    I Have had my Ku990 for 10 Months Now i Payed £330 And to a 15yr Old
    Thats Alot But I Love My Viewty And wouldnt Change It For The World
    Although I Cant Upload Pics To My PC Because i Misplaced The Disk And
    This PC Doesnt take Mem. Cards But
    LOVE ITT (Y)(Y)(Y)
    18/07/08 @ 17:31
    Comment from: Emma [Visitor]
    Hi can anyone please tell me where i can get a replacement disc for this phone or where i can download the lg pc suite from. Want to transfer my pics and video to the laptop, is there any other way apart from emailing the pics to myself (costly) to get them onto the laptop without the disc.. HELP !!
    20/07/08 @ 22:10
    Comment from: Malibu [Visitor] · http://visitor
    Hi Guys

    Could someone give me detailed instructions on how to turn off 3g?

    Thanks
    S
    25/07/08 @ 11:19
    Comment from: Rich [Visitor]
    *****
    i decided not to get the viewty i got an orange spv e650 instead i got it from a CEX store and there wasnt any scratches on it perfect condition and only £90 woop woop :D
    28/07/08 @ 20:09
    Comment from: skeera [Visitor] Email
    **---
    Hello lg viewty users. I must admit that i have never ever regretted by a phone in my life like i have right now. I heard abt the phone's powerful camera but then its really sucked up. Well 3 weeks after i bought this phone the camera does not work but instead it keeps on showing the camera icon and loads forver,. After that it just shuts down. What sort of phone is that?
    29/07/08 @ 15:27
    Comment from: shaks [Visitor]
    *****
    the phone is the best thing to happen to me in a long time i love it

    http://www.ashopping.biz/
    31/07/08 @ 12:34
    Comment from: georgia [Visitor] Email
    hi,does anyone no if u can download the pc suite 4 this phone.thanks
    02/08/08 @ 03:26
    Comment from: Jess [Visitor]
    HELP ME> I am on day two and now my screen has completely frozen, I can accept incoming calls, but CANNOT access anything else. Have turned it off and on a million times but nothing. HELP PLEASE.
    02/08/08 @ 20:04
    Comment from: Nataliie. [Visitor] Email
    I'm 16 and just started a new job for the summer, and i have been thinking about using some of this money on the LG Viewty as a treat for myself as i have just done my GCSEs.
    However, reading some of these reviews i'm unsure about buying this phone because of all the flaws in it that people seem to be finding :s i want to try it, but i'm scared that it'll be a waste of my money, and i have had to convince my Dad to let me get it.
    Can anyone tell me how many texts the phone can store because i text a lot, and also how many songs it is capable of holding on average?
    I currently have the Sony Ericsson w810i white, which is okay but a bit slow and now a bit out of date. Could anyone tell me whether the LG Viewty will be a good replacement for this phone?
    thanks, natalie x
    16/08/08 @ 13:02
    Comment from: Thomas [Visitor]
    ****-
    Does anyone know if the software provided is compatible with windows vista . And Nataliie u can hav up 2 2GB memory card so u can hold a lot of songs. I need to know if the software works on Windows Vista , !!! Someone tel me please thanks
    21/08/08 @ 12:06
    Comment from: steve [Visitor] Email
    *----
    hi like the phone but can it be used as modem useing bluetooth
    29/08/08 @ 21:01
    Comment from: Darren [Visitor]
    I don't seem to be able to Syn my PC with this Phone, this is the error i keep on getting. Can yu help?

    Initialize connection with MS Outlook (I)


    Synchronisation failed.


    Fail to connect to the phone,
    Please check the COM port and connect in idle screen.
    30/08/08 @ 11:25
    Comment from: ellie [Visitor] Email
    hey, i am thinking about getting this phone soon and i am unsure what to do. i really like the touch screen and what one, and as seen as this is the cheapest one i have seen £199 in the shop (hoping it is this one) i want to get it. i have a windows vista laptop and it intsales usb's so if i plug the fone into the pc, would i just be able to transfer stuff? and can u get different themes for this fone? my friends had a lg fone while ago n it was slow n she didnt like it. can this take memory cards to? the small ones which r in the sony erricons k800i which i have atm, and also about the camera, can u just take photos with no flash like straight away as i like to take photos wen out and stuff? write back please as will be getting this soon. thanks x
    06/09/08 @ 20:13
    Comment from: ellie [Visitor]
    Oh and wen u send things by bluetooth, are they really slow cause other lg phones was?
    07/09/08 @ 12:04
    Comment from: bill foster [Visitor] Email
    *----
    This is my second phone from orange. The first had a battery life of 3 hours. This replacement worked for afew weeks ok. I am now working abroad with it. The battery life is rubbish and it is now making "sparking noises" when charging from charger or usb. The phone is rubbish. The software is just bad and has obviouly never been tested by humans. As soon as i get home its back to windows mobile or symbian and hopefuly another replacement from Orange, nver LG again. Fortunately i also have an HTC phone with me which is great.
    23/09/08 @ 00:28
    Comment from: Thufayel Ahmed [Visitor]
    *****
    ok i bout the lg viewty yestudai anf tried uploading pictures onto my computer but i dont know what to do there notting saing click ere for wotteva so ive uploades the cd and everything so how do you get pictures and outher stuff on the computer ?

    thankyouu excelent phone btw
    23/09/08 @ 21:44
    Comment from: William [Visitor]
    ****-
    i must say, i own one of these and there isnt a problem with the series i have.
    with all the people complaining about the ku990.
    stop. Would you be able to build such a thing that can call take pics and record video and what else ever it does.? i think not. unless you know how.
    secondly Technology isnt 100% . thats why they put warranties on all thier products in case something goes wrong.
    And for 5 megapixel. its amazing. It was rougly the 4th phone on the market with 5 megapixels and auto /manual focus. it does good for me.
    ok so during the night it has less capability to take pictures but your not going to point ur camera out in the middle of nowhere and take a pic expecting a mobile to light up the country?
    thirdly. Everyone knows LG isnt that good towards the pc suits in all thier versions they released, neither was samsung or nokia back in the days.
    and people calling it rubbish. its a lemon they obviously cant make every model perfect.
    if you think buying a I phone that has practically nada functionality compared to the lg Ku990 touch phone then be my guest. but if you read about the i-phone they dont last much long either.
    nothing a man makes will last.
    you should know that.
    27/09/08 @ 17:32
    Comment from: Joe [Visitor]
    **---
    It is not a chavvy phone what are you onna bout u freaks ! Apart from this it was a good review but look up chav in the dictionary!!!!!!!
    28/09/08 @ 14:49
    Comment from: Ronald [Visitor]
    ***--
    how do i fix the touch screen, my phon just froze so i want to find out how i solve the situation please let me know. like im trying to dail numbers bgt its totally refusing
    09/10/08 @ 15:36
    Comment from: this guy [Visitor]
    **---
    chavy phone my arse
    21/10/08 @ 23:35
    Comment from: madhu [Visitor]
    ****-
    please tell me where i can get a replacement disc for lg viewty phone or where i can download the lg pc suite from. i have orange connection. Want to transfer my pics and video to the laptop, is there any other way apart from emailing the pics to myself (costly) to get them onto the laptop without the disc.
    25/10/08 @ 19:00
    Comment from: silvia [Visitor] · http://pinkhappiness.hi5.com
    *****
    is the stylo inclus in the packet?
    03/11/08 @ 16:26
    Comment from: ania [Visitor]
    ***--
    I have lost CD with software for the LG Viewty KU990.Now i have a new laptop and i cant install PC Suite.is anybody know from where can i get it?
    03/11/08 @ 20:56
    Comment from: Guy [Visitor]
    Anybody have a link for PC Suite software that works (link on LG website wont work)...

    Mass storage doesn't seem to work for me. Ive got Vista and I plug the Viewty in, it shows that it has a link because it starts to charge, but I can't access it as an external drive... I have pics I wanna put on the comp and ringtones I wanna use on the phone, help please?

    Email: pvtjoker5@hotmail.com

    Thanks.
    03/11/08 @ 23:01
    Comment from: amy [Visitor] Email
    I have a viewty phone and was searching everywhere to find out why I cannot access the images off my phone onto my comp. I too found the phone just starts charging and I cannot access the pics - it doesn't even show up as a device on the comp.

    I have a mac would that make a difference?

    I wondered if you ever found out an answer?

    Yours hopefully Amy

    04/11/08 @ 14:29
    Comment from: Dan [Visitor] Email
    *****
    hi i hav a problem the phone ( lg viewty ) it wont charge
    any help plz ?
    13/11/08 @ 19:19
    Comment from: andy [Visitor] Email · http://www.sector-4.co.uk
    ***--
    it's a good phone depending on how well you can get on with tough screens.

    things run fairly slow most of the time and a micro sd and adapter is a must to avoid using the bundled software.

    my only recommendations would be don't get this phone if you text and walk. touch screens and walking make for many many spelling errors and mistyped messages. and do not do not buy this phone if you want or need something particularly durable. mine has been dropped twice, neither very major and my screen has a dead patch you have to press hard on to get any registration from the touch screen from the first drop and from the second the "C" button broke. i can now no longer delete anything in a text message and with the aforementioned multitude of spelling errors a touch screen will cause it makes the phone practically unusable for me. fortunately this happened with 2 days remaining on my warrantee and so it's of for repair tomorrow. i'm currently using a Nokia 6070 and couldn't be happier to get back to buttons after a year without.

    when this phone is good it's simply good but when it's bad it's really bad. if you can cope with a touch screen then go for it it'll work wonders but be careful with it as it's not a built to last brick.
    09/12/08 @ 01:12
    Comment from: Tiffani [Visitor] Email
    on the phone can you set a mp3 as a message alert? most lg phones dont allow this and i was wondering if it was the same
    10/12/08 @ 07:28
    Comment from: Kim [Visitor]
    Can anyone help? I need to access the cd software to install onto my laptop. LG website appalling. The phone, however is amazing!!
    14/12/08 @ 19:52
    Comment from: Ramon [Visitor]
    Hi guys,

    I have the same case. I lost my UK990 CD. No driver for my notebook too. Anyone can help ?
    16/12/08 @ 14:56
    Comment from: Sarah [Visitor]
    ***--
    Hi, Ive had my phone a year now. Still going quite well, but the battery life is terrible. I have replaced the battery with a new one, increased the life a bit, but I still have to charge it up all night and if I make a phone call, its goes from full bar to almost flat. Not great for a 15 minute conversation :(
    Its also just started vibrating a lot when I put my charger on. The battery bar doesnt fill up, so I am worried the phone is not charging up properly. I am having to carry my charger around with me in my bag all day (not exactly mobile). Its just so annoying when its keeps vibrating all the time.
    Can anyone help please???? Thanks
    16/12/08 @ 16:40
    Comment from: Robert [Visitor] Email
    ***--
    i brought a memory card for my phone but when i try and save stuff it, it rejects it and says there is no external memory. and the camera isnt all that great i had a 2Mp on my previous phone and the picture quality was better on that.
    20/12/08 @ 16:58
    Comment from: brien chambers [Visitor]
    *----
    i wouldntbuy another lg phone what poor quality .i have a viewty and have had handset for a year now and nothing but problems . the phone will switch on and off when charging, the phone will phase out in dots also and now the thing wont even charge properly so will be binning the phone.my partner had same phone and did the same so take my advice and dont buy one unless you want to replace it in the near future
    21/12/08 @ 15:31
    Comment from: Sammy [Visitor]
    *****
    I think the Viewty beats the iphone easily!
    I hated my iphone, so sold it to get the viewty and i love it. Iv also asked friends what they think of their iphone and said "I use my iphone as a paperweight, as its the only thing its good for".
    I would recommend (cant spell :P) buying the Viewty, it's brilliant!
    23/12/08 @ 14:34
    Comment from: al [Visitor]
    ****-
    i have owned a lg viewty since february this year (08).
    i would have to say it is the first phone that i have had that has lasted this long without a single thing go wrong(touch wood!!)
    every other phone i have owned b4 this one usually gets dust between the keys and stops working- annoying to get fixed.
    I'm a carpenter by the way and carry my viewty in my pocket all day every day.
    i have dropped it onto concrete from around a metre high numerous times and nothing breaks( i use a silicone protective case which helps).
    i believe the lack of moving parts on this phone works in its favour and also it seems to be surprisingly tough.
    one concern i had was that there is no lens cover but this also seems to be no problem.
    infact its probably an advantage because dust and wood chips can't get behind the cover and scratch the lens as it slides open and closed.
    overall the phones functionality is easy to use and i found it quick to get used to considering i had no previous experience with touchscreens of any sort.
    1st thing that anyone should do tho is to throw out the useless dangling stylus.
    it awkwardly hangs by string from the side of the phone and swings around while walking and talking.
    it seems like such an afterthought. luckily the stylus is not a necessary accessory as the touch screen is sensitive and accurate(i use my finger to move the cursor when editing text in msgs).
    The camera is great and quality shots can be taken when there is enough light available and you have a steady hand or a nice and still scene.
    otherwise, when light is low or there is any movement, the pictures are grainy and or blurred.
    i suggest fiddling with the settings because when the conditions are kind and the settings are correct you can end up with some fantastic shots.
    when looking back through photos using the play function it is extremely slow and often hangs doing nothing.
    but this is easily fixed, use the my stuff/my pictures menu and photos and videos are viewed much faster and easier, although not as fast as some of the new smart phones.
    the lg pc suite wich comes with the phone is shit. but this is overcome simpoly by changing the phone to be a USB mass storage device in the connectivity menu.
    this way you can drag and drop files from the phone to the computer using normal windows explorer.
    it also plays divx vids and takes super slow mo vids which can be cool and usefull.

    there is much more to be said about the viewty's features. i'm a bit sick of writing ;-)
    as with all phones, every so often there are little things that can annoy, even frustrate, but these are rare and the more you get to know this phone u soon realise there is usually a way around the frustration:-)
    if you do decide to buy this phone i belive that overall you will not be dissapointed- especially now that you can get it cheap, even free on reasonably cheap cap plans in aust.
    29/12/08 @ 11:43
    Comment from: kelvinnn [Visitor]
    After converting to USB Mass Storage, i cannot locate any files under the 'Removable Disk" its all empty!@!!! Any idea how to resolve this?
    01/01/09 @ 15:16
    Comment from: Maze [Visitor]
    Anybody have a link for PC Suite software that works (link on LG website wont work)...
    11/01/09 @ 17:59
    Comment from: nish [Visitor]
    I wouldnt buy lg phone in my life. I have viewty and the phone will switch on and off while charging and gets disconnected every 2 minutes while talking on the phone. My friends says that i have stupid phone . Can anyone tell me what the the problem could be.
    19/01/09 @ 08:58
    Comment from: nish [Visitor]
    I wouldnt buy lg phone in my life. I have viewty and the phone will switch on and off while charging and gets disconnected every 2 minutes while talking on the phone. My friends says that i have stupid phone . Can anyone tell me what the the problem could be.
    19/01/09 @ 08:58
    Comment from: Srinivasa vara prasad rao [Visitor]
    *****
    hiii... in my phone ku990 flash is not working even after changing all options(auto flash also). can you help me in getting flash in my phone as i am not able to getting photos in the dark. thank you very much.
    17/02/09 @ 05:04
    Comment from: caz [Visitor] Email
    I love this phone...unfortunately i think i have thrown the cd away that came with it as im moving house (by accident)...and i cant upload any pics/vids to my comp...i read about mass storage...but everytime i do it it says no memory card...i dont have one...i dont really wanna buy one...have i got to get one? i just want them on my comp!!! ive even looked online for software download but nothing. please help!
    23/02/09 @ 21:44
    Comment from: Julie [Visitor] Email
    ****-
    I notice the keypad locks during a call which is really annoying if you want to put the loudspeaker on because you need to unlock the phone beofre you can do it. I have gone into the settings and selected 'none' on the keypad lock setting. Does anyone know if you can disable keypad lock during a call?
    03/03/09 @ 10:44
    Comment from: luke [Visitor]
    *****
    why does my phone keep on freezing ?
    04/03/09 @ 14:40
    Cos you left it in the freezer?
    04/03/09 @ 14:46
    Comment from: Rieks [Visitor]
    ****-
    Is there still the problem that LGViewty doesn't work under Windows Vista.
    13/03/09 @ 13:39
    Comment from: maan [Visitor] Email
    i also encounter battery problem, any way of preventing this problem?
    27/03/09 @ 11:18
    ****-
    i really am looking forward to be getting this phone the saturday coming up.
    i am mainly going to be using the phone for taking pictures and texting. It does look like a good phone and i think the touch screen is pretty cool.
    but i want to know if it's worth to pay £127.20 for it?


    sinead. x
    29/03/09 @ 16:16
    Comment from: maan [Visitor] Email
    to sir DAN, what setting do i need to change to improve the battery life of my phone??

    i did charge the phone for 12hrs yet it last fo about 22hours ONLY, whick sucks!
    30/03/09 @ 01:33
    Comment from: larissa [Visitor] Email
    ***--
    my viewty was fine this morning, and now its hard to make outgoing calls and when i try to text it wont send through? i dont understand why? do i need to go and get my phone fixxed?
    06/04/09 @ 03:21
    Comment from: h-a-r-v [Visitor]
    *****
    Hi,

    This is the best review (and comments, but not yours, Steven, the unlettered man) I've read so far. I'm about to buy this piece of device with a plan for my GF, but there's a dilemma we have:

    She needs a music phone and because of that we also consider SE W910i, which is older, hasn't got that big screen and camera (she has her DSLR already for that), but in the end it's the phone of the year (2007) and I haven't seen a bad word about it (at least no that would make sense) + it has a physical keyboard.

    Which one would you pick if music (mp3 player replacement) was the highest priority and you didn't care about anything else than that and making calls / write sms?
    07/04/09 @ 23:57
    Comment from: sade chambers [Visitor]
    Hi...

    Does anyone know how i can delete my messages all at once rather than doing it one by one... drives me mad when my message box is full. i have deleted all at once before but dont it by mistake and have no idea how i did this!!!!
    08/04/09 @ 16:27
    Comment from: james [Visitor]
    *****
    is it good i hve prded it i love u all for the tips !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    12/04/09 @ 21:56
    Comment from: KARMEN [Visitor]
    *****
    Does anyone know where? or what website to Download the LG PC suite for KU990

    If you do can you email me thanks . :D

    23/04/09 @ 13:38
    Comment from: john [Visitor]
    PLease can someone tell us how on earth to a) transfer music files from the computer to the phone and b) to install the usb driver - the hlp has screen dumps to show you what you will see - but we cant get that far (I imagine 1 and 2 are linked.

    Thanks
    26/04/09 @ 13:14
    Comment from: jordan [Visitor]
    ****-
    heyy
    this is very good information. Do you guys know how long it takes for it to charge?
    04/05/09 @ 16:03
    Comment from: Wrighty [Visitor]
    ****-
    Great Review. It has been a big aid in helping me to decide whether to get the phone - i think i definately will!

    I do, however, have 1 query that i don't think was mentioned before:

    Has anyone found that the lens of the camera has become scratched due to a lack of a cover?

    Any answers would be much appreciated.
    09/05/09 @ 08:49
    Comment from: tony [Visitor]
    The camera on my Ku9990 just does not work, when I turn it on there is just a black screen! any ideas anyone?
    Much appreciated
    22/05/09 @ 13:54
    Comment from: Jezza [Visitor] Email
    ***--
    You can tell you all dont know what your all talking about because im a 18 year old boy and yes if i was guna be classed as anything its a CHAV and i think its a good phone. so i dont know where you get your info from because chav,s are mainly people with quite alot of money. nearly every chav i know has one of these phones, its a good phone it has its little problems but not that bad all togeather.


    SO STOP STEREOTYPING WHEN YOU DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!!!!!

    THANK U!

    Jezza has left the webpage
    01/06/09 @ 21:57
    Comment from: kevin [Visitor]
    *----
    My Viewty is 8 months old, suddenly "inactive Usim".
    The LG website can't find any reference to this phone.
    &
    All these poor people asking for help and no replies.
    Should have stuck to Nokia, at least it would still be working !!!!
    05/06/09 @ 13:22
    Can not send text via PC Suite only gives me email message option any ideas how to send texts
    thanks
    11/06/09 @ 11:32
    Comment from: Jerry Eshetu [Visitor] Email
    Can anyone out there help. When I unpacked, the PC Suite CD is missing. I am not able to connect to my laptop. Please help!! Where can we download this things? Also my phone appears to be locked to Vodafone, anyone know how to unlock? Thanks a million
    12/06/09 @ 16:36
    Comment from: girish [Visitor] Email
    *****
    its a good phone
    24/06/09 @ 18:33
    Comment from: Steve [Visitor]
    ****-
    Great site - I have a few comments...
    To delete all messages - Touch the bottom left icon > Touch the Mark/Unmark option > Check the box in the top left of the screen (Just below the reception icon). This will check all the messages. > Touch Delete at the bottom of the screen.
    03/07/09 @ 14:32

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