Hands-on with the Verizon LG Fathom VS750

Over the past few months, we have seen an influx of new smartphones come avaliable for Verizon Wireless, most notably those featuring the Android OS, and since the upcoming Windows Phone 7 platform is still half a year away from any consumer devices, most WinMo users may be asking "what about me?" The last WinMo phone that Verizon released was the Samsung Omnia II i920 near the end of '09, and even though it had a large AMOLED display, the device had noticeable menu lag and lacked a physical keyboard, which kept it from being a success with business professionals. Now comes the LG Fathom VS750.




The LG Fathom VS750 is the first WinMo smartphone that LG has designed for Verizon, just like the Ally VS740 is LG's first Android device for the carrier. The Fathom uses the stock Windows Mobile Professional 6.5.3 OS (no LG S-Class interface here), but it has a few Verizon extras, such as Visual Voice Mail, Mobile Email, City ID, Mobile IM, and VZ Navigator. All the menus and apps seem to run smoothly, thanks to the 1GHz processor the device is packing. The 3.2" 480x800 pixel WVGA touch-sensitive display uses resistive technology (not capacitive like the Ally), which means that it requires a firm press by your finger or the included stylus to get a response. There is also a 3.2MP autofocus camera, though it lacks an LED flash. The device overall is made out plastic and has a dark (very dark) blue color to it, but we found the LG Fathom to feel more durable and better constructed than the Samsung Omnia II.



We also like that the LG Fathom comes equipped with a sliding 4-row QWERTY keyboard. It is designed slightly different than the keyboard on the Ally, as the Fathom's keys are a bit more square, aligned in perfect rows, and are flatter to the surface. Between the two, we like the keyboard on the Ally better as it feels more comfortable to use, but we are still glad to see one included on the Fathom, since the on-screen keyboard is almost useless.

So does the LG Fathom VS750 have what it takes to snatch up some potential smartphone buyers, or does it fall-short next to Android and Windows Phone 7?