LG enV3 User Reviews

joanne_xo posted on 04 Jun 2009, 21:56

Excellent 9.7

my opinion of the env3..

so i went out and bought this env3 today. i've been asking my parents for it for days now. and now that i got it, its not that bad ;) i like it. before, i had the razr. which i HATED lmfao. so then i got this :] its def. better than the razr. i love how theres a qwerty. so easy for me to text now. i hate how when you want to use speakerphone, your phone needs to be opened. thats the only thing i dont like about the phone right now. other than that its good :] oh & i also dont like how videos are only 30 seconds long :/ my cousin has a tmobile phone that has like over 5+ hours. i was hoping this phone would be like that. but i guess i was wrong.

Pros

• pretty much everything ;)

Cons

• phone must be open for speakerphone
• videos are 30 secs long

Brent posted on 03 Jun 2009, 21:49

Average 6

The EnV3 takes some steps forward, but many steps back

This phone is better than the env2 in some ways. it does have threaded messaging, quick text and a bigger front screen but threaded messaging is done very poorly. quick text only works the first time you open a text. every other time has to be done the old fashioned way. and the bigger screen is bigger, but literally has no expanded use aside from being able to view pictures. You cannot do everything on the front screen like you could on the env1 (alarm clock, calendar, etc) or set shortcuts for the front d pad. Also, the env2 "multitasked" much better. for instance, if you were texting and someone texted you, you could open that new message, read it, then just hit CLEAR to go back to composing your original message. this phone just dumps your composed message into the drafts folder, making you retrieve it the hard way. and not only that. if the person sending you the message changes what you were going to say or made you decide to not send that txt at all, you now need to go into drafts and delete instead of just choosing not to save it in the drafts.
On top of this, the EnV3 is noticeably slower than the EnV2. certain things take a little bit to register, sometimes it glitches out, and if you start to type really fast it takes a little bit for the phone to catch up with you. in conclusion, this phone has some nice features, but doesn't go all the way with them, and steps back in features in many ways. very disappointed.

Pros

• Nice display, some nice feature additions even though they could be much better, nice keyboard, ambient light sensor auto dims screen

Cons

• Very slow, sometimes has glitches, features could've been implemented much better, worse battery life, front screen offers very little new functionality, new spacebar location is difficult to get used to (though this is subjective)

Jaasonii posted on 02 Jun 2009, 00:20

Excellent 10

Major Advancement

well i got the fone the day it came out.......my auntie works at verizon so she got it 4 me 4 free.....commig from a voyager....i didnt have 2 make a major adjustment.....i was sick of the touch screen messing up [mainly the virtual T9 pad and virtual qwert pad]....so i wanted the env2 however, i would be settling for less but i thought it would be worthy enough.......then i checked out the alias2 because i had that phone before the voyager....and i read that its main competition would be the env3 so i checked it out and immediately fell for it.....since i use the internet alot i knew the env2 and its mobile web 2.0 would be somewhat dissapointing.........but the env3 has a full html browser as the voyager alos had.....the only thing this phone didnt have was vcast tv.....but i didnt care because i wasnt going to pay 15-20$ a month just 2 watch what i could watch a thome for free......its t9 is just a little smaller than the env2'z t9 pad but with my big thumbs theres yet 2 b a problem since the t9 pad is sometimes more convenient to use in school......as i expected the IM [aim/yahoo] worked the same.....the versa was also nice but i didnt want another touch screen....the only thing i relly liked about it was multiple internet windows {just 3 at a time though} but the env3's internet is very efficient.....and i was pleased with the fact that the space bar was moved in the center like normal....also the qwert pad on the voyager was a little tiring due to the fact that tey were...  

well i got the fone the day it came out.......my auntie works at verizon so she got it 4 me 4 free.....commig from a voyager....i didnt have 2 make a major adjustment.....i was sick of the touch screen messing up [mainly the virtual T9 pad and virtual qwert pad]....so i wanted the env2 however, i would be settling for less but i thought it would be worthy enough.......then i checked out the alias2 because i had that phone before the voyager....and i read that its main competition would be the env3 so i checked it out and immediately fell for it.....since i use the internet alot i knew the env2 and its mobile web 2.0 would be somewhat dissapointing.........but the env3 has a full html browser as the voyager alos had.....the only thing this phone didnt have was vcast tv.....but i didnt care because i wasnt going to pay 15-20$ a month just 2 watch what i could watch a thome for free......its t9 is just a little smaller than the env2'z t9 pad but with my big thumbs theres yet 2 b a problem since the t9 pad is sometimes more convenient to use in school......as i expected the IM [aim/yahoo] worked the same.....the versa was also nice but i didnt want another touch screen....the only thing i relly liked about it was multiple internet windows {just 3 at a time though} but the env3's internet is very efficient.....and i was pleased with the fact that the space bar was moved in the center like normal....also the qwert pad on the voyager was a little tiring due to the fact that tey were so widely spaced...but te env3 is just right....the favorites key is nice as well as the designated messaging key......the threaded txt msging reminds me of instant messaging.....the flash, megapixels, and other new photo editing features are much better....not considering the env touch (improperly kown as voyager) i was jealous of its 3.2 mp camera but i instantaneously got over that....the apps wok good and you can customize your shortcut screen, like the Fn (function key) on the voyager.....as many reviews showed and even my friends have experienced that the external buttons stop working specifically the ok,0,*,# buttons. well on the env3 i have not had any of that.....over all its a perfect fone especially for me.....pocket dialing as for me hasnt occured and i didnt turn on the ok followed by clear option on until yesterday.....however i always manually lock my phone in which u need a 4 digit code to lock/unlock it.......as i never found the need to use my phone as a second ipod, i do have a 16 gb memory card in it.....and i actually use it although i had 2 purchase a cheap 2.5mm head phone set jack......it holds all my music, music videos movies and pics....now i only use my ipodon road trips b/c my phone does the job...overall if your looking for a clamshell phone this style its better than the rumor gravity and other phones of that nature......on the other hand im thru w/ touch screens 4 now. with the original black voyager, the battery life was extremely long....longer then the alias....but then i broke it and the insurance sent me the titanium silver edition.....its battery life was litterally a must charge daily length....my switching from tmobile 2yrs ago was worth it....not only there outstanding service but innovative phones brought me to them.........any calls dropped lost or distorted is almost entirely up to your carrier.....phones only affect their reception when they have accumulated damage.

Pros

• larger internal &external screen
• enhanced camera features
• threaded msging
• sleek slim design
• widely spaced large keys both internally and externally
• 5 way independent navigational key
• html internet browser
• many pre-designated frequently used buttons
• shortcuts u can assign
• qwerty keyboard
• t9 pad
• bright display
• extended long battery life with heavy usage
• etc

Cons

• im sure anyone can pick out little flaws but there are no major flaws

Fresh posted on 01 Jun 2009, 19:40

Excellent 9.7

Picked this phone up a couple days ago. So far its been perfect. I had a Treo 700W prior; gave me nothing but problems. The calls on this phone are crystal clear, havent had any dropped calls as of yet. Battery life is better as well.
This phone is exactly what i wanted, a phone with enough features without a stupid required data plan. I'm glad my new every 2 came up right when this was released!
I personally rate this as the best phone i've had from verzion as of yet. Only downside to this phone is the stupid firmware that verizon puts on its "dumb phones" to lock certain things.

Pros

• Nice Display
• Good Internal Speakers
• Nice Design
• Stylish

Cons

• Ringer Volume Could Be Louder

Anonymous posted on 01 Jun 2009, 14:02

Excellent 9

Yeah!

Let me start off by saying that I have had a lot of phones by verizon and this is the first time I have thrown away the fedex box and shipping label so quickly.  I have been waiting for this phone for what seems like forever!  I opened the box and said, this is cute! I have the blue slate color.  I was a little dissappointed in the blue because it is not quite as pretty a blue as I thought it would be.  I thought it would be more like the motorola rapture's blue.  Instead, it's more of a greyish kinda blue. But it's okay.  Besides it is the closest I could get to black since it doesn't come in black, which is dissappointing. 
The style of the phone is very nice as the number pad is improved in looks.  I do have to dial slower now though because the numbers are closer together than on the env2 and I tend to hit other buttons when I dial out. For example, when I hit the 7, I also hit the star key.  So I'll just have to dial a little slower.  I am glad they corrected the directional wheel.  You can not only arrow up and down but also left and right now, which makes sense.  I don't know why they didn't think about that on the env2 (which I also have).  But I'm glad they corrected that.  It's refreshing to be able to select from most of the icons on the external screen rather than just a list as on the env2.  Also the lock function allows you to lock the phone "now" rather than having to go into...  

Let me start off by saying that I have had a lot of phones by verizon and this is the first time I have thrown away the fedex box and shipping label so quickly.  I have been waiting for this phone for what seems like forever!  I opened the box and said, this is cute! I have the blue slate color.  I was a little dissappointed in the blue because it is not quite as pretty a blue as I thought it would be.  I thought it would be more like the motorola rapture's blue.  Instead, it's more of a greyish kinda blue. But it's okay.  Besides it is the closest I could get to black since it doesn't come in black, which is dissappointing. 
The style of the phone is very nice as the number pad is improved in looks.  I do have to dial slower now though because the numbers are closer together than on the env2 and I tend to hit other buttons when I dial out. For example, when I hit the 7, I also hit the star key.  So I'll just have to dial a little slower.  I am glad they corrected the directional wheel.  You can not only arrow up and down but also left and right now, which makes sense.  I don't know why they didn't think about that on the env2 (which I also have).  But I'm glad they corrected that.  It's refreshing to be able to select from most of the icons on the external screen rather than just a list as on the env2.  Also the lock function allows you to lock the phone "now" rather than having to go into the menu further and lock 7 seconds etc.  The external and the internal screens are larger than on the env2 and very colorful and cheery. 
I must say that the keyboard is not as attractive as the env2 mainly because it's not black, but it is easier to text as the bottons are not as hard to push as the env2.
The env3 is not as strong or solidly built as the env2 and it's not as heavy.  I like the heavier feel. And the plastic seems to be cheeper.  It just doesn't have the same feel in the hand as the env2.  However, it made up for that with the call quality.  The call quality is better and I can hear loud and clear on this phone which is an improvement over the env2 and that is a major plus with me.  I must say though, that I am dissppointed that I lost a call because I was in an elevator.  My network didn't follow me in the elevator and I don't like that.  I have been able to use my other phones in elevators and tunnels.  I haven't had a chance to test this one in a tunnel yet but I will very soon. 
The battery life is no where near as good as the env2.  I charged both phones on Saturday.  It is now Monday and the env2 still has  4 bars and the env3 has 2.  And I have been using them both.
As a whole I am very happy with the env3 and so far, have no plans of returning it.  So far, this one is a keeper.  So if you are looking for a cute, decent texting phone (without the crazy fees of smart phones and blackberrys) with good call quality and pretty cool features and you would like to be able to check emails cheaper than a smart phone or a blackberry (which I turned off because it wasn't worth the higher fee) you might want to check this phone out.  You just might be pleasantly surprised!

Pros

• Design, texting ease, bigger external and internal screens, call quality, more practical directional wheel

Cons

• Battery life, cheaper plastic, dropped call in elevator, blue color could be better, doesnt come in black.

TC posted on 01 Jun 2009, 10:55

Good 8.3

Reply

Yes, I said vibrate mode was a little hard to HEAR.  On other phones I've had when your phone is on a surface and it vibrates you can clearly HEAR it, which I like.  Some others may not have which is maybe why they softened it.
Also, I don't think you can put it on speaker when the phone is closed, which would be nice..does anyone know how to?...I've also had my phone restart out of the blue, but that doesn't bother me too much considering the glyde barely worked at all.
Overall, still the best VZ phone I've had.

Pros

• Everything else

Cons

• phone restarts itselff
• low vibrate mode
• no speakerphone on outside

MzImpression posted on 31 May 2009, 10:14

Excellent 9.7

This is the one!

Like one of the other reviewers here, I've gone through a few VZW phones lately. Most recently, I had the Alias2, and I'm very happy to have swapped it to get the enV3.
The enV3 offers great call quality and a fantastic QWERTY keyboard in a very compact and pocketable form factor. It's easy to use and offers a lot of nice extra features such as a fully featured music player and pretty decent camera--and it's compatible with Verizon's advanced features such as Navigator, Dashboard, and visual voice mail.
For anyone looking for a fully featured, small phone that does not require a pda/blackberry data plan, this is a great choice.

Pros

• Call quality--clear and loud
• Form factor--very easy to simply throw it in a pocket and forget about it. It's light, well balanced and easy to hold.
• Build--the enV3 seems very well made out of quality materials. It seems like it will hold up in the long run.
• Battery--so far, this seems to have *outstanding* battery life.

Cons

• Would be nice if the camera were autofocus.
• Just a little bit too much sidetone for me.

Mark B posted on 30 May 2009, 23:46

Good 7.3

Cool phone, nice features. like how pretty much everything can be done on the front. sits nice and wide in the palm and has a sturdy feel to it. battery life is so so if you are a heavy texter like myself. has some pretty cool camera features, and its 3.0 mp w/ flash. definitely a nice upgrade.  after only having it for two days, mine has begun to start randomly shutting itself off...other than that its a nice improvement over the EnV2 and I have liked it. sad to say, I will be returning it b/c I will not put up with a phone turning itself on and off for two years.

Casey posted on 30 May 2009, 13:57

Excellent 9.7

Awesome Phone!!!

I love this phone. I just got it today, it was my upgrade. Before I had a razor. The razor i got about 2 years ago, and was good for about a year. Originally I was going to upgrade to the Env2, until I found out the env 3 was coming out. Luckily it was launched the day before my upgrade. So far this phone is amazing. I love all the features and the full keyboard. I would recomend this to be a good phone for someone who wants to upgrade from a regular phone to a full keyboard phone.

Pros

• Awesome design, fast texting. EVERYTHING!

Cons

Bri posted on 29 May 2009, 20:24

Excellent 9.7

I love this phone!

Anyway first let me start by saying I have had many, many phones from verizon latley. Just to name a few, the BB Storm, Alias 2, Dare, EnV2, 8360, Decoy, and the Versa and I like this phone better than any of those!
This phone has really good battery life and signal I have yet to find a place in town where I don't get a signal. (My Alias2 couldn't get one in my basement) I have been going off two bars of battery for over 24 hours with heavy texting and internet browsing. I am expecting at least four days out of it with heavy use.
The internet is HTML so it's a joy to use. It has a virtual cursor and several diffrent views to choose from. The cursor slides instead of jumping making it easier to navigate through pages and select the proper link the first time. It's also very fast compare to the mobile web I was using on both the Alias 2 and EnV2.
I love the new bigger external screen and all of the functions you can do from it: music, pictures, contacts, massages, key lock settings, bluetooth and call history. This is a huge step up from the Env2. The external keypad is a little bit smaller but so far I am having no problem with texting or calling from the outside. One major plus is I haven't had a single pocket call (so far) :) The internal screen is a huge step up for me too, although you can no longer make a slide show wallpaper the photo editing options make up for this. Not only can you rotate, crop and zoom but you can also adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness and blur...  

Anyway first let me start by saying I have had many, many phones from verizon latley. Just to name a few, the BB Storm, Alias 2, Dare, EnV2, 8360, Decoy, and the Versa and I like this phone better than any of those!
This phone has really good battery life and signal I have yet to find a place in town where I don't get a signal. (My Alias2 couldn't get one in my basement) I have been going off two bars of battery for over 24 hours with heavy texting and internet browsing. I am expecting at least four days out of it with heavy use.
The internet is HTML so it's a joy to use. It has a virtual cursor and several diffrent views to choose from. The cursor slides instead of jumping making it easier to navigate through pages and select the proper link the first time. It's also very fast compare to the mobile web I was using on both the Alias 2 and EnV2.
I love the new bigger external screen and all of the functions you can do from it: music, pictures, contacts, massages, key lock settings, bluetooth and call history. This is a huge step up from the Env2. The external keypad is a little bit smaller but so far I am having no problem with texting or calling from the outside. One major plus is I haven't had a single pocket call (so far) :) The internal screen is a huge step up for me too, although you can no longer make a slide show wallpaper the photo editing options make up for this. Not only can you rotate, crop and zoom but you can also adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness and blur from the phone directly, add effects (aka: black and white negative etc.) add stamps, brighten face, which darkens eyes and removes lines and my favorite new feture funny faces. It take a picture with a face on it and alters the actual picture to refect and emotion. (happy, sad, angry, amsued, fat, skiny...etc.)
Now I'll talk a little bit about the camera. It's a 3.0 MP and flash and it's just as good as the Dare (in my opinion) with some cool extra features. You can now make a guided panoramic shot and you also have smile sensor which works really well! The LED light on the back is bright and works well at night, or in dark areas.
The internal keyboard isn't too much diffrent from the EnV2 other than it has only one space key and the function button is replaced with a favorites button. (10) The keys are easy to navigate and text on, I'm a pretty heavy texter and so far I haven't experienced any fatigue from the keyboard. The only thing that's bothering me is that the symbol key was moved down one from the EnV2 so I keep hitting shift instead but I will adapt over time.
When texting people you have the option to view as inbox and sent or by contact. I choose by contact cause then they appear as a conversation, with their and my texts "threaded" together. I also love the new auto reply feature. To reply to a text you just recived all you do is start typing. There is no, reply, ok, text message, ok string you have to go through. It is very easy to tell the diffrence between text I have sent and ones I have recived, something I had problems with on my Alias 2. This feature can be accessed outside on the external screen too.
The customization on this phone is wonderful. I can change the size, and type of font for all the menus and this is the first phone I have every used where you can set a sound as a ringtone! Major plus! You can also listen to music in the background while pretty much doing anything. You can change a few of the menu options to things you might actually use. For example I don't use Vnav so I replaced it with display settings something I use frequently. Once you select the icons you want you can also move all of the menu options around to whatever order you want them in. There are shortcuts galore! Too many to list.
Overall I am very pleased with the phone and am so glad I traded back my Alias 2 for this! I think if you are a texter or someone who needs access to music and internet (HTML) a lot this is the perfect phone for you. (it takes pretty good pictures too!)
Hope this helps!

Pros

• outside screen
• customizable features
• screen size, color
• easy use of keyboard
• camera
• signal
• battery life
• web browsing
• music player
• threaded texting
• auto reply

Cons

• Requires Nationwide Plan
• resolution of extrenal could be better
• can set camera to have dual display always