LG Neon II Review

Introduction:

With messaging phones consistently being such a huge draw for consumers, there is no reason why we continue to see a fair share amount of quick messaging devices making it to market sporting some cheap prices. And that's assumed to be the reason why we are seeing the LG Neon II GW370 for AT&T, with its $29.99 on-contract price, which is replacing its predecessor as LG's most inexpensive messaging option for the carrier. Even with a tempting price point though, it's going to have to excel in some key areas if it wants to draw some consumers to its grasp.

The package contains:

• LG Neon II GW370
• Wall charger
• User Guide
• Quick Start Guide

Design:

Fitting for its price tag, the LG Neon II retains most of the same design styles with its predecessor since it has that cheap feeling plastic casing and landscape sliding form factor. Although it doesn't feel too over bearing (0.60” thick), there is some noticeable weight (3.70 oz) when it's placed in the palm, but not to the point worrisome. All in all, there's nothing really enticing about this handset as it clearly doesn't exude something that'll make people stop in their tracks to look.



You can compare the LG Neon II with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Even though it resorts to using QVGA (320 x 240) resolution with its 2.4” resistive touchscreen, detail is pretty good when viewing small text. Moreover, its support of 262k colors manages to radiate decently at all viewing angles. However, you'll still need to shield it in most occasions while using it outdoors in direct sunlight. What really gets us here though, is that aside from punching in numbers for phone calls, you really don't use the touchscreen for anything else. Not cool at all.


Instead of finding the same d-pad employed by the original, the LG Neon II sports a joystick which illuminates in various colors for notifications. It can freely be moved in all directions and offers a good click feel when pressed down. The same feeling applies to the surrounding dedicated circular buttons – which include the send, end, back/clear, and keypad keys.


Both the 3.5mm headset jack and volume rocker are located on the left edge of the phone, while the microSD card slot, task menu key, and dedicated shutter button are found on the right side. Naturally, all of the buttons are slightly raised and provide a good tactile feel when pressed. Finally, the microUSB port is the sole item found on the top side of the phone – which makes it rather difficult in using the phone while charging.


On the back, you'll only find the 2-megapixel camera with self portrait mirror. While sliding off the rear cover will give you access to the battery and SIM card slot.


The sufficient sliding mechanism exposes the physical keyboard and snaps it into place, but thankfully this time around, we're greeted to a 4-row layout instead of the 3 row one with the original. The circular sized keys are ever so slightly raised to offer a subtle distinction from one another, plus the inclusion of a directional pad enables you to place the cursor more easily than the joystick. However, the annoyance of being unable to type consecutive symbols or capital letters while holding down the “Shift” or “Fn” key makes the messaging process sluggish.

Interface and Functionality:

Sadly, the Neon II resorts to using the same interface found with the original, which is simple and straightforward, but it would've been better to see a slight makeover with the newer model. Personalization is slim as they come since you'll only be able to change the wallpaper and choose from a pool of boring looking clock selections for the homescreen. With the main menu, it's laid out by default to a grid like view, but it can be changed to a list view if you prefer. Aside from that, there isn't any slowdown while navigating around the platform – however, it would've been really nice to see something updated.


The handset will hold a maximum of 1,000 contact, which is the normal amount you'd expect out of most non-smartphones. With each person in your address book, you're limited to a few items you can associate with them – like phone numbers, email addresses, and instant messenger clients.


Hard to believe it, but the messaging experience is utterly puzzling – especially when it doesn't necessarily play to the strength of quick typers. By far the the most annoying thing we experienced when typing a message is the fact that you can't hold down the “shift” key and type consecutive capital letters. Furthermore, you have to click the “Fn” button once each time before inputting a symbol. In the end, this process is obviously not conducive for speedy individuals since it obviously greatly limits their speed. Setting up email is your typical process with AT&T's Mobile Email app which will automatically set up generic clients by simply providing an email address and password. Instant messaging is fittingly also on board since you have the option to select AIM, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger.


For the social networking crazed individuals out there, the LG Neon II packs AT&T's Social Net app which is a centralized hub for all your accounts – like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and some RSS feeds.


Finally, there is a decent amount of AT&T apps preloaded with the phone – such as AT&T Navigator, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Music, and AT&T Radio. In addition to them, you'll also find other third party apps like Where, AllSportGPS, Loopt, MusicID2, YPmobile, MobiTV, Mobile Banking, PicDial, and FunScreenz.

Performance:

Despite boasting an above average sounding earpiece, there is some striking static sound that can be heard on our end – which is obviously blatant in complete silence. And to make matters worse, our caller's voice did sound rather choppy. On the flip slide, our callers stated that there is an echo effect that can be heard with our tone of voice. Finally, the speakerphone is able to emit some loud tones, but regretfully voices did sound muffled. In the end, the task of making a phone call with the LG Neon II is truly trying as you attempt to comprehend conversations.

On a good note, the phone is able to keep a solid connection to the network and didn't drop a single call during our testing in the greater Philadelphia area.

Battery life should be more than manageable for most people seeing that we got out 5 hours and 45 minutes of talk on a single charge. On a daily basis, most people will probably get a single day out of the handset during normal usage. The manufacturer has it rated for 4 hours of talk and 264 hours of standby time.

Conclusion:

So it's another year and we're basically still unchanged with the unflattering performance of the LG Neon II. Not only does it retain most of the same hardware and design elements employed by its predecessor, but its overall performance did not budge a single bit. Even though its $29.99 price tag might prove alluring for some people, especially being a quick message device, there are some far better solutions available on AT&T's lineup that would offer an uplifting experience. And to make things worse, it doesn't play to the strength of text messengers with its annoying  typing issues with its keyboard.

LG Neon II Video Review:



Software version of the reviewed unit: GW370-V10c-JUN-14-20-10-ATT-US