LG Revolution Review

Introduction:

Completing the trifecta of 4G LTE smartphones first presented to us way back at CES early in the year, LG’s presence is largely going to be known even more on Verizon’s lineup now that the LG Revolution VS910 is finally here. Needless to say that its next-generation 4G LTE connectivity is indeed revolutionary, but considering that it’s following after the HTC ThunderBolt and Samsung Droid Charge, there are literally going to be more things required to keep in fresh from the pack – and more importantly, capture the jaded attention of consumers. Timing is obviously crucial to garner success in this heated market already, and taking into account the back-to-back release nature of Big Red’s 4G LTE smartphones, the LG Revolution might have some challenges in its path in what can be perceived to be an already saturated market.

The package contains:

• LG Revolution
• 16GB microSD card preloaded
• microUSB cable
• Wall Charger
• Quick Start Guide
• Product Safety & Warranty Brochure

Design:

Gazing upon the LG Revolution for the first time, it doesn’t stray far from the design philosophy that we’ve seen thus far with Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphones – meaning, they’re rather big, bulky, and undeniably contemporary. Visually, there’s nothing really new to boast about with its design, especially when it’s straightforward with its plastic construction, hard lines, and soft touch matte back cover. Naturally, it’s relatively clean looking for the most part, but it doesn’t quite exhibit the solid build quality of the ThunderBolt – though, it’s slightly ahead of the Droid Charge. Honestly, the LG Revolution doesn’t come off as being a memorable looking handset.



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

Even though it might not be as glorified as the Samsung Droid Charge’s Super AMOLED Plus display, we’re still nonetheless mesmerized by the Revolution’s 4.3” WVGA (480 x 800) LCD display with support for 16.7 million colors. Actually, it looks ever so much better than the ThunderBolt’s display, and at the same time, it’s capable of delivering some sharp looking visuals, high contrast, and saturated looking colors. At first, we question if it’s simply a regular LCD display or something better, but in any event, its luminance is able to capture our attention right from the start – while making it quite useful outdoors under direct sunlight. Additionally, it does exhibit some good viewing angles, though, it does begin to fade at extreme angles.


Beneath the display, we find the usual suspect of touch sensitive Android buttons, but the extra spacing between them and the bottom edge reduces the amount of accidental presses. Oppositely, you can use the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for things like video chat and shooting self-portraits.


Placed along the chrome accent on the left edge of the phone, the handset’s microUSB port is hidden behind the plastic flap. Meanwhile, the separated volume keys are laid flush along the right side, but still offer a nice tactile feel when pressed. Also, we find a microHDMI port on the same edge, which provides a mirrored experience when connected to a high-definition television.

Unfortunately, its tiny sized dedicated power button is just too flat to make out with our finger – thus causing us to fumble around before pressing it. Additionally, the 3.5mm headset jack is placed customarily at the top edge as well.


Turning it around to get a peek at its rear, the 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and various logos are all located on a mirrored finished strip. Plus, the narrow looking speaker grill is perpendicularly placed next to the same strip with a directional microphone nearby. Finally, yanking off the plastic back cover provides access to the 1,500 mAh battery, SIM card, and microSD card slots – albeit, the latter two require the battery to be removed before gaining access to them.