With the end of my Verizon contract a few days away, it was time to exercise the "New Every Two" feature. My LG-VX8300 had served me quite well, but having to repeatedly press buttons just to form a simple text message was becoming a pain.

Having looked over Verizon's offerings online, I knew that, despite some shortcomings, the LG-VX9900 aka "enV" would be the phone for me.

The LG-VX9900 replaces the LG-VX9800. While the new 9900 retains the basic shape of the 9800, it is somewhat thinner
than its predecessor. The phone, in its closed position measures approx. 2 1/8" wide x 4 1/4" high x 3/4" deep. With the standard battery pack installed, the unit weighs in around 3 oz.

As of the day this review is being typed; the 9900 comes in your choice of 2 colors. First is the traditional gray/silver cover with black body which is the type I purchased. The other color choice is a candy orange.

The front cover sports a rectangular earpiece, a small 1" square display, a square touchpad (I think it is called a joystick pad) with an "OK" button in the center and surrounded by 5 buttons and a traditional 12 button keypad.

Flip open the cover and you will find a larger display (approx 1 7/8" square) flanked by 2 speakers. Also on the inside you will find a QWERTY keyboard, another joystick pad with "OK" button and 6 other buttons.

Flip over the 9900 and you will see the lens for the built in camera. The lens protrudes slightly from the case. Around the lens is a ring that maneuvers the lens cover. You turn the ring clockwise to open the cover and counter-clockwise to close it.

On the left edge of the unit, are rockers switches that act as the volume control. Above them is another button used to control the camera's shutter.

On the right edge of the unit are a headset and a slot for a micro Simm card.

The bottom edge of the phone is where the jack for connecting to a charger is found. Unlike most other telephones where the cover is made from plastic and is removed when the charger is connected, this particular cover is attached to the telephone's body and simply pivots out of the way.

Unlike the more familiar "clamshell" styled phone where the front cover opens by pivoting upward, the 9900 is a "candy bar" styled phone where the front panel opens by pivoting to the left.

As is the case with many high end cell phones, the 9900 has much to offer. Text Messaging, Instant Messaging, VCast, MP3 Player, Web Browser, Bluetooth and more. Sadly what is lacking (at least right out of the box) is a holder of some kind. Neither a leather holder nor snap in plastic holster are included. They are both optional.

Phone

The traditional telephone keypad is located on the front face of the 9900. While dialing a telephone number is pretty straight forward, I find the keys a little on the small side. Voice quality is about average for cellular calling. None of the cell phones I have used over the years have the audio quality that can compare to that of a wire line telephone call. My calls have been free from static and accidental drops. Calls can also be made when the cover to the 9900 is opened as a second set of number make up the QWERTY keyboard.

I sometimes find myself shifting the cell phone around on my ear to find the perfect listing position, but the overall volume for the ear piece and inside speakers is pretty good overall. The 9900 comes with a selection of 17 various ring tones. You can choose to have the unit vibrate & ring, ring only, vibrate only or remain silent. I wish one of the ring tones was a recording of the brass gongs found inside of old Western Electric telephones.

Camera

Pictures can be taken with the cover either opened or closed. Unlike most phones where you hold the camera in a vertical position when snapping a picture or recording a 15 second flick, the 9900 needs to be held in a horizontal position. Otherwise, images will be recorded sideways.

Pictures are about as clear as one could hope for from a camera phone, but not quite up to par with a true camera.

The zoom feature works well. LG decided to include a built-in cover for the camera lens. To open and close the lens you simply twist the chrome ring around the lens itself. Pictures can be taken with the phone snapped into the plastic holster as LG included a cut-out for the lens. All that needs to be done is to rotate the belt clip so it does not block the lens.

VCast

(This is the one and only feature I splurged on). Due to the diminutive size of the external display, VCast cannot be accessed with the cover closed. Verizon Wireless offers News, Weather, Sports, Comedy Cartoon clips as well as music videos. The content varies, but there is something for everyone. The monthly cost for VCast is $15.00. There are music videos, ring tones and games that are not free, but the many of the general offerings are.

Overall I have been pleased with the quality of the transmission, but I sometimes find that the audio portion of a video clip lags the video stream.

MP3, EMail, Bluetooth and Internet

As of this writing, I have not worked with any of these features so I unable to comment on them.

Battery Life

The standard battery pack has been quite good. I have gone, at least, 3 days with very minimum usage without needing to recharge. I am a light cell phone user so I have not really put the battery through its paces. I did purchase the optional extended life battery at the time I selected the phone just in case I found myself draining the battery pack too easily. My older cell phones, such as the LG-VX4400, came with an external charger so you could charge a spare battery pack. The 9900's charging circuitry is inside of the phone itself.

A Few Dislikes

The protruding lens located on the underside of the 9900, causes the unit to wobble a little when placed on a hard flat surface.

The design of the front cover hinges is such that the rear end of the 9900 is raised upward when the cover is fully opened.

Final Thoughts

Out of all of the LG cell phones I have owned over the years, the 9900 is, by far, my favorite. The inclusion of the QWERTY keyboard, nice built in camera and above average sound from the built-in speakers were enough to hook me.

Is the 9900 flawless? Nope. There is always room for improvement. But despite the 9900's flaws, I enjoy using it and look forward to next 2 years.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 150
Recommended for: Stylish Trendsetters - Hip and Trendy