The LG Viewty Smart GC900 is the follow-up handset to the LG Viewty mobile phone. It makes the most of its HSDPA connecivity by offering download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps as well as other connectivity options including Wi-Fi and A-GPS. But the LG Viewty Smart’s real talent is taking eight-megapixel photos. So, how does it measure up? Read the full LG Viewty Smart GC900 review to find out…
First things first. Despite the name’s proclamations to the contrary, the LG Viewty Smart is not a smartphone. You can’t add third party apps or expand its gaming abilities as you can with the iPhone 3GS. Yes, there’s the latest S-Class interface, and it’s a joy to use making customising home screens and whizzing between functions a breeze. But that still can’t make up for the lack of third party apps.
Right, now that’s out the way, let’s talk about what the LG Viewty Smart is good at: taking photos! For starters the LG Viewty Smart’s camera software is far and away the most impressive on the market. There are plenty of modes to get to grips with, including an Intelligent Shot mode which has the handset analysing the scene it’s about to capture, then balancing the focus, aperture and white balance. It’s clever stuff and works really well apart from a slight delay while it’s working things out. The increased quality in the photos, however, is well worth that slight delay.
Check out our guide to making the most of the LG Viewty Smart’s camera
Other photographic gubbinry that LG has shoe-horned into the Viewty Smart include face detection technology that keeps people’s faces looking sharp in your photos, and Smile Shot that cleverly takes snaps as soon as it sees the pearly whites of your subjects. There’s even a mode called Beauty Shot that eliminates blemishes on your mates’ faces - a sort of internal airbrush if you will.
The LG Vietwy Smart also offers up some excellent video recording which, as you’d expect from a phone so enamoured with image-capturing, is similarly neat. It’ll capture video at DVD quality with an option for high speed or impressive slow-mo action. What’s more you can edit footage on the camera itself before sending on to friends through MMS, e-mail or by uploading direct to YouTube.
As a phone the LG Viewty Smart is stunning to look at. It’s not as clever as the iPhone 3GS (which phone is though?), but the three-inch 800×480 WVGA touchscreen is easy to use, especially for framing up shots. That said, typing on the touchscreen is frustrating, with a bit of a lag as well. Elsewhere there’s a microSDHC card slot that’ll allow you to expand storage up to 32GB - which you’ll need if you’re taking plenty of 8MP snaps.
So the LG Viewty Smart’s a decent phone then, and an excellent camera phone, but it’s not a smart phone and unfortunately not without its flaws.
Verdict
The LG Viewty Smart takes superb camera phone pictures. The inability to add third party apps, however, and the lack of any other notable features means that this gets marked down.
Best features
Eight-megapixel sensor
Great camera
Looks stunning
Not so good
Inability to add third party apps
Typing on the touchscreen grates
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This phone is not a touch screen is more of a press screen phone. I returned it a week after recieving it try answering a phone call using this phone is more than a nightmare.