For any
enV owners out there who managed to not splurge on a
Voyager, it looks like you could end up being rewarded here something fierce. Verizon's
true enV replacement, the
VX9100, has now found its way into some glamorous press shots -- and while we're sure that reaction's going to be mixed, we're really digging the super-simple candybar appearance when the QWERTY clamshell is in its upright and locked position. Looks like it'll come in at least two colors to start -- black and maroon -- and we're also hearing that the name "enV2" is being tossed around in Verizon's documentation (surprise, surprise). Careful observers will note that the phone is sporting a USB port (either mini or micro, we're not sure) on the side, a promising sign that we'll finally be able to ditch those custom LG chargers in the not-too-distant future.
We also got hold of a portion of the
Motorola W755's user guide -- nothing too inspiring, we suppose, but if there's one thing Verizon needs, it's another midrange flip. We kid, we kid.
posted Mar 14th 2008 at 12:39PM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pamela @ Mar 14th 2008 1:26PM
I like it enough, the front screen is really small though, you might have to open the phone to get to things you could have done with the EnV closed. I also don't know why they choose maroon as the second color though, Verizon seemed to be going with pink as a second color choice as of late which would have been a nicer. It is a nicer offering though if you want a cheaper texting phone, but I'll wait for more colors to come out.
Yianni @ Mar 14th 2008 1:10PM
This looks alot hardware wise like the s60 based LG-KT610, wonder if s60 is under the hood?
murray @ Mar 14th 2008 3:07PM
Interesting design, but I can't help feeling that they've wasted a bunch of space on the inside where they could have used a larger screen.
dave @ Mar 14th 2008 4:03PM
why is it so hard for GSM carriers to get these phones?! all i want is a simple QWERTY keypad on a GSM network.
Cody Boring @ Mar 14th 2008 5:05PM
All I want is a iphone on a cdma network :D
rigg419 @ Mar 18th 2008 10:07PM
There have been quite a few QWERTY GSM phones.
Motorola A630
Nokia 6800
LG F9100 and 9200
Siemens SK65
Nokia 3300
Trouble is, most of those phones except the LG ones are really old. I think maybe most of them were either ahead of their time, or were just crappy phones.
But, if you just want a QWERTY GSM, the 9200 is the newest choice, but it's been discontinued, so you'll have to poke around eBay.
Rollins @ Mar 14th 2008 4:47PM
I think that might be my next phone. The enV2, that is. Smaller than the enV, a bit odd looking, but I think it's a better design overall. I wonder how the camera is.
Oh, and definitely in black.
Paul Moon @ Mar 14th 2008 5:28PM
Wow, that is mighty ugly. I'll stick with my Voyager. Why did VZW even bother?
David @ Mar 14th 2008 5:18PM
The size looks closer to the u740, which speaking of, could use an update.
Omie @ Mar 14th 2008 8:06PM
Voyager 2 is already on the map :)
As is the "actual" update to the Chocolate and a few others, I can't remember right now
owbert @ Mar 14th 2008 9:34PM
the concept/prototype version looked more rich: http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Updated-LG-VX9100-and-VX8610-coming-to-Verizon-article-image-a_2454-p_1-i_15448.html
i hope this isnt the final version.
kb @ Mar 15th 2008 2:15PM
I currently have the EnV and this would be a nice upgrade to it just for a few simple reasons. The first one is the phone has a lot of unused space so once all of that has been removed you come up with the new EnV2 size. The internal display looks to be the same size maybe a little bit bigger then the EnV and thats good because certain things are a bit hard to read on it. The front of the phone on the EnV2 is nice and clean looking. Id say all in all just on looks the EnV2 is a nice progression in the EnV family of handset. It terms of features I guess we would have to wait and see until the phone comes out to see if it really has anything new to offer or the same stuff as the EnV just with a new skin.
Gib @ Mar 15th 2008 3:45PM
I dunno about the design. Looks like a cross between a migo and a calculator....
This might be one of those "don't judge a book by its cover" scenario.
Zach @ Mar 16th 2008 2:04PM
Wow, can we say u740 without the vertical flip? Pft. It looks like a nice phone, but again Motorola, how about something revolutionary. God, the RAZR was really your deathbed.
Ash @ Mar 17th 2008 12:23AM
Of course this thing won't get WiFi...
Zach @ Mar 17th 2008 6:59PM
No wifi? Duh? It's not a smartphone. It's a midrange phone designed for media and texting.
Ash @ Mar 17th 2008 10:19PM
I think if there's some sort of Internet access, there should be WiFi capabilities.
Kriston @ Mar 17th 2008 12:45PM
MediaFLO compatibility, anyone?
I was always uneasy about the Voyager just being an iPhone-alike rather than a true replacement for the fantastic LG enV.
tom @ Mar 22nd 2008 8:49PM
this phone is so ugly. i have the original env in green and it looks way better. the front screen on the env2 is smaller than the one on the env. dont you think they would have improved that by now? guess not. the keyboard looks kinda ugly like a voyager wannabe. it just doesnt work at all. the first env kicked this phones ass!
Jeff @ Mar 26th 2008 3:27PM
I for one am extremely excited about this phone and wish they had "leaked" more information to let me know for sure if the phone deserves it. I use the u740, which is a great phone for combining small size with easy texting. The Voyager and enV are way too big for your pocket and I would never consider getting either one. LG is clearly targeting the u740's market, which is great because while the u740 is good at being small, it's relatively bad at both texting and calling...simply because the keyboard is so small.
Bottom line, if LG can make a phone the size of the u740 or smaller with full-size keys for both the calling keypad and the QWERTY keyboard, they'll have a winner. And maybe Verizon will finally have a phone to compete with other companies that have more emphasis on texting phones.
Dan @ Mar 30th 2008 2:25PM
I've never been a big fan of the EnV's design, it always seemed ugly and fat, but this one is great, even though this was the phone that the original EnV should have been.
benman2233 @ Apr 7th 2008 12:33PM
well, ive got an enV, and i love it. it is big, fat, and rathy lug luck, easy to text on though because the keyboard isnt all scrunched together. i only wish that the phone that came out before the enV came out, yall remember it, the brick, the 9800, that thing was pro, big heavy and fat, easy as hell to text on, and was way hot shit back then. i still have mine sitting in my room on my shelf,dont think ill ever get rid of that thing. anyhows i have a feeling that this phone is gonna be to small to do anything on, like the god dam juke, and its either gonna really suck, or be the best phone ive ever owned, there isnt gonna be a middle ground for this thing i know it.
Dustin @ Apr 23rd 2008 1:42PM
Got my enV2 today. Had to order through the phone and it took a couple sales reps to approve it. Yet to really make calls on it, but I assume the quality is going to good...it is a verizon phone.
Some specs: compared to my crappy Razor it's maybe a mm thicker, exact same in width, about 2mm taller and a little heavier. I don't mind a littler heavier phone though...makes it feel worth the money.
The phone fits great in your hand and feels pretty natural. Small enough to be a "pocket" phone but is still even to text message on (open), even for someone with larger hands like me.
The outside screen only displays about 3 lines of text (2 contacts and a search bar), but in reality, do you really need anything more in this type of phone? I use speed dials about 75% of the time....the only thing I'm curious to see if I like is how texts are received and if they'll be readable on the small outside screen. I feel like I'm not going to want to open up the phone for every message, so we'll see.
This phone is actually going to my wife and my Voyager should be here tomorrow....with Verizon's guarantee I may have to consider exchanging my voyager....but I doubt it :P
Johannn @ May 3rd 2008 10:33PM
Ok, I got the env2 today and it's just what I've been waiting for. A texting cell phone with a qwerty keyboard, slim, decent camera. Also unlike the voyager, you can stay on the family plan. NICE
Elizabeth @ May 4th 2008 12:54PM
I got this phone on Thursday and so far, it has been everything I had wanted in a phone. I originally wanted the Voyager but due to the cost, I couldn't get it. I am glad that I got this one instead. Camera works like a dream and it got tons of things you can do with it (like changing it from color to sepia, having a shutter sound or you could have it set to "ready? 1 2 3" and then a shutter sound). The calls have been very clear but with my service area, it is a little iffy sometimes. Texting have never been easier for me. It is taking me a while to get used to the keyboard since I had a flip phone before and I was so used to texting that way.
All in all, Get the phone when you get a chance. It is awesome! :)
jay @ May 15th 2008 2:44PM
does anyone have the problem where the paint on the numbers in the front is completely peeling off? i got the phone like 2 weeks ago and there was a little something on the number 4, i scratched it off and realized it was the actual paint peeling off! and what’s worse is that i’m tempted to just keep on picking it off. i’m bringing it to a verizon store soon but i just wanted to see if you people had some of the same problems. oh, and btw, don't start scratching. once you scratch a little bit off, it’s so easy to keep on scratching it off… like a lottery ticket thingy.
Cindi @ May 19th 2008 5:13PM
I have had mine for a week now.. i got the maroon and i love it! It works great and is easy to use. I love the outside because altho not exactly pretty the numbers are nice and big and easy to see. The screen inside is big and bright and easy to use too. It works great.. I have been doing email.. ring tones and all kinds of stuff and have not read the owners manuel yet... this is my first texting phone and i love it. Now.. if i can just find some cool accessories for it... ??????? lol.... oh and the camera works great too.. takes good pics.... even when i used it to take pics off my computer screen as a quick way to get id pics on the phone.. ok just my 2 cents...
Chris L @ May 24th 2008 1:34PM
Ugh... I hate the EnV's design. I really don't know exactly why. I always have found it to be fat and ugly. The new one is an improvement, but I still don't like it all that much.
Plus it seems like every fricking person around my age (yes, I am a teenager) has one of them. Am I the only one happy with my Moto...?
M.E. Williams @ May 28th 2008 6:37PM
It's so embarrassing to be this late on a thread. O hai, Engadgeteers!
I just bought this a week ago. *Love* it. But I'm not a power user with my phone (I tend to primarily use the camera and the text message function, and will also be happy to take this on walks or bike rides as my music source)... so it's enough for me. It's replacing a Razr, and it fits in my average-lady-sized hand pretty nicely, as well as the cellphone pouch in my purse.
Someone who wants serious email connectivity would be happier with a real Blackberry or something; someone who already sits in front of their mailbox all day, like I do, will probably be satisfied with this.
The only thing I really dislike about the new design, in comparison to the old enV, is that it's missing a lens cover for the camera. The lens is placed in such a way that it's impossible to use the camera without getting fingerprints all over it, and it's a better camera than those on most phones at this price point, so a cover would have been appreciated.
LividHatred @ Jun 6th 2008 6:38PM
Yeah, I'm a bit late too, but I just ordered the enV2 last night since that's when my New for Two renewed and gave me a $100 credit. The phone was listed at a 2 year contract price of $149.00, had a $50.00 instant online rebate, and my $100 credit made it free for me. Woot!
Anyway, I've been reading the reviews of the phone, and being that I'm upgrading from a two year old RAZR V3m, I'm not particularly worried about whether or not I'll like it. The Blackberry Pearl was my 2nd choice, but I have no real desire to raise my family plan price by $35.99/mo to use its features (my bill is already $149.99/mo base w/3 lines). I was one of the lucky ones who didn't have TOO many problems with the RAZR, but it still had this thing about picking and choosing what calls it would acknowledge and ring for. After one of the software upgrades, it pissed me off that I couldn't record my own sounds to use as ringtones, too. On top of that, the sales rep didn't find it important enough to tell me I was going to lose $20 worth of ringtones after the upgrade. Moron.
All in all, I
ME @ Jun 10th 2008 10:16PM
This phone is awesome and i have no idea why u guys don't think it's kool!!! Everyone who's anyone will have this phone...i guess you guys are just too POOR to have it!!!