Hands-on with the LG Vu in retail clothing

by Chris Ziegler, posted May 1st 2008 at 11:27AM

So our friendly local postman dropped this little gem off at our door this morning! That's right, your eyes don't deceive you -- it's an LG Vu of the CU920 variety, complete with Mobile TV support. We haven't had a chance to get the TV service up and running just yet, but we wanted to throw up a few visuals for everyone to feast on. In short, the screen's beautiful, we're pretty happy with the touch control so far, and we're pretty shocked at just how light this phone is. Click on, people! Do it!

Gallery: Hands-on with the LG Vu in retail clothing

Filed under: LG, ATT, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

Tags: att, features, hands on, HandsOn, lg, mediaflo, mobile tv, MobileTv, vu

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highest Ranked

John @ May 1st 2008 11:44AM

eez nice!... how much?

Neutral

Ivan @ May 1st 2008 12:00PM

touche, have they announced prices yet?

Neutral

wixostrix @ May 1st 2008 12:14PM

$300 w/ 2 year contract and $100, thats what the last post said about the MobileTV

Neutral

Rafer @ May 1st 2008 11:47AM

Why does ATT always pick up all the large screened touch phones... Nuviphone, Iphone and now this.

Neutral

The New Guy @ May 1st 2008 12:02PM

Cause they know where the future is at???

It's always good to market products to the younger generations. They usually have more liquid funds and are move in tune with technology.

Neutral

tande @ May 1st 2008 1:17PM

Not to mention that as phones become more and more multi-media devices the larger screen is marginaly better then trying to watch TV on a flip phone's screen.

Neutral

Vidit Bhargava @ May 1st 2008 11:49AM

looks cool...is it available yet???

Neutral

Rohit Kapur @ May 1st 2008 11:51AM

That's actually a pretty decent wallpaper. Nice lookin' phone.

Neutral

Ben @ May 1st 2008 12:00PM

What i really want to know is can it picture message? The iphone SERIOUSLY lacks messaging abilities that others can keep up with. Maybe this screen phone can do what the others cant, in more than one department.

Neutral

David @ May 1st 2008 2:03PM

Dude, why does everyone complain about the lack of picture messaging in the iPhone.

I have an iPhone, I have e-mail on my phone. I, for one, am not going to pay $.50 to send a picture message when I have e-mail and an unlimited data plan.

Neutral

Jordan @ May 1st 2008 2:44PM

since when does it cost $0.50 to sent a picture message?
Any multimedia message is considered a text message.

And yes, the iPhone SHOULD support MMS!

Highly Ranked

Stevooo @ May 1st 2008 4:02PM

this phone has multimedia messaging

www.vubylg.com

Neutral

UoMDeacon @ May 1st 2008 4:45PM

@jordan: Most plans consider MMS different from SMS... for my part, I agree with David, I can't imagine any need for MMS, when there is email. I've never used MMS in all of the years I've had MMS capable phones.

Highly Ranked

zephxiii @ May 1st 2008 5:12PM

Why are you going to bash MMS? Pretty stupid IMO, most regular people don't have email on their phones, and don't care to. I send great quality pics via MMS to friends all the time, its easy, works great, and cheaper.

Neutral

helixtimestwo @ May 1st 2008 10:11PM

@UoMDeacon

Do you use SMS messaging? Because by your logic no one would have use for it since email is a psuedo-free alternative. Now, as online photo publishing software (flickr/picasa) goes mobile it might be a better alternative than MMS, but that's still a ways off.

Personally, I wish email worked as SMS/MMS/Voice does -- 1 standardized number for all communication with anyone on the planet, although the concept certainly isn't without it's own drawbacks/concerns/difficulties. But it's easier for my

Neutral

youngcalihottie @ May 2nd 2008 10:39PM

@UoMDeacon
u r kidding right? like seriously? maybe you are in another country. but in the US all messaging uses the same bucket, at least with the major carriers. unless you never bothered to call and change ur text plan in the last 2 years.

Neutral

HARRYZWD @ May 1st 2008 12:04PM

gotta LOVE that antenna

Highest Ranked

xB Owner @ May 1st 2008 12:49PM

The antenna tucks away nicely so you don't even know it is there. It isn't even always necessary to view the TV Broadcasts. It is there only for when you need to get a boost in signal reception. I for one would be glad to have that option.

Neutral

Patriks7 @ May 1st 2008 12:15PM

is that supposed to be the LG Prada - the prada sticker? cause it sure looks like it :x

Neutral

Nick M. @ May 8th 2008 5:16PM

Why is it that every time there is a phone that has a large touchscreen with a black face and chrome bevel and a media player people are always saying its a Prada rip-off. The Prada is completely different are you people blind!!!

(/sarcasm)

Neutral

wixostrix @ May 1st 2008 12:18PM

and what about a web browser?

Neutral

Stewart @ May 1st 2008 12:20PM

Quiero.

Neutral

MasterCKO @ May 1st 2008 12:59PM

I like the look of this phone a lot. Come on Sprint. Give me a reason to stay with you. Oh right, uber cheap data and SERO. Seriously, if not for that, I would have switched to at&t a while ago (or right now for this phone). Oh well.

Neutral

Achilles @ May 1st 2008 1:39PM

I feel your pain. Sprint phones SUCK! I've always had this complaint (other than their customer service). I've been with Sprint for 10+ years and their phones have always been crap. AT&T & Verizon both have better choices of phones. Things got worse with the Nextel Sprint merger. Crappier phones were released. I've yet to see an end in sight. I still like Sprint's service but their phones really piss me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neutral

haX0r @ May 1st 2008 3:02PM

I agree. Hopefully the new samsumg next month will be decent. Plus the HTC qwerty touch should be out later this year on Sprint. We'll see.
I am waiting until SE's Xperia comes out to make a decision then.

Neutral

Alex @ May 1st 2008 1:00PM

Damn, that looks a LOT sexier than I thought it would. Me like...

Unfortunately as of now I'm on a Q Global and hoping that the iPhone Mk2 kicks enough ass for me to want it, ha.

Neutral

Chris @ May 1st 2008 1:49PM

Can't wait to get my hands on one. I just dug up more on this phone at:
http://www.vubylg.com

Neutral

Katalistic @ May 1st 2008 2:20PM

Looks just like the LG VOYAGER, well kinda. Which I have and is great!

Neutral

SteveT @ May 1st 2008 2:34PM

That antenna is SO breaking off the first time you drop the phone. So does it get the TV signal from EVDO or over the air?

Neutral

youngcalihottie @ May 2nd 2008 10:40PM

vu is gsm. doesnt have evdo. but no, it does not use data. its ota broadcast

Neutral

youngcalihottie @ May 2nd 2008 10:40PM

let me clarify...
u can still also use CV and MobiTV which use data. AT&T Mobile TV uses OTA. You have to pay to be able to receive the OTA broadcast though.

Lowest Ranked

HeYo @ May 1st 2008 3:23PM

WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO COPY THE APPLE!

LOOKS LIKE AN UGLY IPHONE!

Highest Ranked

Kevin @ May 1st 2008 3:55PM

Uh...Apple wasn't the first device to ever look like that. So by your account all phones with a large touchscreen are iphone knock-offs/

Highest Ranked

Adam @ May 1st 2008 4:14PM

That's actually a modified design of the original LG Prada. Which, btw, was released prior to the iPhone.

Neutral

Yevon @ May 1st 2008 4:22PM

Duh. Hello, Apple DID invent electricity...

Neutral

Anonymous @ May 1st 2008 4:58PM

As a matter of fact, Apple invented inventing things... I must say, I love the packaging as well

Lowest Ranked

HeYo @ May 1st 2008 9:46PM

ANYONE WHO DENIES THE OBVIOUS THAT ALL THESE NEW PHONES ARE NOT TRYING TO IMITATE THE IPHONE ARE JUST HATERS.

NO... I HIGHLY DOUBT LG and OTHERS WERE THINKING ABOUT THE PRADA... WHETHER OR NOT IT LOOKS LIKE A PRADA, THEY ARE TAKING Qs FROM APPLE.

THATS THE TRUTH AND YOU KNOW IT.

Neutral

iofthestorm @ May 1st 2008 9:52PM

Obvious troll is obvious... also, did they just bring "Lowest Ranked" back or was no one that bad at commenting until this guy.

Highly Ranked

xB Owner @ May 2nd 2008 12:41PM

You doubt LG was looking to the Prada when they designed the VU? Taking cues from the iPhone? Are you absolutely clueless?!

LG is the company that makes the Prada. And to beat a dead horse... The Prada was released BEFORE the iPhone. The Vu is an evolution of the Prada designed to be released in the US. So I would say... YES, LG probably took a lot of cues from THEIR OWN PHONE when designing the Vu.

Neutral

element8 @ May 1st 2008 4:37PM

how's the touchscreen though? the iphone screen is basically perfect as far as how hard you need to press and not clicking the wrong thing (though the text messaging is still a little wonky), but a friend told me he played with one of these and you kinda have to press hard on the screen.

confirm / deny?

Neutral

dudeintheknow @ May 1st 2008 6:48PM

This phone is pretty cool. I held it today. Go to the store and ask for one. Its in the price list and will ring up in their register. $249.99 on a 2yr.

Kudos:
Small, BLACK, good resolution screen, good quality on the video playback, easy to navigate, Not out yet.

Cons:
Mobile Email: Wheres the fricken GMAIL?, High Price for non PDA, Scroll is the reverse of what you would expect: to scroll down in the list of contacts you scroll down with your thumb, Unlock key is hard to get a handle on.

Neutral

Jason Peterson @ May 2nd 2008 4:50PM

The AT&T store I work at just got a shipment of these in. I have been playing with one for about 15 minutes now. The web browser loads at decent speeds, but no Flash video support that I can tell. Camera quality is good. The pressure-sensitive touch screen is hard to get used to after using an iPhone. The biggest thought I have on this phone is that the interface leaves something to be desired. But for a non smart phone the Vu is not a bad device. It has more features than most other non smart phones.

If the price point was better then the Vu would be an excellent device.

Neutral

Celz @ May 2nd 2008 5:42PM

Sprint may have weaker line ups than verizon and AT&T but my plan is...

1250 anytime
N&W startung at 7
unlimited data, text, and picture mail
and basic sprint tv

all for 49.99 - 5.00 - 12%

so I will take my mogul on the cheapest plan in the country (not to mention the mogul is better than the iphone and this vu)

and wait till the rapheal and diamond come out... and we have Instinct coming too... the only thing that could compete is a 3g iphone (if apple takes the hand cuffs off) and the verizon glyde (if vzw doesnt cripple the OS like every other phone they release)

Neutral

Phreak9mm @ May 2nd 2008 7:49PM

Is Verizon getting this? Because I think there phones are seriously lacking. I take it this is just touch screen and not a flip open/touch like the Voyager. What the hell is the point of that I ask you? If I can touch the screen why can't I type on it? Those who have the Voyager, is it worth it? Or is it just a glorified EnV? Inquiring minds want to know!

Neutral

Jason Peterson @ May 4th 2008 4:47PM

Celz, what was the point of your post? This is a comments section on the Vu, not on Sprint's rate plans.

Phreak9mm, you are right, the Vu is much like Verizon's Voyager, except you CAN type on screen. The phone has a dial pad and a full keyboard similar to that of the iPhone.

One update I would like to make on my assessment of the Vu, is that the web browser for sure does not support flash or flash video sites such as YouTube.

One other note about the build quality of the Vu. Let's just say it feels "plastic".

Regards

Neutral

tnkgrl @ May 5th 2008 3:43AM

Here's my unboxing: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/unboxing-the-lg-cu920-vu/

Neutral

george lafflin @ May 5th 2008 10:45AM

I love how it is in style to hate apple, and if you like their products your a fanboy. My god this is immature, not to mention super geeky. Grow up people how old are you? If you dont like something shut up theres no need to go on internet forums and talk about it.

This phone looks good but to play music you need a sd card which only goes up to 4 gig. My iphone has 16 gigs so thats much better. second i can go on any website just like im on my computer with the iphone and i have yet to see another phone duplicate this so clearly and easy. Im not going to put down this or other phones because people are all different and competition is good but i dont see how one can put down the iphone just because apple makes it. for what the iphone does, music, internet and email it does it much better than any phone i ever saw before. some of you need to grow up and get a life because it makes you sound like complete geeks to make it your number 1 priority to bash apple, or microsoft for that matter, or any company for that matter.

Neutral

Chris @ Jun 6th 2008 12:49PM

wow, yet another iphone ripoff

Neutral

dangr53185 @ Jun 11th 2008 11:48PM

I have the vu and I am dissapointed, it is a poor copy of the Iphone, scrolling and touch is just hard to do. at the end of 30 days I am turning it in and getting the new iphone