LG KU990 - Initial Reactions
Yesterday I purchased a brand new LG KU990 ($549, on sale) after weighing up between a couple of phones (Mainly the Nokia N95 which is $999) and after a night of playing around with it, it is quite nice, despite some little annoyances.
The good
- Its really light! The whole package is lighter than my crappy old Sanyo phone.
- The 5mp camera. While I haven’t taken any “proper” photos on it yet, the test ones have turned out rather nice. Also has a flash which is quite amazing for a cell phone.
- 3G+ – I know most other people have had 3G access for ages, this is my first mobile with it. And man its FAST.
- Touch Screen – The screen is bright and easy to use and responds 99% of the time.
- USB Sync – useful for syncing contacts from Outlook.
- The interface – It is easy to use and navigate. The default black theme is a little dark, but there are two others preinstalled.
- Doesn’t require the stylus! Works perfectly with my fingers.
- The styling – It does look very nice. Not Apple “nice”, but I’m not complaining about that.
- Comes with nearly every app you’ll need.
The Bad
- So far the battery life doesn’t appear to be great. It’s down to one bar already. Could just be the fact I’ve been playing with it though.
- Touch Screen – I’m hoping that it actually stays nice to use and doesn’t become a pain.
- Lack of keypad – Yes I know that I brought a phone without one. It would be perfect if it had one though
- While the browser is good, the text is a little small making it hard to read.
- Sluggish interface – Occasionally it seems to go REALLY slow and can be quite frustrating.
- The build quality isn’t quite what I was hoping, feels like it would only handle a few small knocks.
- Lack of software support – While it has nearly everything I want, an MSN client would be nice. I think Vodafone isn’t helping there though as eBuddy wont install.
One worry is that the touch screen is just a gimmick. I love it now, but what about in 6 months? It’s definitely not as easy as a keypad. I’m also slightly worried how it’s going to last. My Sanyo is built like a brick, and even that's struggling to make it to it’s second birthday.
But I think my biggest worry is that what if it just doesn’t work out. I’ve spent all that money on it, and I really want it to work, it’s a really good phone, but there is a chance it will just become another cell phone that ends up sitting in my draw due to the limitations. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t.