Review for LG Quantum Windows 7 Phone.
Specs:
Windows 7 Software
3G Capability
15GB Storage
OS Version 7.0
Touch Screen (3.5 in)
Full Landscape QWERTY Keyboard
Bluetooth Capability
Hands Free Headset
MP3 Player
GPS Enabled
MicroUSB 2.0 Slot
5MP Camera
720P Video Camera
Standard Li-Ion Battery
Retail Price: $499.99 (without a 2 year contract, $199.99 with)
I received this phone on Monday, December 13. The first thing I noticed, which is not a negative thing, was that is was heavier then my iPhone, not bulky though, but lighter then my husband’s Droid 2. The weight is not an issue for me at all. It does, however, get quite hot when charged, but I believe that most phones with a lithium battery do. In all, I liked it the second I turned it on! The battery life was excellent…I charged it for 8 hours, and used it for 6 hours of heavy use, before it told me it was going to shut off. I also tested it on, but off the charger, for 8 hours during the night, and did not have to charge it, after moderate use, for another almost 6 hours after that! This battery really beats my iPhone, my husband’s Droid, and his Blackberry!
In the settings, you can choose ringotones, themes, turn on/off airplane mode, turn on/off WiFi and Bluetooth, change email settings and add/delete email accounts, choose your lock screen wallpaper, turn on/off location services, check specs for the phone such as cellular carrier, space left, phone updates, and other functions. This really is easy to set up, even my 7 year old figured it out!!! I have to say, this is a total MOM phone! Everything in one place and easy to use!!
The Windows Phone was very easy to navigate and set up, as well as easy and fast on app downloads. The customizable lock screen lets you use a picture already on the phone, or one you have taken, as well as use a 4 digit numerical password for protection. I also liked the fact that you can choose from multiple colors for your theme (I chose magenta), and either a black or white background. (I found the black background easier on the eyes)
I am a big app/social networking fan, so this phone really is perfect for that. There are not a ton of apps yet, but in the week before posting this, many new ones were added. I am hoping to see more as I go along. (Things like Angry Birds and Words With Friends would make it PERFECT!) It already has many similar apps that are available for the iPhone. Apps frequently used, such as Facebook and Twitter, are easy to download and use. The only problem I seem to be having with the Facebook app, is that it does not always connect the first time. And, as the commercials say, it is VERY easy to point-shoot-upload to Facebook. Your Facebook contacts are also linked to your phone book, which makes them come up in caller ID with their Facebook picture. I thought this was very neat. Other AT&T Apps such as Navigator and Family Map are a lot nicer then they are on iPhone, and easier to use as well.
The homepage can have as many apps as you want (well, I never actually tested how many, but I have at least 20 or so on there!). You can organize them however you want, and delete/add as you go. You can also pin certain contacts to the homepage, for easy access. (Of course, I had my husband on there, as well as my parents, the school, and local police). Favorite websites can also be pinned to the home page. I have currently 4 on there that I access all the time. You can also pin music, but I have not tried that as of yet. That may be next! Your next screen lists all the apps /utilities you have installed in alphabetical order for easy access.
On a side note, when you go to the People tile, you can access either your Facebook contacts or your phone contacts (you choose which displays), your Facebook live feed, and most recent people talked to or texted. I thought this was a very neat feature!
The bottom of the phone has 3 buttons. Tap the search button and is automatically brings you to Bing Search. I tend to use this a lot, especially with 2 kids in school who may have sudden questions when not at a computer. It is also neat that you can use the Windows/home button for a quick voice search, if you can not look at the phone at that moment.
Email is very easy to set up. Usually for my GoDaddy email, I have to have all the information when using it in a Blackberry or iPhone. But when I typed in my email/password in this, it automatically configured it. I use Google and GoDaddy for 2 different purposes, and they are both pinned on my homescreen. They both notify me of mail, with the number of emails I have. Also, one feature that had me on this, was that, unlike the iPhone, you can attach a picture right in email. This is something I do often, and usually have to upload it to my computer. But not with this!!
This is also true for messaging. The little face icon also changes to a big smile whenever you have a message. I found that quite adorable! A neat feature of messaging, is that you get a small strip on top of the phone telling you that you have a text, the person texting, and some of the message. You can go right to it by clicking on the strip, read/reply and go right back to what you were doing, with no interruption. Or just ignore it for later. I also loved the dedicated keyboard, something else I miss while using the iPhone. I tend to have a lot less errors when using it, then the touch keyboard. The touch keyboard on this is pretty small as well, so I am glad it has the dedicated one. Another neat thing is the pages going into landscape mode when the keyboard is pulled out.
A neat little feature for texting, that even deserved its own paragraph, is that when you are texting, suggested words show up that you can scroll through and choose the right word that you want to use. I thought this was convenient, when I had to text quickly.
Website quality is another thing that got me hooked! I like that I can view pages in either desktop or mobile mode. I chose desktop, and never looked back! The pages are bigger and of better quality then they are on my iPhone. I do not have to pinch and zoom as much with this phone. The only time I really do have to, is when I am filling out a form. The history is stored of all the pages you go to, so when you start to type a page, you can either continue or select from one that is showing up. Also, when you have the phone in portrait (upright) position, you can click an icon and it will show previews of some of the last pages you went to. From there, you can pin, delete, add to favorites, and browse.
The music player can hook up to a Zune player to upload music to the phone, or you can download from the app store. So far, I like the quality of the music player, and the selection of music the app store has so far. I may just have to get a cheap Zune player to try this out!
The Xbox Live feature is very nice. I do not own and Xbox, but I could still sign up for an ID and play the games, and connect to other people. I added a couple people and it was quite fun! I didn’t have to go buy an Xbox…which I do not like anyway…but I certainly like this feature!
The camera/video cameras are both amazing! My iPhone takes grainy pictures and picks up all the glare around it. This camera gets rid of the glare (I can take a picture of the TV and not have it one bright white light, but an actual picture!) The quality of picture and video is, so far, better then any phone I have seen. Even my husband’s Droid 2! And I love the feature of the camera storing the pictures by month taken. SO easy to go back and see when you took a picture. The camera and video camera also have customizations for quality, color, and size. And, as stated above, you can automatically send them to Facebook as well as in text or email messages.
So far, I have yet to experience a crash or lag with this phone. My iPhone crashes often, so I was prepared. But I have been pleasantly surprised! Also, I live in the middle of nowhere, where my iPhone barely picks of signals and looses calls or the other person can not hear me well. I have yet to experience bad data or call connection with this phone!
In all, this is a wonderful phone for moms, dads, and anyone who is very into social networking and needs a simple, yet highly functional, phone on the go. I am happy I was chosen for this opportunity, and kind of happy I didn’t get picked for the Blackberry Torch…I like this one MUCH better! The only couple things I did not like, is that you can not copy/paste things from the web or from texts, and it did not come with special software. But I think I can deal with that, considering the quality! I am not sure I want to go back to my iPhone now!
Stay at home, business owning mom of 4 young kids, Nick the Sportsman, Michele the Princess, Wyatt the Wild One, and Evan the Baby.Bachelor in Early Childhood Development and Education, with 20 years experience. I could not ask for anything more!
