LG has released its first Android mobile for Indian market and to elicit
the social care of you. Appearance-wise GW620 does not give as much out
of him. The phone is sleek and rather neutral. However, we like the
size well.
The phone can be compared to Nokia N97 mini, when there are only a few
millimeters separating the two phones from one another size wise. GW620
and N97 mini in general also like large screens, namely, 3.2 inches. We
think this screen size dresses GW620 as well.
The screen is however somewhat skeptical. It often responds poorly to
some pressure from the fingers, and not always hangs with the motion of
your thumb. This is a big minus, since the menus are made just for you
to use your fingers. Some stylus follows, therefore, is not included.
Below the screen sits the three keys: a physical and revoked key, and
two touch-sensitive. While the touch-sensitive keys work to send you
back, respectively, and eventually to idle screen, provides the physical
key to different menu options depending on which program or function
you are using.
We note that it is just too easy touching the touch-sensitive keys when
you’re doing something else on the screen.
Short distance between the music and photo
On the right side, it has two phone shortcut keys: one for music player
and another for the camera. The two keys have different height, so you
know the fine differences in when you listen to music or take pictures.
On the phone’s left side are two buttons for volume control. There is
also a USB port, which incidentally is also the phone’s charging port.
Use your own headset
On top of the phone, there is a button which is used to turn on and off
the screen as needed. Next to it is a 3.5-millimeter audio jack. This is
somewhat square in shape, and is the only thing that is different with
the others having round curves.
On the back is the camera. This is highlighted from the rest of the
phone, and has no lens cover for protection. You should keep the phone
away from the keys and other sharp objects if you do not want scratches
on the lens glass.
Full QWERTY keyboard
Hold GW620 horizontally and slide the screen up, you will see a full
QWERTY keyboard. Write keys are dressed in blue metallic paint. Everyone
is a tiny bit elevated in the middle, and we had no trouble separating
each key from each other with your fingers.
Order of the keys
While a number of other QWERTY keyboards have placed the number keys in
the middle of typing keys (so you need to activate the number keys
manually), GW620 has the number keys in a row at the top. Do you like
this better; thus GW620s keyboard is worth noting.
The light in the keyboard are, respectively, bright blue and orange, and
works well. The keys are good to press and provide suitable opposition.
SMS addicts, therefore, should not have any problem while using GW620.
You can also write using on-screen keyboard. Here you get a regular
numeric keypad with T9 dictionary function. Unfortunately, this also
unnecessarily complicates its use.
In addition to the monitor sometimes react poorly to pressure; the key
to switch to numeric keypad and extra characters even works poor. Do you
have pressed a number and return to the letters; always pressing up
past the dashboard with extra characters.
However, this is getting used to for most people, but we dare say that
it should not be necessary to get used to such ill-considered solutions.
LG GW620 includes in the package:
- Phone with battery
- Chargers
- Handsfree
- Data cable
- User Guide
Charging cable and data cable in case of GW620 is one and the same,
since the phone also charges via USB. This is an environmentally
friendly and simple solution that also allows you to charge the phone
via PC.
The new phone is running the Android operating system with software
version 1.5. This is the same version found on among others Hero and
Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica.
Special menus
As HTC did to their own Sense menu, LG also created their own menus, S
class, to be on top of the original menus to the OS.
At GW620 you can choose whether you want the original Android menus or
if you want one developed by LG. In short, there are not any major
differences between the two menu systems. If you choose Google’s own
Android-menus, you get the way you’re used to seeing those of other
Android phones. In both cases, it consists of three standby screens.
With LG’s own menu on top, you get two rows of icons on the home screen
instead of one. At the bottom you get a row of icons. These are static
and follow you everywhere in sleep mode.
The main menu is also something different with LG’s menus. While the
usual Android menus present the menu content in a large grid of icons,
LG has sorted these into categories such as: communications, multimedia,
extra programs, Google applications and downloads.
Both the menu structures are basically same and we conclude that there
is only a matter of personal taste that will determine what you like
best.
More on Android Market
Otherwise, the menus has the same opportunities that you have with other
Android phones: you can run multiple programs simultaneously, and also
download a bunch of extra applications from the software store of
Android Market – this duly marked with a shortcut in the main menu on
the phone.
The Android market will find applications in a variety of categories. In
addition, you can download themes to change the look of the menus on
the phone. The Market simply presses the program, the theme or the game
you want, and then load it to your phone. Everything is not free, and
some of the programs you need to find you in paying for.
This phone stands out thus not in any way when it serves super-3G, 3G
and EDGE, Wi-Fi wireless zones at the top. Connecting mobile phones to
the wireless zone is a painless process.
Poor Bluetooth capabilities
It is tempting to believe that a phone call to 2300 dollars as well
allows you to transfer files via Bluetooth. This is not the case at the
GW620. Namely, Bluetooth can only be used against the wireless headset.
Would you like to send a file to your phone, you must send them to an
email address you have set up the phone.
In theory this should work well. However, during our attempt at this,
the phone refused to download the files that came with the e-mail. We
suspect in this case, a communication error between your phone and the
wireless zone.
When we still had not received the desired file over the phone, we
connected the USB cable. We had thought that the phone’s memory card
should appear as an external storage device, at least after we had put
this on your mobile. But no unit showed up. This fact must set manually
on the phone, so that the memory card appears as an external device.
Low Memory
The phone’s internal memory is of 150 MB. With the package you get,
however, the memory is of 1 GB. We cannot believe that LG would cost
very much to include a larger memory card. Do you want to use the GW620
to replace your music player; you will probably have to buy a bigger
card anyway.
It is fortunately not a great expense to buy a few extra GB today.
Browser
LG GW620 has a simple browser. A little too easy, we are tempted to say.
You will see normal web pages just as they are made for computer
monitors. This is obviously not fit on a mobile screen, and the
experience of surfing is fast messy.
You can thankfully zoom out on the page, so you can view. But when the
script is so small that you have trouble seeing what you want to zoom in
on.
We suspect one of the functions in your web browser does not work out
quite as they should. The feature’s "Fit Screen" is in fact active, but
there is little to suggest that the phone is capable of this.
Having turned this feature on and off a few times and still not received
any similar adaptation to the screen, we dare assume that this might be
a small error in the software that hopefully will be corrected by the
next version or update, which will hopefully show up eventually .
A clear alternative
The Opera has created a web browser that makes it easier and cheaper to
surf the net, namely the Opera Mini. At the moment, you can download
Opera 5 via Android Market. The rumored as well is that Opera Mobile 9.7
is on its way to Android.
To read e-mail on Android it’s a small matter. When you start up your
email client you can specify the email address you want to use. Are you
one of the "big" e-mail providers such as Google, the phone
automatically takes down all the settings you needed? Then refresh your
inbox and you have all your correspondence in your pocket. It is not
difficult to add more accounts if you wish.
GW620 does not come with a load of extra features. A small number we can
still mention a calculator, voice recorder and Quick Office. The idea
behind the few programs is probably that you should be able to download
whatever you think you need via the Android Market. Here you will find
all the features that most phones have, like unit converter, stopwatch,
notes application, and World, to name a few.
Do you use your phone to call someone a day plus a little surfing and
music listening; you must expect to charge the phone about every three
days.
Much of the background
GW620 is generally not a slow phone. Nevertheless, we suspect that
eventually all the open applications contributed to the phone took a
little more time for each task we asked it to perform. Android have
actually no simple shortcut to close the programs you have open.
In principle, Android itself will be responsible for closure of the
software as the system requires resources. It has nevertheless been
possible for developers to ask for higher priority, so it will remain
liquid until the phone really needs resources.
Loosen was to install Advanced task killer. Here we were quickly able to
end all the 15 programs that wrapped and left in the background.
The sound of GW620 works as expected, it is clear and good. Neither we
nor counterparties had problems with them what was said.
The output of the 3.5 millimeter audio jack provides us with certain
expectations of GW620 as a media phone.
Mobile has a simple music player that does not stand out from the music
players at most other mobiles. You can sort your music in the usual
categories, such as artists, albums, songs, and playlists.
The only thing we miss is the ability to adjust the sound via an audio
equalizer.
Usable sound
Regarding the sound of the phone, we have little to criticize. With the
bundled handsfree kit, you get a little flat and dull sound. Puts you in
a decent headset, however, you get a sound that more than qualifies for
this award.
Internal memory of GW620 is, as mentioned, not very spacious, just 150
MB. The aforementioned accompanying card should strictly only be
missing, and provides you with the internal memory space for around 230
songs.
Because GW620 has Bluetooth A2DP profile, you can connect to your
wireless headset if you wish.
GW620 also has built-in FM radio. This is easy to use and very
straightforward. It would however be nice if the "auto search" could go a
bit more automatic. In case of GW620s, you need to verify because the
storage of each channel search function will come across when it scans
the FM band.
Camera is alright
The five megapixel camera of GW620 acts generally well. However, there
are some catches. The biggest is that the images appear to be quite
faded for many lighting, unfortunately, even in good daylight. Color
reproduction is, however, nothing to say on.
The camera can handle dark well without making the pictures full of
noise. Movement is not the camera’s friend, and your pictures can still
be damaged if your photo objects moving.
From pressing the camera button on the side of the phone and the camera
is ready to take pictures; there is a gap time of around three seconds.
We think this is a bit slowest time taken. In addition, the image could
not be taken until about a half second after that it works that way on
screen. This is a bit confusing, and may require you to hold the phone
up to the scene longer than apparently necessary.
GW620 has no games. However, there are plenty to choose from on the
Android Market.
Key Features
- Android phone
- Social Networking Manager (Linkbook)
- Instant Messenger and threaded SMS
- Auto Face-Tagging and Face-To-Action
- 5-line QWERTY Keypad
- Real-Time Push Email
- Fast Internet
Specification
- Type: Slide phone
- QWERTY Keyboard: Yes
- RF Band: HSDPA7.2, HSUPA2.0, UMTS(900/2100, 850/1900, 850/2100),
GSM(850/900/1800/1900) - Dimension [L x W x D (mm)]: 109 x 54.5 x 15.9
- Display: 320 x 480 3.0" HVGA 262K TFT
- GPRS/EDGE (class): GPRS class 10
- SMS/EMS/MMS: Yes/Yes/Yes
- E Mail: Yes
- Predictive Text Input (T9): Yes
- Internet Browser: Yes
- Scheduler/Alarm: Yes/Yes
- Phonebook (# of names): Yes
- UI System: Android Cupcake
- Java (version): Yes (MIDP 2.0)
- MIDI (poly): 72 poly
- Camera: 5 MP
- External Memory: Micro SD up to 16GB
- MP3: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Touch Screen: Yes
- Video Recording: Yes
- 3.5 Audio Jack: Yes
Conclusion
LG GW620 is one of the cheapest Android phones you can buy in this
country. The target group is those who want to be social with your
mobile and that also likes to write messages and emails on a full
keyboard.
LG GW620 thus has a full QWERTY keyboard hidden under the
touch-sensitive screen. This is easily accessible by turning the phone
horizontally and slide the screen upwards.
The operating system on the phone is referred to Google’s Android. This
is an advanced system, and is characterized primarily by allowing you to
install programs themselves and also run multiple applications
simultaneously.
Android offers a sleep mode with three screens you can flip between.
Here you can place shortcuts to functions you use often, and also set up
the widgets to keep you updated on what you are interested in. Among
these are widgets for Facebook, Twitter and News Feeds. Ability to make
personal screen is not a disadvantage, and Android is so set the best
operating system for mobile today.
For Widgets, applications and games you want to have on your phone, you
need to visit Androids own software shop, Market. From the phone menus,
you have easy access to it. There are thousands of applications, many
free and many have to pay for.
The screen is a major complaint of the whole user experience. This is
referred to touch, but often reacts badly half of the prints and your
movement. A little too often you end up doing the same motion again
until you get there you wants.
The same problem shows up when you type with the onscreen keyboard.
"Keys" are not always responding instantly enough, and it becomes a lot
more pressure than the characters on the screen. A little thoughtful
placement of the numeric keypad and the list of special characters make
it even more annoying.
To read your mail on the GW620 is not so problematic. Do you have a
widely used email service provider such as Gmail; you do not do other
than to enter your address and password, before the phone even get down
the necessary settings.
One thing we are quite disappointed at the GW620 is its Bluetooth
capabilities. You cannot transfer files to and from your computer.
Bluetooth with this phone is actually only for use with wireless
headsets.
When we still are in the headset, we mention that the music player to
GW620 offers pretty good sound. The included handsfree is, like most
other hands-free, no master to convey sound. However, plug a regular
headset into the phone’s 3.5 inch exit, GW620 acts as a full-fledged
music player.
Internal memory is only 150 MB, but fortunately, it follows from 1 GB
memory card with the package.
The camera of GW620 is not so very bad. In daylight, the images are
somewhat faded, but the color reproduction and the level of detail are
absolutely accepted. Where most mobile camera gives grainy pictures in
the dark, GW620 performs surprisingly well giving you images with very
little noise.
So finally, we are half happy with GW620. It is good for music, e-mail
and a fair enough image. In addition, there is no problem to have phone
calls with it. Unfortunately, there are some other basic features that
are not good enough. The biggest however is the screen and then the lack
of Bluetooth support. We think that a working screen is the least you
can claim a phone call to 2300 million in 2010.
Take a look at LG GW620 Smartphone in this video.
