Criteria
Comments
Rating
- Reception and call quality Loud and clear during calls. No problems in urban or rural environments.
- Display Crisp and clear SLCD. Colour is good but not as vibrant as AMOLED or Super AMOLED
- Battery life Day and a half of standard use (email, text, few calls, bit of web browsing and a few games)
- Camera No comments
- Ease of use Windows Phone 7 is a breeze to use.
- Design and form factor The design is okay (the metal battery cover is a nice touch), more interesting than most WP7 phones.
- Portability (size / weight) Perfect size/weight for my personal preference.
- Media support Plays most modern audio files, but not tried videos.
- Durability Has survived contact with my toddler and the inevitable flying lessons. No marks or scratches from falls or throws.
- Ecosystem (apps, accessories, etc.) WP7 is young, but most of the important features are there.
Detailed review
As with most Windows Phone 7 phones there is very little to distinguish the Optimus 7 from the rest of the crowd - it is a rectangular piece of black plastic with a glass screen. The battery plate is brushed aluminium (I believe) that gives it a slightly higher class feel and the circular arrangement of the camera lens and flash (along with vanity mirror) is well implemented. Unlike many WP7 phones the Optimus 7 has physical back, start and search buttons that I feel far more comfortable with (the chrome effect on these buttons has survived for over a year with no sign of wear or tear). The volume rocker and camera button are similarly well engineered and have good resistance to presses.
The screen has nice colour reproduction and good viewing angles, though daylight performance is poor like most smartphones. The colours are not as vibrant as AMOLED and Super AMOLED screens, but is good for a Super LCD..
Windows Phone 7 is a superb OS that has many built in features and makes life a lot easier to get on with. On average, I can perform tasks on the phone in fewer steps than it would take me on other OS'es and I actually find myself spending less time on the phone as I can get all the information I need in a very quick glance (this is a good thing).
Faults start to appear with the camera performance, with poor focusing and a flash that tends to saturate everything to the point of ruination. It's okay as a point and click for snapshots (and the physical button that allows the phone to be woken into camera mode makes it even better suited), but it is certainly no replacement for a dedicated camera or the likes of the iPhone (any of them).
A number of users (myself included) have also experienced issues with random reboots and powerdowns. These happen infrequently (maybe a few times a month), but do come in clusters of 4 or more at a time.
In all, I would recommend anyone to get a WP7 device, but be a little wary of the Optimus 7's shortcomings.
The screen has nice colour reproduction and good viewing angles, though daylight performance is poor like most smartphones. The colours are not as vibrant as AMOLED and Super AMOLED screens, but is good for a Super LCD..
Windows Phone 7 is a superb OS that has many built in features and makes life a lot easier to get on with. On average, I can perform tasks on the phone in fewer steps than it would take me on other OS'es and I actually find myself spending less time on the phone as I can get all the information I need in a very quick glance (this is a good thing).
Faults start to appear with the camera performance, with poor focusing and a flash that tends to saturate everything to the point of ruination. It's okay as a point and click for snapshots (and the physical button that allows the phone to be woken into camera mode makes it even better suited), but it is certainly no replacement for a dedicated camera or the likes of the iPhone (any of them).
A number of users (myself included) have also experienced issues with random reboots and powerdowns. These happen infrequently (maybe a few times a month), but do come in clusters of 4 or more at a time.
In all, I would recommend anyone to get a WP7 device, but be a little wary of the Optimus 7's shortcomings.
good review!
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