Mobile phones have truly hit their stride in recent years, with new forms and frames truly light-years away from their immense and hulking mobile-call-only predecessors. Today’s mobiles have emerged as comparatively miniscule units that are capable of myriad tasks, more than immediately imaginable, with a great degree of integrated hardware set to the latest technical specifications and software that maximizes and even expands the hardware’s capabilities. All this has transpired with great speed, much to the delight of mobile users everywhere who have become increasingly tech-savvy as a whole due to the various work-juggling and multi-tasking needs imposed by their ever-accelerating lifestyles.
Mobile manufacturer LG has consistently kept abreast of the latest developments in the mobile world and has even set the trend on occasion with expectedly versatile and powerful mobile models. One of the newest ones, the LG eXpo, delivers a rich and solid experience with a powerful 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, responsive touch screen, high-resolution autofocus camera, well-integrated and user-friendly keyboard, and even an optional projector that adds a new layer of functionality. The major downsides of the phone, however, are a difficult stylus-based user interface and very short battery life, which do tend to limit the use and enjoyment of the versatility of the unit.
The stylus-centric nature of the eXpo’s user interface is made more complicated by the Windows Mobile 6.5 Pro system and the comparatively small 3.2 inch display, which gives the user smaller stylus point targets than other screens would. This is where the eXpo falters somewhat against competitors like Android smartphones and even HTC’s TouchFLO 3D phones. It doesn’t help that the stylus is vaguely reminiscent of lipstick. However, the eXpo is currently the fastest US Windows Mobile, which places it quite a bit ahead of the pack for the time being as far as the browsing and usage benefits of processing power and speed go. This is aided by the other altogether unique and intriguing features – fingerprint-sensor scan for security and optional Power Point presentation projector.
The eXpo gives a very sturdy and solid – if not terribly stylish – feel, and is all business with its features and processing ability. Its large QWERTY keyboard is excellent for fast typing, and is aided by a d-pad that – while it could be better – is nevertheless a significant boon by virtue of just being there. While somewhat small, the 3.2” resistive touchscreen features solid 800×480 resolution and good display quality. This is instrumental in maximizing the phone’s GPS [with AT&T Navigator support]. Connectivity is also solid with quad-band GSM capability joined by EDGE and 3G HSDPA, although its 3G reception is far from the best in anything less than a strong coverage area.
Battery life isn’t ideal either, as the powerful CPU takes its toll on the battery in fairly short order, which is considerably less energy efficient than the similarly-powerful Android-platform Nexus One. 3G HSDPA and WiFi use also drain the battery considerably, and even average use means the phone will likely be drained overnight if not within the day. On the whole, LG has put together a fast-moving, interesting and versatile new model that is hamstrung by software that was old almost as soon as it was new, especially when set against its competitors. Even a very solid 5-megapixel camera and various hardware innovations can’t really save the phone from anything more than relative mediocrity, especially when set against LG’s more successful releases.
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