LG enV Touch VX11000

Sometimes things aren’t quite as they appear. That must have been LG’s mindset when designing its latest high-end handset for Verizon, the enV Touch VX11000. Although it looks like an iPhone clone, the enV Touch is actually not a smartphone, or even an iPhone-wannabe like the Samsung Instinct s30 on Sprint. Instead, the enV Touch is a flip handset in disguise—a trick that works beautifully in its favor. It’s also surprisingly slim, given its two-stage hinge and roomy QWERTY keyboard. Despite a few relatively minor issues, the enV Touch is a top-notch choice for anyone who wants a stylish, do-it-all handset.

When looking at the enV Touch for the first time, you can easily tell it is an upgrade from the Voyager, since both share many design characteristics. The clamshell form-factor remains intact with the familiar 2-stop hinge. Most of the front real estate is taken up by the display, with pewter chrome accents surrounding it. We like this choice since it’s not as shiny and reflective as the mirror chrome used on the Voyager. The back still uses the soft-touch coating, but has geometric indentions to it, which is also found on the enV3. The device’s overall height and depth is now slightly less, but it is also a little wider (due to the size of the display). Because of this, it less “brick like” than the Voyager, but it is still not as compact as the Alias 2, enV3, or Versa, and is noticeable while in your pant’s pocket. The overall construction feels solid for the most part, but we did notice some plastic creaking sounds when pressing on the chrome edging around the display. The Voyager and enV3 also exhibit this, but to a lesser extent.

The enV Touch is a direct replacement for LG’s previous top-end clamshell, the Voyager. The enV Touch measures 4.5 by 2.2 by 0.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.9 ounces. It looks slimmer than you’d expect given the flip design. It’s finished in dark gray plastic, with a charcoal-tinted chrome frame around the front edge, and a textured, “woven” design on the back panel. The sides contain a standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack, covered microSD and charger ports, a camera button, a hardware lock button, and volume controls.

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Got screens? The enV Touch features two 3-inch LCDs, both with an ultra-fine 800-by-480-pixel resolution. Beneath the external touch screen are Send, End, and Back buttons; the built-in accelerometer lets you switch between portrait and landscape modes. The handset flips most of the way open, which is great for messaging or setting the enV Touch on a desk to watch videos. But you can also click it one stop further, which opens the device a full 180 degrees. The internal LCD lacks touch capability, but its color palette appeared considerably more vibrant. An extra set of stereo speakers bracket this screen. The four-row QWERTY keyboard features large, well-spaced keys with a pronounced click. We liked it overall; LG took advantage of the horizontal layout without making the keyboard too wide for comfortable typing. Instead, a 5-way navigation pad and some additional controls take up the right side of the keyboard.

LG enV Touch VX11000 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)

As previously mentioned, the external 3” resistive touchscreen display is quite impressive, as it features WVGA 800×480 pixel resolution and supports up to 1.6 million colors. The internal display is the exact same size and specifications, except that it is not touch-sensitive. When looking at the displays on the LG enV Touch VX11000 next to the Voyager, you can easily see the difference it’s size and quality of images it produces. The enV Touch also has a light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the external display based on surround light levels, as well as a proximity sensor that turns off the display when the phone is next to your face and you’re on a call. Our only complaint here is that there is no way to manually adjust the brightness of the displays. Next