Rivals: LG Viewty Smart versus iPhone 3G
The LG Viewty II (Smart) - also labelled the LG GC900 - is due out in the UK next month. How does it stack up against the iPhone 3G? Read on for a comparison...
Look & Feel
Not a dissimilar look between the two phones though in my opinion the iPhone 3G still has the edge in terms of sleekness.
There's not much to choose between them in terms of dimensions. The iPhone is very slightly larger, at 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm versus the Viewty Smart's 108.9 x 56.1 x 12.4mm.
The iPhone 3G is very slightly heavier, at 133g compared to 102g.
Screen
The iPhone's 3.5-inch touchscreen trumps the Viewty Smart's 3-inch screen, though the Smart has a colossal 480 x 800 pixel resolution compared to the iPhone's 320 x 480 pixels.
Camera
The iPhone's camera pales into insignificance when up against the Smart's 8-megapixel affair. Not only that, but the featureless iPhone camera is no match for the Smart's plethora of features including image stabilisation, manual/auto focus, ISO800/SmartLight, intelligent shot mode, and QVGA video recording at up to 120fps.
Multimedia
The iPhone 3G handles AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV audio and H.264 video.
The LG Viewty Smart will play MP3, AAC/AAC+ / E-AAC+ / AMR-NB/, WB/WB+WMA/WMAPro, Ogg-Vorbis and AC3 MIDI audio and H.263, H264, MP4 WMV, ASF, AVI, DivX/Xvid video - quite a bit more.
In addition, the Viewty Smart benefits from Dolby Mobile surround sound technology.
Navigation
Both phones have onboard A-GPS. The Smart can handle geotagging and has Google Maps built in.
The iPhone makes extensive use of Google Maps, while other applications can also use locational information.
Communications
Both phones operate on 3G networks and have built in Wi-Fi. The Viewty Smart has full Bluetooth 2.1 and A2DP support - this will be added to the iPhone 3G with this summer's software update.
The Smart handles SMS, EMS and MMS while the iPhone currently only handles SMS (MMS is coming with the software upgrade).
Web Browsing
The Viewty Smart offers access to Google Mobile Service, though there's not much more information given on the specification sheet.
The iPhone 3G primarily accesses web content via the Safari browser, though third-party applications can also access and display content from the web.
Operating System
The iPhone 3G uses OS X, while the Viewty Smart uses the S-Class interface on top of LG's operating system.
Storage
The Viewty Smart has 1.5GB of onboard memory and can be expanded with MicroSD cards up to 32GB. The iPhone 3G has fixed 8GB or 16GB onboard memory, with no expansion.
Sensors
Both devices feature an accelerometer and automatic screen reorientation. The iPhone 3G also has proximity sensor.
Applications
The Viewty Smart doesn't appear to be expandable with third-party software, at least not officially, while the iPhone 3G can be expanded with apps purchased/downloaded from the iTunes Store.
Pricing & Networks
In the UK, the LG Viewty Smart will initially be tied to the Orange network. Pricing and contract deals aren't yet known.
The iPhone 3G is currently locked in to the O2 network. Pricing from free on 24 month contracts, also available from £342.50 on Pay & Go.
Conclusions
The Viewty Smart is a highly advanced cameraphone, and surely most who purchase it will be doing so for its photo and video shooting capabilities.
Its interface is iPhone-esque, with some additions, though it still doesn't look quite as slick as the iPhone. Having said that, it doesn't have to handle the addition of lots of third party apps as the iPhone does.
It'll be available around the same time as the iPhone gets a facelift (at least in terms of operating system software) so it might be worth seeing what Apple pulls out of the bag this summer, as the next-generation iPhone may rival it.
If you want a really top-notch cameraphone, go for the LG Viewty. If you want a lot of apps, get the iPhone.
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