Hands on video- Verizon Voyager and friends
Verizon created quite a buzz earlier this week when they announced the imminent release of four new phones on their network to take place this year. The next version of the BlackBerry Pearl was announced along with the Juke, Venus and the phone that caught everyone’s attention, the Voyager. Not wanting to leave our readers in the dark today I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Patrick Kimball of Verizon and he brought all four of the new phones for a hands-on peek at what’s coming.
The new BlackBerry Pearl looks pretty cool as do the Juke, a super narrow media wonder, the Venus with it’s unique two screen approach, and of course the Voyager, the iPhone like new handset from LG that is well, pretty cool. I took some video of the hands-on session so have a look at these four phones and you’ll see why I was impressed with what I saw. One thing I found out that I haven’t seen anywhere about the Voyager, when it ships it will have a full HTML browser and not just a WAP browser. That is very cool. I couldn’t see it in action as the prototype did not have it enabled but a full browser will be awesome on the Voyager.
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A Voyager running windows mobile would be nice….
The inability to add applications, other than select Verizon apps, would limit the phone for most tech users.
The Voyager is not aimed at tech users, it’s a mainstream phone all the way like the iPhone.
Come on,
the voyager interface is nowhere near as intuitive as the iphone.
Jk great coverage. yet again
how does the pearl compare to the 8830? also , any word on if and when verizon will enable the gps on the 8830?
The Pearl is narrower than the 8830 and the keyboard has two letters per key.
What is the resolution of the Voyager screen?
Since it was not mentioned, I assume standard QVGA, far short of the iPhone.
The Voyager will feature a dual-screen setup, a large external QVGA touchscreen (but still smaller than the iPhone) and an internal QVGA display, a QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera, and high-speed wireless connections for fast music and video downloads, Bluetooth A2DP and a MicroSD slot for 8 GB of extra memory.
JK, great video and information! :)
Some questions:
1. Can the email app connect to an IMAP-based account?
2. Does it support the instant messenger service if I want, for example, to use Windows Live?
Neil,
I disagree with you completely, the Voyager appeared in the video to be very intuitive and more important– flexible… something that Apple products always lack (it’s the Apple experience or bust).
After swearing off cell phones since their invention, the Voyager actually has me *considering* breaking down and buying one. I like the fact that I can use the touch screen if I want, but I don’t have to use it. I like the fact that it has a REAL keyboard, not just a wicked-small soft-keyboard.
Oh, and I like the removable battery (and extended battery option) too! :)
–Aaron
I didn’t get long enough with them to tell. I doubt that Windows Live will work with them not being WM devices.
Forgot to mention -gps on the 8830 later this month or early next.
I’m OK with it not being a WM device, and as long as it supports the Verizon “Instant Messaging” feature, it should work with Windows Live. The deal-breaker for me is going to be whether I can connect to my work email over IMAP4.
I’ve never owned a cell phone and have refused to for various reasons, but my family is beginning to demand I break down and buy one. If I’m going to do it, I intend on buying something that doesn’t suck, lol. So far, the Voyager seems to be pretty dang decent.
The bottom line is:
Verizon has the best service
Voyager will be cheaper
Voyager will take advantage of iPhone mistakes
Voyager has full QWERTY keyboard
Voyager has full web browser
The Voyager is going to be one hot produc tthis holiday season! Ton of info at http://www.verizonvoyager.org as well!
You would have to be either blind and deaf, or a bitter Iphone owner not to see that this phone is a force to be reckoned with. Granted Its not the ideal phone no phone is. If there was an ideal phone there will be no money to be made on upgrades. LOL. The Voyager is definitely a step above the Iphone. Iphone has the namesake “IPHONE” just as the average person now thinks of “IPOD” as being synonymous with MP3 Player (great marketing). But besides that the Iphone is a close second.
Another reason why I like this phone is because just like the vx9800 and vx9900 (Ive owned both)it uses a full qwerty board. I used to own a LG phenom (one of the first handheld pcs)the 2gen PDAs started using touch pads exclusively which are impressive but slows you down.
Its understandable that the natural progression of the phone follows a predictable path ,like the Startac Motorola, one of the first small flip phones (flip phones were inspired by Star Trek communicators). Also in Star Trek the Next Generation they introduced the flat panel keyboard/access panel, and flat screen monitor. Once again very nice and impressive but not 100% functional as a keyboard with tactile feed back, hence we don’t type on touch pad keyboards at work. But the Verizon Voyager offers you a choice which the Ipod dosen’t offer (well not yet atleast).
My comparative 0 to 10 rating(compared to my Ideal Phone)is;
Ipod———- 7.0 * * * * * * *
Voyager—- 8.3 * * * * * * * *
For Voyager to get a 10 it would need;
*Web browser that allows Flash plugin (if included already +3 to 8.6 ) and various other plugins, video, sound, video streams, ect.
*A regular ear phone jack (not the small type)
*A simple os system
*Ability to save various file types (might be present already)
*Ability to install 3rd party apps, especially for email, and music files (Rockbox or winamp would be nice)
*Options for Advanced configuration (for knowledgeable users, like changing the theme of the phone, fonts color, buttons, backgrounds, animations.)
*Usable on a GSM network (might be present already)
*Cam phone connection, either phone to phone or phone to PC (similar to the ones in Japan). Its actually possible with the setup of the vx series’s because of its shape. Would be really nice.
I agree with the above but I will have to give the Iphone a 7.0 and the voyager a 6.5. I would have given a 8.3 also but I just found out that the Voyager doesn’t use WiFi you will have to use Verizons network!!!! :(
Thats a set back for me.
If your iphone becomes obsolete you can still use it as a mobile web browser at Starbucks or somthing. But when the voyager becomes obsolete you just have a useless phone. Maybe next time they will get it right (in a year or two).
does the voyager record videos?….i have read everything and nowhere have i seen that it records videos…pretty lame if it doesnt..
Good question dustin, that would make it pretty lame like the iPhone if not. ;) I don’t think the official specs and features have been published yet.
I can only assume that it records video. The 9800 recorded 15 sec clips, the 9900 recorded clips without a time constraint, I can only assume the 10000 will have the same features with some sort of an enhancement.
So.. the voyager is just a fancy LG enV with a touch screen?
Quote: So.. the voyager is just a fancy LG enV with a touch screen?
No. Thats like saying a Lamborghini is a fancy model-T. The Voyager is to the env as the Iphone is to the regular Ipod. Just another step in the direction of advancement. In 18 months they will both be obsolete.
All of you so called dedicated iphone users can kiss my ass……..You will soon hop your ass back to verizon when the new voyager hits the market, it was stupid of you to cancel your prior service with verizon! This phone will be the new got-to-have gadget, and you know with the new capabilities it’s loaded with, you will be soon calling ATT and canceling your service in order to hop your ass back to the number one leader in signal, and service Verizon!
Verizon has always ruled in signal!! It will now take first place again in the new cell phone world! Stop trying to compare this to a (PDA)it’s not! I know you would like it to be, but it’s not! It’s in the high-tech cell phone category…..and base on that I don’t see no other cell phone touching it right now!
EXACTLY!!!! Voyager is not a PDA, even though it would be nice, but its not. Its features eclipse the IPhone by far. For me personally, I would have liked WIFI support , but when swallow the concept that Verizon is a business and not a charity I get over it. Who knows eventually there might be a WIFI mod working through the data port. :) .
Just look a the comparison FACTS!:
Voyager=V Iphone=I
Best Service V
removable battery V
GPS V
G3 V
touch screen V I
multi touch screen? I
stereo speakers V
multimedia messaging V
microSD V
stereo bluetooth V
QWERTY keyboard V
mobile TV V
standard WIFI I
full HTML browser V I
internationally roaming V
camera V I
accelerometer ? I
chat client V
note-taking application V
does the voyager html browser free?
half of these features are useless when you have fully functional web browser. I do like the flip aspect of it, and the verizon network, but iphone is a more powerfule device.
Quote:
Posted by: billy bob thorton
half of these features are useless when you have fully functional web browser. I do like the flip aspect of it, and the verizon network, but iphone is a more powerfule device.
_____________________________________________
Me as BILLY BOB; I DONT LIKE NEW IDEAS, I DONT LIKE THINGKING, I LIKE IFONE, I DONT LIKE LITERICEE, I DONT LIKE LEERNING, NEU THINGS SCAKRE ME, IFONE IS POWERFULE DEVICE. STEAVE JOBS A AUFULLY PERDY LADY.
***What are you talking about!!!!!
GPS, G3 networking, removable battery, QWERTY keyboard, are useless? I guess progress isn’t for everyone.
I just looked at a comparison site and Voyager kills Iphone on almost all features.
http://www.comparati.com/890-LG-Voyager-vs-iPhone
I’m impressed.
We’ll see what happens on November 18, but there are a LOT of people who seem pretty happy that they didn’t drop the $400 on an iPhone:
http://comparati.com/890-LG-Voyager-vs-iPhone
I use the Sidekick LX, while I am happy with its ability to chat easily because it is signed into a server that keeps it online and live on all three messengers at the same time, it multitasks these very nicely. I wonder why such high tech phones like the voyager still run mobile messengers via SMS rather then your messenger connected to a server, and allow you to multitask better.
This is the only thing I like about the sidekick, other then that its a overpriced trend phone.