Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)** UPDATE ** 09/30
Going on 9 months with the phone. Still enjoying it and happy with my decision. There is word of the Lotus 2 (2nd generation) phone coming out sometime in 2010. It's too early to tell how much will have changed from the Lotus 1, but so far word has it that the micro SDHC memory limit has been expanded to 32Gb and the outer screen will be touch sensitive. The touch screen functionality suggests that the inner screen will have this too, but that was not mentioned. In any case, expect the phone to debut sometime in the summer. If you really need a phone right now, you can't go wrong with the Lotus given the extremely attractive discounts going on.
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REVIEW
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The LG Lotus was introduced in the fall of 2008, to reasonable fanfare and press. But do you hear anything about the Lotus now? Not much, which I find strange because the LG Lotus is such an amazing phone. Maybe the surging popularity of touch screen phones overshadows it?
I bucked the touch screen trend and instead went with an LG Lotus. I had to switch from Verizon to Sprint in order to get it, because US based cellular carriers still impose a carrier lock on most phones and have significant pricing discounts when buying a phone with a plan. At first, I was worried about leaving "American's most reliable network" and sacrificing the "in network" minutes with a few of the people I know... but then I came to realize that Sprint has an excellent network as well. So far in my first few weeks of being on the Sprint network, I've noticed no performance loss.
But back to the phone. This is what attracted me to the Lotus:
1) EXCELLENT QWERTY KEYPAD. I don't like the lack of feedback from a touch screen phone; but you've no choice with it, because that's the main interface you're given (unless you do everything by voice command). On the other hand, the tactile sensation of the Lotus keypad is excellent. I have XL sized hands and have no trouble rapidly "double thumb" typing on the Lotus. I tried the Blackberry Curve and Treo--the Lotus keypad works with fewer typos.
2) SMALL FORM FACTOR. The iPhone, Storm, and Omnia touch screen style phones are all quite large and a bit weighty. They don't fit comfortably in your pocket, especially if you've got it in a case to avoid screen scratches. But the Lotus disappears in your pocket. Even in a shirt pocket, it is unobtrusive. When folded, the inner screen and keyboard are fully protected. Yet, when you open it up, the size is doubled and it is easy to hold. THIS is what cellular communications should be all about. I've tried out the Motorola RAZR and I'd say the Lotus is about the same thickness but easier to hold. Overall, the design of the Lotus is very unusual. When opened, it almost looks like a miniature laptop! :-)
3) SEMI-SMART PHONE. What does it take for a cellular phone to be called a Smart Phone? "There is no agreement in the industry about what a smartphone actually is and definitions have changed over time." The Lotus supports Java applications, can browse the web, download files, exchange e-mail (when connected, e-mail is pushed to the phone), and work as a GPS device. This certainly sounds smart to me. Aside from the default browser, you can download others (like the Opera Mini) and even use a GMail application instead of going through the HTML interface. I'm sure as time goes on, the list of compatible Java apps for the Lotus will increase.
4) PLAN VERSATILITY. With smart phones like the iPhone, Storm, and Omnia, you MUST have a data plan. With the Lotus, you can choose whether or not you want a data plan. Plus, on Sprint, you can do this change mid-stream on your contract without incurring costs or contract change penalties (the countdown to expiration remains unchanged). I find this an attractive advantage over the competition.
5) SCREEN RESOLUTION. The inner screen of the Lotus is 2.5" diagonal. It is a beautiful wide screen that looks like one you'd see on a quality digital camera. The resolution is SUPERB. Pictures appear razor sharp and in full accurate color. Even the external screen looks great, and you can choose not only a few different clock layouts but a different wallpaper from the internal screen.
6) MENU SYSTEM. The default "Carousel" style menu system is actually very nice. It is customizable and provides very easy access to popular functions of the phone. It is great for novices but a little annoying for the technically adept. However, you can dispense with it and go with the LG menu system. With the help of a Sprint store rep, you can get the default LG menu activated (or if you know your MSL number, you can do it yourself). I prefer the LG menu as it removes the Carousel clutter (if the menu would auto-hide, I'd like it more) so you can see your wallpaper image in all its glory. Plus, you go from 5 to 12 favorites (shortcuts), something I really appreciate. Not only that, but the left menu button becomes a quick access link to the Calendar/Scheduler, instead of it being hidden behind a carousel tile you have to hunt for. Supposedly, going with the LG menu saves you some battery life, too.
7) NO THEFT MAGNET. Large and glamorous PDA phones are a theft magnet, especially the coveted iPhone. Personally, I find the idea of constantly whipping out an expensive device increases the chance for damage (who here hasn't dropped a phone at least once on a hard surface?) and involuntary loss due to theft. The Lotus is nicely inconspicuous (especially the black version).
8) MUSIC PLAYBACK QUALITY. The built in music player is a little cumbersome at first, in that upon initial insertion of the SD card, it scans all of your music and creates an internal index. But once that index is created, it is quick and easy to play music selections by "All Songs", "Artists", "Genres", and "Albums". Plus you can create your own playlists, as well as use random or sequential play by Genre, Artist, and All Songs. A very nice attribute for the way the SD card is used is that you can subdivide your music by whatever folders you want--the Lotus scans the card and finds them, rather than requiring all songs to be in one folder. Sound quality is impressive, although for this small size the bass is lacking. But mids and highs are clear and accurate. I couldn't believe what I was able to hear... better than the iPod earbuds, that's for certain. Plus, it has a 2.5mm jack so you can plug in earbuds if you wish to listen privately. Bluetooth headsets are also supported.
9) EXCELLENT GPS SOFTWARE. I was about to buy a Garmin Nuvi 255w. But now, I don't have to. The Sprint GPS Navigator is excellent! It really works. Plus, it's full featured. You get horizon view and bird's eye view, turn-by-turn voice navigation with street names, easily stored favorites, and interfacing with Google maps. It also audibly informs you about traffic conditions. What more could you want?
10) DECENT CAMERA. A 2.0 megapixel camera sounds passe, when 3.2 and 5.0 cellphone cameras are available. Well, I don't know what firmware LG put in this phone, but this is the best 2.0 megapixel camera I've ever seen. I'd swear it was 3.0 megapixel. Photos are of very high quality. It works OK in low light if the subject remains still. There is NO flash, unfortunately. I wouldn't use this over a full fledged digital camera, but it makes for an excellent backup.
11) OBVIOUS CHARGING INDICATOR. On many phones, you need to look at the LCD screen to see a message that charging is complete or that the battery indicator is now on full. With the Lotus, the external music controls are lit up red when charging is taking place, but change to white once charging is finished--quite obvious to notice from a distance, which is very convenient.
12) MINI USB CONNECTOR. The mini USB connector works very well with this phone, sliding into place securely. And now there are vendors supplying car chargers with retractable cords that work with the Lotus. It's an excellent solution for convenient charging on the go with no cords to hassle with.
OTHERS - the phone has 5 alarm settings, one "quick alarm" and 4 main ones that you can set for whatever period you need (once, daily, weekly, monthly) and with whatever sound you want (default or downloaded). There is even a feature that allows you to record a phone call--not bad.So, those are the things I really like about the Lotus. But alas, no phone is perfect. Here is what I see needing improvement:
1) VOICE QUALITY. During calls, voices are projected through an internal speaker on the lid. Depending on the party reached, some calls sound a little flat and tinny on high volume. This is in contrast to the excellent voice quality I had on a Motorola E815. Now, it's not so bad that it is a deal breaker, but I wish it was a little better. If you're in a noisy room and crank up the volume, you'll be a bit disappointed. I tend to keep the volume set to about the mid-point. Using an ear set works well, as an alternative. In fact, at home I plug in a wired ear set and it works beautifully. I tuck the phone in my pocket and walk around hands free. The speakerphone quality is excellent, though.
2) BATTERY LIFE. If you leave your phone connected to the Internet most of the time, you'll probably need to recharge your phone daily. But if you shut off the Internet connection when not in use, battery life should be about average for standby and talk time. The Lotus is rated at 5.5 hours, but I'd say it's just about 3 hours. Most phone manufacturers exaggerate their talk time anyway. My last phone was...Read more›
Click Here to see more reviews about: Palm Centro Phone, Green (Sprint)
Life starts after five o'clock. Not coincidentally, that's also when the Palm Centro smartphone comes alive. Not only does the Palm Centro handle all your favorite voice functions, but it also offers text, IM, e-mail, and web access, all in a body that's a lot smaller than you'd think. Add in such features as a 1.3-megapixel camera, 128 MB of internal memory, Bluetooth 1.2 support, a microSD expansion slot, and a full QWERTY keyboard and you have a terrific smartphone for all your messaging and personal needs. In short, there's no better way to stay in touch. It also offers the Palm OS 5.4.9 platform and support for Windows XP and Vista and Mac OS X 10.2 and higher.
Sprint Service Supporting the EV-DO high-speed data standard, this phone enables you to download and stream high-quality video, straight onto your phone. Where coverage is available, EV-DO connectivity provides average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps, with peak rates up to 2 Mbps. With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including the NFL Network, ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.
Sprint Mobile Email and VersaMail are the included email clients. Send and receive email from multiple corporate and personal email accounts. Also, get wireless email access to popular commercial POP3 and IMAP accounts like AOL, Gmail, Earthlink, and Yahoo! Right out of the box, the VersaMail application allows wireless access to Outlook email with a direct connection to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.
The built-in camera (with video capability) allows you to capture memories anytime, anywhere, and instantly share them with colleagues, friends, or family when on the Sprint Nationwide Network. Upload pictures and videos to the Pictures Web Site (pictures.sprintpcs.com) to create albums and send them to any working email address.
Phone Features The Palm Centro boasts a sleek black housing that measures a mere 4.2 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 4.2 ounces. It's notably smaller than many competing smartphones, yet doesn't sacrifice functionality at any point along the way. Users will also love the 320 x 320 touchscreen (up to 65,000 colors), which offers a crisp resolution for photos and videos. And thanks to the full QWERTY keyboard, you can say L8R to those tricky keys on your old cell phone.
The Palm Centro offers a ton of ways to stay in touch with friends, whether you're firing off a quick text, instant messaging, shooting an e-mail to the office, or using that old-school standby: a phone call. From a phone perspective, the Palm Centro lets you dial people right from your address book, set up three-way calls from the touch of a button, or use the speakerphone to talk hands-free. The keyboard, meanwhile, makes it a breeze to type complete messages whether you're sending text, pictures, or even audio or video clips. Plus, the Centro keeps all your messages in a chat-style view, so it's easy to keep track of the conversation.
Want to keep up with all the latest gossip when you're away from the computer? Turn to the Centro's instant messaging functions, which support all your buddy lists on AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and others. Similarly, the Centro lets you access your personal e-mail accounts, such as Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo. As a result, you can reply to invites and answer e-mails when you're out and about.
Whether you're keeping up with friends on MySpace or looking up directions to the new bistro across town, the Centro's touchscreen and keyboard make it fun to navigate around the web. The Centro includes a fast built-in web browser that lets you check out photos on Flickr or watch videos on YouTube, with broadband-like speeds on the EV-DO network that are guaranteed to impress. No more waiting around for your favorite sites to load. The Centro is also compatible with Google Maps, making it simple to get directions or see which freeways are clear and which ones are parking lots. Google Maps shows you red, yellow, or green traffic routes in real time.
The Palm Centro includes a complete organizer for keeping track of all your daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities. The contacts list gathers all your friends' phone numbers, addresses, and more, while the calendar keeps you from missing upcoming meetings, events, and parties. You can even enter a friend's birthday in the contacts list and will automatically show up in your calendar. As with the best organizers, the Centro also offers a to-do list that lets you check off items when they're complete. As a result, it's easy to keep track of what you did and still need to do. And should you come across a tidbit that doesn't have a logical home, simply turn to the memo function, which lets you store random information such as hot spots in Vegas or the names of movies you'd like to rent. Say goodbye to carrying around crumpled scraps of paper in your pocket or purse. Finally, it's possible to save a copy of all those names, numbers, appointments, photos, and videos on your computer thanks to the sync function.
Whether you want to take pictures, play videos, or listen to music, the Palm Centro has got you covered. The 1.3-megapixel digital camera (with a 2x digital zoom) lets you shoot pictures and send them to friends, store digital albums, or shoot videos. The built-in MP3 player, meanwhile, lets you take your tunes everywhere you go. With 128 MB of storage, there's plenty of room for your playlists, plus you can add up to 4 GB more with a MicroSD card. And thanks to Pocket Tunes Deluxe, you can play the songs you downloaded from places like Rhapsody or Yahoo. As a bonus, the Centro supports a ton of fun stuff from Sprint, including the ability to watch such TV channels as CNN Mobile, Fox Sports, the Weather Channel, the Disney Channel, and E! Entertainment. There's never a dull moment with the Palm Centro around.
Other features include:
Documents to Go version 8.0 offers Microsoft Office compatibility; Download, view and edit Word and Excel compatible files, then send them back fast; Rehearse PowerPoint presentations anywhere; Consult your important PDF files on the go.
Data Transfer Mode (DTM): Set in the default position allowing users in an active data session to be notified of incoming voice calls, rather than having them go automatically to voicemail.
Safe, handsfree cellular conversations are always available with the built-in speakerphone
Use the optional USB cable, or Bluetooth wireless technology, to connect with a PC for Internet and email access on the Sprint National Network.
Bluetooth version 1.2 with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking)
Vital Statistics The Palm Centro weighs 4.2 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 CDMA frequencies as well as the 1xEV-DO r0 data network.
Click here for more information about Palm Centro Phone, Green (Sprint)
