LG KU990 Viewty review

Performance
Audio quality during calls was loud and clear without any noticeable distortion or muffling. The loudspeaker is loud and video calling works relatively well, particularly because of the large screen.

Picture quality from the 5-megapixel camera in daylight was similar to the quality from the Nokia N95 and Samsung G600, and excellent relative to the majority of other camera phones. Photos looked great on a computer monitor and produced high-quality prints.

We were disappointed, though, that xenon flash wasn't as bright as on the Sony Ericsson K810i, but it is better than an LED photo light -- just don't expect very well-lit shots in dark conditions.

Battery life lasts for over two days if you don't use any of the extra functions. If you do use the camera and browse the Web a lot, you will need to recharge it at the end of the day.

We found the camera mode switch on the KU990 was a little tough to slide

LG quotes talk time battery life at 355 minutes using GSM only and 233 minutes using 3G only, and standby time at 434 hours using GSM and 454 hours using 3G.

Conclusion
The LG KU990 Viewty is an impressive phone, particularly when you consider that LG hasn't made that many high-end camera phones. It's doesn't beat the Canon Digital IXUS 70 but it is comparable with a three-year old average standalone camera.

If you want to take relatively high-quality photos and videos then the KU990 is definitely worth checking out. Alongside the good camera, easy-to-use touchscreen interface and HSDPA (3.5G), we think LG has made one of its best phones yet.

If you're not convinced by LG's offering, it's worth taking a look at the Nokia N95, which comes with GPS and Wi-Fi, the Samsung G600, which is very slim or the Sony Ericsson K850i, all of which come with 5-megapixel cameras, too.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Kate Macefield