As you may recall, I was a bit harsh on the Voyager a while back and I really hate when I have to take things I say back. The Voyager has come a long way since the VX9800 and improves over the enV thanks to the touchscreen. I could go on and bash the Verizon UI, but I’m tired, have no idea what time zone I’m in and it’s just not worth it. Is the Voyager a good phone? Yes. Is it *gasp* an iPhone killer? Heck if I know. I’m not in the business of comparing every damn phone with some touch screen functionality to the iFone like every other douche out there. Now that we’ve gotten over that awkward stage let’s get on with the show.
The Voyager’s form factor is sleek and stylish, though, I really am starting to loathe all ‘shiny’ phones flooding the market these days. It’s just a pain in the ass to keep clean. Does the Voyager make phone calls that are clear? Yes, but for some odd reason I feel like I’m echoing just enough that it annoys me. Besides that all is well. When making phone calls the screen locks itself and you have to hit the unlock button where as the iPhone just knows when you’re putting it up to your cheek. I only make this comparison because it’s valid and probably the only one I’ll make throughout this review. The touchscreen isn’t all that great, but it does give that haptic feedback some people like. You can also drag across Web pages and menus by sliding your finger, but other than that, I don’t think it really does anything else special. For its size it’s quite lightweight and that’s always a plus in my book.
Dual screens are nice and the Voyager gets props for that. I love QWERTY keyboards and the Voyager has a nice big one that even those with ginormous fingers will be able to use without fear of mashing multiple keys. I don’t recommend trying to text from the external screen because predictive text sucks and you know it. Why even bother when you have a QWERTY available to you, right?
Let’s just get down to the nitty gritty. The VX10000 runs on Verizon’s EV-DO networks so everything is fast, but it can be clunky and video playback was bad. GPS is always a great feature to have, but when it can’t even find you in the airport with full bars that’s a bad sign. I’ll let this one slide since I did test it while waiting in the airport because I know it works outside. The touch screen, while it’s nice and bright and big, can sometimes be unresponsive or just slow. The 2-megapixel camera isn’t that great and it lacks a flash so don’t expect too much from it. Would it kill LG to add Wi-Fi? The Voyager’s predecessors always had great speakers and the VX10000 is no different.
If you’re looking for THE cool phone on Verizon’s network then pick up the Voyager. It’s available today at your local Verizon store.