LG Fathom VS750 Comprehensive Review & Insights

Design and Build

The LG Fathom VS750 showcases a sturdy and professional design with dimensions of 115 x 56 x 17 mm and a weight of 152 g. This gives it a robust feel, which is further enhanced by the QWERTY keyboard that slides out smoothly for ease of typing. The phone fits comfortably in the hand, and the build quality is solid, with a design that is practical for business users. The choice of a Mini-SIM slot was typical for smartphones released during that era.

Display

The device features a 3.2-inch TFT resistive touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. The screen, offering a pixel density of around 292 ppi, delivers adequately sharp images and vibrant colors, although it lags behind today's standards where capacitive touchscreens dominate the market. This kind of screen was common in 2010 and was especially useful for users who preferred using a stylus for navigation.

Performance

Under the hood, the LG Fathom VS750 is powered by the Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon S1 chipset, paired with a 1.0 GHz Scorpion CPU and an Adreno 200 GPU. Although these specifications might seem modest by modern standards, they were quite competitive at the time of the phone's release. The device delivered a smooth user experience for typical tasks such as web browsing, email, and basic applications thanks to its 256MB RAM. However, the limited RAM might have posed challenges for multitasking and running more demanding applications.

Operating System and User Interface

The LG Fathom VS750 runs on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, a platform that was popular in business environments due to its seamless integration with Microsoft Office Mobile and other productivity tools. The OS, while effective for productivity, might feel dated, lacking the fluidity and user-friendly experience provided by more modern mobile operating systems. However, it offered robust functionality for its time, catering well to business-centric users.

Camera

Equipped with a 3.15 MP rear camera with autofocus, the LG Fathom VS750 provides basic photography capabilities. It supports video recording at 480p@30fps, enabling users to capture decent videos, although the quality cannot compete with today's camera-heavy smartphones. The absence of a front-facing camera might be a drawback for users looking for video conferencing abilities.

Memory and Storage

The device comes with 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM, alongside a dedicated microSDHC slot for expandable storage. This allows users to increase storage capacity for additional applications and files, which is crucial given the limited internal storage.

Battery Life

Powered by a removable Li-Po battery, the LG Fathom VS750 offers a standby time of up to 475 hours and a talk time of up to 7 hours. These figures indicate that the device can last through a full day of normal usage, making it reliable for users on the go. The ability to replace the battery is also a significant advantage, allowing users to carry spare batteries for prolonged use without needing to charge the device.

Network and Connectivity

The LG Fathom VS750 supports GSM, CDMA, HSPA, and EVDO networks, ensuring broad compatibility with various network standards around the world. It offers 3G connectivity with HSPA speeds of 7.2/0.384 Mbps, providing reasonable internet browsing performance for its time. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, GPS with A-GPS support, and microUSB 2.0 for charging and data transfer.

Additional Features

The phone comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a loudspeaker, which are essential features for multimedia consumption and hands-free operations. The absence of a radio might be missed by users who rely on FM for entertainment, but this is compensated by the availability of various media applications. Additionally, the SAR values are within the acceptable limits, at 0.77 W/kg (head) and 1.15 W/kg (body), ensuring user safety.

Conclusion

The LG Fathom VS750, launched in 2010, was positioned as a business-centric smartphone with features tailored to the professional user. Its robust design, QWERTY keyboard, and Windows Mobile platform provided a strong foundation for productivity, making it an appealing choice for corporate environments. While its hardware specifications and OS are outmoded compared to contemporary standards, it still holds a nostalgic value for those who appreciated its functionality in its heyday. Offered at a price of around 40 EUR, it represents a piece of smartphone history, showcasing the transitional phase from feature phones to the modern smartphones we know today.