LG GC900 Viewty Smart InDepth Review of Features Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview of LG GC900 Viewty Smart

The LG GC900 Viewty Smart, announced in April 2009 and released in May the same year, represents an iconic era in mobile phone history. With its status now discontinued, this handset remains a noteworthy example of LG's innovation during the late 2000s.

Network Capabilities

The LG GC900 Viewty Smart supports both GSM and HSPA technologies, which marked a significant advancement in mobile connectivity at that time. The phone operates on 2G bands including GSM 850, 900, 1800, and 1900, as well as 3G bands such as HSDPA 900 and 2100. It offers a data speed of HSPA 7.2 Mbps for downloading and 0.384 Mbps for uploading, supporting a relatively fast internet experience for its time.

Design and Build

Featuring dimensions of 108.9 x 56.1 x 12.4 mm and a weight of only 102 grams, the Viewty Smart was designed to be compact and lightweight. It houses a Mini-SIM slot and was available in silver and black colors, providing options for user preference. Its build, though simple by today’s standards, was ergonomic and appealing during its release period.

Display

The device is equipped with a 3.0-inch TFT display, offering a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 41.9%. It boasts a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and a pixel density of 311 ppi, which provided clear and sharp images. Protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, the screen offered durability against scratches and minor impacts.

Camera Features

A standout feature of the LG GC900 Viewty Smart was its 8 MP main camera, featuring Schneider-Kreuznach optics and an LED flash. This allowed for quality photo capturing even in low-light conditions. The camera was capable of recording video at 480p@30fps, which was quite advanced for phones in this category at the time. Additionally, the phone included a front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

Audio and Sound

The Viewty Smart came with a built-in loudspeaker, ensuring audible sound quality. However, it lacked a 3.5mm audio jack, which was a limitation for those who preferred wired headphones. Audio quality tests showed voice levels at 75dB, with noise at 69dB, and ringtone levels at 76dB, providing ample volume in most settings.

Memory and Storage

The device offered 1.5GB of internal storage, which was expandable via a dedicated microSDHC slot. It supported up to 1,000 phonebook entries with photo call capabilities, and call records could store 40 dialed, 40 received, and 40 missed calls. This storage was sufficient for basic applications and multimedia at the time.

Battery Life

Powered by a removable Li-Ion 1000 mAh battery, the Viewty Smart offered a reasonable battery life. It supported up to 330 hours of standby time on 2G networks and 350 hours on 3G networks. Talk time was approximately 5 hours 30 minutes on 2G and 4 hours 40 minutes on 3G, which was typical of phones from that period.

Communication Features

This LG model supported Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g for wireless internet connectivity and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP for wireless audio and data transfer. It had GPS capabilities with A-GPS support and Google Maps pre-installed, making navigation easier for its users. Additionally, the phone featured FM radio with RDS and a USB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer.

Additional Features and Applications

Equipped with an accelerometer sensor, the LG GC900 Viewty Smart provided an enhanced user experience with its motion-based games. Messaging capabilities included SMS, MMS, and email. The browser supported WAP 2.0/xHTML and HTML, allowing users to browse the internet with modest speed and efficiency. Moreover, it supported Java MIDP 2.0 for running various applications.

Market Reception and Legacy

At its release, the LG GC900 Viewty Smart was priced around 100 EUR, making it a competitive offering in the mobile market. While it is now discontinued, it remains a device that showcased LG's commitment to quality and technological progress in the feature phone category during its era.

Conclusion

The LG GC900 Viewty Smart holds a place in the mobile phone industry's history as a robust and well-rounded device. Its combination of camera capabilities, design, and network features illustrated a transition period in mobile technology before the widespread adoption of smartphones. As such, it remains a memorable example of feature phone technology that catered to diverse user needs during its time.