LG Octane

“Overall, the LG Octane is not a suitable replacement for the enV3 due to the call volume fluctuation and echo issues that it exhibited with phone calls. Because of this, we really can’t recommend the Octane for people who would use it for a lot of calls, but if you are the type of person who only place or receive calls on occasion, you might be OK with it (we would suggest that you try it out first). But in the other areas, the Octane still isn’t as good as the enV3, such as the one-piece membrane QWERTY keyboard, lower volume music player, and camera images not looking as good. In fact, the only thing we seem to like about the LG Octane is the updated exterior styling and the larger front display. It is unfortunate that LG dropped the ball on the Octane, and we can only hope that a firmware update will fix the call problems.”

“The LG Octane is yet another solid piece of hardware that is shackled by crummy Verizon Wireless software. The biggest improvements here include the larger external display, which offers more functionality than before. The Octane also has a great feel in the hand, solid button performance all around, and excellent battery life. Where the Octane suffers most is in the media performance department. The music software is downright awful, and the lack of support for 3.5mm headphones says loud and clear that LG doesn't expect people to use it as an MP3 player replacement. Worse, however, the camera shoots miserable photos and video. It's a shame that the performance here is so bad. Last, the browser boasted some usability enhancements, but was slow, slow, slow. Where does the Octane excel? Text messaging is robust, and the addition of threaded SMS makes it a much better device than its predecessors. The email app performs well, as long as you don't mind paying extra for it, but the IM software is getting crusty. Social Networking is at least present, though limited in the form of iSkoot's Social Beat software.”