The new enV phone from LG Electronics for Verizon gets the big picture - at least in one respect. It is the first LG phone to have a two-megapixel camera built in.
The enV (yes, it’s pronounced ‘envy’) is large by current mobile phone standards, at roughly 41/2 by 2 by ¾ inches. It flips open to reveal a screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio that is designed for showing photos and video, along with stereo speakers for music and a QWERTY keypad for text messages. Of course, there is also the phone function. The enV is currently $150 after rebate with a two-year Verizon contract.
The camera offers a number of settings, like a range of image sizes, a timer, flash, four levels of white balance for different indoor or outdoor lighting and shutter sounds that include a childlike voice urging, ‘Say cheese.’
As advanced as the camera is - it even has a built-in lens cap - it will not entirely replace your point-and-shoot.
For one thing, the lengthy shutter lag means a wait of more than a full second for the photo to snap after the button is pressed. Perhaps the shutter sound could be changed to ‘Saaaay cheeeeeeeese.’