LG is known for making attractive, easy-to-use messaging phones like the LG Voyager and LG Dare. But, until the release of the LG Incite late last year, the company had not released a full-fledged smartphone in the U.S.
But the Incite is a mixed bag. It packs in plenty of features -- including a full mobile office suite and 3G support -- but its sluggish touch screen makes using all of them more of a challenge than it should be.
Design
The LG Incite is a good-looking phone: It's an all touch phone (meaning you don't get a hardware-based QWERTY keyboard) with very minimal controls. In fact, the only buttons on the face of the phone are the send and end call buttons, both of sit right below the big, bright 3-inch screen.
While this makes for a sleek look, the lack of buttons makes the phone harder to use than necessary -- especially because the touch screen is not as responsive as it could be. I often found myself looking for a trackball or some sort of navigation aid when I grew tired of the screen not registering my touches as quickly as I would like.
Making Calls
Call quality was very good in my test calls, made over the AT&T network. My callers sounded loud and clear, and they said the same about me. The Incite is light enough to hold comfortably during calls, too.
Web Browsing
First, the good news: You get support for both Wi-Fi wireless networks and AT&T's 3G HSDPA network. That means you have plenty of options for speedy Web access. You also get to peruse the Web on the Incite's big screen, which offers plenty of real estate.
Now, the bad news: You get the mobile version of Internet Explorer, which can't stand up to today's best mobile browsers. Some pages were easy to read, while others were rendered unreadable. And scrolling on the touch screen can be challenging: I often felt like I was pulling at the page rather than sliding my finger up and down.
Software
As a Windows Mobile-based smartphone (it runs version 6.1), the Incite includes plenty of software. You get the mobile version of Microsoft Office for starters, though typing on the Incite's sluggish touch screen is sure to slow down your work. You also get a variety of tools, including a task manager, tasks list, stopwatch, and a few others.
What you don't get is access to an on-phone applications store to download more titles. There are tons of third-party software applications available for Windows Mobile phones, though, so you can find more titles if you know where to look.
Messaging
The Incite's e-mail options include AT&T's Xpress Mail client, which you can download directly to the phone. It lets you check personal or corporate e-mail accounts, and supports POP3, IMAP and Web-based e-mail. The Incite includes support for Microsoft ActiveSync and Microsoft Direct Push technology so you can sync your Outlook email, calendar, and contacts using Microsoft Exchange.
The Incite also comes with several instant messaging clients installed: you can access AOL's AIM, Yahoo Messenger, or Windows Live Messenger with a tap of the screen.
Camera
The 3-megapixel camera captures still photos and video clips. A dedicated camera button on the left side of the phone provides easy access to the camera -- or should, anyway. I had to press it repeatedly before getting the camera to launch.
The camera lets you pick between five resolutions, and includes a self-timer and a zoom. It lacks an autofocus and a flash, though, and most of the snapshots I took looked darker than they should have.
Music and More
The Incite includes the mobile version of Windows Media player, so you can easily play back audio and video files. You also get access to AT&T Music, which includes its own music player, plus access to AT&T music shop, so you can download tunes right to your phone. Other music features include access to XM Radio and Pandora.
The Incite includes on-board GPS, and you can download AT&T Navigator right to the handset. For $10 a month, this app delivers turn-by-turn directions right to your phone.
Price and Availability
As of this writing, the LG Incite is available for $79.99 from AT&T when you sign a new two-year contract. That's after a $100 mail-in rebate that comes in the form of an AT&T promotion card, which is a Visa gift card that can be used to pay your AT&T bill.
That's a very good price for a full-featured Windows Mobile smartphone. But it's not quite cheap enough to make me forgive the sluggishness of the phone. The Incite is much harder to use than it should be.