Goodbye, My Friend: Verizon enV Touch

From time to time, thanks to my affiliation with an online mom community, I get to test out cool Verizon products and then tell the internet what I think of them. I don't get paid. I don't get a free phone. I just get to use a phone and all its cool apps and gadgets for a month or so. I tested a TV Phone once. I tested the Chocolate 3 and loved it so much that I got it as my phone when my contract came due. I still love it. But now... my heart is torn. A new love has entered my life and it is time for me to return it and I just plain old don't wanna.

enV Touch. I guess it's an answer to the iPhone. But I love it. In a borderline stalkerish way. First of all, it is the first touch screen phone that has worked right for me. I've tried other phones and had a "learning curve" that never went anywhere so the touch screen thing was just a frustration. Not with the enV Touch. As soon as I picked up the phone and started using it, the sweet little touch screen and I had an instant bond.

I have to admit that I didn't get all excited about the apps and such. I don't need a "smart phone." Heck, I'm not even really sure what a smart phone is and I may be a little intimidated that a phone could be smarter than me and my smartypantsness. Connecting to the internet is fun but... Facebook has texting options so I'm good there. I can even post to my blog via text / e-mail. I'm still not into Twitter but even then I can Tweet without the internet app. So me having internet on my phone just isn't all that important to me.

As a phone, sound quality is good. Ease of basic features like Contacts and menu options are easy to use.

Here was what I really loved about the phone...

The 3.2 megapixel camera that takes stills and does 60 second videos.

Be still my heart. I can snap a pic and send it immediately to Facebook and Photobucket and Jeff and anyone else. With my Chocolate 3, I've used the video function before- like when I did my Motherhood Rap- and had a really difficult time getting the video off the phone and converted and saved so I could post it on my blog. But the enV Touch makes it super simple and easy and I've been sharing videos all over Facebook!

I almost hate to admit it... but a lot of the pics I've been sharing lately... from my garden, of my kids out and about, of my bookshelf, shoes at Target, and more... have been taken with my phone. My Nikon D40 obviously takes better pics. But my enV Touch takes really great last-minute, unprepared pics! And is way less bulky.

enV Touch also flips open to a full qwerty keyboard. Which definitely makes texting easier. And since I text with Jeff regularly and I text updates and replies to Facebook and such, the qwerty keyboard is definitely a blessing.

I know the phone has a lot more capabilities than what I utilized. But the points that I loved are truly enough to make me wish I could have this phone right now. I'd hate to give up my Chocolate3... but... it is sooooo tempting!!!

Also- there is a feature I've used on this phone and on other test phones. VZ Navigator. You just put in the address of where you are going and it guides you. GPS on your phone. I used it when we were in Chicago and had to get up to Rosemont to meet Jim and Michael for breakfast. I used it to find a house where I was dropping off food. I used it on our vacation in Cincinnati back in early July. It's a very handy feature. If you are someone who struggles with directions and gets lost easily, this is definitely something to look into adding to your Verizon phone.

Goodbye, my enV Touch... you've changed my life... you've touched my heart... you've opened my soul...

OK, not really. But it's a freakin' cool phone and I want one. My birthday is next week so feel free to "surprise" me by gathering up a collection to get me this phone. Just because you love me. Really. No? Fine.

*** I'm also still testing the Verizon hp Netbook. I find I don't have a lot of use for it but it's proving to be a cool product. More to come!