LG VX9700

The LG Dare tops the charts as one of Verizon's multimedia handsets, with its 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera and standard 3.5 mm audio port. The finger friendly touchscreen user interface also offers plenty of eye candy for an enjoyable experience. In this day of touch-enabled multimedia monsters, how big is the LG Dare compared to the competition? We give the phone a thorough testing to see how well it fares.

Physical Aspects
The LG Dare from Verizon is clad in a familiar chrome and black color scheme that exudes class. The front of the handset is shiny high gloss, while the back is covered with a soft feel coating for extra grip. With no moving parts and only three buttons on the front, the physical build of the Dare is very nice.

Unfortunately, the insides are a bit worrisome, as the handset itself feels very hollow. The 104.1 mm x 55.8 mm x 12.7 mm (4.1" x 2.2" x .5") body only weighs 107.7g (3.8oz), making the handset feel like it could have been slimmed down even more.

The LG Dare only has 3 keys on the front, located directly below the massive 3" 240x400 pixel resolution display. The left and right keys are dedicated send/end keys, with a multifunction button in the middle.

This center key has a 'C' and a microphone on it, and offers two functions, depending upon which screen you are in. Anywhere other than the standby screen, the button functions as a 'back' key, moving you back one step through the menus. From the standby screen, the key activates the voice dialing feature of the LG Dare. The volume rocker is located on the right hand edge of the LG Dare, and the dedicated two stage camera key is located slightly further on down.

The left edge of this cell phone is adorned with, from top to bottom, a screen lock key, the microSD card slot with cover, an audio button of sorts, and the micro-USB port (for data and power) with cover. The standard 3.5 mm audio port is located on the top edge, all the way to the left, while the bottom edge of the handset is empty. The large 3" touchscreen is flush with the face of the phone, and is not mushy, but rather very firm and solid feeling.

Each button press offers a slight haptic feedback vibration, and this can be toggled on or off in the phone's settings. Hidden somewhat discreetly on the back of the LG Dare is the 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with Schneider Kreuznach optics. There is a small LED flash, as well, which offers assistance in low light situations. The loudspeaker grille is located directly beneath the camera lens, and the entire backplate slides off to reveal the 1100mAh battery.