Pros: Full keyboard, great outside keypad design, much nicer looking.
Cons: A little bit wide...
Summary: Although the enV2 seems to be getting a bad rep as nothing more than a cosmetically improved version of the original enV, I see no harm in the change.
The last enV model was clunky and completely ugly. I just picked up my new enV2 from Circuit City today for about 86 bucks thanks to the update my line was eligible for at Verizon, and I get a $50 mail-in rebate on top of that.
I'd say the best improvement on the phone other than the overall shape is that fact that the outside buttons are much larger. I have no problem typing in a phone number to make a call and the smaller screen on the outside is really no hindrance at all; considering all you need to do for a bigger view is flip the phone open I find it interesting that some reviewers consider the outside screen a con. It's not like the phone's predecessor had a large external screen in the first place, and the larger buttons are so much easier to use than the ones on the original enV.
On top of the overall improvement in design the phone does have some added features such as a couple new ringtones and a few new menu displays to chose from which are all much nicer looking than those on the original enV.
I'd also like to add the the camera on this phone is pretty impressive. Some sites have coined the picture quality as merely "decent," but what do people expect from a tiny 2 megapixel camera feature sqeezed into a cell phone? If you're looking for high-quality, buy a digital camera.
My only two slight criticisms of the phone are the placement of the camera lens and the width of the phone. The lens is placed at the top of the phone which is a bit of a problem since when holding the phone lengthways to take a picture, my finger always settles itself comfortably over the lens, so it's a little akward to get used to holding at first without blocking your shot.
Also, while the phone while thinner than my old chocolate phone depth-wise, it is much wider across the front. I never liked the Razrs due to their width, and since I have small hands this phone is a little weird to hold after owning a thin little Krazr for about a year and a half; however, it's a small price to pay for the fabulous full keyboard that the width accommodates.
Overall I am VERY pleased with this phone. I skipped out on the highly visually appealing Venus phone because I don't feel that touch-screens are reliable on a long term basis. After the Chocolate I would never make that mistake again. I'd say that for those who text on a regular basis, the enV is probably the best phone Verizon offers within it's price range, and I would most certainly recommend it to anyone considering purchasing it.
