Multimedia Phone Reviews

CNET reviewed the highly popular LG VX8500 Chocolate phone a couple months ago. ‘It's not uncommon for the introduction of a new cell phone to be preceded by a ton of hype. Take for instance, the LG VX85000. Otherwise known as the Chocolate, the VX8500 became the talk of the mobile world after its stateside debut last April at the annual CTIA show. Rumors flew back and forth regarding when we'd see it with a U.S. carrier, and finally this week, after being available in Europe and Asia for several months, the Chocolate has landed at Verizon Wireless. After so much speculation, we were eager to find out just what type of chocolate the Chocolate really is. Is it Hershey's or Godiva?

Sandra Vogel writing over at Trusted Reviews has reviewed the LG U400 “music phone”. ‘It's a slider phone and takes advantage of the best facilities the format offers. It is small in the hand – just 99.8mm tall, 48mm wide and 20.4mm deep, and it weighs an acceptable 114g. The slider mechanism is spring loaded and extremely comfortable to use. The number pad inside the sliding keyboard is large and there is a styling to the keys that offers a visual as well as a tactile cue when you are number dialing. The front screen isn’t vast at 30mm wide and 43mm tall, but it displays 262,000 colors at a fairly high 320 x 240 pixel resolution and is as clear and bright as any I’ve seen.’

A review of the LG VX5300 "entry-level camera phone" has been posted over at ZDNet. 'The LG VX5300 is the latest in Verizon's offerings of entry-level camera phones. While it has an unassuming appearance, it delivers the goods in terms of a simple feature set and great call quality. The VX5300 also supports analog roaming, which increases the likelihood of getting cell phone reception in more rural areas. This LG flip phone retails for $119.99, but you can get it for $69.99 with a two-year contract.

Shiny Shiny has posted a review of LG's KG810 "Chocolate Clamshell". 'Most of us here are fans of the LG Chocolate, despite the touchpad's tendency to cut you off halfway through your calls (slightly undermining our 'Technology must be attractive AND functional' stance). And they've followed up on the original by launching the white and the pink version, and have announced a premium edition with gold and platinum trimming. But essentially, they're all the LG Chocolate. Until now. The LG KG810 is a chocolate phone trapped in a clamshell body. The touch sensitive buttons are still there, although now they only work the MP3 controls.'

Stewart Wolpin has posted a review of the LG CU500 multimedia clamshell over at Laptop Magazine. 'The CU500 sports a clean and well-spaced keypad and navigation array. Below the volume toggle is a small key that provides direct access to the MP3 player, camera, and camcorder. A row of media playback buttons (Rewind, Play/Pause, and Fast-Forward) resides underneath the external color LCD. Since Cingular doesn’t yet have a music store to compete with the likes of Sprint and Verizon, the LG CU500 is a better bet for those who like to load their own tracks. Too bad the microSD Card slot is inconveniently located behind the battery, requiring a reboot every time you want to access it. LG doesn’t include earbuds either, although the phone is equipped with stereo Bluetooth.'

The LG KG800 Chocolate handset has been reviewed over at CNET. 'Like the VX8500, the KG800 Chocolate has a rectangular shape that's vaguely reminiscent of a chocolate bar. The sleek form factor and straight lines are familiar as is the basic black color scheme (an all-white model is available as well). The KG800's dimensions (3.7x1.9x0.6 inches) are only slightly different from its cousin's, and it's a tad lighter but still has a comfortable and solid feel in the hand. Just keep in mind that as with other slider designs, the KG800 doesn't cradle your head when held against the ear. The slider mechanism slips up and down easily but firmly; we needed only one finger to make it work'

CNET have reviewed the "attractive" LG KG800 Chocolate (white) slider phone. 'Like the VX8500, the KG800 Chocolate has a rectangular shape that's vaguely reminiscent of a chocolate bar. The sleek form factor and straight lines are familiar as is the basic black color scheme (an all-white model is available as well). The KG800's dimensions (3.7x1.9x0.6 inches) are only slightly different from its cousin's, and it's a tad lighter but still has a comfortable and solid feel in the hand. Just keep in mind that as with other slider designs, the KG800 doesn't cradle your head when held against the ear. The slider mechanism slips up and down easily but firmly; we needed only one finger to make it work.

CNET have reviewed the sleek, ultra-thin LG VX8600 Music Phone. ‘The wide and flat clamshell design of the LG VX8600 does not really lend itself to the "Chocolate" moniker, unlike that of the original slider versions (the VX8500 and the KG800) that resemble (albeit vaguely) the size and shape of dark chocolate candy bars. It measures 3.89 by 1.93 by 0.58 inches, making it wider and fatter than the VX8500 Chocolate. However, it still retains the Chocolate's trademark glossy black finish, and it remains quite slim as flip phones go. We think it's very elegant and sexy, rivaling that of the Motorola Krzr K1 in style and design. The one downside to such a glossy finish is that the phone is extremely prone to fingerprint smudges--it was unavoidable. The phone's lightweight 3.26 ounces felt really nice in the hand, and we thought it felt pretty comfortable when held next to our ear. Opening the phone was pretty easy; just one push of the thumb would do it, though closing it is more of a two-handed operation.’

The new LG enV phone for Verizon Wireless has been reviewed over at CNET. 'LG must have learned from its previous mistakes when it designed the enV. Yes, the phone is still boxy like the VX9800, but smoother lines give it a sleeker and more professional look. At 5.64x2.08x0.78 inches, it's thinner and narrower than its predecessor (4.57x1.97x1.0 inches) even if it is a tad taller. And though it's still hefty at 4.6 ounces, it is noticeably lighter than the VX9800 (5.19 ounces) and feels more comfortable in the hand. As with the VX9800, you can talk on the enV while it is open, but it's rather awkward to do so.

CNET have reviewed the LG VX8500 Cherry Chocolate multimedia slider-phone. 'From what we can tell the "Chocolate" in the LG VX8500's name comes from its basic shape. Sporting a sharply rectangular form factor, the all-black phone does somewhat resemble a dark-chocolate candy bar, but that's all the resemblance we could find. However, it is very sleek and sexy, and we love the cool slider form factor. The dimensions with the slider closed are average (3.8 by 1.58 by 0.69 inches; 3.5 ounces), but it will fit in almost any pocket and won't add significant weight to a bag. Also, while it's hardly as thin as the Motorola Razr, it nonetheless has a trim profile that will catch attention. The slider mechanism slips up and down with a solid click, and the phone seems well constructed overall. Though you can make calls with the slider closed, we found it more comfortable to talk in the open position.'

A review of the LG KG920– 5-megapixel Cameraphone has been posted on Trusted Reviews. 'LG’s KG920 is a phone for people who like their handsets to have lots of buttons and, to not put too fine a point on it, a bit on the blingy side. As the UK’s first five megapixel cameraphone, it’s a phone for those who can’t see the point of carrying a digital camera with them all the time just in case they see something they’d like to photograph for keeps.

Mobile Burn has posted a review of the LG's VX9900 enV handset for Verizon. ‘The LG enV VX9900 is about the size of a typical candybar shaped handset from perhaps 2 years ago. At 118mm x 53mm x 22mm (4.6" x 2.1" x .8"), it is still very pocketable in spite of its communicator-style clamshell design. The enV's 133g (4.7oz) weight is on the heavy side for a non-smartphone, but, again, it is not bad when you consider the form factor and its benefits. When closed, the exterior of the phone houses a very normal alphanumeric keypad with d-pad that sits below a very small, but colorful 262k color 160x128 pixel display. The keypad has a reasonably good feel, and should prove adequate for most people.’

A review of the LG CU400 3.5G multimedia phone has been posted over at Infosync World. 'All around, the LG CU400 does not live up to its HSDPA (or even EV-DO) cousins when it comes to multimedia performance. Even the LG CU500, among the first 3.5G phones on the U.S. market, did a better job handling media, and especially audio content. The CU400 has no built-in audio player, though it does access streaming radio through MobiRadio. MobiRadio has a fine selection, but doesn't come close to XM or Sirius satellite radio programming. Beyond MobiRadio, the CU400 has no musical abilities, which is fine because it also lacks stereo headphones and a USB cable for data transfer.'

CNET have posted hteir review of the LG CU400 multimedia phone. 'The LG CU400 can be considered a low-budget successor to the LG CU500, which is one of Cingular's first HSDPA phones to support Cingular Video. Although it's slightly slower with UMTS-level speeds, the CU400 offers the same access to Cingular Video, streaming music, mobile radio, and other 3G content. Not only that, the LG CU400 is also the first ever 3G-capable phone by Cingular to offer push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities. However, its VGA camera and lack of a dedicated audio player still make the CU500 the more attractive option if you are looking for a true multimedia phone. The LG CU400 is available for $229.99 at retail and for $29.99 with a two-year contract.

Laptop Magazine have posted their review of the LG enV VX9900 multimedia messaging phone. 'The LG enV VX9900 has shed some of the fat that weighed down the VX9800 and become a much more feature-rich handset. This horizontal flip phone, complete with QWERTY keyboard and geared for serious text and instant messagers, brings a two-megapixel camera, EV-DO, and the V CAST suite of services to hipsters looking for something a little more versatile than the Sidekick.

Mobile Burn have published their review of of Sprint's LG's Fusic (LG LX550) music phone. 'The LG Fusic, housed in a clamshell type design, has very smooth and clean-looking lines reminiscent of many Asian handsets. Dressed throughout with a pearlescent sheen, the Fusic shows off it dynamics with the ability to change its identity at any time. LG offers Fusic users 4 brightly colored faceplates to choose from (blue, green, black, or pink). The faceplates slide nicely into place on the front cover of the device. The Fusic's curves and edges are seamless making the device quite attractive to the eye. The one noticeable shortcoming is the device's external antenna. The fixed antenna adds on another 12mm (0.5") to the Fusic's proportions, which measure in at 96mm x 48mm x 20mm (3.8" x 1.9" x .8"). At 120g (4.2 oz), the device is no real burden in the weight department. The Fusic is still slim and light enough to be easily stowed away in a pocket, or concealed in a purse.'

A review of the LG Shine KE970 sliderphone has been posted over at CNET. ‘We'll warn you off the bat that much of our review of the Shine is in this section. The Shine is without a doubt a design-first phone, and LG has no qualms about pushing its beauty. In all seriousness, it really is quite lovely. The slider phone's polished-metal exterior gives it a sophisticated, posh look, and the stainless steel case gives it a sturdy, solid feel in the hand. At 3.9 inches by 2 inches by 0.54 inch, it's a little wide for our tastes, but it slips easily into a pocket. And though it's a tad heavy, at 4.4 ounces, it won't weight you down.

Digital Trends have published their review of the LG VX9400 multimedia handset. 'Along with the Samsung SCH-u620, this is one of two phones that you can watch Live TV on using V CAST Mobile TV. That's live TV on your cell phone, broadcast like regular TV using a technology called FLO TV from a company called MediaFLO, a subsidiary of QUALCOMM. Of the two phones, this is the superior model and not only because of its unique (in the U.S. at least) swivel T-bar screen that swings 45 degrees perpendicular from the phone's body from portrait to landscape mode, but because it has a slightly larger screen that gives a tad-bit better TV picture. The VX9400 also runs TV longer and offers slightly speedier EV-DO service. At $199.99 US with the usual contract stipulations and rebates, it's also $50 more expensive.'

Mobile Tech Review have published their review of the LG VX9400 handset on which you can view Verizon's new TV service. 'The display is superb: very sharp and clear with vivid colors and a glossy look. In general, LG phones have very good displays and the large 2.2" VX9400 display is at the top of the heap among feature phones. Sound through the rear firing speaker is plenty loud and clear enough for TV watching, though you'll want to use a wired headset for better stereo sound when using the music player.The keypad is roomy, and I had no trouble dialing or texting one-handed (I do have long fingers). The keys are backlit, but the letter farthest to the right on each key is more faintly lit than the rest. The number key area is quite flat, though still more tactile than the RAZR. The VX9400's thicker bottom portion feels good in hand, providing a good grip and naturally orienting the thumb tip toward the number keys.

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the LG VX8700 multimedia phone which features a 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder, Bluetooth, V CAST music and video and a microSD memory port. 'By far the most attractive phone in Verizon Wireless' lineup, the LG VX8700 sports a silver body that feels smooth and solid in the hand. It's noticeably heavier than the VX8600 (3.8 ounces vs. 3.3 ounces), but the VX8700 is slightly thinner (0.54 vs. 0.58 inches). You'll either love or hate the metallic finish on the front and back. We're in the former camp, even though it didn't take long for this shiny cell to pick up fingerprints. One nice touch is that the three-line color LCD on the front doubles as a tiny mirror when it's off. (View Photo Gallery.)

PC Magazine have published their review of the sleek LG VX8700 multimedia phone. 'The VX8700 is a RAZR-thin flip phone (3.8 by 1.9 by 0.5 inches; 3.8 ounces), and it manages the key trick of feeling both light yet solid in your hand. On the outside, a slit-like 160-by-48 LCD display shows the time and caller ID information in entertaining color; inside, there's a keypad of relatively spacious 17mm flat keys and a big, sharp, 2.4-inch 320-by-240 LCD screen. The exterior screen is very hard to read in full sunlight, though.

A review of the fashionable LG Prada ( KE850) smartphone has been posted over at CNET. ‘Simply put, the LG Prada is the epitome of elegance and style. It fits the very definition of a fashion phone, and is quite possibly one of the most attractive handsets we've ever seen. Decked out in a lightweight piano-black shell, the Prada has a minimalist design, with smooth rounded corners and a touch of silver adorning its sides. It looks like a miniature version of a fancy plasma TV or a piece of high-class contemporary art. The design focus extends even to its packaging; the phone comes in a trendy black box fit for jewelry, plus a hard leather case with an embossed Prada logo.

A review of the LG Prada KE850 "fashion phone" has been posted over at Trusted Reviews. 'The Prada is Tri-band GSM with GPRS and EDGE. Built-in software includes mobile email, a Web browser, voice recorder, alarm, calendar, calculator and unit converter. A couple of games take advantage of the touch screen. For example one is called Photo Puzzle. It scrambles an image into blocks and you need to reassemble the image tapping the blocks to swap their locations. One game even pushes the screen into wide format for play. Built in memory is fairly limited. You have space for 300 SMS messages and 1,000 contacts, just 100 calendar items and 50 text memos. There is 8MB of memory for other stuff such as games, sounds, images and videos. There is a microSD card slot for expanding on this, and you get a 256MB card, but LG has managed to locate the slot awkwardly. You have to remove the battery to get to it.'

Reg Hardware have published a review of the LG U970 Shine slider handset. 'The U970 has a slider style handset, which opens with sickening smoothness to reveal a compact Motorola Razr-style keypad. The sliding movement requires a greater than average thumb push to open, which means it won't slide open in your pocket. The metal body also gave us confidence that the handset was robust and could survive the odd bump and knock. The 240 x 320 pixel QVGA display screen is the handset's best aesthetic feature. It provides a clear resolution of up to 262,000 colours when in use and transforms into a mirrored surface when in standby or slid down, making it perfect for the more image conscious mobile users.'

PC Magazine have published their review of the LG Prada KE850 touch phone. 'The Prada is a smooth, easy-to-hold rectangle with a huge 320- by 480-pixel, 3-inch touch screen sporting three real buttons below the display: pick-up, hang-up, and clear. Various other buttons line the sides. They lock the keypad, change the volume, activate the camera and MP3 player, and kick the phone into vibrate mode. On the back of the Prada sits a 2-megapixel camera with flash. I can't overstate that the Prada feels just plain great in the hand, but then again, it's Prada—it should!

A review of the LG Muziq (LG 570) multimedia phone has been posted over at CNET. ‘As far as sequels go, the LG Muziq is far more than just a Fusic II. Featuring a much more streamlined design, the Muziq has discarded the white-and-navy color scheme of the Fusic in favor of a glossy black exterior and glowing red music player controls similar to those of the LG Chocolate. At 1.94 inches wide, 3.8 inches long, 0.61 inch deep, and weighing in at 3.14 ounces, the LG Muziq is a slender and lightweight phone that feels comfortable in the hand and cradles nicely next to the ear. The overall design is rectangular, with clean lines and a smooth finish that's unfortunately prone to fingerprint smudges. We're happy to see a vibrant 262,000-color 1.3-inch diagonal external screen on the LG Muziq. Not only does it display the customary date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID info, it also acts as a camera viewfinder, and it will show the currently playing track whenever the music player is activated. It also supports photo caller ID, which is a nice touch.’

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the new LG Chocolate VX8550 handset. ‘The second time’s a charm. Sporting improved controls and good multitasking capabilities, LG's latest Chocolate, the VX8550 ($99 with a two-year contract and rebate), is much better than its predecessor, especially for buyers looking for a value-priced iPhone alternative. Verizon Wireless still charges too much for over-the-air song downloads ($1.99), but otherwise this musically inclined sequel satisfies. Having a choice of colors is nice--Black, Black Cherry, and Blue Mint--but the star of this glossy slider's design is the new metal navigation wheel, a big improvement over the original Chocolate's finicky touch controls.’