LG GD510 Pop review: Mobile pop culture

Introduction

It looks like LG have been playing their own version of will it blend. There's no need to tell you they're not playing for fun - they're rather trying to squeeze some more cash off a couple of hot-selling handsets. So, here's the deal. Get your blender, throw in an LG Arena and a Cookie and set the speed to "budget". And there you have it - an LG GD510 Pop - ready to be served to the happy masses. The "pop" LG are going for is definitely "popular", as opposed to the "popstar stuff" some of you may have hoped for.

You can go ahead and call it the new Cookie, or the low-cost Arena, but the LG Pop is quite obviously keen to have its own purpose and personality. The optional battery cover fitting a solar panel and the all-round eco-friendliness are one way for it to stand on its own two feet as a phone.

    
LG GD510 Pop official photos

Apart from that, the Pop is just another midrange touchscreen. And this is by no means a guilty verdict. The LG Cookie used to be just another touchscreen too. Certainly not now - over 5 million units sold later. The Pop is perhaps setting its hopes high as well. Let's see if the classic unisex design, the feature mix and the affordable price tag can do it for it too.

Key features:

• 3.0" 256K-color TFT LCD touchscreen display (240x400 pixels)
• 3.15 megapixel fixed focus camera, QVGA video @ 15fps
• Quad-band GSM support
• Bluetooth with A2DP and microUSB v2.0
• microSD card memory expansion
• Standard microUSB port
• FM radio with RDS
• Widget interface and LiveSquare homescreen
• Accelerometer sensor for automatic screen rotation and turn-to-mute
• Landscape on-screen QWERTY keyboard
• Office document viewer
• Smart dialing
• Nice battery life
• Optional solar panel battery cover
• Allegedly affordable price

Main disadvantages:

• No 3G support, no Wi-Fi
• Display has poor sunlight legibility
• No DivX/XviD video support
• Camera lacks autofocus and flash
• Video recording maxes out at QVGA@15fps
• No standard 3.5mm audio jack

There's something about the styling of the Pop that might misguide users to expect Arena-like functionality. In fact, the only Arena stuff inside is the S-Class-styled main menu - the rest of the interface is like on the LG Cookie. The important features for the mass user are there but the expected price bracket doesn't really imply high-end specs.

Many people might miss the camera autofocus and 3G support. And yes, some would have been delighted to get Wi-Fi support on the spec sheet. To us, the most important omission - given the potential target audience - is DivX/XviD support. Anyway, the reason for all that is more than clear: specs are sticking to the basics to keep the price tag comfortably low.

   
LG GD510 Pop live shots

We guess, there's no reason to construe the GD510 Pop as an upgrade to the LG KP500 Cookie. The Pop is simply the next LG handset to try and tap on the demand for basic affordable touchscreens. An inevitable response to what Samsung are doing with the Star, the Preston and the Corby. To set it apart from the Cookie, the Pop was given some of the LG Arena styling, an optional solar panel and has taken an altogether greener stance.

We praised the Cookie for its handling and style, and the Pop has quite a lot to live up to. The first impression is promising enough though. The Arena-like looks and absolutely minimalist exterior may receive a warm enough reception.

More on the LG GD510 Pop coming up after the jump. We can safely say the LG Pop looks above its class but let's see how it handles.

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LG BL20 New Chocolate appears in new colors, GW300 is there too

LG opened a new office in Amstelveen, Holland and decided to show off the LG BL20 New Chocolate's color range plus some interesting info about its UI. The LG GW300 was also at the party along with some other models we've already seen.

The BL20, which originally leaked as BL42, has the traditional Chocolate look and form factor, unlike theLG BL40 New Chocolate. The color options are also very reminiscent of the original Chocolate.

    
LG BL20 New Chocolate in all the colors we've seen so far

Anyway, the interesting thing here is that BL20 New Chocolate apparently runs a non-touch version of the S-Class user interface, despite earlier rumors. The S-Class UI has so far been reserved for touchscreen handsets, but here is an interesting piece of trivia for you - it is reportedly much smoother on the BL20 than it was on the LG GD900 Crystal.

The other phone of interest was the LG GW300. It has a full QWERTY keyboard, a QVGA screen, 2MP camera, microSD card slot and 3.5 mm audio jack. It doesn't have 3G connectivity but with a price of about 100 euro, the LG GW300 will be one of the most affordable full-QWERTY handsets on the market.

    
LG GW300 would be an affordable full QWERTY phone

Release dates are still unknown, as we are waiting for LG to step in and officially announce the LG BL20 New Chocolate.

  
A wall of current and upcoming LG phones

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LG BL40 New Chocolate to be available worldwide in October

Europe will be the first to get a taste of New Chocolate - LG BL40 - the forth in the proud line of Black Label phones, will be released across Europe this month, while the rest of the world will have to wait till October. In the UK, the LG BL40 will be available through the Carphone Warehouse and Orange.

We guess you already know the key LG BL40 New Chocolate feature from all these publicity shots - it's got an extra wide screen. 21:9-wide to be exact, with a generous 4" diagonal and 800 x 345 pixels resolution and capacitive technology, which makes it multi-touch capable. At first, you might think that this is for the sake of excellent movie playback.

And you'd be partially correct, "partially" because it's not the only reason. The resolution may be lower than WVGA but the size and aspect ratio of the screen ensure that the BL40 will fit most pages on the screen in landscape mode with text remaining readable.

That's not all either. The Dual Screen UI lets the LG New Chocolate split the screen in two, which can greatly improve the usability in some cases. Check out the part on the email app in our preview for example (at the bottom of the page).

The internals of the LG BL40 New Chocolate make sure everything goes flawlessly - from the DivX support in the video player plus TV out and Dolby Mobile, to the 7.2Mbps HSDPA and Wi-Fi giving the browser a fast connection to the Internet. The 5-megapixel camera offers great performance too - we are quite impressed by the results even in the pre-production stage it was when we tested it.

Source

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LG GW520 review: A wholesome Cookie

Introduction

QWERTY is how the Cookie crumbles and LG are quite keen to build on a winning concept. And they sure didn’t work themselves to the bone. When you’ve got a Best Handset Award nominee (LG KS360) and a midrange bestseller (LG KP500), all you need to do is add two and two together. Simple math for a simple gadget: the LG GW520 is a basic touchscreen with a distinct Cookie feel, full QWERTY keyboard and social networking on its mind. Sounds right for keeping the younger crowd interested.

Some of you might know it as the LG Calisto. Never mind the name, it’s the same cute little fella we’re about to review in a sec. What makes it so interesting is not only the competitive price and decent feature set. We’re also curious to find how the blend of KS360 and Cookie works. It’s not about which one gets credit as the real predecessor, it’s what the offspring can do for you.

LG GW520 official photos

The LG GW520 is pretty much a Cookie with a real friendly QWERTY keyboard and fast data. The touchscreen size is the only downgrade so to say, but the full keyboard, 7.2 mbps HSDPA, push email and notifications and enhanced Widget UI are well worth the trade-off. Well, Cookie seems to rhyme quite well with QWERTY so far, now let’s see how long it’ll go.

Key features:

• 2.8" 256K-color TFT touchscreen (240 x 400 pixels)
• Friendly four-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G (with HSDPA) support
• 3 megapixel fixed focus camera
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• 40MB internal memory
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (supporting card with capacity of up to 16GB)
• Standard microUSB port and Mass Storage mode
• Accelerometer for auto screen rotate
• FM radio with RDS
• Pepped-up Widget interface with Live Square
• Push email and Facebook applications and widgets
• Multi-tasking with a real task manager
• Excellent touch optimized image gallery
• Smart dialing
• Office document viewer
• Affordable and easy to use touchscreen phone

Main disadvantages:

• No Wi-Fi
• Video recording no good at QVGA@12fps
• Camera has no auto focus or flash
• No DivX/Xvid video support
• No standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Facebook is the only social networking app and it lacks Push

Wi-Fi support would have gained the GW520 lots of extra points against the competition. But then, that would’ve involved so much smartphone pressure, which the GW520 is definitely not prepared to handle. In a way, the handset can be construed as a Cookie upgrade and a response to Samsung’s deployment in the touchscreen midrange. Affordability is key after all, and the LG GW520 is well-geared to run against the likes of Samsung Preston and Star.

LG GW520 live views

The other things sacrificed to keep the price within acceptable limits are the camera autofocus and GPS. The latter isn’t such a big deal for a feature phone, but autofocus should be a must for a contemporary mobile phone in this class. It seems to us DivX/XviD support isn’t too much to ask either: it’s absolutely relevant to the target audience and LG have the technology anyway.

It may look like you pretty much know what to expect from the LG GW520 (or the QWERTY-enabled Cookie, which we’re so keen to call it). But it won’t be fair to judge the phone before we’ve seen it in action. Join us after this very small jump as we explore the looks and feel of this neat QWERTY slider.

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LG BL40 New Chocolate preview: Having a first bite

Introduction

The words "Black Label" evoke images of things exclusive, reserved for the lucky few. The new entrant in the arena, the LG BL40 New Chocolate, the intriguing successor of highly popular style-conscious phones such as the Chocolate, Shine and Secret, fully deserves the honor. It looks like the kind of gadget that is always on the other side of the store window or in the hands of someone demonstrating a prototype that never sees the light of day. But the LG BL40 New Chocolate is quite real and it's here to stay and fight for market success - in fact LG announced today the New Chocolate will hit the European market in mid-September this year.

LG BL40 New Chocolate New Chocolate press images

The unorthodox long shape definitely sets it apart and the glossy black plastic with careful touches of silver trim easily remind of the times we first saw the LG Chocolate in flesh. The LG BL40 New Chocolate is immensely sleek and the 4-inch screen with 21:9 aspect ratio easily makes it one of the most unusual mobile phones that have set foot in our office this year.

LG BL40 New Chocolate at a glance

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 1900/2100 MHz, EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar
• Dimensions: 128 x 51 x 10.9 mm
• Display: Unique 4" TFT capacitive touchscreen with 21:9 aspect ratio and 800 x 345 pixels resolution, multitouch support, scratch resistant glass
• Platform: Latest S-Class UI
• Memory: 1GB internal memory, microSD card slot
• Camera: 5-megapixels auto-focus camera with Schneider-Kreuznach lens, LED flash, geo-tagging, image stabilization, face detection, Smile Shot, Blink detection, Intelligent shot, Beauty and Art shot, VGA video recording at 30 fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Proximity sensor for screen auto-turn-off, FM radio with RDS, FM transmitter, DivX/XviD support, Dolby mobile, TV out, multi-touch input, office document viewer
• Battery: 1000 mAh battery

Unlike some other fashionable handsets out there, the LG BL40 New Chocolate beauty is not skin deep - the hardware has all the bells and whistles a modern high-end gadget should have. And though technically not a smartphone, the BL40 New Chocolate S-class user interface offers convenient multitasking and is polished to match the sleek exterior.

LG BL40 New Chocolate in our office

With a brilliant screen with aspect ratio shared only with cinema screens and a few home cinema oriented TVs you can be sure the LG BL40 New Chocolate is a star. It certainly is no introvert - with TV out and DivX/XviD support, along with Dolby mobile plus an FM transmitter, we guess you can say that the LG BL40 New Chocolate broadcasts on all frequencies.

The camera and connectivity prowess of the phone do great job of covering all the advanced features found on phones today. So, it's got the looks and it's got the brains. Will its extravagance make it a hit or an oddity?

After the jump, you can see the LG BL40 New Chocolate do a 360-degree spin for you while we take a closer look at its hardware. Just keep in mind it's an early version we're working with and some design elements might go through changes before the handset hits the market.

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LG Arena hits the million mark in sales worldwide

Today LG proudly announced that their multimedia handset LG KM900 Arena exceeded one million units sold around the world, following the steps of the 5 million Cookies and 5 million Viewties spread around the globe.

LG Arena was announced back in February during the MWC 2009 and was released in late April this year. It targeted the multimedia class and its pre-orders and first week sales were very promising (actually LG were touting one million pre-orders and subsequently orders even back then). However it seems that now, four months later, they've finally hit the millionth milestone for real.

While LG gives the credit of Arena's success to the attractive S-Class interface, the Dolby and DivX technologies and the "outstanding" audio and visual experience, it's more likely good marketing more than anything else, if you ask us.

We admit we are fans of the S-class UI and the LG Arena as a whole, but as user reports have it, it's been plagued by several issues concerning poor implementation of features or just plain limitations.

The Dolby sound enhancement may be nice, but the DivX playback capabilities are pretty limited (video resolution and bitrate wise). There are also numerous issues with the integrated GPS receiver and there is hardly an adequate Java SatNav software available.

And finally, the available third-party applications are not quite optimized for the LG Arena high-res touchscreen display and most of the times you get low resolution output and unwieldy on-screen controls that offer average user-friendliness.

LG Arena sold in one million units in 53 countries across the globe and we bet its success is far from ending. If LG continue their good marketing strategy and put their foot down to the metal with their upcoming AppStore, we are sure that the KM900 Arena will join the LG Cookie and LG Viewty on the 5-million podium.

gsmarena

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LG BL40 New Chocolate pictures

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 1900 / 2100
	Announced	2009, August
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, 3Q

Size	Dimensions	128 x 51 x 10.9 mm
	Weight

Display	Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	345 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches
		- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - S-Class Touch UI - Multi-touch input method - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Gesture controls

Sound	Alert types	Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
	Speakerphone	Yes
		- 3.5 mm audio jack - Dolby Mobile sound enhancement

Memory	Phonebook	1000 entries, Photo call
	Call records	Yes
	Internal	1 GB storage
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash) up to 16GB

Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	Yes
	EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
	3G	HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
	WLAN	Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
	Bluetooth	Yes v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0 microUSB

Camera	Primary	5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, Schneider-Kreuznach optics, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	Geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection
	Video	Yes, VGA@30fps
	Secondary	Yes

Features	Messaging	SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, IM
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS; FM transmitter
	Games	Yes
	Colors	Black
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- MP4/DivX/XviD/H.263 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player - 3D image gallery - Document viewer - Organiser - TV out - T9

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 250 h
	Talk time	Up to 3 h 20 min

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LG GB230

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	Announced	2009, May
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, 3Q

SIZE	Dimensions	101.2 x 49.2 x 15.7 mm
	Weight	89 g

DISPLAY	Type	TFT, 256K colors
	Size	176 x 220 pixels, 2.0 inches

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
	Speakerphone	Yes

MEMORY	Phonebook	1000 entries, Photocall
	Call records	40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
	Internal	6 MB
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash), up to 2GB

DATA	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	Yes
	EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
	3G	No
	WLAN	No
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0

CAMERA	Primary	2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels
	Video	Yes, QCIF@15fps
	Secondary	No

FEATURES	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML
	Radio	FM radio with RDS, FM recording, built-in antenna
	Games	Yes
	Colors	Black, Dark Blue
	GPS	No
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- MP3/WAV player - MPEG4/3gp player - Voice memo - Organizer - T9

BATTERY		Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 400 h
	Talk time	Up to 5 h

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