LG Cellular Phones

LG Cell Phones

As an affiliate of the larger LG Group, LG Electronics produces a wide range of electronic gizmos and gadgets, including some rather nifty cellular phones. Although many may think that LG stands for "Life's Good", the company's slogan, it actually stands for Lucky-Goldstar, as they were previously known. The "Lucky" brand became synonymous with toothpaste in their home Korea, just as Kleenex has become synonymous with facial tissue here. The average North American is probably more familiar with the "Goldstar" brand, makers of VCRs and other home electronics.

LG is the second largest cell phone maker in Korea, lagging behind only Samsung and ahead of rival Pantech Group. That said, as far as sales and production are concerned, LG is quite a bit away from being in the same league as the giants in the industry Nokia and Motorola.

The Black Label Series: Chocolate Phones

The recently (March 2006) announced flagship line for LG Electronics, the "Chocolate" phones are some of the most attractive handsets on the market. Also known as the Black Label Series, the Chocolate phones feature silky, almost glass-like exteriors and large vibrant displays. Originally released for their home market in Korea, where only CDMA service is provided, the Chocolate Phone is now available in a GSM version as well, in addition to another unit that takes on the clamshell form factor.

Look for a version of the LG Chocolate phone to hit Verizon's lineup within the next month or so, likely with a price tag in the $200-300 range with a two or three-year service agreement.

• KG 800: The GSM version of the original Chocolate phone, the KG 800 retains much the same functionality. According to hands-on users, online photographs of the LG Chocolate phone do not do it justice; it really is that attractive. And it's not the feature set that will sell you on this particular handset, it's the way it looks. But if you must know, it comes with an integrated music player, tri-band (900/1800/1900 MHz) connectivity, and a 1.3 megapixel camera with video and flash.

• KG 810: The flip phone version of the Chocolate phone, the LG KG 810 comes with much the same feature set as its sliding companion, the KG 800. Not yet available on the market, this sweet clamshell was first unveiled in May 2006. In addition to touch-sensitive backlit navigation keys for external music control, the KG 810 features a 1.3 megapixel camera, 128MB of internal memory, Bluetooth 1.2, and an integrated FM radio. Strangely, it does have any expansion slot for additional memory through media cards, restricting its ability to be a true replacement for standalone MP3 players.

CDMA Handsets

• Fusic: Also known as the LX 550, the LG Fusic is a music-centric clamshell with an iPod-like circular navigation pad on the front of the phone. Acting as a low-cost competitor to the Walkman line from Sony Ericsson, the Fusic aims to replace your regular digital audio player and combine it with your daily need to stay connected to the world. Key features on this phone (which is now available through Sprint) include a 1.3 megapixel camera, FM tuner, and Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) support.

• Migo: It doesn't get much more basic than the LG Migo. It doesn't have the usual keypad, opting instead for only four speed dials. Of course, this isn't the phone you want to buy for your teenage son, though it works quite well for the kindergarten-aged set for whom this phone was designed. The bright green exterior lends itself to a toy-like look, and at $50 (with service agreement), it's pretty cheap.

• LG 8100: As one of only two phones in Telus Mobility's lineup to be compatible with their XM Satellite radio service (the Samsung A950 being the other), the LG 8100 is a fairly standard looking flip phone with its protruding antenna, prominently featured 1.3 megapixel camera, integrated MP3 and video player (including the ability to use Telus' Mobile TV service), and EV-DO 3G high-speed data.

GSM Mobile Phones

• U400: One of the most attractive phones in LG's GSM lineup (with the notable exception of the aforementioned "Chocolate" KG800, of course), the LG U400 is a sleek slider phone that comes jam packed with some very juicy selling points. Some of the features found on this phone include a bright blue LED directional pad, UMTS high speed data, polyphonic ringtones, music/video player, microSD expansion, Bluetooth, and a pair of integrated cameras (a primary 2MP, and a secondary VGA for video calls).

• KG 225: With a look that is clearly reminiscent of the Motorola PEBL U6, the KG 225 is a very round flip phone with no overly exciting specifications. The camera is merely a VGA (640x480 pixels) unit, there is no Bluetooth or integrated media player, and it an only handle polyphonic ringtones (no "RealTonz" or MP3 ringtones here). This is just about as entry-level as it gets.

Comment on LG Cellular Phones

(Displayed with your comment)                        (Will not be displayed)

Verification Code: