LG KG800 (CHOCOLATE) REVIEW

The LG KG800 is LG’s flagship model for 2006 and is easy to see why. With stunning looks, it’s bound to turn a few heads and is the very reason there has been high anticipation for this product prior to release. When originally released in its homeland in Korea the handset was infused with the scent of chocolate, which led it to gaining the nickname “The Chocolate.” Unfortunately all other handsets marketed outside of Korea didn’t retain the smell but the nickname still stands. This review aims to see if the initial hype surrounding the LG was merited or was just all hot air.

DESIGN

The striking design of the KG800 grabs your attention immediately. It’s extremely slick and the slightly mirrored black finish reflects the light beautifully. The shape is quite exquisite to view and practicalities of if it are experienced when the handset’s held. This is due to the dimensions of the phone (48 x 95 x 15.2 mm) which are reminiscent of a bar of chocolate (another reason for the nickname) and when held in most hands it has a comfortable feel to it. Due to the keypad being concealed and the handset having touch sensitive controls the handset has a very smooth and sleek appearance to it. The downside is that the body can become slightly grubby but if the suede pouch supplied is used it does act as some form of cleaning tool, so not to worry. The style definitely has unisex appeal to it and with a probable range of colours in the future ladies should be happy as long as one of them is pink. Weighing in at 83g the handset is lighter than average and this was apparent to me. My preference is however for a slightly heavier handset and other members in the Phones.com team felt that it wouldn’t be an issue for most.

The slider mechanism of the phone operates smoothly and easily, but wouldn’t be described as being in the same league as the Nokia 8800. The screen is sized at 2 inches diagonally and has a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels displaying 256,000 colours, which essentially leads to a reasonable screen displaying things to an adequate level. In daylight viewing the screen can be difficult and when the backlight has dimmed it’s difficult to see no matter what conditions are. An option to extend the time the backlight stays active for and brightness controls have been included and are needed additions.

One negative aspect that was noted of the design was that the battery of the handset was prone to falling off if the handset was dropped. This could be quite a drastic problem if occurring outside as any contact between water and the battery contacts could damage the phone. It was also found that when the phone was against your ear some of the touch sensitive controls could trigger unwanted actions even though it’s been stated that this couldn’t occur. The numeric keypad was slightly slippery, but keys were well sized and clearly separated. The chequered effect for the keypad was original and attractive and some keys having a matt finish and some a glossy one was an inventive touch.

Navigation through the handset is achieved by the touch sensitive keypad, laid out in a square which is one of the handsets most identifiable features. The response time of the touch sensitive pad is extremely quick, but slightly sensitive even at the lowest setting. Luckily the touch sensitive pad is deactivated when the slider is closed, so the phone won’t start operating in your handbag or pocket. The keypad layout is slightly confusing initially and there were times when I redialled the previous call by accident. After becoming accustomed to the handset this problem isn’t really evident and the introduction of the touch sensitive keypad is always going to require some care and attention.

The remaining keys on the face of the phone are two soft keys, a talk button, and a clear key. The on/off button is situated on the right hand of the spine and I forgot it was there at times as it isn’t a natural position for this type of function. This is joined by the Mp3/ camera shortcut key and the headphone/charging socket; a dedicated volume key is on the left spine. The camera lens, flash and self portrait mirror are situated on the back of the slider so pictures can’t be taken whilst this is down. The remote control includes all the basic controls and the ability to connect your own headphones via the 3.5mm connection was an excellent addition.

Overall mark 8 out of 10