Overview:
As far as touch screen phones go, there really is no beating the popularity of Apple’s iPhone. But what if you want this interface with a decent camera, cut and paste function, MMS, FM radio, and a landscape Qwerty keypad? These features come standard with the LG Arena KM900, but are they enough to beat the iPhone at it’s own game? Let’s find out.
Review:
The LG Arena KM900 is due to hit shops in Britain this weekend. On the face of it, this phone looks like LG’s version of the iPhone, so all natural comparisons will be between the two. Big shoes to fill.
We attended a bloggers evening last night where representatives from LG, Dolby and DivX detailed the pros and cons (mainly pros of course!) of the Arena, and it was an interesting experience, mainly because I went in there with the preconception that the phone was never going to live up to the iPhone hype- so why try to enter the touchscreen market?
After playing with the handset’s interface and seeing its differences in design compared to the iPhone, I confess I’ve become a bit of a convert and can see for the first time why LG have ventured into this territory.
Firstly, let’s take a look at what you get out of the box.
LG have tried to make the Arena stand apart from its Apple foe by making it noticeably smaller (but not thinner) and giving it a 3D cube interface which you can rotate to access your shortcuts, multimedia, contacts and widgets.
The main reason the LG Arena stands out from other touch screen devices currently on the market is that its packed full of features, and this is why you should sit up and take note of this handset.
The Arena comes with a 5 mega-pixel camera which is very decent. The previous LG release, the LG Renoir did come with an 8 mega-pixel camera, but LG have said that they are looking to give consumers a choice between the two, instead of insisting on 8 mega-pixels for all handsets here on in.
Still, the camera on this phone does its job well. I took a few photos around the office and have to say that our desk-tidies turned out sharply and the detail that came out in a close-up of our 1980s carpet was enough to warrant me to request an immediate shampoo of the entire floor.
The camera has the much needed Auto-Focus for drunken pub shots, and an LED photo light so you can be sure to take bright and clear photos whatever the time of day. There is a noticeable delay between the shutter sound and the photo actually being taken, so you do need to get your mates to hold their pose for a couple of seconds more than they think they do.
There is also 4x zoom, face tracking, image stabiliser and continuous shot so you’ve basically got everything you need to capture some quality holiday snaps.
Another great feature is being able to edit your photos and movies directly on the handset itself. This really makes the camera and video recorder extremely user-friendly and LG have left no creative stone unturned.
What is pretty cool is that it comes with a secondary camera for video calls and for taking self-portraits, which can be handy if there’s no mirror around, but I can’t imagine using it everyday. Still, it’s nice to have the option to speak face-to-face with someone who has a similar video-calling function.
The camera will also take clear video in DVD quality. Again, taking a tour of the office, I was impressed at how clear the capture was, even when making the transition between dark offices and light windows.
Playback was truly commendable on the handset’s high-res 3 inch, WVGA screen that aims to resemble a widescreen TV. In miniature. The phone will also support MPEG and DivX video.
DivX allows you to download different movies to playback on this handset which is a great feature for those who travel a lot. LG have even gone a step further by providing Dobly Mobile in an attempt to give a cinema-like experience.
With 8GB of memory and a MicroSD memory card support of up to a huge 32GB, you can actually afford to store your movie clips and photos and keep them with you wherever you go, instead of having to incessantly upload everything to your computer.
This memory also obviously comes in handy for storing your music. Again, you have Dolby Mobile providing your sound which does make a noticeable difference. There is differentiation between bass, mid-range and treble which is impressive on a mobile phone.
There is (thankfully) a 3.5mm headphone jack allowing you to hook up your really good headphones to try to soak up the full experience of Kings of Leon.
Formats supported include MP3, AAC, RA and WMA. There is also an FM radio which is perfect for when you can’t stand to listen to that CD again.
To connect to the internet, the Arena has HSDPA, Wi-Fi, EDGE and GPRS connectivity, and is pretty fast with finding a connection and holding onto it.
The phone also comes with Google Mobile which gives you easy access to Google features such as Google Maps and GMail. There is also the opportunity to directly upload to YouTube, which is a nice link up to the excellent camera on this handset.
To help usability and fat fingers, the Arena has a multitouch zoom function which will increase or decrease the size of links and make them easier to tap.
This handset doesn’t come with a stylus, so you’re reliant on your digits for accuracy. To be honest, I’m not a stylus fan as it’s just one more thing to lose, but it does have the benefit of consistent accuracy on its side.
Typing out a message is quick. Really quick, like a ye olde button phone and it’s surprisingly easy to be accurate. The option of a landscape QWERTY keyboard is a big help with getting to your desired letter, and overall screen responsiveness is really fast.
This phone will be available around the £35 mark on an 18-month plan. It will be released on Orange (the network) in black (the colour) and on T-Mobile in silver.
For more info, check out the LG website.
The Gaj-It Verdict:
Design: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Features: 10/10
Value: 8/10
We Say:
It’s not an iPhone killer, but it is an alternative. With so many more features than the iPhone, the LG Arena does have the capacity to stand out and make a name for itself. LG’s partnerships with Dolby and DivX make this a high quality handset and the camera is something the company should be proud of. If the user interface were a bit more snappy then life would really be good.
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4 thoughts on “Review: LG Arena KM900 phone. Puts the Multi in Multimedia.”
LG Arena is an excellent phone. Screen is wonderful, very responsive to touch. The only problem is with the divx, since often it doesn’t work.
I love this fone have had two of this fone on orange love the featured edit softwere have made so many good pictures for web cam design and pictures.