14 DAY TRIAL // There is a variety of situations and a large number of people that would make out of an entry-level handset just the best device for taking care of their communication needs. LG KG275 is simply going back to basics, to the times when having a color display screen on your mobile phone was still a big thing. Demands have changed since then, though making this device an entry-level on the present-day market, capable of taking care only of the lowest and least soliciting mobile phone needs to come from the user.
Not at all surprising, the handset has failed in stirring any waves and made a quiet entrance on the mobile phone market. Still, LG has considered it worth the trouble to partner with the Asian company True Move in order to launch back in May a promotion called "Buy LG KG275 and Get a Free TrueMove Pre Pay SIM", when the company offered this phone for the price of 40 bucks. Orange has also included it in its offer, in an exclusive release on the Romanian market for 3 Euros with a contract. Otherwise, the phone can be also found without carrier support, for a price around USD 55.
Design
One feature that will manage to place LG KG275 above other low-end mobile phones capable of similar performances will surely be its design. "The slimmer, the better", current mobile phone producers seem to say and the same goes for LG too referring to this device. There are many people willing to choose one device over another just on account of the fact that it has a more appealing design and a slimmer case.
LG KG275 comes in some extremely comfortable sizes, to the delight of those who love small mobile phones. Its dimensions of 98.0 x 45.0 x 12.9 mm and weight (60 grams including battery) make it one incredibly small and light handset. Producers have gotten us used to putting large price tags on their slender handsets, which makes it even more appealing to see this one come at such a cheap price.
The main reason for the slimness of this mobile phone could also be the fact that it really needed little space for packing all the low-end technology. Its sizes are great, but, leaving them aside, all we have left is a plain, certainly unappealing handset design. The black, plastic case makes it look just how it really is: cheap and common. It leverages simplicity to the maximum and goes with the classic look, which is safe with handset users of any age ranges. The candybar form works great for this device, giving it some amount of style, especially due to the lack of any curved shapes. Unfortunately, the plastic case takes away most of its elegance and good looks.
The greatest advantage about this slim light case that LG decided to go ahead in using is the fact that the phone is almost immaterial when carried around in a pocket. There's no weight, no bulky form to make its presence annoying, which makes LG KG275 an extremely comfortable device to use.
The keypad has large buttons that nobody could miss and a thin case that still does not leave the impression that the phone could break in two if a small pressure were to be applied on it. The buttons are made of a hard rubber that feels highly uncomfortable when used. It's probably too hard, as the fingers get tired after a while if one writes long text messages or intensely browses through the handset's menu.
Display and Camera
LG KG275 has a 1.5 inch 65k color TFT display screen capable of supporting the resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. That is one of the most basic performances, as one step backwards on the display evolution scale might have sent the device back to monocrome. Sure, it leaves the user an impression of being crammed in a small box, especially if accustomed to a more evolved one, but it considerably cuts down on the handset's price.
There is no camera, that's a clear thing. No problem in that, as some people never actually use this feature in their mobile phones, although they pay a considerable extra amount of money for it at purchase. As a result, the handset's case is slimmer and the price considerably lower.
Menu and Software
One pleasant surprise about LG KG275 is that it comes with an extremely easy to use menu. The main reason for this can very well be considered the fact that there are few things that this device can do, thus few fields to browse through. The user can easily customize it and set all his favorite shortcuts on the right side of the main interface.
Other than that, the menu's fields follow the classic pattern, with little surprises. One of them would surely be the fact that LG KG275 has no games included. Even the most low-end mobile phone manages to bring some sort of games, which gives this one a major drawback. The user can also set an alarm and schedule it to be active for a specific day, Monday to Friday or every day. Only three such alarms can be set, but that's just enough for waking up in the morning and remembering to do specific tasks at certain times during the day. If more than three are needed, then an organizer will probably suit the user a great deal better.
Another unpleasant surprise will come from the huge amount of time that it takes for this mobile phone to respond to commands. It gets around the menu just fine, but, when it comes to searching for a specific phone number in the contact list, it lags, leaving you waiting until it switches to the next letter. This will be seriously annoying especially when in a great hurry, a situation that often occurs for many mobile phone users.
LG KG275 has little to offer in terms of applications. That shouldn't come as a surprise, especially now that we have found out it does not even support games. It does pack some useful tools that you can find on pretty much any handset out there, even on the oldest models. This phone brings a Calculator, a Stopwatch, a Unit Converter and a World Clock for 65 different cities. Still not impressed? Add a Calendar and Memo that will blow your mind away. Not really.
Communication
This mobile phone works in the dual band GSM 900/1800 network. Other than placing calls, the user can only choose to send SMS messages, as there can be no chance of MMS or other more evolved solutions. The signal reception is quite good. It still has the sharp sounds that some people might consider to be annoying, but the sound is pretty clear. That's great news, especially when taking into account the fact that this phone's main purpose is that of placing calls.
Multimedia
There are only three wallpapers and 10 ringtones and no one should expect them to be anything impressive. Moreover, there is no chance of increasing their number, as this handset supports neither MMS messages, nor infrared transfers. That's a major drawback, which basically means that this device will remain just as the user buys it, with little possibilities for personalization.
LG KG275 also has an external speaker that looks quite outdated. Needless to say, it sounds terrible, with squeaky high notes that could annoy even the most patient of users. That is nothing that one couldn't grow accustomed to as far as hearing is concerned, but just difficult to bear at the beginning. For someone who has never owned a mobile phone before this one, it should present no problem, just as it could also be the case with all other drawbacks.
Battery
LG KG275 has a Li-Ion, 750mAh battery that lasts incredibly long. The main reason for this could be that there is nothing else, other than conversation time, to drain the life out of it. No games, no multimedia, no applications and small display. This means that the owner will use the handset only scarcely and save the battery's life. Specifications show that it is capable of supporting 2.5 hours of talk time and 250 hours in standby mode. That is an incredibly low performance that will bring pleasant surprises when the handset is actually used.
Impressions
There is surely an audience out there that will consider LG KG275 to be the answer to all its communication needs. The average selling price per handset unit has slightly gone down for most handset producers over the past financial quarter, which shows that cheaper, even entry-level devices are selling quite well. Such a handset could appeal to those who don't need a mobile phone for anything else other than communicating and especially not for showing off. The easy to use menu and large buttons could appeal to the elderly customers. It even has the classic, plain and conservatory look that they usually prefer.
The Good
By far, the best feature of LG KG275 is its comfortable sizes. The phone's 12.9 mm in thickness and the light case will surely win some fans. It is fairly unusual to see an entry-level mobile phone capable of bringing a feature that most high-end devices struggle to pack. Of course, this handset's slimness is not capable of breaking any records, but makes this a strong competitor for most of the other devices in its line.
The Bad
We should keep real on this phone. It's an entry-level device, which makes its specification list be enough for filling a long list of drawbacks. Thinking in terms of what other devices from its class are capable of offering, LG KG275 proves to be more interesting than expected.
Still, one problem that can be felt at all times is that the hard keypad buttons have what it takes to help the user develop, in time, some sexy thumb muscles, if that's by any terms possible. Another major disappointment on this device will surely be that it lacks any games, as this feature is not too much to ask, even from a low-end device. We could add the sound quality, display, low response to commands, but that could mean that we are getting fastidious and asking for the impossible from a phone within such a small price range.
Sales package
LG KG275 JuMong Battery Li-Ion 750mAh Charger Stereo wired headset
Photo: Tudor Raiciu for Softpedia.com