Review: LG KE970 Shine
The latest release following on from the LG Chocolate is the LG Shine. The Shine is also a slide open phone is very much for those who are fashion conscious. Unlike the Chocolate the LG Shine does have a conventional keypad and dazzles with light unlike it’s dark and mysterious fellow phone. This is one stunning phone, with it’s shiny stainless steel coating the LCD display turns into a mirror when not being used, is why this phone is called the “Shine”. Having such a coating like this can pick up scratches and fingerprints, so be aware.
The effect of the screen transforming into mirror will have you fascinated for the first week or two of ownership. The display screen lights up when in use but within a few seconds of inactivity it will dim down and will then turn into a mirror. Below the LCD screen is a roller with two buttons. They allow the navigation of the icons on screen when the phone is slid closed. You would have thought that LG would have learned lessons after the problems they had with touch-sensitive pad in the chocolate, as the roller method on the Shine is not one of their better ideas for easier user input. Allocated on the side of the phone is the button for MP3, which allows the use of the music player when the phone is closed. To use the use the conventional keypad of the phone, is to just slide open. The keypad has been found easier to use and has similarities to that of the Motorola RAZR from the ultra-slim series of phone’s.
The Shine doesn’t appear to missing any features on this phone. The camera is of 2 mega-pixels and has a Schneider Kreuzmach lens. Ok there are phones out there on the market that have better mega-pixels for the camera, but the Shine produce great quality photo’s. The camera has an LED light for in the dark photography and does have auto-focus. The Shine also has a video camera. Being a TFT screen with 262,000 colours and with 240x320 pixels the display is of high quality. Now back to the MP3 player, and this does support a wide range of formats including; MP3, AAC, AAC+ and AAC++. There is the option of a stereo Bluetooth® headset plus a stereo headset that is supplied with the phone. The LG does support the use of a MicroSD™ memory card which holds 2Gbytes of memory allowing a mass storage for your music. This phone could quite easily replace the use of an iPod. A fast EDGE connection is supported for downloading data and Flight Mode for allowing the use of the multimedia functions when the phone is connected to a network. The battery life of the Shine will be roughly a couple of days with normal use.
To summarise, there are some issues with the LG Shine. It’s shiny stainless steel body will scratch easily and fingerprints are like a magnet to it. The screen is quite difficult to see in the sunlight. The reception appears to be lower than the average and it’s volume seems to be too low. Some users have complained about the phone just shutting down and refusing to turn back on, but this is rare. If this does happen to you it would be wise to try taking the battery out, putting it back in and trying again. If the problem still occurs take it back to shop and simply ask for a replacement. Having said all that, the Shine’s fist impressions when handling are that of a stylish, durable, quality phone. The LG Shine looks stunning but again like the LG Chocolate it is not the most user friendly. Alternative phones worth taking into consideration are; the LG Chocolate, 7390, 7373, Samsung E900 and the Motorola RIZR Z3.
Specification: LG KE970 Shine
- 2 megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach lens, flash autofocus and 2x digital zoom
- Video recorder
- Display: TFT, 320 x 240 pixels, 262,000 colours
- MP3, AAC and AAC+ ringtones (40 voice polyphonic)
- Stereo music player (MP3, AAC, AAC+ and AAC++ file formats)
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, EMS and Email
- 3D Java games
- Document Viewer (.ppt, .doc, .pdf, .xls and .txt files)
- Flight Mode
- Caller ID (video / photo)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth® 1.2, USB
- Memory: MicroSD™ memory card (up to 2 Gbytes)
- Triband
- Size: 100 x 51 x 14 mm
- Battery standby: 280 hours
- Weight: 119g
Consumer Reviews: LG KE970 Shine
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 O2 1200 - 18 Months |
1200 minutes per month |
500 texts per month |
18 month contract length |
£45 |
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O2 3000 - 18 Months |
3000 minutes per month |
500 texts per month |
18 month contract length |
£75 |
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O2 400 - 18 Months |
400 minutes per month |
500 texts per month |
18 month contract length |
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