LG 8360 3G Phone Review

While LG can be commended for igniting people’s interest in 3G, with the launch of the compact U8110 handset back in June last year, the South Korean company didn’t really build on this promise.

Admittedly, other models in the 8100 and 8200 series sold well enough, but these handsets just seemed to be adequate clones of the original clamshell mould. Prosaic in design, the phones lacked certain features (Bluetooth, a powerful camera and expandable memory) to really rival the big boys. With stylish handsets like the Samsung Z500 and Sony Ericsson K600 enticing punters to sample the virtues of 3G, it’s time for LG to step up and show us what it’s really got to offer.

The manufacturer’s new flagship model, the U8360, is, disappointingly, just another LG by numbers. Sure, it has the feature set we’ve been hollering for – Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera and TransFlash card slot – but yet again the design lacks serious imagination. The U8360 is another archetypal LG clamshell complete with a tube-hinge swivel camera and hideous protruding antenna. It’s Groundhog Day for phones.

Compared to its predecessors, the U8360 is more squat in size and a tad squarer jawed. It is still quite pocketable (although this is slightly hampered by the aerial) with a solid build. There’s nothing flash about the front fascia and until you flip it open, the whole phone is pretty uninspiring.

One thing that LG does get right is its keypads. Not only are they nicely spaced and convenient to operate but they have shortcuts galore. The U8360 is no exception. Dedicated buttons for the menu, Today on 3 portal, and video calling compliment the four-way navigation pad, which also gives access to contacts, messaging, profiles and a quick menu to specific content on the portal. Most services and features are just a button away, and the two-inch screen is more than adequate to handle video footage but doesn’t really rival the likes of the Z500 and Sharp 903 for sharpness and clarity.

LG’s army of handsets has always provided a competent 3G performance and more recent models have had Windows Media Player embedded for playback of all multimedia content. 3’s strong 3G signal means video streaming is smooth, and with the help of a sound buffering mechanism, footage like Premiership highlights are rendered coherently. You will experience some digital noise but really it couldn’t be faulted. However, download the footy action and you will receive a more polished performance. One sticking point is the playback of music videos through the Media Player. Occasionally, instead of filling the whole screen (like the footy and film trailers), videos appear in a narrow widescreen strip across the display. Unless the footage features close-ups, it can be hard to distinguish what’s going on. However, the substantial front-loaded speaker means video audio like commentary and film dialogue can be enjoyed without headphones, although music is best sampled using the supplied stereo earphones.

Music playback is also mainlined through the Media Player and you can now download full tracks via 3’s fledgling library. These tracks reach your handset in the WMA format and cost £1.50 a pop. We purchased a range of tunes from the portal, which encompasses rock, pop and dance genres. Sadly, the U8360 doesn’t offer any sound enhancements to boost the tunes so, while the quality is more than capable, the songs lack any depth or warmth. At times they even sound a little faint and you will have to whack up the volume to eke out the finest fidelity.

The U8360 flaunts a rotating 1.3-megapixel camera with the lens doubling up for photography and video calling. We made a video call to our 3G phone of the year, the Sony Ericsson V800, and the results were impressive. You still get the pixelated mug shot but as long as you keep movement to a minimum you can still enjoy a decent conversation. Again, we recommend using the headphones to clearly hear what your recipient is saying.

As a still photographer, the U8360 is moderate. The photos come in 1280x960-pixel resolution but the lens finds it hard to focus. While not completely ruined by the fuzz, if you’re looking to print them, you’ll find isolated patches of blur. Colour presentation lacks impact too and the snaps can appear a little sallow and washed out at times. The camera also overblows highlights. Similarly, the video recording facility isn’t the most perceptive, suffering from digital drag and posterization.

We expected more from LG but the fact is the U8360 remains the workhorse of the 3G fraternity. Its stale design doesn’t do it any favours. When you have handsets like the Z500 and K600 why would you turn to the U8360 for 3G shenanigans? The only plus point is that the handset arrives on 3, which still has the best 3G reception and coverage of all the networks. But is that enough to sway you?

This review covers the above mobile phone only and does not address the performance of any 3G Network. The score is based on a 3G mobile phone checklist.

Copyright : You are advised that this material is the copyright of www.3G.co.uk and is our own personal view only. (C) All rights reserved 2005. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this review, the author nor 3Gcouk cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of the information it contains, or any consequence arising from it.