Finally, native English speakers will be able to get their hands on the LG Shine, a phone with a distinctly mirrored finish and high-end features, previously available only in South Korea. Launched today in the United Kingdom, with a media campaign fronted by "Magician" David Blaine, the Shine sports a highly polished screen and a brushed metal finish on the keypad. We were able to get our greasy paws on one during CES 2007 and we can attest to the mirror quality of the display, which remains hidden behind your reflection when not in use.
The 2.5G Shine uses EDGE networks for Web browsing and data transmission. We're still not sure if this phone will make its way to the U.S., but perhaps if it comes stateside LG will bundle UMTS or EV-DO support, as it did for the Shine's cousin, the LG VX8500 Chocolate. Both of those phones are part of LG's fashionable Black Label series. Besides its pretty face, the Shine also has some advanced camera optics, including a name-brand lens from Schneider-Kreuznach, the venerable lens-maker that also creates OEM parts for Kodak and Samsung, and a 2-megapixel sensor. The screen is a 262,000-color QVGA display. The phone will also have some nice music features, including A2DP for stereo Bluetooth headsets and support for MP3 and AAC music files. A microSD slot will store music and pictures.
In our brief hands-on with the phone, we found it to be very attractive, but as fingerprint-prone as can be. The shell is reminiscent of the mirrored back of Apple's larger iPod models. The display phones were not active on local networks, so we couldn't test its capabilities. The scroll bar beneath the screen was pleasant to use, but if your finger slips while opening the slide, you'll smudge the screen for sure. Then it's polish, smudge, repeat.
Specifications
Tri-band GSM/EDGE
2-megapixel camera
262,000-color QVGA screen
A2DP stereo Bluetooth
microSD expansion slot
Measures 4.0 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches
Weighs 4.2 ounces
Price & availability
The LG Shine is available in the UK for free with a contract agreement.
Related phones: LG Black Label phones
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LG VX8500
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Score: 50% When: July 2006 Worth: $50 Carrier: Verizon Wireless
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LG is looking to topple the Apple iPod with its slick VX8500 (a.k.a. the Chocolate). Does this eye-catching slider have what it takes to knock off the Goliath of portable music?
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