Camera Phones Plaza

It seems that the Verizon’s version of the Chocolate Clamshell will not be the same (design wise) to its GSM counterpart, KG810 / MG810, we have already showed (see the images below).Thanks to the first real live photos presented by phoneArena of the VX8600 we can see that its keypad will not have the “chocolate-styled” keys in two shades of gray but an ordinary flat keypad; also the D-pad is not circle one, but in a rectangular form.

On the outside, it seems that the VX-8600 will have a bigger external display than the one used in KG810 and we are not sure if it will feature “the Chocolate” touch keys, dedicated to the music player. The branding on the phone clearly shows the carrier – Verizon Wireless again.

The Chocolate Folder / LG VX-8600 is expected to launch with Verizon later this year.

Via phoneArena.

Rarely have we seen a slim phone which leaves such an admirable first impression. The elegantly designed LG KG320 is a handset which doesn't compromise on ergonomics in order to achieve a slimmer form factor, resulting in the inclusion of a high-quality keypad and an excellent display in a wafer-thin form factor.

Advanced functionality is expectedly absent, however, given it's modest battery life. A 1.3 megapixel camera and a useless music player without memory expansion is as good as it gets.The LG KG320 is available in several European markets as of mid-August 2006, selling in the €325 range without subscription.

Features:
- 1.3 megapixel camera, 1280x960 pixels, video, flash
- Java MIDP 2.0, MP3 player, T9, Organiser
- 128 MB shared memory
- Bluetooth 1.0 connectivity with dial-up networking and headset support

Via infosyncworld.

This is the LG music phone - the U400. As with many LG phones, it's firmly ingratiated with 3, featuring the 3 Player (their MP3 player interface). LG see it as a contemporary for the Sony Ericsson Walkman range, and since they've brought out the W850i it can't differentiate itself based on its 3G capabilities.

It's a slider phone which features the MP3 player controls on the front of the handset, as well as call answer and reject buttons. The numbered keypad is revealed when you slide it open.

Basically a music phone, the LG U400 is also equipped with a 2 megapixel camera. However, it doesn't have any zoom or autofocus built in. You do get the feeling that LG concentrated so hard on the music part of the phone that everthing else kind of fell by the wayside. This is particularly obvious when you try to write messages, find contacts or any of that phone type stuff - there aren't the familiar soft keys that we've quickly become to depend on.

However, at the music part, the LG U400 is excellent. Because the MP3 controls are on the front of the handset, the U400 successfully stakes its claim as a true phone/MP3 hybrid. It's got an internal memory of 70MB, and a MiniSD slot which can expend it by a further 1GB. In total this will hold about 500 songs, which doesn't make it the biggest out there, but will be adequate for many people out there. It's bundled with a 512MB memory card to get you started.

Vodafone subscribers can soon see the LG L600V 3G Music Phone on the shelf. The LG L600V is a 3G phone, support video call through the photo camera. Featuring a very light body, the clam shell phone is only 67.5 grams according to mobile-review. At the front of the display LCD, it has music player hot key, let you control the music player without opening the clamshell. Music files can be transferred from your PC via the USB connection. You can also use the microSD card to expand the file storage space.

Via mobile-review.

>LG gave further indications as to when we can expect the new coloured versions of the popular Chocolate phone, as well as previewing two new editions when I met them this week.

<-234x60 Half Banner - left->I saw the two new 'premium' versions - gold and platinum. These look the same as the classic version, but with a thin gold or silver strip running through the middle, with Gold/Platinum inscribed on it. Looks wise, they reminded me slightly of a packet of cigarettes, but the kind that might tempt a non-smoker to take it up. Besides this, the main enhancement is the inclusion of a 2 megapixel camera with light, where the previous model only had 1.3 megapixels. These are expected to arrive with us mid-November, making them prime Christmas list fodder. They'll come at a similar price to the classic version, which was free on many networks with a £35ish contract.

Further to that, I got a proper look at the pink and white versions, both coming soon. The white version is designed to feel like an iPod Nano, with the same sheen to the paint and silver edging. n fact, it's one of the more successful imitations, as the size and build quality of the phone lends itself well to it. Weirdly, when you first pick it up it feels thicker than the 'classic' Chocolate. This provokes several minutes of looking at the two side by side from every possible angle, only to discover that in fact, they're exactly the same size. It just goes to prove that black is most definitely slimming. This is going to be available in the next 10 days, and in all likelihood, by next Friday (11th). Carphone Warehouse have a two week exclusivity deal, after which it's expected to be everywhere.

The pink version is the hot pink we're all used to from the Motorola RAZR, with the same red glowing buttons we expect from the classic Chocolate. Despite pink and red clashing no doubt it'll be a huge seller. LG expect this to be THE pre-pay handset at Christmas time, when it's expected to retail at about £150. The official launch will be in October, available on both pre-pay and contract.

Via TechDigest.