LG KC550 Orsay Review
Phone rating:
In a nutshell: The LG Orsay is the first mid-range phone to
feature a 5 megapixel camera. In addition to outstanding photo and video
capabilities, it also has a music player, FM radio, Wii-style games
and Bluetooth. However, some may find it too large and heavy, and its
internal memory is small, although it does support memory cards up to
4 GB. Becuause of poor reliability, we'd advise you to pick another
phone instead - maybe the LG Cookie or the
KC780.
Review: August 2008. Updated April 2009.
Although at first glance it looks like one of the new generation of
touchscreen phones from LG, the Orsay is in fact a standard slide phone,
with a conventional keypad. Although it hasn't attracted the same kind
of attention as some phones, the Orsay is an interesting phone, as its
the cheapest 5 megapixel phone currently available - in fact it's the
first 5 megapixel phone that we would classify as "mid-range".
In the £200+ price range, 5 megapixels has become the standard,
but we're very impressed that LG have been able to deliver such a high
quality camera in a phone that's priced at much less than £200.
The camera features a Schneider-Kreuznach lens, autofocus, image stabiliser
and a macro feature for close-ups. Although it lacks a xenon flash,
it does have a powerful LED flash. The video recording capabilities
of the camera are impressive too, with a DVD-like resolution of 720
x 480 pixels.
The display is outstanding too. The resolution of 240 x 320 pixels
is standard, however at 2.4 inches across, the Orsay's screen is significantly
larger than most slide phones. Physically the phone is quite large and
heavy - probably too large and heavy for some people. The keypad works
very well, although we have to say that we don't like the joystick.
Navigation keys would have been a less clumsy solution, and we are worried
about the durability of the joystick.
The Orsay is also equipped with a music player and FM radio. Its memory
is very limited however, at just 12 Mbytes, so you won't be able to
store more than a handful of music tracks in memory. For that, you'll
have to buy a microSD memory card, and fortunately the Orsay can take
cards up to 4 Gbytes capacity, giving enough room to store around 1,000
songs. You can use MP3 tracks as ringtones too.
The Orsay features an auto-rotate function, so it will automatically
rotate photos from portrait to landscape mode when you turn the phone.
The motion sensor also lets you play Wii-style games, such as fishing
or moving through a maze.
Connectivity is good, with both Bluetooth and USB available. The Orsay
isn't a 3G phone, but you can still browse the web using GPRS or EDGE,
and the large screen makes for a decent mobile internet experience.
Battery life seems to be excellent, and frankly you'd hope that it
would be, given the size and weight of the phone.
In summary, the Orsay is a well specified mid-range phone with an outstanding
camera. On the negative side it's rather large and heavy, we dislike
the joystick, and the memory is very small.
However, we have to say that as these phones age they seem to become
very unreliable. Problems reported by our users include random freezing,
switching off, screen problems and terminal failure. A phone that barely
lasts 9 months can hardly be considered as good value, however cheap
it was initially, so we'd advise you to avoid this one.
Features of the LG KC550 Orsay include:
- 5 megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach lens, autofocus, image
stabiliser and Power LED flash
- Video recording (MPEG4, 720 x 480 pixels, 30 frames/second)
- Display: TFT LCD, 262k colours, 240 x 320 pixels (2.4 inches)
- Music player (MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC++/WMA formats)
- FM radio
- Speakerphone
- Voice recording
- Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
- T9 predictive text
- Document viewer (TXT, PDF, DOC, PPT, XLS)
- Ringtones: 64 voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
- Wallpaper
- Java 2.0 games with motion sensor controls
- Internet: WAP 2.0, GPRS Class 10, EDGE, Google search
- Connectivity: USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.0
- Memory: 12 Mbytes plus microSD memory card slot (up to 4 Gbytes)
- Vibration alert
- Triband (GSM 900/1800/1900)
- Size: 97 x 51 x 15 mm
- Weight: 110g
- Talktime: 6 hours
- Battery standby: 450 hours
LG KC550 Orsay User Reviews
Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
language, and please, no advertising!
Average rating from 101 reviews:
Reviewed by De from England on 14th Apr 2012
I have had this phone for some time and always found it reliable. The
reason I am moving on is solely to upgrade to another LG phone. This
phone is great for somebody who doesn't want too many things on it.
A simple to use phone
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Reviewed by Johnny Mango from Mexico on 14th Apr
2009
I really liked the phone at first too - lots of cool games and features.
That said, I have also fallen victim to the screen problems - at first
it was just blank, then sometimes when I switch it on the screen goes
completely upside down, or show in negative. The worst is, the shop
where I bought it are referring me directly to the manufacturer to have
it fixed or replaced. What a massive pain in the rear.
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Reviewed by kim from England on 30th Mar 2009
This phone is the worst i have had in my life, when i slide the screen
up it goes negative and then after 30 seconds the screen crashes and
goes blue and the phone still works but the screen doesn't. I suggest
you do not buy this phone as it might do the same.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Hannah from England. on 28th Mar 2009
i have had this phone for only 3 months and i have experienced, my camera
shutter only half shutting, but after a while it closed and i have had
no more problems with it. Until thursday i had my display screen flip
round, it was up side down, and didn't change. It then flipped back
to the right way, but then my background went from being normal colours,
to negative and then to sepia.. it then flipped back up side down. It
had done this until friday when i thought it was back to normal. I was
out and needed my phone for a communication between friends, until my
phone cut out durng a call, i turned it back on, and the normal black
& blue start up screen was green & white, i turned it back off and it
came up with a pink & white start up logo. I replaced my battery and
this still continued to happen. It finally allowed me to my pin code
and when entering it, it came back to the normal colours, until i got
back onto my display, It went negative, sepia & then the screen went
a dark blue, it was clear it hadn't turned off because the buttons were
still lit up. My mums ringing virgin and im not happy. Im left without
a phone again following my last 4 sony's. Its a rubbish phone because
of what its doing. If you want something that doesnt break easily then
this isn't the phone for you. And im unhappy about even giving it a
1 star!!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by eve from england on 27th Mar 2009
this is a very good phone. it has a good camera, but its not as good
as my old sony ericsson, but that was a 3.2megapixel cybershot. it is
very stylish:) i would definatley reccomend getting a memory card, because
it will allow you to get some good songs and ringtones and take lots
of pictures. it looks good and feels good. i would reccomend it!
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Reviewed by lewis from egland on 24th Mar 2009
i think it is amazing phone by leis
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Reviewed by Steven from North Wales on 16th Mar
2009
Bought the LG KC550 as an emergency replacement. It looks and feels
good - 5 mega pixel camera is fabulous. It is a very easy phone to use
and I like it a lot. Will hopefully last a long time!
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Reviewed by mystery from United Kindom on 16th
Mar 2009
i have just bought the LG KC550 just last week and i think it is a great
phone if you are a photograph taker as the camera is really impressive
quality. It is great for personalizing as you can change the font, the
colour, the slide tones and everything! the motion sensor games are
also pretty cool. the only thing is that unless you dont want loads
of songs or photos the memory on this phone is poor but it can be helped
with a memory card. Overall i think it is smart and very cool! 4 stars!
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Reviewed by w.r.pursglove from england on 14th
Mar 2009
my lg kc550 occasionally freezes when shutting down thus forcing removal
of the battery,there is also a fault with the phones ability to read
off the external memory,other then that nice phone.
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Reviewed by Sandy from UK on 13th Mar 2009
I bought this phone today from Tesco but the speaker seems to be faulty.
I can't hear anyone when making calls even with the volume turned up
to the max. I can't be taking all calls on speaker phone so i will be
exchanging it for another on tomorrow.l I think it's a great phone so
i'm going to swap it for another one.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by ibzy from uk on 13th Mar 2009
such a cool phone i dont care wat pther people say it has everything
u need. it has wii like games on wallpaper and much more buy it it wont
let u down
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Reviewed by Azar from UK on 12th Mar 2009
I had this phone for just a day, after only making one phone call, it
switched itself off. I could not switched it back on again, it had to
be sent back. Very disappointing. However I liked some of it's featurs
and may just try a second one before giving up on it.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by James from Wales on 6th Mar 2009
First phone faulty, Second phone faulty, need I say more. Would have
been an excelent phone but for the faults!!!!
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Reviewed by BBell from England on 4th Mar 2009
I can't believesome of the reviews i have read. I have had my phone
for a few weeks now and i think it is brilliant. Its stylish and professional
looking, also affordable. I bought it from tesco and will not be buying
a new one for some time. I suggest you buy it, you wont regret it.
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Reviewed by Tasha from England on 4th Mar 2009
I have recently perchesed this phone and i think its amaing. Yes it
may be big but big phones make you look in the dosh. It meets all my
need for a phone and the games are good pass-timers. Thinking of a flash
phone? Forgett the SHINE(which i have had) and look for the ORSAY!!
3 cheres x
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Reviewed by Josh from England on 26th Feb 2009
The phone is amazing but it is a slight pitty about the joiystick :(
But there are more positive things then there are negative :)
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Reviewed by Katie Warneck from United Kingdom on
25th Feb 2009
best phone ive ever had...after numerous nokias all havin faults i vowed
not to buy nokia ever again...so got the lg..and i love it
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Reviewed by Barry from UK on 24th Feb 2009
First Orsay I had in August refused to recognise the external memory
got it exchanged. This phone switches itself off randomly is showing
a date of 33/83/2008 and will not let me edit this to what it should
be. The alarm does not ring luckily I woke in time. It has dropped my
personalised ringtones and gone back to default. The camera is good
both for stills and video but as a phone it sucks big time. Have got
a Sony W595 instead. Wish I could give it a negative number of stars.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Char from UK on 23rd Feb 2009
Ive Had This Phone For About 6 Months And The Screen Has Started To
Have Lines Across It And Go Black And Blue, Also When Ive Played A Song
It Switches Its Self Off, Its Also Very Slow At Going On To The Menu.
Had To Send Back For A Different Phone..Very Disappointed In LG.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Candy from UK on 22nd Feb 2009
bought this phone yesterday and it is great so far. it's only the second
day but i love evrything about it especially the camera nd motion sensor
games. it is proffesional, affordable and user freindly. i reccomend
it!! =D
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Reviewed by xoxocuttiee from USA on 21st Feb 2009
I got this phone in pink. I love everything about this phone. Easy to
use and very stylish but I have one question. I've been looking on how
to find the special character in texting mode. Does anyone of you here
know how to use the special character? Pleas help me. Thanks!!!
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Reviewed by rickety from uk on 16th Feb 2009
This phone is rubbish! Wobbly slide - and clumpy. The worst thing about
this phone is that when it runs a bit low on battery - it will not tell
you when you have an incoming text - nothing! So you think you are unpopular
- but when you send a text you receive loads that you have missed. Rubbish
phone - ruined my social and work life!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by megan from Uk on 15th Feb 2009
I Got this Fone last august and for a while it was great but then it
started freezing and turning itself off. Now my 0 on my keypad is not
working. :( Last night i tried to put the charger into my phone and
it no longer works and instead of charging it phones people. The rubber
part on the bag off my phone has also discoloured. My friend has the
same phone and also gets the same problems. we also get big blue marks
on the screan. I would not recomend!!
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Reviewed by teddy from uk on 13th Feb 2009
I got this phone just under a week a go and it keeps turning itself
off! Im sending it back and getting the lg cookie tomorow
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Seymour Butt from UK on 9th Feb 2009
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE!!!!!! ABSOLUTELY RUBBISH! ATFER SENDING TWO MESSAGES
PHONE FROZE FOR TEN MINUTES!!!!! APART FROM THAT CAMERA IS GOOD! MP3
ALSO GOOD!! TOP MARKS THERE LG!!!
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Reviewed by Jessica from Northern Ireland on 8th
Feb 2009
i just got this phone after spending a horrid, horrid year with the
nokia 6500 slide which had been reviewed everywhere as a great phone.
I initially read professional reviews about this phone which all mainly
said that this phone wasn't great without taking into account that it
is a relatively cheap mobile. I've only had it a few days on a virgin
contract and i must say, it is the best mobile phone i have ever owned.
I have spent hundreds of pounds on top of the range phones (nokia 6500slide
cost me £200) and none of them have been as nice as what the LG kc550
has been. Ignore any bad reviews as they are lies!
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Reviewed by jasmine :) from englandeh on 2nd Feb
2009
ah love this phone :) got it a few months ago, and other than the occasional
randomness of the phone turning off, its the best ive ever had. very
good value, espescially from tesco! it has survived many snowball attacks,
cats sitting on it, and sleeping on it once before aswell :) GOOD VALUE!
GOOD STANDARD! GOOD PHONE!
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Reviewed by Arbab from uk on 31st Jan 2009
its a class mobile
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Reviewed by andy from scotland on 27th Jan 2009
ok we all read these pages, tell me something is there a perfect phone
out there no,they all have good and bad points if we listened to review
sites we would never buy a phone.even the top of the range phones have
people moaning , man just buy the phone
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Reviewed by Karen from UK on 23rd Jan 2009
Bought this phone on 9th Jan. It is going back tomorrow. The external
memory function is useless. Downloaded many songs from PC on to external
memory card. But the phone does not recognise them and won't play them.
It shows the folders on the external memory card are empty. Have tried
every troubleshooting tip going. It is being returned before I throw
it out the window.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by BABYPiNK from USA on 22nd Jan 2009
I got mine in pink unlocked 2 weeks ago and I'm luvin it so far. The
camera is excellent, awesome and very stylish phone. It's very light
in weight and handy, probably the thinnest slide phone I have ever seen.
If you are looking for a fashionable cellphone go for it. You won't
regret. See my cellphone post here. bhabiejhoice-xoxo.net/archives/724
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Reviewed by Dinsdale from UK on 11th Jan 2009
Just bought my phone from Tesco for £75. Got it un-locked locally for
£10 and it's now got my old sim in it. This phone is fantastic at that
price. Everything works well and the screen is sharp and clear. You
would not find a better phone for this sort of money, to get an equivalent
Nokia would cost you £250+. You can't spend £75 and expect to get state
of the art but this phone is great value.
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Reviewed by Lydia from UK, Birmingham on 10th
Jan 2009
got it tday. great phone, no faults so far... would highly reccommend!!!!
A+++++
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Reviewed by eveie from britain on 10th Jan 2009
The LG KC550 has an amazing 5 megapixel camera but it is chunky and
the feel of the phone is tacky and cheap. it is very slow when you press
buttons. I've only had it for a month and I'm allready wanting to get
a new one.
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Reviewed by louis from England on 10th Jan 2009
hi, there Ive had this phone about 3 and a smidge weeks. The camera
is outstanding but the video is some what dissapointing only doing 15fps.
the motion games are great. I picked up mine with tesco pay as ya go
£75. Nice size and weight too. Inner memory is smaller than George Bushs
care for the environment though. I say buy this phone you'll be amazed!
Its not so well known about so it's still cheap. Grab it in the sales.
thanks for reading Louis arivedieci :¬) }-)
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Reviewed by faith from england on 9th Jan 2009
i got dis mobile 4 xmas n it is amazing!!!! i advise people that r lookin
4 a gr8 lookin mobile n a good camera 2 buy dis mobile!!!! :) :) :)
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Reviewed by Lyn from UK on 9th Jan 2009
My husband and I both have this phone and my husband has had to send
his away for repair 3 times since Sep 08. Guess what.... on 1st Jan
09 both phones wouldn't switch one..just the same as previous posts...logo
flashing on and off continually. Took them back to carphone warehouse
and they didn't have replacement phones for us to use while ours were
being repaired..9 days later we have phones back. memory has been wiped
from mine, all contacts, photos etc etc gone!!. We will NEVER buy another
LG phone and so called service from carphone warehouse is non-existent,
how can a phone shop not have a spare phone to give you??
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Robbie from UK on 4th Jan 2009
I really liked this phone but have same problem as previous few posts.
On Jan 1st it wouldn't switch on. The logo appears and keeps appearing
until you pull the battery out.
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Reviewed by bobajob from uk on 3rd Jan 2009
Same problem has the other 2 posts. Tried switching on 2nd Jan 09, Just
Flashes KC550 on and off.
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Reviewed by broady from england, uk on 2nd Jan
2009
same as the last post by Jan & Ian, my inlaws bought 2 kc550s in Sept
08, then today (2 Jan 09) they don't switch on properly - the kc550
in blue circle comes on but nothing else. I also bought the phone in
July 08 and by Dec 08 you can't hear calls unless it's on speaker phone.
Apart from the problems.... great phone!?
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by jan and ian from england on 2nd Jan
2009
both my partners and my phone were ok up to the 31st dec.On the 1st
of january none of them would switch on.We are now without phones for
14 days,we are not at all happy as we need them
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Reviewed by Jessicaaa from england on 30th Dec
2008
I got this phone for xmas and it is fab, it has no faults!!! AMAZIINNNGG
love it lol i strongly advise uu to get this phone ignore the bad commentss
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
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Reviewed by binx from pie land on 29th Dec 2008
great phone good quality the only drawback is video only does 15fps
not the 30 it says on the box great camera build quaility is good if
you are looking for a good phone then this is the one
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Reviewed by sapphire from england on 27th Dec
2008
the phone is really good it has a amazing camera and you can hold lots
of songs and the games are mint because there are motion sensor games
if i was u i would definatelly get this phone. I highly reccomend it
ive got it in pink! its so stunning i dont know what else to say about
it!
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Reviewed by lauren from england on 24th Dec 2008
i got this phone yesterday and its amazing! i read these comments and
still got the phone to see if they were right and the bad comments were
very wrong! i would recomend this phone to everyone and like what amy
said dont be put off by the bad comments because they are just looking
for something bad to say about the phone and in my view nothing is bad
about this phone!
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Reviewed by Cheryl from England on 23rd Dec 2008
Just got this phone today and I love it. I read reviews saying it looks
cheap and plastic tack, but I think it looks and feels great. The camera
is brilliant and easy to use. MP3 player is just as good as any other
phone. Key pad is great for texting and I love how you can changed the
font, as there are five to choose from. Games are fun to use and keep
you amused (especially the darts game) I really don't understand the
people who have posted negative reviews about this phone, saying that
can't work the camera and so on. This phone is idiot proof.... anyone
should be able to work it out. What more do you want for such a price?!?!
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Reviewed by David from England on 16th Dec 2008
I got this phone when it first came out in june since then I really
havent had any problems its a great phone as simple as that! Although
the camera could adjust to surrounding a bit quicker and my battery
seems to die quite often but I guess this is because im always in a
call and listening to music. Overall excellent buy best phone Ive had
and trust me ive had quite a few.
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Reviewed by Amy from England on 15th Dec 2008
I just got this phone today and I love it!It is perfect the camra is
good the games are really ammusing. It looks good. All in all I recomend
this phone to anyone! Hounest dont be put off by the bad comments!
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Reviewed by Julie from Bournemouth, England on
14th Dec 2008
I reviewed this phone in October when I first bought it. Just to say
it is without doubt the best phone I have ever had (and I've had plenty).
The camera is excellent, phone excellent, everything about this phone
is EXCELLENT. I've played with the Iphone, Renoir, SE C905. All pale
in comparison. Buy this. you wont regret it.
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Reviewed by Nadia from Switerland on 3rd Dec 2008
Crud. I couldn ot work the cameraa. Was lots of bad quality. I would
advise maybe not getting this mobile phone.
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Reviewed by Anthony from England on 2nd Dec 2008
I can't believe how many positive reviews there are on here for the
KC550. These reviews influenced me when deciding what phone to go for
and I went for a KC550. At first it seemed like a good phone. I'm now
on my 3rd one and still not happy. Faults i've had on all 3 KC550's.
1, Battery goes from half charged to empty ridiculously quick, meaning
that if you do not have a charger with you it'll run out without warning.
2, Ear piece speaker annoyingly vibrates when the volume is anything
above 2. 3, Phone is really slow betwen applications. Sometimes it freezes
and you'll have to clear the screen to get it to work again. 4, Charger
input slider is annoying and charger plug is difficult to insert. 5,
camera does not adjust well automatically. Pictures come out dull. Not
good for 5mgpxl. 6, Not user freindly. Many menu's just to create a
simple message. Same for other app's. There are more but I won't bore
you further. I'm stuck with it now, but its not a good phone and I won't
be getting another LG. Back to raliable user freindly Nokias!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by chris from uk on 30th Nov 2008
My old phone i had problems with (k850i) so i decided it was time to
get a new phone went to carphone warehouse and this phone wasnt on disply
which is very weird as its such a good phone i only found out about
it when the person who sold it me said there is a nice lg in the back
so if u are thinking of buy it you have to ask for some reason. if they
had it on there website and instore this phone would sell no doubt !
mint phone adivse you to buy it !!!!
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Reviewed by DaveB from uk on 21st Nov 2008
This phone manages to combine greatfeatures with appalling ones with
very little you'd call average. Great... * Quality camera and video
features, practically worth the £79.99 I paid at Tesco in its own *
Great screen * Good texting, email and calling features (works as a
phone!) * Good sound quality, especially with the MP3 player * Nice
features to customise the phone * Supports memory cards up to 4GB which
gives you plenty of room for MP3 files Appalling... * Which idiot decided
to shut off the call and messaging features while the USB cable is plugged
in?!!! * Why does it have to charge through the same port as you plug
the headphones in?! * What is wrong with 3.5mm jacks for headphones?
* Why does the MP3 player rebuild the track list every time the phone
goes flat? I've got a 4GB card in the phone and it takes it 10 minutes
to let me get into the album list every time I power on the phone! Summing
up, if you want a fun phone with camera and MP3 player this is good
for the money. However if you have the cash and are likely to use more
than just the basic features, buy a HTC!
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Reviewed by dave from uk on 16th Nov 2008
This phone is the worst phone I’ve ever had I will never have
an LG again they are atrocious. If you are thinking of getting this
phone I advise you strongly, not to get it. Also the camera is shocking.
Only good things about it are the motion censer games they are mint.
Sony Ericson’s are the only good phone’s about.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by SeanyBoi from England on 10th Nov
2008
Had this phone for couple of days an it's great. no probs with it, loads
of stuff to keep u busy. mint speaker amazin camera an photo editing
software built in. wud be better with a proper 3.5mm headphone jak!!!
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Reviewed by arno from uk on 1st Nov 2008
got this phone 2 weeks ago never used lg before got to say when you
get used to the phone its not half bad.got a 4 gb card in the lg works
fine to stop screen freezing update the phone software i have and its
fine.good job lg i await the 8mp version
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Reviewed by Shaun from england on 30th Oct 2008
I have had the lgkc550 for just over two weeks. I think this is one
of the best lg to come out. The above review states they do not like
the joystick. That’s very strange because my lgkc550 does not
have a joy stick. It has navigation buttons around a centre button.
The camera is the best camera I have had on a phone. The images are
clear and bright and on a 19 inch computer screen they look very impressive
considering it’s a phone. The sliding action is very smooth but
I do think the keyboard is a little on the small side. The screen is
nice and bright and is a very good size. The video on this phone is
good but there is no sound with the video. I have never tried the voice
recorder so cannot comment on that. But all round it’s a very
good phone for the price I paid only £87.95 from Tesco. And I think
it was money well spent
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Reviewed by Rachel from Wigan, UK on 28th Oct
2008
I'm writing this review as someone who has had mobile phones since they
were 16 (I'm now 25). I have had every make and model you can imagine
and I'm extremely fussy. I've never written a review of a phone before
but felt compelled to here. I bought this phone a few days ago as a
'2nd' phone. I recently bought the iPhone, then sold it a few days later
(don't get me started on that). I waned something around a £100 that
was half decent. Isaw this online and after reading a few reviews thought
i would give it a go. And im seriously impressed. Its easy to navigate
(unlike previous LG models), fast, well presented, well made, the camera
is excellent, the volume is impressive and the games are different enough
to catch your attention. I have seen people moaning because they got
bored with the games, the camera isnt as good as phones that are £200+
and it doesnt hold many tracks without a memory card. Well guess what,
its a PHONE. I have a digital camera, an Ipod and a DS so i dont need
it to be an all round, top of the range entertainment device. If someone
is looking for a 'digital camera', not a phone, then buy one. I would
recommend that anyone looking for a great all rounder for a fantastic
price buy this phone.
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Reviewed by JULIE from BOURNEMOUTH on 24th Oct
2008
Brilliant phone. Clear reception, excellent camera. Nice size not at
all bulky. Would recommend.
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Reviewed by david bullimore from england on 24th
Oct 2008
love the phone it does everything it says on the tin however i am having
compattability issues when trying to pair it to my parrot unit in my
car
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Reviewed by pete from uk on 20th Oct 2008
Ok, took it back and it turns out the memory card was up the swanney.
Typical! Anyway, the phone works great now so its gone from 1 star to
5 stars cos I love it!
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Reviewed by sikandar from pakistan on 20th Oct
2008
i like this product.
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Reviewed by Pete from uk on 14th Oct 2008
I've had this phone since Saturday, spebt the better part of a day changing
all my files across from my old trusty z530i to a 2gb memory card, and
since then the phone freezes intermittantly and (9 times out of 10 when
its not freezing) resets itself everytime I open the mp3 player function!!!
Needless to say I'm not happy with it so its going back tomorrow! Unless
anyone has any ideas as to how to stop it reseting....
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Reviewed by John from UK on 8th Oct 2008
had it for 3 weeks and already upset me.Screen started to freeze and
kept switching off when im wanting to enter an apllication.if u wanna
get a phone dont get this
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Reviewed by Trish from UK on 28th Sep 2008
I've had this phone on contract since 17th June 08, everything was okay
at first but within 2 months the screen started freezing, the only way
to remedy it is to take the battery out; the pictures are grey and fuzzy
and now it won't charge. Needless to say ... It will be going back to
the shop today
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Reviewed by anthony from uk on 23rd Sep 2008
was really looking forward to having this phone (KC550)because it had
loads of features i want & it's a good size & really cheap to buy on
PAYG. Unfortunately i'm gonna have to take it back though & change it
for something else. First issue is the camera, takes poor shots (fairly
slowly) and video is really poor especially if it's not daylight. Strange
because the picture on the screen is great- untill you hit the record/shoot
button, then it goes dark, grainy & off colour? i tried different settings
to no avail. other issue is that it wont operate in silence even when
set to silent profile. absolutely rediculous of LG really, theres no
silent tone for the camera, & go into the games & loud game music plays
until you can then set it to off. real shame because it looks good &
has a good speaker.
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Reviewed by Andy from uk on 17th Sep 2008
I've had this phone for about 2 weeks on T-Mobile from Fonehouse. It
replaced my samsung d900i which I fried after dropping it in some water(doh!).I
thought I would miss the sleek lightweight design of the samsung but
the LG has grown on me with its solid feel and chunky chocolate bar
design. The back of the phone is rubberized and very tactile whilst
the front is very glossy with good key location and action.The Camera
is excellent and a good step up from my last one with sharper images
and it is quicker to use. I have not tried the MP3 player yet as I am
waiting for an SD card to arrive, but from playing around with the software
I can see that the LG suite S/W and the file transfer procedure are
going to be the achilles heel of this phone(google for software problems).
Overall a stylish, cool looking phone with a great camera,excellent
battery life and easy to use(apart from the sofware).
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Reviewed by adam from uk on 14th Sep 2008
just got this phone and have been playing around with it for the last
5 hours. to be honest i was unsure on this phone as i have never had
an lg phone before, i have had a nokia n73, samsung d900, sony k810i
and a samsung g600 and this phone blows them all out the water. i got
the phone in black and has a nice gloss finish to it, it has a large
bright screen, nice weight and feel to it too. the camera is amazing,
5mp and the video is also as good. when you look at your pictures i
was wondering how to get them in full screen...well all you do is tilt
the phone round and job done...it has a motion sensor in which you can
play games like a nintendo wii, which is cool, it is by far the best
phone i have ever used...EVER. trust me on this. i got mine o a cheep
contract free on o2 but you can buy this phone on o2 pay as you go from
carphone warehouse for 109+10 credit=119. for a phone that looks this
good it's a must!!! i can't put the thing down!!! i need to get a life
lol :)
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Reviewed by Al from UK on 5th Sep 2008
I've had this phone for 3 months and I would highly recommend it. I
bought it mainly for the camera, which is an amazing 5mp with loads
of great features. The battery life is excellent, although I don't use
it much for listening to music (not that it hasn't got a great mp3 player,
too, but I prefer my ipod). Its really user friendly but still very
stylish, although the games are a bit naff! I got this from phones4u
for under £100, and for once feel like it was money well spent!
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Reviewed by swiftly from England on 5th Sep 2008
Just wanted to say that this phone definitely DOES work with a 4GB memory
card, as the manual only says 2GB. I have the Sandisk MicroSDHC 4GB
Card which is available for under a tenner online and it works fine.
I've only had the phone a week but am pleased so far, the battery life
is much better than most newer phones.
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Reviewed by michael ugbana from nigeria on 30th
Aug 2008
i really love the phone cos is soo beatiful
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Reviewed by George from UK on 26th Aug 2008
I've had this phone for over 2 weeks now on PAYG T-Mobile, and I'm pretty
impressed! I agree with some other reviewers here though - it feels
flimsy and solid at the same time. I don't have a problem with the size/weight
(because I like watching movies on it), but the keypad and build quality
on the front feels a bit tacky compared to the rest of the phone. Fortunately,
it looks fantastic, just make sure you don't use it under direct sunlight,
you won't be able to see much! As for the battery life, I managed 4-5
days with moderate use (calls, texts, and taking occasional pictures
at 40% brightness). So this phone does have a very good battery especially
considering how large the screen is. You will need to buy a microSD
card but these are so cheap at places like Play.com that you need not
to worry. One thing I don't understand Mobile Phones UK review is that
they said the Orsay can take up to 4GB capacity, but in the manual it
states support up to 2GB only. I played safe and bought a 2GB memory
card, but could someone please verify that 4GB works as well? Basically
if you're looking for a phone with no touch screen gizmos, a decent
camera for prints, and a surprisingly good MP3 player (although you
will have to use the headset provided - it's a particularly bad one
mind), and an all-round easy-to-use mobile in the £100 range, this is
the mobile for you. P.S Someone earlier on said about having a problem
with the auto-rotating feature for pictures/videos. As for picutes,
you can edit them in My stuff and rotate them, but for some reason it
makes the pictures smaller. As for videos, I'm not sure, but I hope
this helps anyway.
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on
26th Aug 2008
The LG website confirms that 4GB cards will work: uk.lge.com/products/
... /mobilephones_kc550.jhtml. Can any users verify this?
Reviewed by Andy from UK on 25th Aug 2008
Amazing, best phone I have ever had. I love everything about it. It
deserves way more than 4 stars. It charges my phone fully in under 2
hours. Games and camera are great. The only downside (yes I know everyone
is talking about it), is the memory. But thats fine because I have my
old micro sd card from my old phone. Slide does not feel flimsy just
well built and sturdy. Altogether if your looking for a great phone
for a great price choose this one!!!
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Reviewed by John Anderson from UK on 22nd Aug
2008
Well to be honest i wasn't expecting much as it was on a cheap contract
from virgin £18 a month 200 minutes 500 texts not bad eh! so after not
really expecting much as the silver version can be picked up for less
than £100 now but was pleasently surprised. OK the camera isn't absolutely
top notch compared to camera's on say a 200-300 phone but it's good
enough to get that moment in when you need it. All my mates love the
interactive games the darts mazes baseball pretty fun only problem is
you kinda look like a plonker moving the phone about so much. The sound
on the phone is pretty loud not much distortion but it is there to be
heard but for less than £100 what can you expect. One big major floor
is the internal memory definatly need a card for this phone
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Reviewed by Henrik from England on 19th Aug 2008
I just got this phone. The camera impresses me alot. The video is not
all it is cracked up to be, but is probably better than your average
mobile's video capture. Nice interface, excellent games (M-toy uses
accelerometer, similar to the iphone) Feels a bit flimsy when open,
but at the same time nice and solid. (don't know if that is possible.)
Verdict- excellent screen, great camera, but could use a little improvement
in the body itself. 5 *****
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Reviewed by jack from england on 17th Aug 2008
this phone is very good. the camera is excelent and the size of the
screen is also an added bonus.
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Reviewed by alex from near north wales.. on 15th
Aug 2008
im giving 5 stars to counterbalance the guy who decided he didnt like
this phone and was waiting for the viewtyII. But as a note, the phone
has a d-pad, not a joystick
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Reviewed by zhao from liverpool on 13th Aug 2008
good phone
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Reviewed by Laura from England on 12th Aug 2008
I bought this phone today and have to say that its fantastic! Its quite
to use and has a brilliant camera. Its design is brilliant too. Buy
it if your looking for a cheaper opption to the LG Secret.
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Reviewed by Ayeshaa;xo from UK on 12th Aug 2008
Ive had this phone for nearly a month. Its fantastic! the motion-sensing
games are so enjoyable, the outstanding 5-mp camera; its just a really
good phone. The only negative side for me is the auto-rotating function
with the pictures. To get rid of that problem, you just need to take
photos/shoot videos horizontally (was that spelt right?) 'coz if take
them vertically, the pic/video you took will be viewed the other way
and so you rotate the phone but then theproblem starts - the pic/video
rotaes aswell!! So i just need to learn to take pics/videos horizantly.
i'd give this a 4-stars. (: - Ciaoo xo
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Reviewed by Person from UK on 11th Aug 2008
It's a truly amazing buy, because the camera is outstanding, the games
are not a gimic, they are actually really fun and the music player is
really good, because it sorts the music into a lot of different categories
(artist, genre, etc.) rather than putting it into one big list, which
I think is very useful. Also the quality of the music player is really
good and the phone itself looks very stylish and has a nice big screen.
However, you have to buy a micro SD card in order to be able to store
a lot of files, because otherwise there is only space for about 3 songs.
Overall, brilliant!
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Reviewed by declan from england on 11th Aug 2008
well i dont like this phone but i have to say the fact that lg are making
5megapixel mid range means that they have something planned for the
viewty2 when they release it , i just hope they pull it off , but again
this phone is quite terrible
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Reviewed by bob from england on 7th Aug 2008
nice phone but it would of been better if it were touchc screen still
camera and design is good
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Reviewed by jac from wales on 6th Aug 2008
great get it
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Reviewed by Khurram from UK on 6th Aug 2008
I love the style, Look and basic functions. Sorry forgot to mention
the best camera I have seen so far!!!! Now one of the draw back, FM
only without RDS plus you can't do anything while you are listening
to radio. M-toy is cool but very limited games and it sucks battery
very fast. Dust and fingerprints are everywhere visible on set, looks
like 100 days old. I am in mixed state should I return it? or keep it...I
am thinking on getting SE C902? What you think guys?
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Reviewed by Just passing by from UK on 2nd Aug
2008
Good phone but do not install too much. when the sysem memory gets to
100% the phone bricks.
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Reviewed by mowmita from england on 1st Aug 2008
i absolutly adore this phone, i thought it was fat at first but then
i got used to it. i would definetly recommend it, so what if it dosn't
have 3G.I just looooooove the camera, come on it's only £100 not including
top-up, i think it's much cheaper then LG Secret or Lg Viewty
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Reviewed by thomas from england on 29th Jul 2008
best phone ever better then any phone inn the market
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Reviewed by Azazin from UK on 28th Jul 2008
Awesome phone had it for almost a month like others said the slide feels
a little wobbly but I don't mind it awesome phone good looks good features
thats the only problem thats the reason why am giving it a 4 star. Good
phone overall
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Reviewed by Al Kuklenko from England on 25th Jul
2008
I bought this phone on a contract and I have to say that I am very impressed.
I chose it over a sliding Nokia that was around a year old and I don't
regret one thing. The camera is a brilliant 5 megabites and it also
has a tilt function built in. The only slight down fall is the lack
of memory, but you can easily buy a memory card and luckily I have one
from my old phone, get this phone and you will like it!!!
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Reviewed by Bob from UK on 23rd Jul 2008
Have found this phone really good so far. mostly. I like the way it
feels in the hand, it looks good and feels well made. The camera is
amazing, though it seems the only viable function for the motion sensor
is to go to landscape when looking at photo's. I havnt had a problem
with a smudge'e screan as the screen is so good + big. I also like the
mp3 player and the easily accesible Sd card slot yay. I also like the
way the camera function keys light up inside the selection pad when
using the camera. I have also put opera mini on my phone and this has
provided really good and supisingly fast (for EDGE) web browsing. I
also installed google maps - however as of yet the locacte me beta on
google maps stil doesnt work for this phone. HOWEVER i think i may have
received a dodgy unit as i get ternible reception, if it is in pocket
or i am downstairs in my house i get emergency only or no network mesages!!!
this is so annying that on such a great phone the only bit i am not
happy with is the PHONE bit, this is especially bad when i compare it
to my old nokia 6300 which got amazing signle everywhere in my house
and IN my POCKET!!!! Hopefully if i return my phone and get another
one then this will be much improved. otherwise i will be forced to change
and that would be a shame as otherwise this is a great phone, i will
have to go to my second choice of a nokia 6500 slide and leave the briliant
5mp camera behind. hope it was just unlucky and cause i like the rest
of the phone i will give it another chance but if it is just a flaw
in the desing then i will have to change phone as it is very annoying
when someone cant phonr you cause your phone is in your pocket with
no signal!!!
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Reviewed by Shaun from UK on 18th Jul 2008
Bought this phone yesterday and liked it immediately.. (seeing as i
had the v360 previously) The phone is easy to use, not too many options
though. Good camera and video/mp3 player Games got boring really quickly..
but you can install your own so no problems. the memory for applications
and messages and stuff ran out quite quickly. not too good. The design
was nice and to me it felt stable. It does attract finger prints really
easily on the keys, screen and a bit on the back. I had problems with
the phone.. on the first day though.. after a charge, it ceased to switch
on and didnt charge but kept switching on and off (automatically) Took
it back to the store and got a replacement.. have to see how this one
goes.
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Reviewed by Deccyb from UK on 16th Jul 2008
Agree with Rob. Slide feels wobbly when open and if it feels like that
when brand new how will it be 18 months later? Games gimicky and fun
- but limited in appeal - bored of fishing before end of 1st day. Texting
ok once realise how to use it - as 1st time LG user handbook was woefully
inadequate. Verdict - good looking handset, but not for me - have sent
it back!
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Reviewed by alex from near north wales.. on 15th
Jul 2008
Already done a 'review' on gsmarena... [ www.gsmarena.com/lg_kc550-reviews-2388.php
, look for violent pacifist ] but i can say this phone is excellent
so far! Those who say it is bulky are over exaggerating; its alot thinner
than phones used to be, and even after moving on from my d900, i didnt
find it particularly fat. Word of advise, look at pics of the phone
in someones hand/3d model/try it in the shop before you buy it. The
metal round the outside and the weight only help make the phone feel
more high quality. Reception has been good enough, some places i've
struggled to get signal where certain sony erricson phones have faired
better, but can pick up more than d900. Camera and video are GREAT,
for such a budget phone it more than stands its ground with its more
expensive rivals(ive compared to n95 and k850. Multimedia wise, the
autorotate works a dream when you figure it out(the phone needs to greater
than about 60 degrees parallel to the ground to work, the video support
is excellent, the mtoy games are gimicky but fun-and there is support
for infinite java games(can be played through memory card)- and the
mp3 is fine, except for the fact that one cant browse music(eg change
artist) while playing music. Havent used internet, so cant give you
any say on that, but otherwise ive found next to no problems with the
phone, and my biggest problem has been the difficulties in getting lg
suite to work on my laptop. And to the poster who found he was getting
the screen covered in finger prints,try opening the screen with your
thumb resting on the 'c' button, i think thats why its raised!
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Reviewed by keith from scotland on 14th Jul 2008
got this phone a week ago. excellent camera and the motion sensor is
good when lookind at pics. the phone does get a few finger prints on
it but its worth it because of the very good 5 megapixel camera and
the large bright screen. it is a bit bulky but not that big. also it
does seem a bit heavy cmpared to the lg viewty which you woulg expect
to be heavier. the m-toy games are a bit boring but it is a good aditional
feature to boast to your friends. it has a good quality speaker and
good springy buttons. its a very good phone and it will do me untill
the iphone comes out on pay as you go
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Reviewed by John O'Leary from England on 14th
Jul 2008
GREAT
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Reviewed by milo kelly from england on 13th Jul
2008
excellent phone
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Reviewed by Rob from UK on 12th Jul 2008
I got this phone last week but have already returned it. I was expecting
a more of a slimline phone, but this phone is bulky. Not only that it
doesn't seem very sturdy when open and seems as if it might break after
a few months. Not easy to hold and trying to text with a bulky phone
is annoying. Even after touching it for a few seconds it's covered in
fingerprints, and makes it look dirty. The wii style games are a gimic
and not really that fun. What is the point in a motion game if you can't
see the screen as you're moving the phone. Regular games are boring
and look dated. Camera was good though!
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Reviewed by ben from england on 9th Jul 2008
The phone is awsome motion sensor games make it like a portable wii
, exelent buttons , and very easy to use.
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Reviewed by Trudie from England on 8th Jul 2008
Great Phone Got Mine Last Night Good Camera But Doesnt Have Much Memory
Without A Memory Card :( Gonna Get One In A Bit :D XX
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