LG are producing 3 good ranges of phones nowadays.  Firstly, you’ve got the Black Label range (LG Secret), then you’ve got the high spec camera models (LG Viewty and now the LG Renoir), and finally you have the Prada range, with the new LG Prada model.  This adds a QWERTY keyboard to the slimline touchscreen phone, and also packs a good range of functions:

• 3G compatibility with video calling
• 7.2Mbps HSDPA
• a 5 mega pixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens
• full HTML browser and Wi-Fi

This phone should be on sale in the UK before Xmas, although the exact price is not clear right now (it will be roughly €600 across Europe), and is likely to be available on various networks soon too.

Story courtesy of LG Blog.

Well, it’s been a busy two weeks for mid to high end phones with touchscreens.  Firstly, last week UK Gadgeteer attended the launch of the LG Renoir (previously covered here as the LG KC910).  Although not the top of the LG range (a position still held by the LG Secret), this phones builds on the success of the LG Viewty from last year, and offers some key improvements.

Firstly, they have increased the camera to 8 megapixels.  They have also included a GPS, although it’s only standard function in the phone is to support geotagging pictures as they are taken.  We’ll be interested to see over the next few weeks (we’re hoping to get a review phone soon) as to whether it can also be used with Map applications such as Google Maps for Mobile or MGMaps.  Finally, the other amazing feature in the phone is the support for Dolby Mobile, which really improves the sound quality, even with the standard stock headphones.  A nice feature is that the headphones come with a little remote on the cable which can control the music, but also, and believed to be a first, can also control the camera to act as a remote trigger.

We expect this will be a big seller for LG when it hits the shelves in the next month.

In terms of hype, rumours, and long term interest, however, is the more important announcement yesterday of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone.  This is the phone previously known as the Nokia Tube, and is a mid range Symbian based smartphone.  However, it adds a touchscreen (not for the first time, and certainly not the last), and should be the start of a new generation of touchscreen based devices from Nokia.

In order to achieve this, Nokia / Symbian have needed to update the OS, and has therefore launched S60 5th Edition (skipping the 4th edition as the number 4 is considered very unlucky in Asia, a key market for Nokia).

As is typical for a recent Symbian based phone, this phone features Quad Band GSM, Dual Band UMTS (with HSDPA support), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, TV-Out, built in GPS (with geotagging), and a 3.5mm audio jack.  In addition, it features Haptic feedback on the 3.2″ 640×360 touchscreen (similar to the LG Viewty and LG Renoir), an accelerometer and a proximity sensor.  Unlike the LG Renoir, but still better than the iPhone, it features a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus.  The key point of this phone is music, and there will be a variant of the phone next year that will come with Nokia’s new “Comes with Music” service, which offers unlimited music downloads onto your PC and phone for 12 months, and even better, at the end of your subscription you can still continue to play the music.  However, today, as well as the audio jack, the phone features stereo speakers with built in surround sound for playback of the music.

In the box is likely to be an 8Gb microSD card, a carry case, and a little desktop stand, as well as a spare stylus.  The phone itself will come in black, red or blue.

This should also be available in the UK before Christmas, although we suspect the LG Renoir will be on the shelves first.  We’re hearing it’s likely to be priced around £220 *unlocked*, which may well see many people buying this phone to replace their current branded and locked phone to last them to the end of their current mobile phone contract.

All this, on top of the Google G1 phone as well…

Anssi Vonjoki, Nokia’s VP of Mobile Markets, has stated that Nokia will launch a whole range of touchscreen phones in 2009, not just high end smartphones, but “from the very low segment to the highest one featuring this type of functionality.” We’re not sure that Nokia would want to redevelop both S60 and S40 to support touchscreen, so these phones are likely to bring S60 phones down to more consumers.

LG have had some success with their touchscreen phones, from the Viewty to the latest LG Secret, and of course there’s the iPhone.  Whether Nokia can achieve the consumer experience to the same level as Apple waits to be seen.

We first covered the LG Secret after it’s launch, and have been using one ever since. However, if you want your own Secret, it’s now available;

• on Vodafone, and if you spend more than £35 per month (for 18 months; or £40 per month for a 12 month contract), you should find the phone is free too.
• on O2, spending £35 per month for 18 months, £30 for 24 months, or £40 for 12 months will get the phone for free.
• on Orange, although you won’t get the phone for free on any tariff.

We’ve been generally impressed with the phone, although it’s not in the same league as an N95 or an iPhone. We understand it should be available on 3 and T-Mobile soon, although neither are listing the phone on their websites today.

Well, after 4 months of daily use, the LG Viewty has finally been replaced by something smaller, lighter, better built for the impacts of every day life (it has a tempered glass screen, which should resist all manner of attempts to scratch the screen), yet still featuring the 5 megapixel camera, DivX support, and 120fps video capture. On top of that it adds a slider function with real buttons (which makes dialling calls and writing texts a little easier than the Viewty). However, we will miss the nice sliding cover over the headphone / charging port from the Viewty, although we won’t miss the lack of ability of sending all contacts via Bluetooth (a feature the new phone does have).

We’ll see how the new LG Secret fares over the next few weeks before we provide an in depth review, but right now it’s looking pretty good. Announced on Thursday last week, LG have kindly provided us an early production sample in advance of the full availability in June.

The new LG phone we first mentioned here a few weeks back has now been formally announced, and named by LG. It’s the LG Secret, following on from the Chocolate and Shine Black Label phones, although it’s also known as the KF750. It’s 11.8mm thick, with a carbon fibre profile, and like the LG Viewty it has a 5 megapixel camera, video support, and DivX support built in.