LG U8110 Review

Overall Rating

Small

Need to use special software to connect PC to phone.
Connectivity software is flaky.
Weak security features.
Cant access phone book while on a call

The LG U8110 seems like a very good mobile phone but has several very anoying features.

*If you use the phone book to make a call, you can not easaly access the phone book while on the call. (the phone tells you the phone book is in use, and asks a question, if you get this question right [yes], then do some other stuff you can access it.)

* To down load phone numbers and pictures etc. to your PC you will need to load the software that comes with your phone. The phone does not support standard USB storage device.

* The phone will not connect to a kodac kiosk via infrared.

* When the supplyed software is used to connect to a PC:

The explorer integration does not work.

The tools supplied are hard to use.

The phone displays a popup telling you about the connection, then another telling you the connection is closed, The only way to close the popup is to switch the phone off.

* the backlight can not be switched off with the phone open

* there is no warning of very low battery.

Members' Comments onbearware's Review

• duanebaird on 19th Jul 2004

  I have been giving your comments some thought and I must confess I can't agree you you.
  Okay you need software to connect to the PC but it comes with the phone and is very easy to use. I now have MP3 ringtones and a small cartoon on my phone.
  
  The connectivety has nothing to do with the phone but the 3 network.
  
  You say the security features are weak but I find them more than adequate you can set passwords for access, lock the key pad... not sure what more you would expect.
  
  You can swith the back light off!!! just go to menu, settings, screen, backlight and change the duration to off...
  
  The screen is fantastic, as is the camera, video playback, the battery life, and the number of options for customising your phone.
  
  Overall I would say this is the best phone I have used.
  
  The only down sides are the fact that the flash is weak, you can't expand the memory and that the 3 recepion is quite poor (but getting better all the time)

• bearware on 19th Jul 2004

  The connectivity tools are usable, but unreliable.
  
  Connectivity to pc have nothing to do with 3 network.
  
  Security could have feature to not allow calls to numbers not in phone book, to set call limits.
  
  When the back light is "off" it can still be used as a torch.
  
  Yes the screen is good, camera good, battery good.
  
  It may be the best phone you have used, but your lack of experience/expectation should not reflect on the phone.
  It is also the best phone I have ever used (I have used 2), but my expectation is much higher, I am a software engineer, and the software in this phone is poor. There is no excuse. Maybe most other products we buy have poor software as well, but that's no excuse. My previous phone had very simple but very good software.

• duanebaird on 25th Jul 2004

  Might I ask what was your previous phone was?
  
  Please expand upon the software you find poor and what you would expect! You say it is the best phone you have used but you score it so low. You refer to the connectivety (not to the 3 services but to a PC) is there something more you would expect. I have linked my phone to my laptop and they are in sync and I am successfully transfering data between the two. Am I missing something is there something more I should expect from a phone
  
  
  Cheers

• bearware on 26th Jul 2004

  Example from last night.
  
  I set auto Dial to ON (a few days ago)
  I had forgotten it was on because the phone has never auto redialled.
  
  Then Last night it decided to redial but the connection to the 3 network went down for a second. (not the phones fault), The phone displayed the emergency calls only banner, then the network signal came back but the phone refused to remove the banner, the number keys where the only ones that worked. I had to switch the phone off to fix the problem.

• kenlueng on 20th Sep 2004

  I do agree with bearware's opinion, but not all of it. As just a mobile phone, the LG8110 is very good functions and very very good value if you buy online. I met an issue 3 days ago, when I changed the phone's setting (I did a lot of changes including the picture and ringtone), at that night, my phone could not dial up and could not receive any phone (my friends did not ring successfully that night), when I found out there is some problem with my mobile, I reset the change in the phone, but still no use. The problem was solved after I switch off the phone and opened it again. Therefore I think the phone still has many things to improve it's quality.
  
  Otherwise, the phone is not small enough for my requirements (I used Samsumg s300 before I used the LG 8110); The memory obviously could not fulfil a downloadable mobile phone's requirement.
  
  But under the 3 network's attractive tariff, the LG 8110 is a sharply weapon to occupy the remaining market. Hopefully, more Korean and Japanese 3G handsets come soon, as I saw some very small and functional 3G handset in Hong Kong. I would change to those phone without consideration when I can do it.