Key features:
* 3" 256K-color resistive TFT touchscreen of WQVGA resolution (240 x 400 pixels)
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
* 3G with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps)
* Widget-enhanced interface and Livesquare homescreen
* 5 megapixel autofocus camera with face detection
* D1 video recording @ 30fps, QVGA time-lapse and QVGA slo-mo video
* 4GB of built-in storage
* microSD card slot, up to 16GB
* Standard 3.5mm audio jack
* Standard microUSB port (charging)
* Dolby for Mobile audio enhancement
* Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
* Accelerometer for screen auto rotate; turn to mute
* Landscape on-screen QWERTY keyboard
* FM radio with RDS and FM transmitter
* Office document viewer
* Social networking integration
* Smart dialing
Main disadvantages:
* No Wi-Fi
* No GPS
* Low resolution screen (compared to LG Arena)
* Camera has no flash or protective cover
* Records video in 3GP only
* Poor sunlight legibility
* Maximum email attachment size is 2.2MB only (both ways)
* No DivX/XviD video support
* No handwriting recognition support
The LG KM570 Cookie Gig is not a phone to be impressed with; it’s a phone to enjoy. All the more so if you’re of the right age and attitude. On the hardware side, we have little complaints – you have to keep in mind that the KM570 is a Cookie after all. The software is mostly positive too – there are a few downfalls, but the app package is so rich you can spend days with the Cookie Gig and still find things you haven’t used yet.
We have mixed feelings about the Lifesquare screen. Sure, it’s an interesting way to view your communication history, but to put it plainly – it’s childish. Still, the LG Cookie Gig can do some serious work too if you get used to some of its limitations (like the email attachment size).
But let’s face it – the LG KM570 Cookie Gig is hardly targeted at the business crowd. On the other hand, whisper “social networking”, “Dolby mobile” and “good camera for photos and videos” to a youngster and you’ve sealed a deal. Not to mention the 4 gigs worth of memory and the FM transmitter.
However, even a casual look at today’s market reveals trouble ahead for the young LG Cookie Gig. At its current price point, there are some competitors that might prove tough to beat.
The Samsung S5560 Marvel and the Samsung S5620 Monte have the same basic ingredients as the LG KM570 Cookie Gig, but certainly get an edge from Wi-Fi. They run the competing touch UI – TouchWiz but cannot match the Cookie Gig’s built-in memory. For the price difference though you can easily buy a 16GB microSD card, so that’s not a problem. The Monte doesn't make it in the 5 megapixel league but has Wi-Fi and a GPS receiver to make up for that.
The LG KC910 Renoir and the Samsung M8800 Pixon used to battle it out for the 8MP cameraphone crown but today, they are equally priced alternatives to the LG KM570 Cookie Gig. They may be older in terms of hardware and software but they can match the Gig’s capabilities – and those cameras they have there are pretty good. Much like the one on the Samsung S8300, which records the nicest WVGA video we've seen from a mobile phone.
Another phone with an 8MP sharpshooter on its back is the Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH. It too has fallen to the Cookie Gig price bracket. Its screen is smaller though (2.8”) and it doesn’t have the internal memory.
And finally perhaps the most compelling reason against the Gig, the LG KM900 Arena, which we quite liked back in the day. It has been busy getting cheaper and can now be found for the same kind of cash as the KM570 Cookie Gig.
It has four times the display resolution, a capacitive touchscreen, twice the built-in memory, Wi-Fi, GPS. There’s also DivX/XviD and TV-out and the real S-Class.
Now, those are mostly older phones that we’ve looked at. And we haven’t even mentioned Corby or XpressMusic yet. Affordable touch phones are a booming market and everybody is playing hardball. The Cookie Gig will have a harder time perhaps than some of its namesakes. But it does the right thing at the right time – bring in the updates and stay within budget.
Labels: LG
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