LG KC550 review: No thrills, all camera

A line of multimedia-oriented handsets has secured LG a strong foothold in the cameraphone kingdom. LG KC550 is probably the first to join the club with only imaging in mind. A mid-range handset with top-of-the-shelf photo and video capabilities is probably what describes best the compact slider.

The LG KC550 sure lacks the Viewty power and Secret's Black Label charisma. OK, it's unassuming, but not without a talent of its own. The 5 megapixel slider strives to be the most affordable cameraphone out there with a WVGA@30fps video recording topping.

Those qualities have set many shutterbugs a foot with excitement as they are finally promised uncompromising cameraphone capabilities at a moderate price tag that's fit for the masses. But please, don't go throwing your digital camera just yet - let's first see what LG have for us this time.

Key features:

2.4" 262K-color display of QVGA resolution

Auto screen rotation in image gallery and video player (built-in accelerometer)

5 megapixel autofocus camera with active lens cover and Power LED flash
WVGA video recording at 30 fps (VGA@30fps is also an option)
USB and stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) connectivity
Hot-swappable microSD card slot (capacities up to 4GB)
Office document viewer
FM radio
TV-out port
Six games, which make use of the accelerometer and vibration feedback

Google Search and Mail come pre-installed

Main disadvantages:

Video recording is a great disappointment
Only 12MB of internal memory
Poor sunlight legibility
Really awkward file manager
No UMTS support
Only tri-band GSM support
Glossy front panel is a fingerprint magnet
No SSL support in the native email client
FM radio lacks RDS and cannot run in the background

Samsung i900 Omnia review: The whole nine yards

Samsung i900 Omnia boasts loads of character and personality it's no wonder it holds the crowd hooked ever since it was announced. The first five megapixel Windows Mobile cameraphone has inspired quite a following and now that it's already market available in Europe we are more than happy to welcome the Omnia back after a well deserved breather. Well then, we've seen it race, let's watch it cruise.

Key features:
Quad-band GSM support
3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS
624MHz Marvell PXA312 CPU and 128 MB RAM
3.2" 65K-color touchscreen with resolution of 240 x 400 pixels
5 megapixel autofocus camera with wide dynamic range mode, face tracking, smile detection, geotagging
8 to 16 GB of storage memory, microSD expansion
Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS
Wi-Fi
Stereo Bluetooth and USB connectivity
FM radio with RDS
Optical joystick with virtual mouse functionality
Built-in accelerometer for auto screen rotation and call muting
TV-out
Solid build and great finish
Slick design and slim body
Nice battery life
Fast response and performance
Excellent thumb-optimized software package
Thumbable virtual QWERTY keyboard with optional landscape mode
TouchWiz UI
DivX video support right out of the box
Above average audio quality
Headset comes with a 3.5mm audio jack

Main disadvantages:
No stylus slot
Poor sunlight legibility
Memory card not hot-swappable
Non-standard display resolution
No dedicated 3D accelerator
Non-standard USB port
Web browser lacks real Flash support

Nokia E71 review: Messenger of steel

Following some time off since the E51, the Nokia E-series is back to the shop with a new pet for business-minded users. Nokia E71 seems to have it all to take over and build on the E61 QWERTY messengers' expertise. The suave upgrade is much slimmer now (and thus much more pocket-friendly), more powerful and a whole lot more skilled. The smaller display is actually the only step down. Well, we're back in business too, and we're about to see if that's the step back before a major leap forward.

Key features:
Quad-band GSM support 
3G with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support 
Landscape 2.36" 16M color display of QVGA resolution 
Comfortable full QWERTY keypad 
Convenient business-minded shortcut keys 
Symbian 9.2 OS, S60 UI with FP1 (topped with some FP2 goodies) 
369 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB of SDRAM 
Wi-Fi 
Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS 
3.15 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash 
110 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 2GB card 
Slimmest smartphone to-date, slimmest Wi-Fi and/or GPS handset to-date 
Stainless steel casing 
Standard 2.5mm audio jack 
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP support 
microUSB v2.0 
FM radio 
Infrared port 
Great battery life 
Office document editor 
Rich retail package

The Nokia E71 is among the best-equipped Nokia smartphones to-date. It's quick and responsive and carries a remarkable feature load for its compact size. Connectivity is at its highest with the Nokia E71 boasting every single connectivity option, which is currently available. Add the GPS receiver and the slim metallic design and you've got yourself a smartphone that walks and talks high-end.