My LG Shine Review

I'm back. My sincere apologies for the seemingly long silence. Its been such a fast and hectic past week for me. I'm in the process of house moving you see, so its packing, packing and more packing. AND, as if that's not happening enough for me, my department in the office is also in the moving; to another floor that is. There is just no escape is there from packing is there?

But, no matter, at least now I can take a breather and have some quiet time to complete my next review. I've been spending a couple of weeks with this next mobile. I have to say that my impressions have been very good. All the hype about this particular model, just like its older sister, the LG PRADA. Yup, that's right, I've got the LG Shine KU970.


Many years ago, people would usually associate LG with refrigerators, or air-conditioners, and later on, television sets.... but never in a million years would anyone have predicted that an LG mobile phone would enter the fray.

When I first heard of a LG phone, it was a good few years back. I really never gave them a second look. Nokia and Ericsson were the rulers of the mobile world back then. I remember thinking, "these LG phones look so boring and so samsung-esque". As the years went by, LG still stuck on in the market, churning out even more hideous flip phones than we would like to see.

Until recently that is....

Then came a phenomenon of a phone, the LG Chocolate. Featuring touchscreen technology, it overtook the world by storm. Suddenly, everyone was buying one; men, ladies and even teenagers. And who wouldn't be surprised? Here was a mobile, sexily dubbed the Chocolate. (Of course, I had my reservations about the actual use and feel of the Chocolate when I tried it out myself. It just wasn't for me I guess). And, as if that wasn't enough, they then released the Chocolate Platinum and Gold editions. Again, truly fashion statements with their (now) even more sexier looks.

LG has never stopped in their quest to better themselves against the likes of the Finnish and Swedish giants. Recently, it was the LG Prada, and now they have yet released another stunner edition; the LG Shine. Clearly seen on the box, it proudly proclaims its "Born to Shine". So does it? I believe it has. Read on..

Inbox


1 x LG Shine KU970 unit
1 x battery
1 x travel charger
1 x stereo headset
1 x USB cable
1 x LG screen protector
1 x LG mini lanyard (for shining your... Shine?)
1 x User guide & other reading material
1 x cd for LG suite

(Note: This KU970 is the 3G version. It has an identical twin, the KE970 with the same dimensions and look, but with 2 variances; the KU970's heavier by 120 grams and the menu software is slightly different. I did not have a KE970 to compare with during this review but if I do manage to get my hands on one, I will update this post)

First impressions
When I first heard about the Shine, my initial thoughts was that its meant for the ladies. With a mirror finish, could you blame me? But now, after having a unit to review, I have seen the light. The Shine could easily cater to both sexes. Also, being new to LG (The Shine's software is definitely different from the LG Prada I reviewed previously), I had to familiarise myself with the Shine. It didn't take me long though, I have to say. It was quite effortless. So if you're moving from a Nokia or a Sony Ericsson, you may like to know, you won't have any problems adjusting. Overall, I liked it.

Physical aspects / Build quality

• The LG Shine KU970 comes in only one colour; Silver. It has a slider form factor and immediate impressions of it is that it is slim. The screen itself, all 2.2 inches of it, has a mirror finish when the phone is not active. There are touches of chrome mostly around the edges, but the areas below the screen and the whole back have a silver brushed metal look. It looks VERY solid and classy. You also have to expect that a mobile with this build quality will no doubt attract fingerprints (which is probably why LG included a mini lanyard with a cleaning purpose). Its not a big issue.
• Under the screen, you will notice that there are 3 buttons, when in fact, there are 5. You'd be forgiven for not spotting this because its not very obvious. I only discovered it by mistake after messing about with the mobile. Also, the main issue of controversy on the Shine is the introduction of the Roller wheel in replacement of a 5-way navi keypad which most brands utilise, and even LG's Chocolate range. On one hand, its a breeze to use, on the other, its not as sensitive as some would like. This is one of my issues (albeit a minor one)
  

• On the front side as well, you will notice a front facing camera. Being a 3G-enabled unit, this is expected really.
• On the right side, you will see a dedicated camera button, a dedicated menu button (useful for when the slider is closed), the increase / decrease volume buttons and a tiny plastic flap which houses the mini usb / battery charging slot. Very neatly organised in my opinion.
• On the back, you will see a very clean setup, with the LG logo discreetly placed on the left, and the 2 mega pixel camera on the right. The camera is also clearly branded with Schneider KREUZNACH, same as the one on the LG Prada.
• You won't see anything else on the top, bottom or left sides of the Shine.
  
• Sliding up the Shine (there's a customizeable sound you'll hear and it also has a nice clunk sound. The sliding mechanism is good), you will immediately notice the keypad being very identical to the V3 look and feel. (Incidentally, the Nokia N76 I previously reviewed also sports this look. Perhaps brand manufacturers now are realising that slim phones must have this type of keypad?) The feedback is good when pressed and being LG, any press of ANY button you make on the Shine will emit a cute sound, just so you know you've pressed something. (you can switch this feature off).
  
• Holding the Shine in hand, I mentioned earlier, the weight is evenly distributed. It feels solid. Someone told me it reminds him of the Nokia 8800 series. Solid build and nice to hold in hand. (Yeah, I would know, I used to own one too)

Display / User Interface

• The Shine sports a TFT screen with 240 x 320 pixel resolution on its 2.2 inch screen. Overall, it looks sharp and colour contrast is good. The display is customizeable with choices to show variations of the clock and calendar on the standby screen. I have also taken some photo samples of the interface as examples.
  

Calls / Messaging

• Call quality, I won't bring up any issues here as it is clear and loud, as all mobiles should be really.
  
• Messaging wise, you get support for SMS, MMS and Email. Pretty standard so far. Ok, I have to touch on the feel of the messaging though. What really took me aback was how similar it felt to Nokia's T9! If you're a Nokia nut, try texting on the Shine. You'll know what I mean. Its so easy to text. Another plus for the Shine. (Note: The Chocolate series also have the same texting ease. I guess LG has copied Nokia on this?). Well, I sure ain't complaining.
  

Multimedia / Camera performance

• Music wise, this 3G version Shine does not support external memory slots, hence you wouldn't be able to store that many songs in the built-in 512MB memory. But compared to the KE970 version, this one sports a very basic music player. You won't even be able to choose numerous playlists from your song selections, just one. And, the quality of music isn't up to Sony Ericsson or Nokia standard. The included stereo headset is quite basic and there aren't any equaliser features either. So, keep in mind if you do expect to be plugged into the Shine, it just does what it needs to. Nothing more.
  
• Camera wise, overall I have to say I was impressed. Mainly because this 2 mega pixel Shine has autofocus! I truly believe this should be the bare minimum for any camera phone now. The lack of it just results in poor quality photos. So the Shine truly... shines (?) here. It may not be Sony Ericsson Cybershot beating, but LG stands its own here. You can choose a variety of photo sizes, effects, timers, sounds and even choose the front facing camera for shots. I've included a few samples. (Note: The Man Utd mouse pad isn't mine, just so you know)
  

What I liked about the Shine

• It feels solid and very nice in hand. The brushed metal material does wonders for it.
  
• Texting was a breeze (a big plus for us here in Brunei)
• The camera has autofocus!
• Has the basic features an average user would need, Organiser, bluetooth, couple of games.
• Battery life was good. Lasted me a few days with my usual messing about.
  

What I didn't like about the Shine

• This 3G version has no external memory slots.
• There aren't any Flight modes which you find common in other brands. Meaning, this Shine version won't be your next mp3 player should you plan to do any travelling.
  
• The roller wheel on the front could be improved. At certain times, you may need to "roll" it a bit faster to move to the next item in the menu. But, you may just need some adjusting to that's all.
  
• No office documents support? (The KE970 has this feature though)
  

d3xlabs recommendations
A few years back, if you told me to go buy an LG mobile, I would have laughed at you and would probably strongly discourage you to make such a foolish choice. Nowadays, I would say otherwise. LG is becoming a force to reckon with and I personally know people who have started to consider it in their buying options. The Shine has really taken me by surprise and after spending time with it (no, I did not use the mirror feature if you must know), I have to say that I liked it. Alot. I'll even go as far as saying that you should consider it if your choices are between Nokia, Sony Ericsson or Motorola. But, if you're not into the 3G scene, then try the KE970 version. From what I've read, it promises to be slightly better. Overall, I agree, this series is definitely Born to Shine.

My LG Shine KU970 rating - 4.2 stars
Selling price - BND638-00
At all Incomm outlets, Brunei's authorised agents for LG.
(Use your DST privilege card for better discounts)