The LG Cellular Phone CU500 is Cingular’s first venture into the HSDPA network, for high speed connection. A clamshell design in black casing, this cellular phone looks good, fits neatly into your pocket and doesn’t weigh you down.

Main Features & Specifications:

  • Height 3.8″ x Width 1.95″ x Depth 0.76″
  • Weight 3.7 oz
  • Mode: Quadband 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS/HSDPA: 850/1900
  • Display: 65-k color TFT, 176 x 220 pixels
  • Standard battery: Li-ion 1100mAh
  • Talk time: max 5 hours. Standby: max 240 hours
  • Provider: Cingular
  • Camera: 1.3 megapixel

Flipped open, the LG Cellular Phone CU500 has a bright screen, with 65,000 colors on the inside. The keypad is a delight, well spaced with slightly raised keys. The 5-way toggle in the center navigates the menus easily; there are two soft keys and a further two keys dedicated to the camera and music player. It is worth mentioning that the exterior also sports a 65-k color display, with the usual time, date, signal and call information.

The 1.3 megapixel camera has a rotating lens, with the ability to swivel round to take photos or self-portraits. A self timer is included, as is white balance control and editing options, but no flash.

One of the really cool features of the LG Cellular Phone CU500 is the music player. You can transfer various types of music files (Mp3, WMA, AAC) from your PC, using either a USB cable or MicroSD card. The phone also supports Bluetooth to move files directly from your PC. The sound quality from the speakers is excellent, and even better through a stereo headset. You can even impress your friends by using the intuitive MusicID application. Hold your phone next to a radio or CD player and MusicID recognises the song for you!

Even more impressive, the integrated Cingular Video feature streams full length TV episodes at high speed thanks to the 3G technology. On top of that, you get news and sport clips, with super quick buffering.

Reception on the LG Cellular Phone CU500 is usually very good, due to its Quad band status. Great quality of sound on indoor calls, and acceptable when using the phone outdoors. Hooking up with a Bluetooth headset is a simple operation for hands-free use. Talk time averages around three to four hours rather than the over-estimated five.

Now for the bad points. The MicroSD slot is inconveniently located under the battery, ascending ringtones are really annoying, and there is no Email client with the phone.

Overall impression: The LG Cellular Phone CU500 has some very nice features, but also has some rather annoying flaws.

Angela Tomlinson is an avid hi-tech gadget enthusiast, writer and blogger. Her latest blog concentrates on reviews of the LG cellular phone lineup. For more LG Cellular Phone reviews visit http://www.lg-cellular-phone.com