News

LG launches HSDPA phone for USA - and its own web site

by Guy J Kewney | posted on 15 July 2006

"First of its kind" it may be. Exactly how useful a high-speed downlink packet access phone can be right now, is arguable, but LG has launched the CU500 in the US with its own web site and some eye-watering hype.

For example, in a world with several 3 megapixel phones, can a 1.3 meg cameraphone be called "the ultimate multimedia device"? And given that it doesn't run at 2.1 GHz and therefore won't connect to 3G networks in Europe, and that Cingular has a pretty tiny UMTS network anyway, never mind the HSDPA (where?) - being first is really all there is to shout about.

There is a preview at Mobile Burn, with the usual nice pictures. It's black, and cute, and "reasonably light". And it supports several MP3 style music formats.

Tech specs:

Dimensions: 3.80” (H) x 1.95” (W) x 0.76” (D)

Weight: 3.70 oz.

Technology: GSM

Frequency: GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Quad-Band), UMTS/HSDPA: 850/1900 MHz

Data Transmission: GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA 1.8Mbps

Display: Internal LCD: 65K Color TFT, 176×220 Pixels, 11 Lines and External LCD: 65K Color TFT, 96×96 Pixels, 6 Lines - Battery: 1,100 mAh Li-Ion Polymer

Talk Time: Up to 5 Hours (GSM)* Up to 3.5 Hours (UMTS)*

Standby Time: Up to 10 Days