Release Date: Available. Released 2008, April
2G Network: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Size: 104.5 x 49.5 x 10.9 mm
Weight: 91 g
Display Type: TFT, 256K colors
Display Size: 2.2 inches
Display Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
Ringtone Types: Polyphonic, MP3
Ringtone Vibration: Yes
Phonebook Memory: Yes
Call Records Memory: 40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
Memory Slot: MicroSD
GPRS: Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD: No
EDGE: Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G: No
WLAN: No
Bluetooth: 2.0 + A2DP
Infrared Port: No
USB: 2.0
Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Browser Type: WAP 2.0/xHTML
Games: Yes
Camera Pixels: 3.15MP
Camera Resolution: 2048x1536 pixels
Battery Type: Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh (LGIP-410A)
Stand-by Time: Up to 400 h
Talk Time: Up to 4 h
Design and Build
The LG KF510 features a glossy surface that highlights the units bright eye catching red color. One downside, the device like the last reincarnation of the Chocolate is a fingerprint magnet, picking up each touch of the finger against the units surface.
Looking at the front top part of the device the LG KF510 features the earpiece which is centrall located next to the units ambient light sensor. Below the earpiece is the units 2.2" display which offers a vibrant backlight. Below the units screen is the devices touch pad which is responsible for the units entire navigation controls.
Looking at the left side of the LG KF510 users will find a sparse section that only contains a volume rocker. The rocker is at the top left of the unit.
The right side of the LG KF510 offers more than the left side, the unit features a USB port on the top right hand side, followed by a microSD card. Below the microSD card slot is the sliding end key, its a like odd to get use to, but in essence it works just like a standard end key button control. The new sliding end key serves all the purposes of a Red Receiver key, like exiting menus and powering the handset on and off. Finally below the end key is the units Music Player key which also acts at the devices camera key when held down.
If you look at the top and the bottom of the device you'll also notice a nice sleek chrome finish. What you won't notice are any buttons, controls, or other functional keys.
Finally, the back of the unit features the devices 3 Megapixel autofocus camera. The camera is only visibile when the slider is slide up, just like the LG Chocolate models. Next to the camera is the units LED flash which is located next to the units self-portrait mirror.
If you remove the battery cover on the back of the LG KF510 you'll notice the SIM Card slot. The units Sim Card is one of the harder SIMS to install due to the akward nature of the pull out plastic tray that houses the SIM card in the device.
DISPLAY
The Display on the LG KF510 is sized decently at 2.2 inches and features a 262k color LCD TFT display with QVGA Resolution. The devices colors are vibrant and the unit features excellent contrast levels. The unit also works well in high sunlight conditions, although some conditions still left alot to be desired.
CALL RECEPTION AND DIALING
Call quality was good on most calls, although their were several static laced calls that may have been caused by the area calls were placed. In Call sound was good. I particulary liked the units contact and phonebook offerings which made finding and dialing contacts easy.
USER INTERFACE
The user interface on the LG KF510 is one of the most user friendly interfaces i've tested to date. The screens are brightly colored, the text is big enough to read comfortably, and the UI has well thought out and vibrant icons. The devices standby screen containts your typical information, such as battery strength, signal strength, the time and date, and shortcuts to the user menu and the contacts screen. Overall the KF510 offers a pleasant interface that's easy on the eyes and easy to find your way around in. I also liked that the unit is so easily customizable, you can change the devices Font color and sizes, change the backlight timer, change the theme of the device, and even change the noise the slider makes. While the device only comes with 3 theme customizations installed, more can be added and the ones that come with the device were all well thought out and nice to look at.
MESSAGING
The LG KF510 doesn't offer the most elegant messaging software available, but it does support SMS, EMS, MMS, and Email. The unit even supports Bluetooth messaging which has become popular on several LG devices of late. Unfortunately the text and email editor available on the unit is clunky and assumes to much, for instance, after inputting your message a multi number screen appears, basically the unit assumes to much and offers to little in the messaging department. Unfortunately the editor is used for all the texting applications and handles very little of it with any ease of use.
The Units email is simple enough to use, unfortunately SSL support is missing. The unit does however offer easy multiple account setup.
SMS meanwhile has a save capacity of 500 messages while MMS and emails can be saved in the hundreds in a special reserved spot on the device.
MUSIC
The music player on the KF510 features what we've come to expect from the LG line of devices. Music can be arranged by artist, album and genre, and multiple playlists can be created. The unit also features an equalizer that offers a host of music type settings such as General, 3D, Concert, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Dance, and more. The device not only offers a full line of media type support, but also features an FM tuner for radio listening, the device will even scan for local stations and saved them if you choose to use that option. Unfortunately the RDS option is missing, but with the wealth of features being offered its not that big of a deal.
CAMERA
The 3 Megapixel camera on teh KF510 is one of LG's best yet. The camera features a host of impressive features such as an excellent white balancing option, an LED Flash and a self portrait mirror. As stated in our design section the camera is also well protected behind the sliding mechanism of the device. The LG unit also features such settings as Display, Resolution, Quality settings, Shake controls, Shutter controls, and more. When using the Camera as a camcorder the sound is also on par with other high end devices on the market. The rapid fire succession of picture taking was also very impressive, I would have like to see faster write speeds to the memory card saving feature, but overall its a sleek picture taking experience with very little undertones and overtones that offers crisp pictures and excellent video taking capabilities.
CONNECTIVITY
The LG KF510 offers a host of connection options. The unit houses a Bluetooth 2.0 connection with A2DP Bluetooth stereo support which is a big plus and works well with a Motorola S9 Bluetooth headset.
The unit also features Edge/GPRS internet connectivity which works well but lacks the speed of a 3G connection which was sorely missed.
While Bluetooth connectivity is definately available the unit also features the option of connecting through a USB 2.0 port that works well with the devices data storage mode.
The unit also features a nice memory card slot option that transfers quickly thanks to the LG hot-swap capability.
INTERNET
The browser on the LG KF510 is okay, but I would much rather be using something along the lines of Opera Mini. The mouse pointer that jumps between links in a fluent fashion, but you never really know where its going to end up which can become aggravating fairly quickly. Luckily the internet loads smoothly and fairly fast on the EDGE network.
CONCLUSION
Overall the LG KF510 is a sleek device that offers excellent usability, an excellent camera and plenty of connection options. The internet unfortunately leaves something to be desired, and the messaging features are clunky and sometimes aggravating. The unit does however feature a nice Bluetooth offering in its A2DP feature, and it offers excellent call reception with a design that is user friendly and fun to look at. If the device comes in with a nice price it will definately be worth considering. Once again LG proves form and function can coincide...for the most part.