Review of the LG GD510 Pop
LG GD510 Pop is said to be the LG Cookie for the masses. With a trimmed down price and the removal of some features, it's another touchscreen set to conquer a whole demographic. LG GD510 Pop's unique selling tag is its being part eco-friendly. An alternative battery cover acts as a solar panel which, if solar charged for 10 minutes, can already support 2 minutes call time. While going green is upon us, its energy saving feature does not seem to elevate LG GD510 Pop's status as its close comparison to LG Cookie does.
Look, Design, Feel............. 7/10
With slimmer dimensions than LG Cookie, GD510 Po's 97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2mm measurements and a lighter 87grams weight makes it more compact and smaller in size. This factor is already proving to be an advantage. The simplest of them all, LG GD510 Pop is graced with one sole hardware key up front. It's an all-around key depending on which homescreen, apps, or function you are utilizing. It is used to receive or end a call, to navigate the menu, to select an item, and more.
On top of the 3" screen is an earpiece / speaker. On the left side of the unit are the volume keys and the covered microUSB port. On the right side, only the camera keys can be found. The top side is where the power button and lanyard eyelet are. The bottom part's smoothness is disturbed by the small slit of the mouthpiece. The back side is where the 3MP camera lens can be found. There is no lens cover and no flash as well.
It seems that simplicity and multi-functional features are the core of LG GD510 Pop's making. It is welcomed as a fresh take on cellphone design, and already impresses many minimalists.
Features.......... 7/10
LG GD510 Pop is one of the first of LG's budget touchscreen phones with a touch of S-Class interface. Usually this feature is reserved only for high-end units. It offers 3 homescreens - one for widget apps, one for contacts, and the Livesquare homescreen which acts like a Call Registry. The widget homescreen allows the user to pull out common phone features like the clock, calendar, FM radio, and many more. This, of course, includes the trinity of social networking- Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.
The handset has an accelerometer sensor. Users can conveniently rotate the unit from portrait to landscape mode, or shake it for the widgets to align. There will be an indicator if the 'shake to align' is possible.
The phonebook can save up to 1000 contacts. LG GD510 Pop also has Speed Dial and Smart Dialing features. This is a plus, especially for a mid-range touchscreen.
SMS, MMS, and Email messaging pose no problem. Users can opt for the Alphanumeric Keypad when used on portrait, or the QWERTY keypad on landscape, or the stylus for some handwriting recognition.
The music player can be filtered per album, artist, genre, or newly played song. The video player has no DivX and XviD support, which hugely disappointed some, but the video functions well nonetheless. It has direct Youtube video upload. While the QVGA resolution is up to 15fps only. The unique Fm Radio with RDS uses the earphones as antenna. Plug it in and store up to 50 radio stations.
The 3MP camera shines, even with only a fixed autofocus and no flash, during daytime at least. Pictures are crisp and definitely impressive. Do not expect much during night time or on a close-up shot, as it will disappoint big time.
Web surfing is possible via Bluetooth or quad-band connection. Another minus is the Flash support on websites. But it's compensated with the History function of the browser. Saved sites can be viewed offline.
Document Viewing supports DOC, PDF, and XLS files. Unfortunately, not PowerPoint files. There are a slew of games for the user's enjoyment including Diamond Twister and Brain Challenge 2.
Connectivity.............. 5/10
LG GD510 Pop's quad-band support of GSM/GPRS/EDGE and Bluetooth 2.1 will never make up for its lack of speedy wireless data carriers WiFi and 3G. This may be one solid reason for the unit's affordability. Still, it can browse webpages, but hold the Flash sites, as it does not support Flash. Dropped calls are close to impossible, as the phone has a solid SMS, MMS, Email, and call reception.
Performance............ 8/10
LG GD510 Pop maybe a reduced version of LG Cookie, but it stands alone with an unquestionably top notch performance. LG GD510 Pop runs a smooth connection. From SMS, Emails, to calls, no underlying problem with the signal whatsoever hinders the phone to perform its full function. The sound is decent which makes the music player and FM radio quite usable. Web browsing is decent, especially with the accelerometer to ease with the scrolling and zooming.
Every offered feature is designed to perform to the hilt, though only up to its potential.
Mind that when the phone is filled with photos, contacts or files, it will take time for it to load, even with a 16GB memory card.
Value for Money.................. 8/10
LG may be following Samsung's trend on producing affordable mid-range versions of some high-end handsets, like Corby or F480. For the price of LG GD510 Pop, it is safe to say that the overload of features and functions surpass its worth. Money is valued at best.
Pros
+ Very clean and sophisticated design
+ Eco-friendly, solar battery cover alternative
+ Great call performance
+ Great battery hours
+ Decent 3MP camera
+ Multi-functional features
Cons
+ No Wifi, no 3G
+ Crammed virtual QWERTY keyboard
+ No camera flash or lens cover
+ No DivX and XviD support
+ Does not support Flash web pages
+ Slow loading of contacts when full
Look, Design, Feel............. 7/10
With slimmer dimensions than LG Cookie, GD510 Po's 97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2mm measurements and a lighter 87grams weight makes it more compact and smaller in size. This factor is already proving to be an advantage. The simplest of them all, LG GD510 Pop is graced with one sole hardware key up front. It's an all-around key depending on which homescreen, apps, or function you are utilizing. It is used to receive or end a call, to navigate the menu, to select an item, and more.
On top of the 3" screen is an earpiece / speaker. On the left side of the unit are the volume keys and the covered microUSB port. On the right side, only the camera keys can be found. The top side is where the power button and lanyard eyelet are. The bottom part's smoothness is disturbed by the small slit of the mouthpiece. The back side is where the 3MP camera lens can be found. There is no lens cover and no flash as well.
It seems that simplicity and multi-functional features are the core of LG GD510 Pop's making. It is welcomed as a fresh take on cellphone design, and already impresses many minimalists.
Features.......... 7/10
LG GD510 Pop is one of the first of LG's budget touchscreen phones with a touch of S-Class interface. Usually this feature is reserved only for high-end units. It offers 3 homescreens - one for widget apps, one for contacts, and the Livesquare homescreen which acts like a Call Registry. The widget homescreen allows the user to pull out common phone features like the clock, calendar, FM radio, and many more. This, of course, includes the trinity of social networking- Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.
The handset has an accelerometer sensor. Users can conveniently rotate the unit from portrait to landscape mode, or shake it for the widgets to align. There will be an indicator if the 'shake to align' is possible.
The phonebook can save up to 1000 contacts. LG GD510 Pop also has Speed Dial and Smart Dialing features. This is a plus, especially for a mid-range touchscreen.
SMS, MMS, and Email messaging pose no problem. Users can opt for the Alphanumeric Keypad when used on portrait, or the QWERTY keypad on landscape, or the stylus for some handwriting recognition.
The music player can be filtered per album, artist, genre, or newly played song. The video player has no DivX and XviD support, which hugely disappointed some, but the video functions well nonetheless. It has direct Youtube video upload. While the QVGA resolution is up to 15fps only. The unique Fm Radio with RDS uses the earphones as antenna. Plug it in and store up to 50 radio stations.
The 3MP camera shines, even with only a fixed autofocus and no flash, during daytime at least. Pictures are crisp and definitely impressive. Do not expect much during night time or on a close-up shot, as it will disappoint big time.
Web surfing is possible via Bluetooth or quad-band connection. Another minus is the Flash support on websites. But it's compensated with the History function of the browser. Saved sites can be viewed offline.
Document Viewing supports DOC, PDF, and XLS files. Unfortunately, not PowerPoint files. There are a slew of games for the user's enjoyment including Diamond Twister and Brain Challenge 2.
Connectivity.............. 5/10
LG GD510 Pop's quad-band support of GSM/GPRS/EDGE and Bluetooth 2.1 will never make up for its lack of speedy wireless data carriers WiFi and 3G. This may be one solid reason for the unit's affordability. Still, it can browse webpages, but hold the Flash sites, as it does not support Flash. Dropped calls are close to impossible, as the phone has a solid SMS, MMS, Email, and call reception.
Performance............ 8/10
LG GD510 Pop maybe a reduced version of LG Cookie, but it stands alone with an unquestionably top notch performance. LG GD510 Pop runs a smooth connection. From SMS, Emails, to calls, no underlying problem with the signal whatsoever hinders the phone to perform its full function. The sound is decent which makes the music player and FM radio quite usable. Web browsing is decent, especially with the accelerometer to ease with the scrolling and zooming.
Every offered feature is designed to perform to the hilt, though only up to its potential.
Mind that when the phone is filled with photos, contacts or files, it will take time for it to load, even with a 16GB memory card.
Value for Money.................. 8/10
LG may be following Samsung's trend on producing affordable mid-range versions of some high-end handsets, like Corby or F480. For the price of LG GD510 Pop, it is safe to say that the overload of features and functions surpass its worth. Money is valued at best.
Pros
+ Very clean and sophisticated design
+ Eco-friendly, solar battery cover alternative
+ Great call performance
+ Great battery hours
+ Decent 3MP camera
+ Multi-functional features
Cons
+ No Wifi, no 3G
+ Crammed virtual QWERTY keyboard
+ No camera flash or lens cover
+ No DivX and XviD support
+ Does not support Flash web pages
+ Slow loading of contacts when full
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