LG is trying to consolidate its position in the entry level phone line since January this year. Its new entry level phone line is branded as "GB". The first model was announced on January 2009, GB 106, and released in March 2009. This phone really looks like cheap. You get old form factor, with cheap plastic body, and a colored frame finish.
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The navigational keys and the alphanumerical keys are all made of rubber, and the battery cover sports a small flex when pressed. With a height of 102 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 14.6 mm, the GB 106 weights about 70 grams, making this phone really lightweight and easy to carry around. The included display is an old 1.5 inches CSTN with 128 x 128 pixels resolution, capable of rendering up to 65000 colors. It lacks any connectivity whatsoever and includes a 1 MB onboard memory. You get only SMS function and a FM radio.
The battery included is a Lithium Ion with 950 mAh, capable of offering 440 hours in standby (GSM 900 / 1800), and up to 6 hours and 30 minutes of talk time. This phone is just the first from ten GB phones released by LG by now. I am going to present you in chronological time the next four GB model, while the last five will be part of a future article. Also announced in January 2009 and released on March 2009, the GB 110 sports a better design, than the GB 106. Although the navigational keys and the alphanumerical keys are still made out of rubber, the overall build of the GB 110 is improved. The design is also more 2007, and not 2003. This phone runs in 2G network, GSM 900 / 1800. With a height of 103 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 14.6 mm, the GB 110 weights about 65 grams, making this phone even more compact than the BG 106. LG included in the GB 110 the same 1.5 inches CSTN display with 128 x 128 pixels resolution, capable of rendering up to 65000 colors.
With only 1 MB internal memory, this phone lacks any possible entertainment. However, the GB 110 sports a memory card slot, compatible with micro SD memory cards with the maximum value of 4 GB. The connectivity is only ensured by the 2.0 USB connections. LG also added in the GB 110 a VGA camera capable of taking photos only in 640 x 480 pixels. No video recording capabilities, but GB 110 sports a MP3 player. The same Lithium Ion 950 mAh battery used on GB 106 is included in the GB 110, capable of providing up to 440 hours in standby and up to 6 hours and 30 minutes talk time.
As a conclusion, the GB 110 is a solid upgrade of the GB 106. The third GB model announced in February 2009, sports a different style, with nice design and good entry level specs. The GB 130 is a slider sporting a matte black plastic on the unopened front cover and back cover. The frame surrounding the display is made out of a glossy material. The alphanumerical keyboard and the sides of GB 130 are made out of a silvery plastic, giving the design a nice contrast. The front cover includes the display, above which you get the earpiece and the "LG" logo, while below the display you can find the navigational keys including, two soft keys, alarm clock key, call key, end call key, calendar key, five way navigational pad (up, down, left, right and the centered OK). Once opened the GB 130sports a big alphanumerical keyboard. The keys are made out of a rubber plastic material. The feedback is average, not too great, but not too bad.
The build quality is overall average, but the design is certainly an improvement over the first two models. With a height of 103 mm, wide of 47 mm, deep of 15.6 mm, the GB 130 doesn't have a specified weight offered by LG (weird but true). LG included in the GB 130 a 2.0 inches TFT display with a resolution of 120 x 160 pixels, capable of rendering about 65000 colors. The internal memory was improved to 64 MB, but LG removed the memory card slot from GB 130. The connectivity is ensured only by the GPRS and the USB connectivity. The same battery on the GB 106 and GB 110 was also included in this model, Lithium Ion 950 mAh battery. The standby value will not pass 400 hours (in the 2G network GSM 900 / 1800), while the talk time is about 6 hours.
Overall, the GB 130 is an improved version of GB 110 in terms of design and display. However the lack of memory card slot and digital camera make includes this phone under the GB 110 in terms of a balanced price / specs. The fourth model announced and released this year, the GB 102 is located in terms of specs under the GB 106. However, the GB 102 sports an improved design, with a nice matte black plastic body, and a nice form factor. Also the navigational keys are made out of a metallic material, while the alpha numerical keyboard is made out of one piece of black rubber which looks nice. In terms of design this phone is really attractive. With a height of 103 mm, wide of 45 mm, deep of 14 mm, the GB 102 includes a 1.5 inches CSTN display with a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels, capable of rendering about 65000 colors. You get no memory card slot, no camera and no connectivity. Beside the organizer and the T9, the GB 102 doesn't sport anything else.
LG included into this model a Lithium Ion battery with 800 mAh, capable of 400 hours in standby and 6 hours and 30 minutes in talk time. Between GB 106 and GB 102, the last one is a better choice. The last phone in this article is the LG GB 220 also known as "Kate" announced in February 2009 and released in August 2009. The GB 220 sports a nice design made out of a matte black plastic inside and on the back cover, while on the outside cover (since GB 220 sports a clamshell design) sport a metallic silver frame surrounding a patterned glossy surface that covers the external display. Inside you can see the stainless steel hinge and the plastic keys from the alphanumerical keyboard.
The navigational keys are not only better looking but also provide a better feedback than the alphanumerical keyboard. LG improved dramatically the build quality. The GB 220 sports a solid build, with no flex whatsoever, not even from the keyboard keys which deliver an average feedback. With a height of 105 mm, wide of 46 mm, deep of 14 mm, the GB 220 weights only 72 grams, making it very portable and easy to carry around. LG included in the GB 220 an external display of 1 inch (TFT technology) with a resolution of 96 x 64 pixels, while inside it added a 1.76 inches TFT display with 176 x 144 pixels resolution capable of rendering about 65000 colors.
On board the GB 220 you can find 512 MB, expandable value using the micro SD memory card or Trans Flash memory cards up to 2 GB. The connectivity is ensured by the GPRS and EDGE, Bluetooth version 2.0 and the USB connectivity. LG also included a 1.3 megapixel camera with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. The GB 220 sports a Lithium Ion battery with 800 mAh value, which should provide about 300 hours in standby, or 3 hours and 20 minutes in talk time for the 2G network - GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900. Overall, these five models are in terms of specs and design cheap mobile phones. However, the GB 220 is closer to what an entry level mobile phone should be, average specs, with a nice design and an entry level price tag.
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