LG BL40 Chocolate

LG BL40 Chocolate

LG BL40 Chocolate

LG BL40 Chocolate

The original LG Chocolate was a very popular handset back in 2006 and sold by the bucket load. Now, three years later, LG is back with some more eye candy in the form of its "New Chocolate" handsets, designed to follow up on that success. There are two versions of the New Chocolate so far, in keypad-toting slider and full touchscreen variations, giving users a little extra variety in their choice, with both handsets running LG's S-class user interface. We managed to get our hands on the full touchscreen BL40, so read on to see if the New Chocolate is really as sweet as it looks.

_{vibrant media}

Physical Aspects

The LG New Chocolate BL40 is a very striking phone, in terms of its appearance. However, despite its simplistic, handsome looks, the BL40 seemed to divide opinions when I showed it to family, friends, and colleagues. This was mainly due to the length of the phone, which was usually the first comment anybody made upon seeing it. Although very narrow and thin, the BL40 is also very long in contrast with most of today's handsets, which seem to be shorter and wider. The handset's actual dimensions are: 128mm x 51mm x 10.9mm (5.0in x 2.0in x .4in), and it weighs a pretty hefty 129g (4.6oz).

Thankfully, the New Chocolate BL40's weight is the result of the sturdy materials used in its construction, such as the tempered glass covering the whole front of the handset. The overall look of the handset is very dark, with a moody black color scheme, finished off by bright red panels on either end. The front of the BL40 is home to the huge 4.01-inch display that LG tout as having a HD resolution. In fact, it has a resolution of 345 x 800 pixels, which is more of a WVGA resolution. Despite this, the screen is still very sharp and I could've sworn it was an AMOLED^(INFO) display when I first saw it because the colors are really vibrant and the blacks are very deep indeed. It isn't actually an AMOLED display though, so it doesn't get the power saving benefits of one, unfortunately.

Above the display is a forward facing video call camera, an ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor to turn off the display when you put the phone to your ear. On the rear of the handset you'll find a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with Schneider Kreuznach optics and an LED flash. The rear cover clips over the entire rear of the phone, so there are no splits or joins, for a seamless look. Both the SIM card slot and microSD slot are under the rear cover, which has to be completely removed to access either of them, unfortunately.

The bright red top of the phone is home to the power/screen lock key and 3.5mm headphone port, and the bottom is home only to the microphone pinhole. The edges of the device are punctuated by a chrome stripe through their middle, which adds some style to the handset. The stripe also houses the volume keys and camera shutter button on the right edge, and the music key on the left. The micro-USB port for charging and data is also on the left edge, just above the music key, and is covered by a hinged door to keep debris out. Altogether the handset feels very well constructed indeed, although its glossy exterior is real fingerprint magnet. Overall, the LG New Chocolate BL40 is a stunning looking device, even if it is a bit lanky for some people.

Adapted: http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=7948

Adapted for blogging purposes.

LG BL40 Chocolate

LG BL40 Chocolate

LG BL40 Chocolate

LG BL40 Chocolate

The original LG Chocolate was a very popular handset back in 2006 and sold by the bucket load. Now, three years later, LG is back with some more eye candy in the form of its "New Chocolate" handsets, designed to follow up on that success. There are two versions of the New Chocolate so far, in keypad-toting slider and full touchscreen variations, giving users a little extra variety in their choice, with both handsets running LG's S-class user interface. We managed to get our hands on the full touchscreen BL40, so read on to see if the New Chocolate is really as sweet as it looks.

_{vibrant media}

Physical Aspects

The LG New Chocolate BL40 is a very striking phone, in terms of its appearance. However, despite its simplistic, handsome looks, the BL40 seemed to divide opinions when I showed it to family, friends, and colleagues. This was mainly due to the length of the phone, which was usually the first comment anybody made upon seeing it. Although very narrow and thin, the BL40 is also very long in contrast with most of today's handsets, which seem to be shorter and wider. The handset's actual dimensions are: 128mm x 51mm x 10.9mm (5.0in x 2.0in x .4in), and it weighs a pretty hefty 129g (4.6oz).

Thankfully, the New Chocolate BL40's weight is the result of the sturdy materials used in its construction, such as the tempered glass covering the whole front of the handset. The overall look of the handset is very dark, with a moody black color scheme, finished off by bright red panels on either end. The front of the BL40 is home to the huge 4.01-inch display that LG tout as having a HD resolution. In fact, it has a resolution of 345 x 800 pixels, which is more of a WVGA resolution. Despite this, the screen is still very sharp and I could've sworn it was an AMOLED^(INFO) display when I first saw it because the colors are really vibrant and the blacks are very deep indeed. It isn't actually an AMOLED display though, so it doesn't get the power saving benefits of one, unfortunately.

Above the display is a forward facing video call camera, an ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor to turn off the display when you put the phone to your ear. On the rear of the handset you'll find a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with Schneider Kreuznach optics and an LED flash. The rear cover clips over the entire rear of the phone, so there are no splits or joins, for a seamless look. Both the SIM card slot and microSD slot are under the rear cover, which has to be completely removed to access either of them, unfortunately.

The bright red top of the phone is home to the power/screen lock key and 3.5mm headphone port, and the bottom is home only to the microphone pinhole. The edges of the device are punctuated by a chrome stripe through their middle, which adds some style to the handset. The stripe also houses the volume keys and camera shutter button on the right edge, and the music key on the left. The micro-USB port for charging and data is also on the left edge, just above the music key, and is covered by a hinged door to keep debris out. Altogether the handset feels very well constructed indeed, although its glossy exterior is real fingerprint magnet. Overall, the LG New Chocolate BL40 is a stunning looking device, even if it is a bit lanky for some people.

Adapted: http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=7948

Adapted for blogging purposes.