| When is an iPhone not an iPhone? When it’s the | | | | market now, including LG’s Renoir, the picture |
| LG Arena! | | | | quality here still proved to be excellent, as long as the |
| The LG Arena is the nearest yet to something worthy | | | | lighting conditions were good. |
| of competing with the iPhone, but only because LG | | | | Outdoor shots were extremely sharp, with vivid |
| has tried so hard to copy it. A little too hard, some | | | | colours and excellent exposure – surprisingly good |
| might say. It’s amazing, to the point where you’ll | | | | in fact. However, shots taken indoors weren’t |
| probably laugh to see how similar the two models are | | | | anything like as pleasing. Despite it not being particularly |
| side by side, although the LG is a lot smaller. In fact, | | | | dark, the level of noise was too high to produce a top |
| it’s a very well built device (although removing the | | | | quality image. Integrated GPS means photographs can |
| metal battery cover was a bit of a mission) that will | | | | be geo-tagged, and there’s also face tracking, but |
| especially appeal to anyone that thinks the iPhone is | | | | no smile detection. 30 frames per second video |
| just a little too big. | | | | recording at up to 720x480 pixels is also very |
| Despite its smaller shell, the Arena has the higher | | | | respectable. |
| resolution screen, a 5-megapixel camera with flash, | | | | Media king |
| near HD video recording and a memory card slot so | | | | The Arena is ideally suited for multimedia, thanks to the |
| you can add more memory with ease (it comes with | | | | combination of a large screen and support for DivX |
| 8GB of its own, which should keep you going for a | | | | video, so you can play back high quality video from |
| while). | | | | other sources without needing stacks of storage |
| It even has a capacitive touchscreen and multitouch | | | | space. It’s not all plain sailing though, because the |
| control, allowing you to pinch and pull on the screen to | | | | video player won’t remember where you were if |
| zoom in or out. Funnily enough, rather like on an iPhone. | | | | you exit and come back to the player later. Nor does it |
| Class obsession | | | | support bookmarks to manually set a point to play |
| LG’s new S-Class user interface has been | | | | back from. |
| created by people with an unhealthy obsession with | | | | This is a real issue because there’s one aspect of |
| the iPhone. There are a few subtle changes, | | | | the Arena that is going to cause major frustration. The |
| presumably to keep the lawyers at bay, but the icon | | | | call and end keys are touch sensitive, meaning an |
| layout, colours and fonts are all heavily influenced by | | | | accidental touch means you will all too easily quit |
| Apple’s creation. Now, this is a risky strategy. | | | | whatever you’re doing. It’s especially likely to |
| Someone who gets into the Apple mindset will | | | | happen when you’re holding the phone sideways, |
| probably buy an iPhone regardless of what anyone | | | | as you will when watching video. |
| else is offering. | | | | There’s another issue too. Although the camera is |
| For everyone else, you have to start looking at how | | | | excellent in daylight, the screen isn’t. It’s |
| good a product it is in its own right. Fortunately, the | | | | incredibly hard to see outdoors so you’ll have to |
| Arena doesn’t disappoint. It’s extremely quick to | | | | either shield the screen, while keeping well clear of the |
| respond to your touch, and once you’ve stopped | | | | end key, or just cross your fingers and hope that |
| wondering how LG thinks it can get away with ripping | | | | you’re aiming the camera the right way. |
| off Apple, you can begin to look upon it as a highly | | | | Another way to watch video is using the supplied |
| capable touchscreen phone that is a world apart from | | | | docking station. It allows for easy charging and PC |
| similar looking Windows Mobile powered models from | | | | connectivity, for transferring media, as well as |
| HTC. | | | | connecting the phone to a TV via a composite lead. |
| Although the main menu looks like an iPhone, each row | | | | It’s a shame LG hasn’t adopted the |
| of icons (four in total) can be scrolled left and right to | | | | standardised microUSB data connector though, |
| reveal four more icons per row. Turn the phone | | | | meaning you get a proprietary USB lead instead, but it |
| sideways and all 32 icons become available at once. | | | | is incredibly easy to drop the phone into the dock |
| It’s only the high-resolution, 480x800 pixel screen | | | | without having to carefully line it up. This makes it easy |
| that makes this possible without everything turning into | | | | to keep the battery topped up at home or in the office, |
| a blurry mess – although it does look rather over | | | | which is good because the 1000mAh battery will be |
| the top. LG has obviously never heard of the phrase | | | | under a lot of pressure should you use it heavily for |
| ‘less is more’. | | | | games, music and video. Not that the iPhone is exactly |
| The top row is for communication, the second | | | | good in the battery performance area, so it’s all |
| multimedia, followed by utilities and settings. LG has | | | | relative. |
| gone one step further too, with a homescreen divided | | | | Good surroundings |
| into four sides of a cube (which can easily be rotated | | | | The internal speaker isn’t much cop, but LG has |
| with your finger). Here you can place shortcuts, | | | | teamed up with Dolby to include Dolby Mobile virtual |
| allowing you quick access to tasks like writing a | | | | surround, which seriously enhances the audio |
| message, widgets, your contacts and easy viewing of | | | | experience when using headphones, either via the |
| multimedia content. You can customise each of these | | | | 3.5mm headphone socket or wirelessly using Bluetooth. |
| screens, with the most control given to the widgets | | | | The Arena also has an integrated FM transmitter, so |
| screen. | | | | you can play music in the car without the need for |
| There is a large selection of widgets to choose from, | | | | Bluetooth – although the sound quality isn’t as |
| including the usual array of clocks, status bars, | | | | good and local interference can spoil things. |
| calendars and weather forecast tools. Of course, | | | | Wi-Fi support sets the Arena apart from the Tocco |
| these aren’t in the same league as the range of | | | | Ultra Edition, although you must choose a specific |
| applications downloaded from the Apple App Store. | | | | access method for email, which limits its usefulness if |
| The Arena can run Java applications though, and like | | | | you want to use Wi-Fi whenever available and switch |
| Samsung’s Tocco Ultra Edition, they run with the | | | | to 3G automatically on the move. |
| base of the screen reserved for virtual softkeys and | | | | The web browser isn’t quite up there with Safari |
| directional navigation buttons. There’s no slide-out | | | | either, but it is better than the Samsung browser |
| keyboard, so all text entry is done from an on-screen | | | | primarily because of the improved resolution. You can |
| keyboard or keypad. Because of the excellent | | | | also install Opera Mini if you want a decent alternative. |
| responsiveness, entering text is incredibly easy. You | | | | If I have to be honest, I don’t see the LG Arena as |
| can choose between multitap and T9, or use a full | | | | an alternative to the iPhone. The benefits of the iPhone |
| QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode. You’ll | | | | go way beyond the look and feel, such as the App |
| even find a cut and paste facility here, so need to wait | | | | Store and seamless integration with a PC or Mac |
| for an OS update later in the year! | | | | using iTunes. Managing media on the Arena isn’t as |
| Locking the phone is easy, with a quick press of the | | | | slick, and Java applications can never quite compete, |
| power button or allowing the autolock function to kick | | | | but the Arena is an excellent phone that will appeal to |
| in after a chosen time. Unlocking is not performed by | | | | those who didn’t actually want an iPhone in the first |
| sliding a bar, but pressing a box inviting you to | | | | place. |
| ‘press & hold to unlock’. It does mean a | | | | VERDICT |
| short wait, especially because of the animated | | | | Editor's ChoiceNo, you’re not looking at a picture of |
| transition that takes you back to wherever you were, | | | | the new iPhone. This is the LG Arena; a phone that |
| but it looks nice and adds to the slick nature of the | | | | looks incredibly similar, even though it does do things |
| user interface. | | | | slightly differently. The smaller phone has a higher |
| The short transition before the lock kicks in also | | | | resolution display, 5-megapixel camera, video recording, |
| means you can give a quick tap to cancel the locking | | | | MMS and cut & paste (no need to wait for iPhone |
| process when you see the screen start to move. | | | | OS 3.0 here). |
| Flash photography | | | | It also offers web, email, GPS and expandable |
| The camera is an area where the Arena beats the | | | | memory on top of the 8GB built-in. It doesn’t have |
| iPhone, although that’s hardly difficult. With a | | | | a fancy application store (instead, you must use Java |
| 5-megapixel autofocus camera and LED flash, it’s | | | | applications or widgets) but the user interface is slick |
| way out in front. It also has a front-facing camera in | | | | and it makes a alternative for people that merely see |
| case you might ever want to make a video call. While | | | | an iPhone as style over substance. |
| there are plenty of 8-megapixel cameraphones on the | | | | |