LG BL20 review

LG's Chocolate range of devices has been a great success for the Korean manufacturer., with the original KG800 selling 1.7 million units in the first two months on sale.

The more recent BL40 features a stunning widescreen, although is probably a little too long for most users who like to simply slip their phone into their pocket.

The LG BL20 is a much smaller device, in slider formation.

It takes elements of its styling from the original LG Chocolate, the KG800, but has a much more refined, glossy finish.

The front comprises an average-sized, but crystal clear 240x320 pixels, 2.4-inch screen. Below the screen is a series of touch sensitive keys.

Each key gives haptic feedback, ensuring you know when a button has responded.

There are two menu keys at the top, four directional keys below with a central select key and shortcuts to the alarm clock and menu at the bottom of the front panel.

These keys are all well spaced, although some were more responsive to our touch than others.

Slide the screen up to expose the panel of number keys. these are arranged in four rows, with a metal band separating each row. The whole keypad is constructed from one piece of flexible plastic, meaning as you press each key, the surrounding keys move too.

Like any super-shiny devices on the market, the LG BL20 is a fingerprint magnet. Thanks to its high-gloss rear plate and seamless front panel, you only need to hover your finger over any of the keys to magically watch an exact imprint of your digit appear.

A cleaning cloth would be welcomed if it was bundled in the box, although a less glossy, or fingerprint repelling casing would be a much better option.

Away from the hardware, the interface on the LG BL20 is bright and clear. Large icons make up the menu grid, and each of these expand in size when highlighted, hiding part of the description text for the icon above.

Although you won't find a huge range of preinstalled applications, Yahoo Search has been included by LG, plus there's a shortcut to O2's web portal.

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