There was a time when a mobile phone was just that: a mobile telephone, but as text messaging and even emailing on the move became popular features on the vast majority of handsets, users have also had to become ever more adept at tapping away at their keypads to stay in contact.

With email and instant messaging now added to that list too, our mobile phones as much devices for typing on as talking, so it is perhaps unsurprising manufacturers have spotted a new niche in the non-smartphone market.

In the case of LG, it has taken cues from the burgeoning smartphone arena to create the KS360. This is a handset which borrows from the common sliding Qwerty keyboard form factor as seen on whole range of smartphones out there, but also cuts away many their premium features to put a messaging friendly device in the hands of the mass market.

Given this seemingly unflattering description it is perhaps best we start out by telling you just what the KS360 is lacking: 3G connectivity, GPS, WiFi, an autofocus camera and large amounts of onboard memory. Still, to attack this handset for what isn't there is rather missing the point. The LG KS360 is a phone which is designed to appeal to the heavy emailer and/or texter, the sort who sits around the dinner table unsociably typing away, who huddles texting in the cinema and whose handset leaps out of their hip pocket with the regularity of a gunslinger in a Hollywood Western.

However, the KS360 may also prove a slow burning hit with an audience at the opposite end of the spectrum: those who never got their heads fully around predictive text.

In this world of endlessly generic and forgettable mobile phones then, the LG KS360 is a refreshingly focused handset and with LG ruthlessly cutting out the features it deems unnecessary, this has allowed the KS360 to outperform our expectations in its most crucial areas.

First up is build quality. The LG KS360 is remarkably well put together. It feels solid in the hand but light at just 106g thanks to the shedding of those premium features, while the spring loaded sliding keyboard gives confidence it will be working many years down the line. In fact, the overall effect is a handset which wouldn't look out of place alongside many of the more expensive Windows Mobile and Symbian-based smartphones on sale. The large 2.4-inch 256k colour screen is also vibrant and offers surprisingly responsive touch screen dialling when the keyboard is folded away.

As for the camera, it may be fixed focus but its two-megapixel snaps are certainly above average and decent quality images can be produced in fair lighting conditions. Bluetooth V2.0 also makes it inside along with threaded SMS similar to that of the iPhone, email, an instant messenger application and the inclusion of a microSD expansion slot with support for cards holding to 4GB of storage.

Of course all of these plus points would be irrelevant if the LG KS360's key selling point was poorly implemented but this is one of the best mobile keyboards I have used short of a BlackBerry and easily sets a new bar for affordable devices.

The buttons are well spaced, clearly labelled, backlit and - while they can feel a little stiff initially - typing quickly becomes second nature. Smart integration of a lockable Fn key also means numbers are easily accessed and four way arrow keys allow for easy navigation and editing of text. In addition, smartly thought out soft keys in the top left and right corners of the keyboard mean navigating the various menus is a breeze whether the screen is in portrait or landscape modes. In essence, if you are buying this phone primarily for its keyboard then you won't be disappointed.

That said, the LG KS360 - impressive as it is - isn't without some niggles. For example, while the handset lacks 3G that is no reason to install a basic WAP2.0 web browser and, though this isn't a high end device, equipping it with just 15MB of onboard memory is particularly penny pinching in 2008. Lastly, the omission of a 3.5mm headphone jack is a shame. Not only are you prevented from inserting your favourite buds, it also means you can't charge the phone and listen to music simultaneously.

Despite these grumbles, the LG KS360 is an excellent handset in what is sure to become an expanding category and one which the text addict and text amateur can enjoy with equal relish. Build quality is good, the screen sharp and vivid, while the headline grabbing Qwerty keyboard is top notch. Buy the KS360 for what it was intended and you can't go wrong.

Available from:
LG KS360 at Dial-a-Phone

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