Analysis of the LG GD510 Pop
Look, Design, Feel (7/10)
With slimmer dimensions than the LG Cookie, the GD510 Pop’s 97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2mm measurements and lighter weight of 87 grams make it more compact and smaller in size. This factor is already proving to be an advantage. The simplest of all, the LG GD510 Pop is adorned with a single hardware key on the front. It is a whole key depending on the home screen, applications or function you are using. It is used to receive or end a call, navigate through the menu, select an item, and more.
On the top of the 3″ screen is an earphone/speaker. On the left side of the unit are the volume keys and the covered microUSB port. On the right side, only the camera keys can be found. top side is where the power supply is located.The button and lanyard eyelet are.The smoothness of the bottom is disturbed by the small indentation of the nozzle.The back is where the camera lens is located. 3MP There is no lens cap or flash.
It seems that simplicity and multifunctional features are at the core of the creation of the LG GD510 Pop. It is welcomed as a fresh take on mobile phone design and already impresses many minimalists.
Features (7/10)
LG GD510 Pop is one of the first budget touchscreen phones from LG with a touch of S-Class interface. Typically, this feature is reserved for high-end drives only. It offers 3 home screens: one for widget apps, one for contacts, and the Livesquare home screen that acts as a call log. The widget home screen allows the user to pull common phone features like clock, calendar, FM radio and many more. This, of course, includes the trinity of social media: Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. The phone has an accelerometer sensor. Users can conveniently rotate the unit from portrait to landscape mode, or shake it to align widgets. There will be an indicator if it is possible to ‘shake to align’.
The phonebook can store up to 1000 contacts. The LG GD510 Pop also has speed dial and smart dial features. This is an advantage, especially for a mid-range touch screen.
SMS, MMS and email messages are not a problem. Users can opt for the alphanumeric keyboard when used in portrait position, or the QWERTY keyboard in landscape position, or the stylus for handwriting recognition.
The music player can be filtered by album, artist, genre, or recently played song. The video player does not support DivX and XviD, which greatly disappointed some. However, video runs fine and even allows direct upload of YouTube videos, while QVGA resolution is up to 15fps only. The exclusive Radio Fm with RDS uses the headphones as an antenna. Plug it in and store up to 50 radio stations.
The 3MP camera shines, even with just fixed autofocus and no flash, at least during the day. The images are sharp and definitely impressive. Don’t expect much overnight or close-up as you will disappoint big time.
Web browsing is possible via Bluetooth or a quad band connection. Another drawback is the support for Flash on websites. But it makes up for it with the Browser History feature. Saved sites can also be viewed offline.
Document viewing supports DOC, PDF and XLS files. Unfortunately, not PowerPoint files. There are some games for user enjoyment including Diamond Twister and Brain Challenge 2.
Connectivity (5/10)
LG GD510 Pop’s quad band support of GSM/GPRS/EDGE and Bluetooth 2.1 will never make up for your lack of fast WiFi and 3G wireless data carriers. This can be a solid reason for the affordability of the unit. Still, you can browse web pages but keep Flash sites as it doesn’t support Flash. Dropped calls are almost impossible as the phone has strong SMS, MMS, email and call reception.
Performance (8/10)
LG GD510 Pop is perhaps a scaled-down version of LG Cookie, but it stands on its own with undeniably superior performance. The LG GD510 Pop has a seamless connection. From SMS, emails to calls, no underlying signal issue is preventing the phone from performing its full function. The sound is decent, which makes the music player and FM radio quite useful. Web browsing is also decent, especially with the accelerometer for easy scrolling and zooming.
Every feature offered is designed to perform to its full potential.
However, when the phone is full of photos, contacts or files, it will take time to load even with a 16 GB memory card.
Value for money (8/10)
LG may be following Samsung’s trend of producing affordable mid-range versions of some high-end phones, like the Corby or F480. For the price of the LG GD510 Pop, it’s safe to say that the overload of features and functions outweighs its value. Best value for money.
advantages
+ Very clean and sophisticated design
+ Environmentally friendly solar battery cover alternative
+ Great call performance
+ Excellent battery hours
+ decent 3MP camera
+ Multifunctional features
cons
+ No WiFi, no 3G
+ Full virtual QWERTY keyboard
+ No camera flash or lens cap
+ No DivX and XviD support
+ Does not support Flash web pages
+ Slow loading of contacts when full