LG KU970 Shine Comprehensive Review of Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Design and Build

The LG KU970 Shine, released in early 2007, stands out with its sleek and polished design. Encased in a shiny metallic body, the phone lives up to its name, providing a premium feel right from the first touch. Weighing 120 grams and measuring 99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8 mm, it strikes a balance between being comfortably compact and solidly durable. Its elegance is further enhanced by the mirror-like finish of the front screen, a standout feature during its time. The phone uses a Mini-SIM card slot, fitting seamlessly into its compact design.

Display

The device is equipped with a 2.2 inch TFT display capable of showcasing 256K colors, which was quite impressive during the time of its release. With a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, the screen delivers clear and vibrant visuals. However, it's important to note that the screen-to-body ratio is approximately 29.7%, meaning a significant portion of the front is occupied by the device’s casing, a common design choice in phones of that era.

Camera Capabilities

The LG KU970 Shine includes a 2-megapixel main camera, featuring Schneider-Kreuznach optics and an LED flash, which greatly enhances its photography in low light conditions. Autofocus technology ensures most shots are crisp and clear, an advanced feature for its time. While it offers basic video recording at 320p, it's primarily tailored for still images. For video calls, a VGA camera is placed on the front, providing functional if not extraordinary video quality for calls.

Network and Connectivity

The device supports GSM 900/1800/1900 bands, as well as HSDPA 2100 for 3G connectivity, fairly advanced for its day, allowing quicker data download speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. For local file transfers, the phone includes Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP support, allowing wireless audio streaming. However, there's no support for Wi-Fi or GPS, reflective of the focus on cellular network usage during the device's era.

Memory and Storage

Internally, the LG KU970 Shine comes with 512MB of storage, with no expandable memory card slot. This was quite limiting as users had to manage this small capacity for their data, like music or video files. It includes a robust phonebook capable of storing up to 1000 entries with the additional feature of Photocall. The call log maintains records of 50 dialed, 50 received, and 50 missed calls.

Sound and Multimedia

Despite not having a 3.5mm audio jack, the device supports various alert types like vibration and downloadable polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. Equipped with a loudspeaker, it facilitates hands-free calls and audio playback, supporting a variety of multimedia formats for playback.

Battery Life

The device runs on a removable Li-Ion 800 mAh battery, offering a standby time of up to 260 hours and talk time up to 2 hours and 50 minutes. Such battery life is quite conventional for feature phones from this period, focusing on providing ample time for basic phone functionalities.

Operating System and Extras

Operating as a feature phone, it comes with basic messaging features including SMS, EMS, MMS, and Email, along with a WAP 2.0/xHTML browser. The inclusion of Java MIDP 2.0 allows users to download simple games, bringing entertainment beyond the pre-installed offerings.

Miscellaneous Features

Offered solely in a silver variant, the LG KU970 Shine's aesthetic appeal matches its name. It was priced at about 80 EUR during its launch, aligning it within the mid-range category. Additionally, it adheres to acceptable SAR levels, measuring at 0.77 W/kg for the head and 0.34 W/kg for the body.

Conclusion

LG’s foray into the elegant design-focused feature phone market with the KU970 Shine marks a significant highlight in its lineup during 2007. It's a balance of style and basic functionality, appealing particularly to users prioritizing design aesthetics and reliable basic phone operations. Although its storage and connectivity options are quite limited by current standards, it nonetheless stands as a testament to the era's consumer electronics evolution.