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LG Mobile KE770 Shine Silver GSM Phone
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LG Mobile KG800 Chocolate GSM Phone
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LG Mobile KE850 Prada Silver GSM Phone
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LG Mobile KE970 Shine Pink Open Box
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Even before its formal debut last July, the LG Chocolate had been one of the most discussed cell phones of the year. Though it offered nothing new in the way of features, its slim slider design captured two hot trends currently streaking through cell phone design houses. As of this writing, Verizon Wireless is the only carrier that offers the CDMA LG VX8500 Chocolate, but LG has also produced an unlocked GSM version of the handset that is available stateside. The LG KG800 Chocolate sports the same eye-catching design as the VX8500, save for a few adjustments to the still-tedious touch pad controls. The feature set is also similar, but the KG800 lacks an external memory slot and does not support 3G networks. The KG800 should cost about $300. Like the VX8500, the KG800 Chocolate has a rectangular shape that's vaguely reminiscent of a chocolate bar. The sleek form factor and straight lines are familiar as is the basic black color scheme (an all-white model is available as well). The KG800's dimensions (3.7x1.9x0.6 inches) are only slightly different from its cousin's, and it's a tad lighter but still has a comfortable and solid feel in the hand. Just keep in mind that as with other slider designs, the KG800 doesn't cradle your head when held against the ear. The slider mechanism slips up and down easily but firmly; we needed only one finger to make it work. Though the KG800's display has a slightly lower resolution than the VX8500's, it's still a treat to view. With support for 256,000 colors, the two-inch (176x220 pixels) display shows off everything beautifully, from photos to graphics to its simple, user-friendly menus. The screen is more difficult to see in direct light and disappears completely when the backlighting is off. You can change the backlighting time, the font color, and the brightness.