Review of the LG GD510 Pop

LG GD510 Pop is said to be the LG Cookie for the masses. With a trimmed down price and the removal of some features, it's another touchscreen set to conquer a whole demographic. LG GD510 Pop's unique selling tag is its part eco-friendly optional feature. An alternative battery cover acts as a solar panel which, if the panel charged for 10 minutes, it can already support 2 minutes of call time. Despite the fact that 'going green' is upon us, its energy saving feature does not seem to elevate the LG GD510 Pop's status as it does for its close comparison, the LG Cookie.

Look, Design, Feel (7/10)

With slimmer dimensions than the LG Cookie, GD510 Pop's 97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2mm measurements and its lighter weight of 87grams makes it more compact and smaller in size. This factor is already proving to be an advantage. The simplest of them all, the LG GD510 Pop is graced with one sole hardware key up front. It's an all-around key depending on which homescreen, apps, or function you are utilizing. It is used to receive or end a call, to navigate the menu, to select an item, and more.

On top of the 3" screen is an earpiece / 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. The top side is where the power button and lanyard eyelet are. The bottom part's smoothness is disturbed by the small slit of the mouthpiece. The back side is where the 3MP camera lens can be found. There is no lens cover as well as no flash.

It seems that simplicity and multi-functional features are the core of the LG GD510 Pop's making. It is welcomed as a fresh take on cellphone design, and already impresses many minimalists.

Features (7/10)

LG GD510 Pop is one of the first of LG's budget touchscreen phones with a touch of S-Class interface. Usually this feature is reserved only for high-end units. It offers 3 homescreens - one for widget apps, one for contacts, and the Livesquare homescreen which acts like a Call Registry. The widget homescreen allows the user to pull out common phone features like the clock, calendar, FM radio, and many more. This, of course, includes the trinity of social networking- Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.

The handset has an accelerometer sensor. Users can conveniently rotate the unit from portrait to landscape mode, or shake it for the widgets to align. There will be an indicator if the 'shake to align' is possible.

The phonebook can save up to 1000 contacts. The LG GD510 Pop also has Speed Dial and Smart Dialing features. This is a plus, especially for a mid-range touchscreen.

SMS, MMS and Email messaging pose no problem. Users can opt for the Alphanumeric Keypad when used on portrait, or the QWERTY keypad on landscape, or the stylus for some handwriting recognition.

The music player can be filtered per album, artist, genre, or newly played song. The video player has no DivX and XviD support, which hugely disappointed some. However, the video functions well nonetheless and it even allows direct Youtube video upload, while the QVGA resolution is up to 15fps only. The unique Fm Radio with RDS uses the earphones as an antenna. Plug it in and store up to 50 radio stations.

The 3MP camera shines, even with only a fixed autofocus and no flash, during daytime at least. Pictures are crisp and definitely impressive. Do not expect much during the night time or on a close-up shot, as it will disappoint big time.

Web surfing is possible via Bluetooth or a quad-band connection. Another minus is the Flash support on websites. But it's compensated with the History function of the browser. Saved sites can also be viewed offline.

Document Viewing supports DOC, PDF and XLS files. Unfortunately, not PowerPoint files. There are a few games for the user's 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 its lack of speedy wireless data carriers WiFi and 3G. This may be one solid reason for the unit's affordability. Still, it can browse webpages, but hold the Flash sites, as it does not support Flash. Dropped calls are close to impossible, as the phone has a solid SMS, MMS, Email, and call reception.

Performance (8/10)

LG GD510 Pop is perhaps a reduced version of the LG Cookie, but it stands alone with an unquestionably top notch performance. The LG GD510 Pop runs a smooth connection. From SMS, Emails, to calls, no underlying problem with the signal whatsoever hinders the phone from performing its full function. The sound is decent which makes the music player and FM radio quite usable. Web browsing is also decent, especially with the accelerometer to ease with scrolling and zooming.

Every feature offered is designed to perform up to their utmost potential.
However, when the phone is filled with photos, contacts or files, it will take time for it to load, even with a 16GB memory card.

Value for Money (8/10)

LG may be following Samsung's trend on producing affordable mid-range versions of some high-end handsets, like the Corby or F480. For the price of the LG GD510 Pop, it is safe to say that the overload of features and functions surpass its worth. Best value for money.