Mobile phone users can be categorized into certain definite and mutually exclusive categories. The major category of phone users consists of people who want a phone to make and receive calls, and to send and receive text messages. And that is all they want the mobile phone for; no more and, certainly no less even if that were possible. 

With the reduction of functionality, features and technology the price of the handset also goes down. The mobile phone handset model created for this market segment are not the ones shown off at trade fairs, nor are they ever really the recipients of any great innovations. So it is rather surprising and really very laudable when a mobile phone manufacturer decides to make a handset keeping just these consumers in mind. 

LG releases the Lotus

Not particularly attractive to look at, the LG Lotus is the definitive messaging mobile phone. It is designed for the user who spends most of their mobile interaction time clicking away furiously at the ridiculously small buttons on the handset. Albeit some teenagers and youngsters have reached phenomenal typing speeds with these buttons, sometimes without even looking at the buttons in question, the fact remains that it is a highly inconvenient method of textual input. 

It follows the pattern of the ubiquitous and extremely popular flip phones, even though it is slightly wider. When closed the phone resembles a square instead of the more familiar oblong. It is most certainly not a smart phone, with the distinct lack of functions. However, this move was probably completely intentional considering their target clientele in this case. 

The most striking feature of the phone is the full QWERTY keyboard on the inside, which has really small keys. The small keys may have posed a problem, but thankfully are domed and therefore minimise margin of error. However, if the user has extra large fingertips, this phone is ideally not suited to them. There is an extra key for ‘Text’ which is hotkey bringing up the messaging screen on the phone, which proves to be very convenient for serial messaging.

The mobile phone has a 2.0 megapixel camera, located on the front, of course, underneath the LCD display panel. The camera has a button entirely dedicated to starting its application and as does the music player. The music player is pretty good, and just under the external display there are three playback buttons which show up as a shiny long silver rectangle.

The phone comes packaged with a micro-SD card and a USB adaptor, a new trend that all LG phones have been following. It also comes in two different colours – one is the universal black, with a matte top and grey buttons; and the second is a slightly more glamorous purple coloured one, with a floral pattern on the front and matching purple buttons inside.

There is a navigational bar on the bottom of the home screen, minimising menus considerably. The squarish design may prove to be slightly uncomfortable, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do admirably: texting at the speed of light.

Check out the phone at the LG site, here.