LG Cookie Lite deals & review

The name may differ from supplier to supplier, but the features remain the same. Whether termed ‘LG Cookie Lite,’ ‘LG Cookie T300,’ or even the ‘LG Wink,’ this fashionable little phone looks lovely. The casing is neatly designed and the touchscreen is well proportioned. The Cookie Lite contains a wealth of fun mobile phone features. A cartoonish interface will appeal to younger users, which serves as a gateway to the phone’s web browser, messaging services and digital camera. The Cookie Lite is great value for money as a first phone, and is available from Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

The LG Cookie Lite is truly compact. It’s an extremely lightweight handset at just 77g, stands at just 9.58cm tall and 5.05cm wide, and sits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The casing colour options allow you to sport a variety of looks, including black with silver or red, and white with pink or orange. The case is made entirely of plastic, so there is the potential for the handset to be scratched or damaged if dropped, though the same is true of most phones.

Below the 2.4 inch touchscreen, three hardware buttons allow you to accept and end calls, as well as moving through the user interface. No matter where you are in the menu system, simply press the ‘end call’ button to return to the home screen. There are also volume buttons and a microSD card on the right of the phone, as well as a USB port on the left.

The phone’s colourful appearance is complemented by its bright and cheery user interface. The 240 x 320 pixel display TFT screen does not boast amazing detail or clarity, but at just 2.4 inches this isn’t exactly a problem. The touchscreen doesn’t match up to that of, say, an iPhone either, but the pressure-sensitive resistive technology allows for the phone’s reasonable price. Unfortunately this does mean that fingerprints may linger, and the lack of a stylus leaves it more prone to suffering wear and tear.

The phone’s camera is also relatively simple compared to that of other phones on the market, but 1.3-mega-pixels is satisfactory for youngsters using it as a first phone. There is no flash included, so lighting must be correct in order to take a perfect shot, but the camera is extremely easy to use. Zoom, record videos and use the in-built templates to create funny photos.

Overall, the features appeal to young users or teenagers, as business or older users are likely to become frustrated with the basic functionality. The Cookie Lite sports only 20MB of internal memory, so the memory card option for storing up to 4GB is a welcome addition. It should be noted that this will have to be purchased separately.

The WAP broswer allows users to gain access to the web, and EDGE technology transfers data at high speeds. Simply connect to another device via Bluetooth or micro USB, and GPRS will send data quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately there is no 3G or Wifi available, so web usage is anything but fast, although this does mean that the phone’s power demands are lessened. The 900mAh battery allows for around 500 hours of battery standby time, or eight hours of constant talk time. If your usage is reasonable, the phone will keep going for a few days at a time.

The LG Cookie Lite has both an MP3 player and FM Radio. The handset does not come with a set of headphones, so these must be purchased in order to make the most of its music player. Connect your own set via the 3.5mm socket and you’re able to listen to a number of saved songs. In order to save more, you’ll have to make use of the memory card slot. If it’s games you’re into, then the Cookie Lite comes pre-loaded with a selection of Java-based favourites such as Thomsons & Touch and Bubble Bash 2.

The phone’s social networking app allows you to browse Facebook, Twitter and Myspace, but the lack of 3G or Wifi makes these functions relatively cumbersome. Windows Live Messenger does allow you to chat with friends, with the only requirement being that you have an email account.

Whilst the LG Cookie Lite would be a great first phone for youngsters, older users might want to consider another model from the Cookie range. These feature a bigger and better camera and browser, and they’re significantly more resistant to everyday hazards. For a no-nonsense phone that does the job with minimal fuss however, the Cookie Lite is a safe bet