LG GB160 deals & review

Just when market gets a flood of smartphones and feature phones with the features we now take for granted like a video camera, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, international roaming and even 3G, we get to see something refreshing to remind us of the early days when mobiles phones were meant as a basic communication device on the road.

This is what LG seems to tell its markets with the LG GB160 that combines the simple ergonomics of a classic candybar form with the practical focus and affordability that a mobile phone should be. Needless to say, it only comes in black and is priced around £35 SIM-free. It’s a perfect gift for your kids just so you can check them out at school.

Basic Phone Features

This is a dual band GSM (900/1800) for Asian and European markets with class 12 GPRS speeds on the 2G network. That means, it’s pretty much useful only in select countries though there are other versions in a different dual band set of frequencies (850/1900) for other markets. 

So, don’t expect any international roaming capability. Its conventional candybar body measures 128 x 46 x 12.5 mm and weighs a very light and pocket-friendly 67.5 grams.

There’s nothing even remarkable about its aesthetics and comes with possibly the smallest 1.5-inch LCD display for a 21^st century mobile phone with 128 x 128 resolution and 65k color depth that is simply a throwback to the pioneering days of mobile phones in the mid 90s. 

There’s no 3G, WiFi and no camera. You can’t do local data transfers as it has no Bluetooth or USB support. There’s a cursory nod to entertainment with an MP3 player and a wireless stereo FM which surprising has FM recording feature. But with a mere 2 MB internal memory and no microSD expansion slot, we can’t fathom its recording usability or putting even a low bitrate MP3 file, but maybe just one. It has a speakerphone for you to listen but no headphone connectivity options.

The LG GB160 feature phone gets preloaded with the basic phone apps for a phonebook for up to 500 entries, a voice memo and organizer. It also gets some games to entertain you while doing nothing. There’s text messaging but no MMS. You get MP3 alert and ringtones as well as a flashlight. Its standard 850 mAh Li-Ion battery gets 6 hours of talk time and up to 240 hours of standby time.