LG GS101 deals & review

The second largest mobile phone maker in South Korea LG Electronics just recently announced another addition to its bid to cover the widest markets with one of the most affordable basic mobile phone – the LG GS101 also known as the GS101 Anna. 

Stripped of all the modern features we’ve come to expect from a mobile phone, this handset can easily be described as a throwback to the mobile phones in the early days. But that’s the beauty of a basic phone, it is ageless.

The Design

Sporting a timeless candybar form factor that comes only in black with silver trim, the LG GS101 exudes a sleek and elegantly styled body measuring 104 x 44 x 13 mm and weighing a comfortable 65g. Easy to handle, light on the pocket and a no-brainer to use, the handset sports a perfectly square 1.5-inch TFT display with 128 x 128 resolution and 65k colors. 

Below the display is a 5-point directional navigational button on the center and the usual menu buttons as well as call and end buttons. The soft tactile keypad is typical and gets the responsiveness you can expect from a basic handset.

Despite being a basic handset, the phone does enjoy customization features to show your personal screensavers, wallpapers and themes. You can also configure profiles for outdoor, home or office. Outdoor calls can have a higher call and ring volume to stay above all sorts of ambient noise while your indoor profile or conference profile can be more muted to avoid disruption.

Specifications

The LG GS101 is a dual band GSM (900/ 1800) with no data connectivity speeds like GPRS or EDGE. Neither is there Bluetooth, a camera or an FM radio. But it SMS benefits from its T9 Ezi iTap system where you get words suggested in a list that props up as you type the first few letters in a text message.

If there’s anything that stands out on the handset, it’s the juicy Li-ion battery that delivers a generous 9 hours of talk time and up to almost 5 weeks of standby time after charging it for 3.5 hours.

Considerations

One can’t really complain about a £10 mobile phone on a pay as you go deal on T-Mobile or a SIM-free handset that has no pretensions to be anything more than a phone on the road. Unfortunately, it will have to compete with thousands of similarly priced great value handsets out there. Nokia, for one, has the 1661/1662 models that has a bigger and better screen, same with the Samsung E1107 with a more eco-friendly solar charging facility.

Verdict

For its price, a barren mobile phone is to be expected, but with what features it has, it does the job quite well. For practical minded people who see a mobile phone as nothing more than a communications tool, the LG GS101 is the right device. It’s also a good phone for small kids rather than getting those overpriced cartoonish phones designed for kids. As a second phone on stand-by, it’s perfect.