LG KG 920

The KG920 is one funny looking device, reminding me of a 1960s impression of a future walkie-talkie. The design is one of a kind, and you either like it or hate it. It is ironic that neither the front nor the back looks too much like a phone. The front looks like a lab machine full of buttons, and the back looks like a digital camera, with a manual lens cover, LED lamp, and Xenon flash. The device is definitely not the smallest around, but at the same time, it might not be as big as you think. In fact, it is just about the same size as the Nokia N73, and as heavy as a Sharp 903. The exact measurements are shown in the table to the right.The KG920 consists of two parts joined by a rotating hinge. The top part includes the screen on the front and the battery on the back, and the lower part houses the keypad on the front and camera module on the back. As opposed to the rotating Nikon cameras and the Nokia 3250, the lens is directly behind the keypad, instead of on the edge of the device. If you wish to take self-portraits, you can simply rotate the camera around 180 degrees. The screen and the camera will now be on the same face. If you are a keen photographer, the rotating mechanism also allows you to take pictures from a very low angle. I am happy to report that the hinge feels extremely solid, just like the rest of the phone. With the included Xenon flash, the KG920 is also great for party pictures.The front of KG920 is a mess of buttons. The three soft keys are placed on top of the numeric keypad, whereas the d-pad and cancel button are to the right, similar to the newer LG U400. Obviously, this arrangement is more favorable to right handed people. Considering the overall size of the phone, the buttons are quite small (number keys are 6mm x 3mm, or 0.24" x 0.12"). Thanks to the strong tactile feedback, the keypad may be acceptable if you have small fingers. The worrying part, however, is the paint on the handset - including both the body and the buttons. The pea-shaped softkeys are quite hard to press, and you might risk scratching off the paint if you use your fingernails. After a week of careful usage, I have managed to scratch the battery cover and the rim around the screen.The shutter button and volume keys are all kept on one side, leaving the miniSD slot, headset jack and power/data connector on the opposite side. Next to the 2" screen on the front are four more backlit buttons. Depending on what mode the phone is in, these are shortcut keys for the MP3 player, calendar, camera flash, timer settings, or digital zoom. The whole keypad is illuminated orange, and in dark settings, the light is even and more than sufficient.