Getting Transparent with the LG Crystal

Posted on December 4th, 2009. Written by Rico.

So how does LG Crystal (AKA the GD900), which claims to be the world’s first phone with “transparent design”, do? Guest writer Marck Ronald Rimorin of marocharim.com shares his thoughts.

We just got our hands on the new LG Crystal, LG’s new product for fans of touch-screen phones. What makes this phone unique compared to other phones is that it’s transparent.

Yes, transparent. The touch-screen keypads of this slider phone are perfectly clear. The selling point of the LG GD900 is its design and form factor. Yet there’s much more than just fluff and form going on in the LG GD900. We all think it’s a solid phone with a few kinks and rough edges here and there, but otherwise it’s a perfect gift for the holidays.

Specs

For those of you who want a quick low-down on the stuff that makes up this phone, here are the specs:

• Transparent sliding touch-sensitive keypad
• 3 inch 400 x 800 TFT touch screen (16 million colors)
• LG S-Class Touch user interface
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE, bundled with HSDPA and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1
• 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and smile detection
• MicroSD card slot with microUSB port and TV out
• Display auto-rotation
• FM radio
• Document viewer

Pros

At first, the LG GD900 seems to be all sizzle and no steak. With many touch-screen phones available on the market, though, the LG GD900 can really hold its own against the competition:

• Form factor. The major selling-point of the LG GD9000 is its looks. How many times have you seen a transparent phone before? It’s perfect for people who want to get in touch with friends and family in style.
• Responsive touch-screen. We really like the gesture functionality in the LG GD900, where you simply trace letters and characters on the touch screen or even the touch keypad to compose emails and text messages.
• Goodies galore. Many high-end phones lack a lot of features, but the LG GD900 packs a lot of goodies to keep you engrossed in the experience. With Wi-Fi, HSDPA, and lots of applications, you’re sure to have a lot of fun with this phone.

Cons

Like many new gadgets, though, the LG GD900 isn’t perfect, and there are a few kinks here and there that you need to work around with, or need to be ironed out in future phones. Here are some of our negative impressions for the LG GD900:

• Handle this device with care. Aside from being a bit top-heavy, the LG GD900 is a device that looks a bit fragile. The form factor can work against the device, since it can be a bit unwieldy and difficult to handle. Some of us think that the phone is better handled and used without sliding out the transparent keypad, since there is an on-screen keyboard and the phone has handwriting and gesture recognition.
• Camera responsiveness. Not all camera phones are perfect, but we were disappointed with the noticeable delay when using the camera even when shooting still photos. Many other phones on the market work better, and have a higher resolution.

Verdict

Overall, we think that the LG GD900 is a great phone to use. Some of us liked the transparent glass touch pad, but we all agree that the phone may just be better off without it. Other than some minor kinks and flaws here and there, the LG GD900 is a great phone a fashionable friend may want for the Holiday season.

What do you think? For LG GD900 owners and non-owners alike, feel free to leave your opinion below.