A Closer Look at the LG BL20 Chocolate Purple

LG's history of producing superb looking mobile phone handsets continues with the addition of the BL20 Chocolate in a purple finish. But several years after the original chocolate range was released, do these new phones continue where there excellent predecessors left off?

Asides from its looks, a glance at the specification of the LG BL20 Chocolate Purple and one thing that stands out is the excellent camera facility. The 5 mega pixel unit records an image size of 2560 x 1920. The inclusion of an autofocus coupled with the excellent Scheneider-Kreuznach certified optics means the results are very pleasing. A Document mode for photographing text is also included, a useful addition if you need to copy a letter or statement. Although the unit itself does not recognise the text, it adjusts all of the settings and optimises the camera for a close up text shot. For indoor shots or photos where lighting conditions are poor, an LED flash is incorporated. The Chocolate can also capture video footage at a rate of 15 FPS, ideal for MMS messages.

Perhaps the essence of the BL20 Chocolate Purple is its sleek looks. When the phone is not in use it almost looks more akin to an mp3 player rather than a mobile phone. The 2.4" screen displays a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. This screen is not a touchscreen, but navigation takes place via four touch sensitive directional keys located beneath the screen with an OK button in the middle. The touch sensitive nature of these buttons helps maintain the stylish profile of the unit. This profile is also maintained by virtue of the slider design of the phone, meaning the numeric keypad is neatly tucked away until the screen is slid upwards. The overall of the dimensions of the handset are 106.9 x 50.8 x 12.3 mm and the phone weighs in at a lightweight 115 grammes.

The EDGE and GPRS connectivity on the LG BL20 means that browsing the web is easy, especially when coupled with LG's updated user interface, however hardened web users may find the 2.4" screen a touch on the restrictive side. The phone fuctions well as a media player, with a host of audio and video formats supported and an FM radio tuner built in, ideal for those who want to keep up to date with local news.

In conclusion the LG BL20 Chocolate Purple scores highly on many counts. All though not as feature laden as its big brother, the LG BL40, the lack of punch is more than compensated for by the sexy looks and the superb camera facility.

The LG BL20 Chocolate Purple and the LG BL40 are available now.