I’ve already taken a look at how well the LG KT610 handles music, but now I want to focus on the hardware. The early hands-on reports from the Mobile World Congress 2008, where the phone was announced, were of poor build quality and cheap materials. However, those were with a pre-production unit, so it’s important to see what’s been addressed in the full production unit that I have on my desk.
I’ve spent 5 years in the U.S. retail mobile phone market, and I remember such LG atrocities as the C1300 and C2000. I wouldn’t have paid my grandma to take those phones, and generally have low expectations from LG. However, over the past few years there has been a noticable increase in the build quality of their handsets, specifically with the Shine, which I was able to review here. The LG Env2 for Verizon, which is the CDMA/non-S60 version of the KT610, has earned user ratings of 4.36 out of 5 on Phonescoop.com, attesting to the overall quality.
The phone is clad entirely in black plastic, with a metallic bezel around the front of the phone. The outer keypad consists of 6 rows of flush keys, including the extra non-numeric ones. These keys are very large, with easy-to-read labels, and offer a great tactile response. With the phone closed, there is no wobble in any direction, despite the two halves being connected only by 2 hinges.
When you open the phone up, longways, you’re greeted by 4 rows of QWERTY keys, including the top number row. There is a dedicated end/send key above the d-pad, which is positioned on the right. Below that is the dedicated S60 menu key and a camera shortcut button. The left and right softkeys are positioned above the keyboard, directly below the onscreen labels they correspond to.
After using the E90, I much prefer the softkeys to be positioned below the screen, as opposed to their location on the E90, to the side of the display. Each of these rows on the keyboard are raised slightly in the middle, and there is ~1mm of space between each key on this keyboard. As a result, it is extremely easy to type on the LG KT610 with your thumbs, though the layout is much too small for finger-typing as you would on a normal keyboard. The internal keys do seem to touch the internal display, when the phone is closed, but only slightly, and there have not been any scratches.
The internal display is flush with the area around it, though since it’s inside, you shouldn’t get face gunk on it in the first place. When handling the phone, and typing out long messages, the phone itself does not creak or moan at all. There is also zero wiggle in the hinges, open or closed. The back of the handset is slightly rubberized and textured with a fake leather pattern, for added grip.
LG has really outdone themselves in the build quality of the KT610. From my usage, I believe that handset would easily be able to withstand the usual wear and tear without falling apart. The hinges are rock solid and do not wobble either in the open or closed position. The smaller external display is less exposed to being cracked, and the internal display is nicely protected. Both keyboards are a complete joy to type on.
In the area of hardware, I have to give the LG KT610 a full 5 out of 5 points. I can’t come up with a single complaint, in terms of build or fit and finish.
