| LG S5200 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2005, October |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 92 X 46 X 21.7 Mm |
| Weight | 92 G |
| Display |
| Type | Tft, 256k Colors |
| Size | 128 X 160 Pixels |
| | - Downloadable Wallpapers |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (64 Channels), Mp3, Aac |
| Amount | 20 Preset |
| Customization | Download |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 1000 Entries, Photo Call |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 64 Mb Shared Memory |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, V1.2 |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | Yes |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems, Mms |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml |
| Games | 2 - Action In Life, Halloween Fever + Downloadable, |
| Colors | Black |
| Camera | 1.3 Mp, 1280x960 Pixels, Video, Flash |
| | - Java Midp 2.0
- Mp3/aac/wma/3gp Player
- T9
- Scheduler
- Voice Memo
- Karaoke
- Built-in Handsfree |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 800 Mah |
| Stand-by | Up To 200 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 2 H |
|
LG - S5200LG's Slinky Black S5200 Slider
Siemens was the first manufacturer to introduce slider phones, but it was Samsung that took the idea and made it popular. For those who resent folder style phones but still envy the large screens and keypads that seem to be featured with the form factor, sliders offer an alternative solution. Two years after Samsung introduced its first GSM slider, the D410, LG has finally decided to dip its toe into the water and bring out the S5200.
Physical Aspects
The LG S5200 looks like a cross between a Motorola V1000 (cancelled) and a Samsung D500. The phone itself is a fairly small and solid device, measuring 93mm x 46.6mm x 21.4mm (3.66" x 1.83" x 0.84") - it can easily fit into your pocket. Although the front is made of smooth plastic and is prone to fingerprints, the 95g (3.35oz) weight makes it feel less like a toy. The back of the phone is made of quasi-velvet textured plastic, and this gives the phone a firmer grip, especially when sliding the screen up. Build quality is excellent as the moving parts all click into the right places. On top of that, scratch resistance is above average.
The camera is located at the back of the screen portion of the handset and remains hidden when the phone is closed, sliding up the phone will reveal the lens, a mirror for self-portraits, and an LED flash. The side keys are minimal, with only the volume control and the multimedia/shutter shortcut buttons found on the left and right respectively. The 2.8mm headset jack is found on the right and the charger/sync port is located at the bottom.
The semi-automatic sliding mechanism is similar to the one found on Samsung E800 - only better. The spring on S5200 carries just the right amount of force.
The number keypad is revealed with the handset in the open position - tactile feeling is excellent, and the blue backlight is sufficient. Even though I do not have big fingers, I do find the keys a bit small. However, the D-pad and the soft keys are well situated and sized; crossing over from the numbers to the D-pad is smooth, and it is easier than performing the same thing on a swivel handset such as one of Sony Ericsson's recent attempts.
Generally, I am quite pleased with the design of the phone, though some ergonomics are sacrificed for size.
Multimedia
Situated as a mid- to low-end business phone, LG has spared the top multimedia capabilities. The screen is only a 1.77" 128x160 pixel TFT LCD unit. Color is vibrant but usage under the sun is almost impossible, this may also be due to the lack of any anti-reflective coating.
Ringtones are almost always the area where LG phones excel. The 64-voice polyphony comes through the earpiece just like the Sony Ericsson T630. The volume is not the loudest, though it is comparable to the Motorola L7, but much clearer. MP3, MP4, M4A, WMA, AAC, and AAC+ format files can all be set as ringtones. There are more than 20 pre-set ringtones that come loaded on the handset, and I am sure you will find one that suits you.
The S5200 is not designed to be a music phone. There is no external memory card slot, and the internal memory is only 64MB. LG did include an equalizer and visual effects in the music player however, and MP4, 3GP, and H.263 movie formats are supported.
The camera on S5200 is a 1.3 megapixel CMOS unit. You can take pictures from 1280x960 to 48x48pixels. The interface is exactly the same as the one found on P7200, only that the S5200 is in portrait orientation instead of landscape. Apart from focus modes, all settings found on P7200 (Reviewed Here) can also be found on the S5200: compression, special effects, night mode, LED on/off etc. The picture quality is average, and is comparable to Samsung phones with the same camera specifications. Digital noise is noticeable and pictures are not the clearest.
There is no limitation on the length of recorded videos, and the maximum resolution is 176x144 pixels in 3GP format. Motion is quite smooth and it should do the job if you are not asking for too much. Saving files is quite fast but loading is a little on the slow side. A typical 1-megapixel picture takes about two seconds to be shown in full screen. Sending multimedia files via MMS and Bluetooth is streamlined, and the menu is only one button away when you are in the phone's gallery application.
User Interface
The S5200 uses the usual LG 3x4 icon main menu layout, and the second layer is list- and tab-based. It is really easy to use, but as always the classification of settings and functions takes some time to get used to. BMP, JPG, and motion GIF files can all be set as wallpaper. There are three themes built in and they all look quite average.
I would not say this is the best looking UI, in fact it is a bit outdated, and this is aggravated by the low resolution screen. This handset is not as configurable others out there; the D-pad is fixed to bring you to preset places. The UI does seem very responsive though.
Phone functions
The S5200 is a tri-band phone supporting GSM 900/1800/1900MHz. It has no problem at all in terms of reception. Audio quality over the ear piece is slightly muffled but still acceptable. Volume is sufficient. The speakerphone can be activated while you are talking on the phone, and speaker volume is louder than average.
There are five profiles, out of which three are completely customizable. The two fixed profiles are vibration off and vibration & sound off. Vibration is towards the weak side, and I have missed a couple of calls because of that.
The phone can hold up to 1000 contacts in its internal memory. Just like the P7200, SIM contacts are shown side by side with the contacts in phone memory, and there is no way to turn either one off unless you delete them. Speed dial can be done by first assigning a number button to a contact, then simply pressing and holding the number button from the stand by screen. Unfortunately, voice dial and voice command are not supported.
This phone comes with an 800mAh battery that lasts about three days under average usage (that is with roughly 30 minutes of talk time, five SMS, and five pictures).
Connectivity
GPRS class 10 and WAP 2.0 are supported, and set up is easy and unremarkable. There is not much limitation to the Bluetooth 1.2 on board. Handsets can be connected seamlessly, and file transfer can be done with other devices supporting the OBEX protocol. There is no IrDA. To use the phone as a modem or to synchronize information with a computer, one must use the USB cable that comes with the software in the box.
Messaging
Only SMS and MMS are supported, there are no email capabilities at all. The T9 dictionary helps with typing traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, and English. A user dictionary is in place for you to add your own words.
Applications
Just like most LG phones, the S5200 only comes with the most essential PIM functions: memo pad, voice memo recorder, and calendar. You may choose to switch between weekly or monthly views for the calendar. You can synchronize all PIM applications with your computer.
Other programs included are an alarm lock (with up to five alarms), timer, calculator, and unit converter.
Java MIDP 2.0 is supported, but the screen is simply too small to impress. The three games that came with the phone are average.
Conclusion
Apart from the well-constructed sliding mechanism, it is fair to say that the S5200 is an unremarkable handset. All the essential features are there but the multimedia is a bit weak by today’s standards. The design is modest, ringtones are good, and the camera might be more than enough for some people. It is ironic that the S5200 plays such a significant roll in LG history (the first GSM slider), but personally I found this phone very boring. Being over-priced at US$270, if it sells, it has to be the design. If you are looking for a no-frills slider and you have some extra cash lying around, this might be the right phone for you.
Other handsets to consider are the Sony Ericsson K510i, Samsung E350, and Nokia 6111.
We would like to thank LG Hong Kong for lending us the test handset. |
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