I travel frequently back to the UK so this phone works great for me. It is quad-band and GSM phone which means it has a removable sim card that I can use a pay as you go sim card when I go back to the UK, and then switch it back while back in the US. Unfortunately your limited to AT&T or T-Mobile in the US as the other carriers don't use GSM phones, not sure why?. The phone itself which I bought in the UK has an adapter for 110/220v for charging in other countries which is a nice touch from LG (I once fried a US adapter by plugging it into a UK socket, duh!). It comes with a screen protector and the casing feels nice and not too cheap. The touch screen itself is bright and easy to navigate and the inclusion of a stylus that fits in the base of the phone makes it very handy when texting. The phone houses a slot for a micro SD card up to 8gb, which is ample for mp3's and photo's or video's. I don't like that you have to use the supplied headphones in order to listen to music as they aren't that good and would have preferred the ability to use third party phones.
Camera quality isn't that great, but like most phone cameras the quality is grainy, I only use it rarely as I have a good quality digital camera for that. Overall it's a great little phone that is considerably cheaper and less bulkier than the i phone. And if you need accessories then eBay is the place to go, I picked up a great leather case that fits perfectly, and a car charger. I have had the phone now for 7 months and am pleased with it so far.
Update: I recently flashed the phones firmware to the latest version which is V10n and the phone is so much better.
The touch screen works a lot better than before and the slide bar can now be used without having to press hard.
The firmware install is a little tricky and can only be done on a windows operating system, but is well worth the time as the phone's performance is so much better. Do a search for KP 500 firmware v10n update.
I live outside the US and the phone worked perfectly with Guatemalan Carriers, it is a great value phone has almos every feature built in other smartphones. the only downside is that it doesnt has wifi, but the browser is very good, you can surf every web page, not only mobile sites.
great design not big and bulky like the iphone, its easier to handle when you are speaking.
The only downside is that you need to push a litte hard sometimes in order to move things or activate things, i dont know if it is only my case or thats the way the is. I own it now for three weeks and im loving it, and the touchscreen is getting more responsive over time.
The phone has a lot of features but at least im gonna mention the ones I like the most.
favorite contacts screen
it remembers the number you dial or the ones that call you, so it suggests every time you start dialing.
nice camera
widgets
grat music player
up to 8gb micro sd
Nice phone I highly recommend it.
Buy LG KP500 Cookie Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera and Digital Media Player--International Version wi Now
This is a very nice phone with great features. It has a rubbery feel to it (doesn't scratch easy) and a beautiful screen. However, if you buy it unlocked for U.S. use, the MMS (picture, mp3 messages) will not work! I was surprised. Everything else works though, even text messages. I talked to AT&T to try to make it work, but after an hour on the phone they said it cannot be done because this unlocked phone is not available in the U.S. Therefore not all features will work. But if you can live without MMS, this phone is awesome.
Pros: Clear and bright screen even in direct sunlight, Build quality, Features, Customizable, Built in stylus, Micro SD slot up to 8Gb
Cons: Camera (no auto focus, no flash), small qwerty keyboard, FM radio cant be played without headset attached.
Read Best Reviews of LG KP500 Cookie Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera and Digital Media Player--International Version wi Here
UPDATE 3-12-2013 Still have this phone at 3 years and it still works great!
To start with, I've had this just one week so far & for basic/casual use only. Will not use it for the 'net & haven't tried the camera yet. Edit 4/15 I like the camera, it works great & pics are clear, with fun editing options. With that said, I absolutely love this phone! It has the functions I was looking for and more. It has many features all explained in detail in the thick booklet it comes with...thanks to LG...I suggest reading it thoroughly with phone in hand to check it all out. It has lots of -helpful tips& many features with detailed information.
It came with a charger for 100-240v and an adapter that fits well. It's all you need to charge in the US or in other countries. More accessories are included but I suggest -nottrying the screen protector they added separately since it has residue AND it's a bit thick which would make the touch screen less responsive. Also ---> the phone already has a screen protector on it when you take it out the box (the right kind of protector for touch screen), so if you look closely you can tell it's there and no need to remove or replace it. Just wipe clean when needed.
This phone looks a lot nicer then it appears in the pic shown. It has good quality hardware and easy to hold on to, not slippery. The touch screen looks really nice & is very responsive & brings up the menu or whatever you need quickly. Mine does anyway, and there are settings for every thing (I do mean every thing) so you can adjust to your preference. Easy, intuitive, & has many features that make it so nice and capable of doing a lot.
Edit (4-11-10) -Someone else reviewed saying they could only listen to music with the headphones, but... that's if you start from the widget. If you access your music from the entertainment section instead, you can play it loud and clear w/o the headphones & the info as well as cover art appears on the screen. :)
The side scroll bar takes some getting use to but it works well after practicing a bit. Edit 4/15 sliding the bar from fingernail works better. The backlights longest time for inactivity is 60 seconds, but you can just press the on/off button once and it will be back on & in the same screen/function you were using. That's all minor stuff imo. I got more then I expected for the current price and with a year warranty from cell concepts (ordering directly from Amazon), it is a great deal in my opinion.
I use T-Mobile and pay as you go service. I find this phone to be reliable & -nota cheap quality cell that the phone companies offer w/o a contract. An unlocked 'non-branded' phone is much better then a phone directly from the phone companies & retail stores. What I mean by non-branded is, for example, AT&Ts name is not on the hardware, only the manufacturer...like LG is on this phone. I have had an LG flip phone for the past 6 years & it still works, I just wanted to try a newer more functional phone and this one is very nice.
Want LG KP500 Cookie Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera and Digital Media Player--International Version wi Discount?
I have been looking for a new phone for the last year, since my old T-Mobile Blast was becoming outdated. So, when I took a trip to Germany and found the LG KP500 there, I was quite curious. I looked up reviews here on Amazon, and after some consideration, bought the phone from a German electronics retailer... And I am sure glad that I did!
Let's get started with the Pros and the Cons of this phone.
PROS:
-Unlocked, Quadband World Phone.
-Inexpensive. I bought the phone for 89, which is comparable to the price here on Amazon.
-Good Quality. Although the phone is small and made of plastic, it has an extremely durable feel.
-Signal Quality. I normally have no signal with T-Mobile's To-Go plan in my house, but I usually have at least 3 bars with this phone. By comparison, my last three phones constantly lost signal in my house.
-Great features. Many features, including a Movie editor, 3MP Camera, Music Player, Video Recorder, Games, Accelerometer, and drawing pad.
-Stylus. Not really necessary, but it really helps with texting and making notes.
-Multiple Apps and Task Manager. You can run more than one app at a time, like Music Player and Camera
-Widgets. On the home page, there is a selection of widgets to choose from. These include: Music Player, World Clock, Clock, Calender, FM Radio, and Notepad.
-Speed Dial Widgets. With a swipe of the finger, the home page changes to a speed dial home page with up to 10 contacts and images.
-Downloadable Apps and Games. The phone is Java based, so you can download .JAR apps from a number of sites to transfer to the phone.
-Expandable Memory via microSD slot (Up to 8gb)
CONS:
-The interface, while very sleek and refined, can become slow due to multiple apps running at once.
-Texting in QWERTY format is a bet annoying at first, due to the small keyboard. But after a while, you get used to it.
My recommendation: If you are looking for a new, unlocked phone at a cheap price, the LG KP500 is for you.
NOTE: I own the silver version of this phone, which doesn't have the rubbery texture.
UPDATE 10/2010-
The phone is still working great. I actually received an update from T-Mobile to allow MMS messaging and internet web-browsing, so the phone is actually better now than it was 6 months ago! Plus, after accidentally dropping it face first into concrete, it still works with no scratches! So that is another plus!
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Not my favorite stereo, but gets the job done. I noticed some reviews said that the tuner changes itself, and I have had the same problem. When using the radio, it will change by .1 and everything will get fuzzy until you notice and change it back. Aux-In is nice. With my car I couldn't use the metal bracket it comes with to stabilize it, so the cd player skips any time I hit a reflector or bump.
