LG KF600 / LG Venus

Expected February / March 2008
12th February 2008
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The GSM version of the LG Venus VX8800, the LG KF600 is a dual-screen slider phone, with a touch-sensitive display at the bottom. This may look like a bit of a gimmick, but remember that the very popular Nintendo DS uses a very similar system.

LG call the lower screen the "InteractPad™" - it is a 1.5" 40 x 176 touchscreen that dynamically changes according to the application that the phone is running. So, when the LG Venus / KF600 is playing an MP3, then you'll see media keys, when using the camera, then you will see camera keys etcetera. The pad incorporates a type of haptic feedback, so the user knows when the keys have been pressed.

There's no doubt that the big "wow" factor is delivered by the touchscreen.. sorry, InteractPad™.. and the novel user interface. A quick look at the rest of the features on the LG KF600 / Venus show that this is a pretty standard device.

On the back is a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus, the main display is a 2.0" 240x320 pixel panel, the LG KF600 / Venus supports Bluetooth 2.0, it has 25MB of internal memory, expandable using microSD cards, and of course it comes with a multimedia player plus an FM radio. Unlike the US version of the Venus, the LG KF600 is not a 3G phone.

The phone itself has won an iF Product Design Award, so it's officially fashionable. In addition, LG have spent some time working on the themes on the KF600 Venus, one set of which is based on the artwork of Keith Haring (see left).

It looks like an interesting device, and presumably LG are pitching this as a premium product. It's a shame therefore that the LG KF600 Venus lacks 3G, but then the iPhone doesn't have 3G either. This is a much more practical everyday design than the iPhone though, so it might well appeal to many.

LG say that the KG600 Venus should start to become available from the end of February. In the UK, the Carphone Warehouse group say this it should be for sale from March 2008 onwards.