LG U8380

Available now
2nd February 2005, Updated 12th November 2005 (new pictures and details)

LG pretty much defined the "compact" 3G handset market with the LG U8110 clamshell, now extended to the U8120, U8130, U8138 and U8150. The U8380 is a variation of that theme, just a little better all around.

When announced way back in February 2005, the LG U8380 looked impressive, but by late 2005 when it actually hit the market, the features are looking a bit run-of-the-mill. The main features of the U8380 are the 1.3 megapixel primary camera, expandable memory using TransFlash/microSD cards, Bluetooth and a multimedia player. The internal display is a 2.2" 176x220 pixel panel in 262,000 colours with a surprisingly large 128x160 pixel unit on the outside.

In addition, the LG U8380 has a web browser, email client and stereo speakers. It has 3 hours talktime and around 6-7 days maximum standby time.

It's not a terribly exciting looking phone, and the larger external antenna might put people off, but it's much better than early U8000 series handsets. The two main areas where the LG U8380 has issues are the quality of the screen and camera, both of which are best described as "average". At 130 grams, the LG U8380 is about typical for a 3G phone, but with some manufacturers producing sub-100 gram devices, the U8380 is looking a little on the heavy side.

Overall though, the U8380 is a competent if somewhat unexciting phone, however we do like the large high-resolution external display which is probably the biggest of any handset on the market. The LG U8380 is currently available on the Hutchison 3 network worldwide.

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