'Viewty' to a Kill

5 megapixels will be the buzzword in the cameraphone category this year. The LG KU990 lays great stress on its camera capabilities and also embraces the trend of 'less-is-more' by doing away with a physical keypad and having a large screen. To top it off, it looks just like a digital camera from the back, complete with a proper Xenon flash and Schnieder lens. The touch screen interface is quite simple to operate, but scrolling is a bit tough.

The stylus provided with the phone hangs as a phone ornament and does not have a storage silo in the device itself which may not be to everyone's liking. But you could also do away with the stylus completely since your index finger will be good enough for most tasks. Like the Moto RAZR 2, the KU990 also offers haptic feedback when you touch a button on the screen. This feature can also be turned off. Instead of the conventional volume key that you expect to see on the side, there is a jog dial located at the back around the camera lens. This acts as a volume key as well as zoom key when in camera mode. To help frame your photos, there is a large, 3-inch, 240x400 pixel screen. Music from the loudspeaker could have been louder. but it was good with the supplied headset. Powered by a 1000 mAh battery, the Viewty is good for a full day of music, photos, and phone usage (with a continuous talk time of over 4 hours). The 100 MB onboard memory will start you off and you can add a microSD slot to store all your music files.

It also has a secondary VGA camera in the front, for when 3G does come to India. Other specs include tri band operation (900/1800/1900 MHz), Bluetooth, EDGE, and USB for data transfer. There's also a movie editor and FM radio. I didn't like the fact that the touchscreen's sensitivity tapers off toward the edges and I didn't like the hangling stylus. Buy it for the unique interface and superb design. But if a great camera is right at the top of your requirements, you should also consider the Sony Ericsson K850i.

LG KU990 Rs 21,900	Performance Coolness
Pros Touchscreen, good headphone sound Cons Scrolling, hanging stylus Sold by LG India 1860-180-9999 www.lgindia.com	Specs GSM 900/1800/1900, 5 MP auto focus camera with flash, 100 MB onboard memory, Micro SD Slot, 112 g, 3 inch TFT touchscreen, 3G, EDGE, Voice memo, 1000 mAh Li-ion battery, 120 FPS video recording Verdict