LG GS170 Review

Introduction:

We've been fortunate enough to check out two of LG's devices that commenced the manufacturer's inaugural partnership with T-Mobile – the touchscreen packing LG Sentio and the eye-catching LG dLite clamshell. Both devices attacked the mid-range feature phone market, however, the LG GS170 aims to cover the entry-level category with its basic set of features. For those who don't fancy the glitzy features found on most cell phones, the LG GS170 might prove to be a relevant solution that won't burden your pockets with its free on-contract pricing.

The package contains:

• LG GS170
• Wall Charger
• Hands-free Headset
• Start Guide
• Terms & Conditions

Design:

This compact flip handset harkens to the type of devices you'd imagine to dominate T-Mobile's prepaid lineup with its flimsy feeling construction and equally cheap plastic housing. However, we do like how the soft touch material coats the entire handset – which does well to repel scratches and dirt. At the same time, the handset is extremely light weight (2.8 oz) to give off the illusion that you're not holding it in your hand. Overall, the design of the LG GS170 exudes the typical reputation that's generally associated with other basic clamshells – it's cheap, so don't expect this one to turn heads.



You can compare the LG GS170 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Even before opening up the handset, we could sense the GS170 wouldn't boast anything too impressive, but our inclinations were naturally confirmed upon gazing at the display. You're greeted to a ho-hum 1.8” TFT display with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels and support for 262k colors. There's nothing nice to say about the washed out looking colors it displays, plus add in the fact that the optimal viewing angle is limited to a perfect 90-degree angle – straying anything more than that will produce distortions. The same applies to the 1.04” external display with its 96 x 64 pixels resolution which will show the time, date, notifications, and caller ID.


Thankfully, we were presented with a well-sized numeric keypad that offered a tactile response – despite being flush with the surrounding surface. Navigating can be accomplished via the directional pad that's easy to touch while offering the same responsive feel when pressed. Additionally, it's surrounded on both sides by the soft keys, SMS button, and a dedicated camera key. Even though the volume rocker is slightly raised from the surface, we were content to see it retain that firm push feel. On the right edge, you'll find the microUSB port used for charging, PC connection, and input for the included headphones. Directly above the external display is the VGA camera, while removing the rear cover will give you access to the battery and SIM card slot.

Interface and Features:

Since this is an entry-level model, it doesn't radiate a platform that's filled with graphical eye candy, but instead resorts to a simple and straightforward one. However, we did enjoy the subtle touch ups found within the platform that add a hint of style – such as the cube like animation when jumping from the homescreen to the main menu and the smooth looking animation employed when selecting something in the main menu. Presented with a grid like view by default for the homescreen, you'll have the option of choosing a list view as well – but you won't find too much personalization with this one.


Regardless of its basic functionality, it still manages to pack PIM functions that should suffice the light users out there – such as adding appointments, tasks, and notes. However, the messaging experience sticks to only offering SMS and MMS functions – it actually skimps out on email. When composing a message, you'll have your usual input method via the keypad, but you can enable T9 mode for a quicker experience. If you're looking for apps, you'd better look elsewhere since the LG GS170 doesn't include any out of the box except for four demo games – lacking even some of those common ones found on most T-Mobile handsets.




Multimedia:

If you happen to love paintings, then you'll probably adore the images produced by the handset's VGA camera – but seriously, it's almost unbelievable to offer the functionality when it performs so poorly. Instead of seeing any hint of detail, you'll only be dished ones that are completely muddy looking in every scenery. In low lighting situations, you can easily see some noise infiltrate your beautiful artistic looking shots – no pun intended.




Are you looking for video capture with a VGA equipped camera? Well, you'll have to look elsewhere since this feature is omitted from the device – which naturally makes sense with its budget friendly nature.

It so happens that we were even surprised to see a music player offered on this handset, but more importantly, it functions as it should with some decent tunes emitted from its speaker. Not only does the mundane looking interface get the job done as far as playing music, but tones from the speaker were reasonably audible without much distortion in higher volume levels. However, it's worth noting that you'll probably be able to carry on a couple of songs at a time since free storage is a rare commodity on the handset.


The music player was a stretch for the GS170, but the fun ends there as it lacks a video player. But who would really want to watch something on such a dismal display?

As we said, memory is extremely limited on the handset and the situation doesn't get any better since it lacks a microSD card slot. Things get pretty scarce when you're only presented with 9.8MB of free internal storage out of the box.

Data and Connectivity:

Global trotters will want to overlook the LG GS170 since it's only a dual-band (850/1900 MHz) GSM device with EDGE data speeds. So if you've got a friend from out of the country staying with you for a bit and they require a phone for simply voice calls, then this might be a solution for them. Aside from that, the only other connectivity option at your disposal is Bluetooth 2.1 to get other wireless devices connected to it. We actually used it to transfer photos from the handset to our computer – and vice versa.

In yet another stunning turn of events, the LG GS170 offers a web browser, but don't be too surprised by its inclusion. That feeling of surprise that engulfed us initially quickly dissipated into oblivion when we were hit with the “insufficient memory” message plastered on-screen. Sadly, you'll only be able to open memory conscious mobile sites – such as Google or Yahoo. You can say sayonara to anything else more than that – especially when the site includes heavy media content.

Performance:

Unfortunately, the LG GS170 couldn't even live up to do what it was primarily made to accomplish –  phone calls. There was a prominent static noise on our end when using the earpiece, which made out caller's voice sound extremely garbled. Things weren't much better on the other end as our callers stated that they are able to hear us fine with no noise in the background except for an occasional hiss towards the end of our spoken words. Switching to the speakerphone, the experience was something like an old school walkie talkie system. In addition to the static sound, voices sounded extremely muffled with some audible echoing effect – which is safe to say made it almost inoperable.

During our testing, we didn't experience any sudden fluctuations with signal bars on the handset and it was able to retain a firm connection to the network in the greater Philadelphia region.

If there is one clear area where the LG GS170 manages to excel in, it has to be nothing but the battery life department. Its 900 mAh battery was able to chug out 14 hours of talk time – something that's impressive when the manufacturer has it rated for 7.5 hours of talk and 552 hours of standby time.

Conclusion:

When a device is crafted to dabble in the entry-level segment, you'd expect features to be slim with an emphasis on good calling quality. Regrettably, the LG GS170 fails in many aspects to deem itself as a worthy option for even the most casual of basic handset users. It's like one of those gifts you receive on your birthday that you know is bad upon opening it, but you're torn whether or not to accept it due to the fact you know that it's terrible. The feeling is actually the same for the LG GS170, which sadly should be avoided at all cost, even at the expense of getting it for free – that's unless you plan on re-gifting it.

LG GS170 Video Review: