LG Shine (KE970) Cell Phone

I will simply do this as a pro and con list for your ease.

Firstly, as ever, the pros:
*Attractive - people will be impressed with its sleek professional look
*Functionally, a good shape - nice and slim; this phone fits nicely in to a suit jacket inside pocket and is herdly noticed. Not too wide either.
*Big buttons - these large keys give good tactile feedback making it hard to hit the wrong key (unlike some of the smaller phones)
*Good battery life - will easily last a weekend without charge. It aslo cherges quickly making it versitile.
*Easy to understand menu - straight forward. No real need for the instruction manual.

Cons:
*The screen scratches so easily - normal pocket wear ruins the stylish reflective screen within hours.
*Signal strength is poor - Unfortunately, I live in a low signal zone anyway but my previous phones have just coped. This one does not cope at all well.
*So very delecate - don't drop this phone. If you think that, like most phones, you might get away with it once or twice you'd be wrong!
*Bad ergonomics for active slide - for some reason it resists the slide. I'm not being feeble; there is just nowhere to put your thumb!
*Needlessly complex text sending method - you can't just type, select name and send, you need to negotiate your way through the selections and hope for the best!
*Not a great range of attachments / accessories etc - a protective case would be nice.

Generally this is a good phone - for the right person. If you are a suit wearing, gentle person who treats each posession like a precious jewel and live in a city (with good signal) then this phone will suit you.

For those who like to use their phones from time to time and don't carry a polishing cloth around this phone is best avoided.

So to sum up - this phone looks and feels great but to use it as a phone seriously damages its appeal! the choice is yours. Happy bidding ;)

PLEASE VOTE IF IT WAS HELPFUL OR NOT. THANKS.

Outer Appearance I:

The LG makes a great figure. It's dark metal hull and reflective mirror finish on the front are very pleasant to the eye - and to the hand. The weight of the phone is considerable, even heavier than my N95 which is about 1/3 thicker! The weight adds to the very sturdy feel of the phone. It's manufacture is not flimsy. In fact, it seems so well put together that I could well imagine if you threw the phone onto somebody's head you'd certainly be able to kill them.

Outer Appearance II:

Although the metal hull of the phone is very nice it still attracts quite a lot of finerprints which are VISIBLE even on the metal and unless you wipe the phone after every use it won't look nice!

Outer Appearance III:

The mirror finish has often been described as being able to double up as a makeup mirror - I strongly disagree. Its surface is NOT even so that when you look at your face it is distorted to some degree and also you cannot see any facial details because the reflective surface is mediocre at best. In comparison to that I still prefer the little mirror that Samsung had on their S300/S300i. That mirror was only 1/8 the size of this but was MUCH more useful as it was of a superior quality.

Outer Appearance IV:

The camera on the back is not protected by anything - It will be prone to all sorts of dust, smudges, damage etc. Not good.

Outer Appearance V:

All buttons are made of brushed metal, the softkeys you have to press a lot harder than the number keys. And the new scroll wheel is also made of metal. The material is good but the button resistance is waaay to much on hte scroll wheel. See "usage" for more info.
Inner Appearance:

Once you open the backplate you don't have to remove the battery to access the SIM slot which is quite practical, unlike the nokia phones. The miniSD-card slot is also situated near the SIM slot. It is only accessible if you take the backplate off. Some like it this way as the SD card is thus protected from dust etc.

Usage:

MENU

The menu cannot be edited, only styled to "grid" or "list", but the traditional grid design is not so good as the icons have no accompanying text underneath each icon and since they look pretty similar as well you'll have to scroll to each item to see what that icon means. The list style is better and also better suited for the scroll wheel.
Similarly, the scrollbutton shortcuts cannot be edited apart from the "favorites" menu which is the "right" button on the scrollwheel! This is very restrictive.
The menu is not superfast either, it sometimes takes a second for a keypress to be registered.


NUMBER BUTTONS:

It's nice that they are made of metal but because they are totally flat they have no boundaries between them, ie you're more likely to mispress a button because your finger cannot "feel" where one button stops and where the next one starts. Designwise they are a total rip-off of the Motorola Razor phones.
Annoying: the "C" button on the number pad does not stand for "cancel" or "delete", you simply go back in the menu! This means there is no simple 1-click way of deleting messages or contacts.

SCROLL WHEEL:

It looks nice but is no substitute for a 4-way pad or joystick like all other phones have. The scrolling can't be adjusted and it's easy to miss your target icon, you can easily scroll past it. This means you cannot quickly move around the menu system.

PLEASE VOTE IF IT WAS HELPFUL OR NOT. THANKS.

Phone looks fabulous! Shiny and gorgeous.
My son dropped it and marked the screen the first day I had it. It scratches terribly with just normal wear and tear. In fact, I have just sold it on e-bay, and the buyer has complained that the back is quite scratched. However, I am very gentle with phones, and keep them in a protective case in my handbag!
Avoid it if you are anything less than delicate!!!!!!

This is a fantastic looking phone, but thats about it unfortunately.
The camera is good quality but is a little bit slow. The menu display is quite stylish but thats all you get, there's no scope to customise. The scroll button is a good idea but it can be inaccurate and clumsy. The sound quality is good for ringtones and music. The mirror feature makes the phone look good but try to use the phone when out in the sun and you'll end up blind, being in the uk though I dont have to worry about the sun too much.
The phone has got a lot of features but they're not as good as they are on other phones available. If you buy this phone expect what you see on the case... a good looking phone and dont expect to be wowed by any amazing tricks.

Overall... if you want a fashion phone to look good with and turn heads (like I did) this is definately the phone for you. If you want a phone that can sing dance and everything else, sony ericssons are probably the one's to go with.

6.5/10

very stylish, with loads of features including
mp3
mirror screen
3g
video calling etc
its a handset for the fashion victims

I have used Motorola flip phones for ages and thought that the Shine looked good and had lots of features. It does and it has, but I have found it difficult to use. Firstly the roller menu selector is inaccurate and difficult to use. I frequently end up clicking it to find that I have chosen the wrong menu item. Secondly the keyboard is miniscule and, as a guy with big fingers, it is very difficult to use without using your nails instead of the pads of your thumbs. Thirdly, either I have got the predictive text setting wrong or it is not as good as the Motorola as you have to put in the whole word and there is no "prediction". There are great features about it but it is not the phone for me. It scratched very quickly (I bought a plastic case too late) and it is fiddly to use. Looks great for posers but impractical for meat handed guys like me. Pity.

This is a sexy phone. :)

Its always different moving away from a Nokia but you wont regret it.

The camera quality is really good and the phone is really easy to use.

With a large screen and the ability to edit movies brings a new dimension to mobile phones.

easy to use looks good feels great having slight trouble with bluetooth cant seem to get transfer to go through it

the only thing that i find impressing to this phone is the look,that make it so loved,especially by women;the from is easy to scratch;a lot of fingerprints all the time;the metal body make it very resistent;the sound is not to loud,when playing songs;2 mp camera,bluetooth,everything that you want from a normal phone in our days;very good for a gift

I got the LG shine on an o2 contract in March this year. It was the phone that led me to get the contract as it just looked superior to anything else on the market at the time. I like to read up on all products before I commit myself to purchasing and this phone had great reviews. Having had several Samsung/Sony Ericsson/Nokia phones I thought it was time for me to try something new and when I got the phone out of the box I was not disappointed! What a stunning phone! However, it soon became clear that we were not compatible. The phone does not support MP4 which is what all the videos of my children from my previous phone were formatted as. They are stored in the LG but are not able to be played. I guess I could download some kind of converter but in this day and age should I really have to? The sound quality isn't great, I often miss calls because I can't hear the ringtone. The whole phone is scratched and fingerprinted despite having a case and buying screen protectors. The scroll button is a bit of a joke and it can be a bit of a mission trying to get precisely where you want to go first time. The camera is AWFUL and the photo album takes forver to load. I have kept photos to a minimum and loaded them onto my pc because it was taking so long to scroll through the album. There is no personalisation for message tones which I would like to have the option of changing. It's virtually impossible to see the screen in daylight and this is made even worse by having a screen protector on it but I daren't take it off.

Overall the phone has a very classy feel to it and for people who really don't do a great deal other than make calls and who take great care of their possessions (we're talking wrapped in cotton wool) this is the ideal phone. If you want features and ease of use, I would not recommend this phone, it's overrated. Sony Ericssons seem to have the edge over anything else at the moment.

I like this phone immensely, almost everything about it. The only two things which are really hardly worth mentioning are that you can not add new text alert sounds to it and it is a bit heavier than a lot of phones. In saying that I would definitely recommend it.

I had this phone for xmas last year and was very pleased with it at first but then was quite disappointed.
Trying to send a simple text is very frustrating. Having to select numerous channels just to sent a simple note.
If the sun is shining there is no hope of seeing who is ringing or what the text says that they sent you. Can't see the screen at all in the sun.

I do like the fact that you can sent one text to 8 people at once. This saves loads of time. I like the scroll button too but your have to be very careful not to select the wrong menu, Or you could be sending granny a rude joke!!!

Not having anywhere to place your thumb when sliding the screen is a put off because it resists the opening motion. It scratches very easily and you would not get away with dropping it.

Easy to use though and lovely to look at.
Hope this helps.

Signal Strength Poor
Battery Life not brilliant
Wheel type joystick rubbish
but wife loves the style and the stainless steel finish is first class MP3 and camera is good aswell.
If you like the look and are not too bothered about having all the features this phone could be for you

Have had many LG products (including mobiles) before, yet this has to be the best one yet. As someone who spends their life attached to the umbilical chord of a mobile (both business and personal use), I cannot understand why I did not consider one sooner.

Pros: Predictive Text, Sleek Design, Easy to Understand Menus, Bluetooth Connectivty Speed, Mic/Earpierce Clarity During Conversations, Camera (Very Pleasantly Surprised Considering MP Rating), MP3 Playback (Headphones Only) and It's Mine!!

Cons: Rollerball Sensitivity - Solution: Treat it With Respect & Don't Use Hammer Fingers! Screen Glare In Strong Daylight (Not Normally a Problem In UK lol) - Solution: Wear Good Designer Sunglasses!

Overall, a very good mobile

Very stylish looking phone - nothing else quite like it on the market - for the price.
Very good functionality, and features, with clean and easy navigation around the menu.
Also most importantly very easy for texting - with buttons that are clear and large.

Would certainly recommend to others.

Next day delivery. Well pack, and a brilliant phone as well. I am well PLEASED.
THANK YOU Very much.

I have been after a phone like this for a while as I know how good they are, When I noticed this with onnly a fw mins to go I had to bid. The metal casing is very strong, the screen looks like a mirror ( which my wife loves)the camera is better than my digital slr and the sound is brillant. I can not fault this phone. if you take notice of this review you wont be dissapointed.

I had looked at this phone in the past but reviews I had read put me off, but recently I decided to take the plung, and I love it!
The phone looks really stylish and is a good size, not too big and not too small. It is also a good weight, it doesn't feel cheap and this is carried through the design with the full metal casing. It is easy to operate and has good quality sound in call.
It was a number of ring tones, but I should imagine these would not be to many peoples taste, but with the inbuilt MP3 player that is easily remedid.
The camera is auto focus and takes a nice shot, although it has a video camera also i have not used this function.
All in all it is a very pleasing phone and i am sorry i didn't get one sooner.

I love my new phone, it was really easy purchasing it and the product is in great condition and everything is included. I decided to buy it because it was a great price for a limited addition phone but all-together, it was a great buy

This mobile is fantastic the software the sound all are amazing.

When in use the display lights up, dimming after a few seconds of inactivity. Leave the phone for a little while longer and it miraculously turns into a mirror - an effect that will have you watching with anticipation for at least the first week of ownership! Just be aware that the mirror screen isn't that easy to see in sunlight. Below the screen is a roller with two buttons. These let you navigate around the icons on screen when the phone is closed. It has to be said that the roller isn't the easiest user input method ever invented. LG should have learned their lesson after the problems with the touch-sensitive buttons on the Chocolate! Also on the side of the phone is the MP3 button, which lets you use the phone as a music payer when closed. It's a neat and effective design. Open up the slide and you find a fairly conventional metal keypad. It's not touch-sensitive thankfully, but is almost flat. In practice the keypad poses no difficulties and is similar to the keypad found on Motorola's RAZR series of ultraslim phones. It lights up blue when in use.

In terms of features, the Shine is not lacking. The camera has 2 megapixels and uses a Schneider-Kreuznach lens. Now that 2 or 3 megapixel cameras are available in phones, it's the quality of the optics that dictate picture quality, and the Shine does produce good quality pictures for a phone. The camera is equipped with autofocus, and has an LED light for night-time photography. It also has a video camera. The display is of high quality, being a TFT screen with 262,00 colours and 240 x 320 pixels - virtually the industry standard for high-end phones nowadays. As already mentioned, there's an MP3 player that supports a wide range of file formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+ and AAC++. A stereo headset is supplied, and an optional stereo Bluetooth headset is also available. The LG Shine supports MicroSD memory cards with capacity of up to 2 Gbytes, so there's plenty of storage for music. You could realistically use a phone like this as an iPod replacement. Other features worth noting are Java games, a fast EDGE connection for downloading data, and Flight Mode for using the multimedia functions when not connected to a network. The battery life of the Shine is probably a couple of days in normal use, although the battery indicator do

I was very disapointed with this phone. it looks good but thats about it. ive got the pink one, the front is a mirror so unless you keep it in a phone sock or cover it will get scratched really easily. the scroll wheel is well anoying and most of the time you will end up selecting the wrong option and have to keep pressing the cancel button, oh and theres a cancel button and a back button so if you are typing out a text and need to backspace if you press back it will take you back to the home screen without saving your txt so you have to remember to press the cancel button.
the menus and background colour is black and there is no option to change it, seeing as the phone is pink i'd have preferd to have had a girly pink menu screen.
there is no loudspeaker facility when in a call.
i dont seem to be able to recieve songs via bluetooth that are over 4000kb and the sound quality is very poor.
the volume is not very loud even when turned up to the maximum so if you keep your phone in your bag chances are you will miss calls.
you can buy much better phones with a much higher spec for the same price.

I love anything bling and was due to upgrade my mobile phone, this seemed the ideal chance to purchase a mobile that had been smothered in swarovski crystals. After searching various sites and companies that specialise in customising mobile phones it became clear that I wouldn`t be able to afford the luxury of a new mobile so this seemed the next best thing...And I have to say I am not dissapointed, This mobile is a piece of art, it is neat, in perfect working order, in original box with all the original accessories. It would have passed for new...I am thrilled with my purchase and can`t wait to get out and show it off.

A superb example of true elegance in a phone,with all that is on offer from lg.
This smooth slide phone has a crystal look in every way (with a polished metal case)and has a fantastic large screen,
All functions of this phone make it a true joy to use and it offers all one could need from a phone.
My only downfall of this phone is that you have to treat it with respect as it damages so easy,you can scratch it by just putting it down on the table.
A crystal case can sort this out and keep the phone in yet again a crystal state.
An elegant phone encased in metal but again keep it well protected.
As to recommending this phone 10 out 0f 10 as long as you look after it.