LG F9100

At first glance, the LG F9100 appears to be a typical, if slightly bulky, candy bar phone. When you rotate this 4.4-ounce, 0.9-inch thick handset sideways and push the top half away from you, that similarity ends. The LG F9100 sports a sliding keyboard hidden away in its lower half.

 

Aside from the layout being a bit on the crowded side, the keyboard is quite usable. The keys are generally well spaced, and have nice feedback when pushed. Those with larger hands may have trouble with the first row of keys, as they are quite close to the top edge of the keyboard.

 

The F9100’s 65,000-color display is a little cramped compared to the other mobile messaging devices we tested, but we like how the screen’s orientation changes automatically when you slide down the keyboard. You don’t have to use the joystick in landscape mode because LG was smart enough to enable the H, B, N, and M keys to function as directional controls. There are two menu keys underneath the display for making selections.

 

The F9100 includes a very good suite of messaging tools. There’s AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, and Cingular Messaging. All of these programs worked well with very little fiddling required to get online. To round out the messaging functionality, this handset supports SMS and MMS. Strangely, the keyboard cannot be used for composing MMS messages. The F9100 lacks a camera, so you will be unable to easily add your own images.

 

For the advanced user, the lack of an integrated e-mail client is a definite drawback, but not a deal breaker. There are other useful business tools on board, including a calendar, calculator, and note pad. You can dial by voice and make hands-free calls using the built-in speakerphone.

 

LG makes a few tradeoffs to get the F9100 down to a $99.99 price after rebate. For users who simply want to stay in touch using text or instant messaging, it’s a great value.
www.cingular.com