LG Fusic

The Fusic serves up a feast of features that media hounds will devour. At $179 (with a two-year contract), this clamshell is far from cheap, but its ability to transmit music to an FM radio (a wireless first), beam MP3s to a stereo Bluetooth headset, and create custom ringtones—on top of Sprint's stellar TV and Web services—makes this one of the best multimedia phones yet.

The Fusic has a simple but attractive design that resembles a particular mega-popular digital audio player. It sports a white body with a 65,000-color external LCD and a circular music control located just below it. You can substitute the blue faceplate with one of three included replacements (green, black, and pink), a nice touch for fashionistas. On the downside, the included earphones are hard and fell out with the slightest head movement.

Turning the phone to its rear reveals a 1.3-megapixel camera with a built-in flash and 10X digital zoom that can shoot photos when the Fusic is open or closed, thanks to a handy button located on the unit's right side. The quality of stills was decent enough, but video looked rough, especially when subjects were in motion.

You have two options when it comes to loading the Fusic with tunes: purchase tracks for $2.50 a pop from the Sprint Music Store, or use the included 64MB microSD Card and adapter to transfer unprotected music from your PC to the phone. However, there are more creative ways to make music with the Fusic. With the Humming Mode, for instance, you literally hum into the built-in microphone, and the phone converts your creation into a ringtone with its music composer feature.

As one of the first phones to support the Bluetooth stereo profile, the Fusic works with a handful of Bluetooth headphones that come with integrated microphones. We tested the handset with the Motorola HT820 and had no problem pairing the two devices. Sound quality was excellent, and there was only a slight delay when switching from our playlist to taking a call. Unfortunately, music purchased from the Sprint Music Store can't be streamed to a stereo Bluetooth headset; only non-DRM protected files are capable of this feat.
 

The integrated FM transmitter streams both protected and unprotected music from the phone to a nearby radio, which is an extremely useful option if you'd like to listen to your favorite tracks through your car's or home stereo's speakers. This feature worked most efficiently when the Fusic was close to the radio; the farther away we moved, the weaker the signal became.

 

Like other Sprint Power Vision phones, the Fusic can access Sprint TV, Sprint Radio, and Sirius music, as well as provide updated news, sports, and weather through the superb On Demand service. This phone can even double as a laptop modem when used in conjunction with a USB cable and a download from Sprint's site. However, you will need to sign up for a phone-as-modem plan, which costs an extra $39.99 per month with a two-year voice plan. Instant messaging fans will be happy to know that the Fusic supports the big three applications: AIM, MSN, and Yahoo.

S
ound quality when making calls was average, with a few drops here and there, but nothing too bad. The phone's high volume made it easy to walk the streets and engage in a conversation without missing out what was said on the other end.

Overall, the LG Fusic comes close to being the ultimate cell phone. If you replace the earbuds and don't mind that you can't stream Sprint Music Store tunes over Bluetooth, you'll enjoy a rich multimedia experience.