The MP3 player performs very well and features equaliser settings, a shuffle mode and even animations. It works particularly well with the included headset, which also lets you plug in your own headphones, control the MP3 player and answer calls, without needing to take the phone out of your pocket. You also get an FM radio, which is a nice addition and means that you don't always need to upload MP3s on to the Platinum if you fancy listening to some music.
If you want to take photos and store MP3s on the Chocolate Platinum phone you're going to need plenty of space. Fortunately, it has a microSD slot to expand on the phone's miserly 7MB of onboard memory.
If you connect the phone to the PC via USB, the phone is automatically recognised by Windows as a mass-storage device and you can simply drag and drop files into or out of the phone with ease.
We were also disappointed by the included PC software, which didn't seem to work on any machine we loaded it on to, and didn't recognise the phone when we plugged it in. This meant that we couldn't take advantage of the synchronising capabilities that the software claims it provides, though this may have been a specific problem with our software or computers.
Aside from that, everything else worked fine and there were small details that made using it straightforward. For example, we particularly liked the ability to search recent recipients of texts when sending messages. This meant that rather than searching through a list of contacts every time we sent a message, we could simply search the 'recent' list.
Other features include a speakerphone mode for making hands-free calls, a WAP browser, MMS and SMS messaging, stereo Bluetooth for listening to music wirelessly, an email client, video recorder, photo album, video album, voice recorder, calendar, memo, calculator, unit converter, world time and games -- Sudoku and racing.
Performance
The audio on calls was clear and we didn't have any problems with background noise or sound distortion.
The Platinum's camera took decent-quality photos and video for MMS messaging and viewing on the phone, but they were rather distorted and pixellated when we printed them out.
Battery life was acceptable -- it's quoted at 200 hours on standby and we found that with moderate use the battery lasted for about two days before we needed to recharge it.
Conclusion
LG's Chocolate Platinum KE800 retains some of the Chocolate phone's stylish looks but comes with a better camera and an expandable microSD slot. If you really liked the Chocolate phone but wanted a few more features, this might take your fancy.
If, however, you're looking for a less sweet and more savoury experience, you might be better off with Nokia's new E65 slider phone, which packs Wi-Fi connectivity. If it's style you're after, why not take a peek at the new LG Prada? It comes with a touchscreen interface and Prada accessories.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Nick Hide
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