The handset kept us alerted with loud tones, and the extra-wide speaker means that calls come in loud and clear. We would have appreciated a built-in screen reader and voice commands, which LG has on some of its other handsets, to round off the accessibility features. We also missed a shutter sound when taking shots with the camera.
Camera obscura
We could live without a fake shutter noise, but the 2-megapixel camera let us
down in other ways. Our shots were washed out and noisy in good light, and, in
dim light, too noisy to use. The delay between pressing the shutter
button and taking a shot is about 1.5 seconds, so it takes a
steady hand to take a reliable photo. We'd love to see anti-shake control in a
handset like this. But the camera's user interface is easy to use and it would do for the occasional
emergency snapshot if you run into Elvis down the shops.
The KF300 also shoots basic video. We found the colours washed out and the KF300 doesn't respond quickly to changes in lighting, but it could prove worthwhile for grabbing a few seconds of the adorable grandchildren's antics. It's worth noting that, although the camera interface makes it easy to fire off our snapshots in an email or MMS, the video player isn't so helpful. Without an easy way to sync the phone with a desktop computer, videos are unlikely to ever make it off the small screen.
Listen up
The lack of easy syncing could also be a problem when it comes to taking
advantage of the KF300's media player. There's room for a microSD card to beef
up the paltry 14MB of built-in memory, so, with the help of a card reader, you
could still pack some tunes on board, but you'll need nimble fingers to wedge
the card in place underneath the battery. If you can't be bothered, the handset
also has an FM radio, which has a decent interface but is rather slow to run and
shut down.
You'll need headphones, and the KF300 has a proprietary headphone socket. Happily, LG has included an adaptor along with some basic earbuds, so you can plug in your own cans and pump up the volume.
Conclusion
The LG KF300 is a thin, easy-to-use clamshell that could satisfy curmudgeons
who've been complaining that phones have become too tiny and too flashy. It
also has some handy accessibility features, like resizable text, although we'd like to have seen more, such as a screen reader, to make the KF300 truly accessible.
Wallet-friendly and with a decent user interface, the KF300 is a good choice for people who struggle with the overblown features and tiny keys on many newer handsets.
Edited by Charles Kloet
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GM 7 May 2009
Good: Large keys, adjustable font, loud ring tones, size. Most of the phone
Bad: Rubbish battery life. Not so good as previous Nokia at picking up signal
Comment: This phone mostly does what it says on the box. As you reviewer says, it is suitable for older generation - thats me!! I like the large keys, large font size which allow me to send text to my kids almost as quick as them. However, some of the keys do not react quickly enough. I am on the second LG, as the first one lost the use of some of its keys. Will be interested to see if this one does. I do not care about the camera, one reason I bought it, nor the MP3, radio, video and other such rubbish. I bought the LG for what it is - a phone. Battery life is disappointing, but having switched off some of the noises, that has improved a little. I have already had a new battery from Orange, which has also improved it a little. It often drops a signal, but since I live in a house with thick walls, that can't be helped. However, my previous phone, a 20 quid Nokia, got a signal all over the house! I am quite hard on phones, often dropping them and getting water on them - so far, the LG has proved quite tough. I lke the flip lid, which prevents the screen getting scratched, and, contrary to your reviewer, I quite like the look, although that is way down on my list of needs for a phone. It is also very handy being able to read and send texts and use the phone a: without donning my glasses and b: in all light conditions, something the Nokia was completely useless at.
So all in all, it more or less does the trick. Certainly I could not find anything else near it that covered my needs.
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