LG Shine CU720 - Red (Unlocked) Cellular Phone

In had this Phone from mid 2009- mid 2010, and looking back I can honestly say that this is my favorite non-touch phone I have ever owned.

The hardware:
> first of all lets address the casing. I cant think of another phone that has a FULL anodized brushed metal housing. It gives the phone a nice feel in the hand as well as wears nicely with minimal visable chips and scratches.

> the screen, was huge for its time, and crystal clear for its time too. now-a-days its still not too bad

> the Mirror finish on the screen, was this models primary selling point. and i will say that its not bad but one really needs a screen protector to preserve the finish in the long haul. And a screen protector will haze the reflection.(although im not sure how a mirrored screen protector would layer over the screen) So either way if you only want a pocket mirror i would reccomend a compact

> The keyboard is also lazer-cut backlit metal, it is in the standard 12 key dialpad layout, and is in the same style as the origional razr flip phone. It is cramped however it doesnt take much to get used to.

> I remember the Battery life on the phone being very good up untill about a month or so before its demise. eaisily made it though a 6-8 hr day with light use (checking the time and 10-20 text messages, and a few email checks) then couldget another 3 or so hours of talk time before dropping down to less than 20%

> The Camera was my favorite thing about this phone, although it is only a 2mp, it takes better pictures than any phone i have has since then.
>the 'joystick' directional nub, is a unique and creaive albeit annoying method of navigation on this phone. This is what causes the greatest learning curve.

Software
Obviously this is no Android or Smartphone, but the User Interface is still nice and clean, you have the option between 2 different color schemes White or black. And 2 different menu styles, either icons or list format.

Most of the phone including the 2 sim function work very well. It isn't an android. the battery usually lasts about 3 days on a charge. The user manual isn't available in English so you need to be able to figure it out on your own. Since 2 sim phones aren't sold in USA your service provider won't know any more about the phone than you do, T-mobile was very helpful with me at trial and error settings until we got the internet settings right and working. We still haven't figured out picture messaging yet although text messaging works fine. LG USA knew even less about the phone and LG HK won't return emails. This phone seems to have a slow processor with at least a full second between icon selection and screen change. All that being said the 2 phone # benefit makes it all worthwhile. It color codes line 1 as blue calls and 2 as red, on inbound, outbound and phonebook. You have individual settings for each line. The camera is good, the touchscreen is just ok, reception is good, the phones size is like a 4" long credit card. It has T9 and qwerty, Internet runs on Opera at 2G speed. Bluetooth works good, haven't tried the music or headset yet. the games on it are worthless demos. Wi-Fi works good.

The LG Shine is a sexy slider for AT&T's high speed 3G network. Clad in a striking silver exterior, the Shine features plenty of features to keep you entertained. It also functions perfectly as a day to day phone.

Physical Aspects

The CU720 Shine is a compact slider phone with striking good looks. Measuring 15mm (.6") thick, the Shine has a rock solid build and is weighted perfectly. There are no creaks or squeaks when using the handset, and the slide action is solid, with no wiggle or looseness.

There is a microSD memory card slot on the left side of the phone, with a sturdy door to keep dust and debris out. Below this is the combination power and headset port, again with a sturdy door protecting it. I found this combination port to be inconvenient, as the door gets in the way of the power plug, and there is neither a headset nor an adapter included in the sales package. Thus, in order to use a headset, one must find the specific LG headset, as opposed to a more standard 2.5mm headset.

The right side of this silver slider is where you'll find the volume up and down keys, as well as a multitasking button and the camera button. This row of buttons is nearly flush with the side of the phone, which protects them from being pressed accidentally in a pocket or purse. The front of the LG Shine, when closed, contains the left and right softkeys, which are large and easy to press, and the small joystick. Personally I found the joystick to be very soft, making it difficult to consistently press the desired direction. The top of the joystick, however, is nice and large, offering a higher level of comfort and control than with a typical cell phone joystick.

The Shine's beautiful 2.2" 262k color QVGA display has a mirrored surface, so that it disappears into the front of the device when inactive. While this contributes greatly to the smashing good looks of the phone, it also inhibits the readability of the device, specifically in sunlight. The display is brighter, however, and a pleasure to use when indoors. The 2 megapixel camera is located on the back of the Shine, along with the LED flash and the self-portrait mirror.

When sliding the CU720 open, it is difficult to not be impressed by the smoothness of the spring-assisted slide mechanism and the solid 'thunk' on either end. The bottom portion of the slide is where you will find the end/send keys, a useful 'back' key, and the numeric keypad. These are etched into a solid metal plate, with a rubbery membrane separating each button, and backlit with a beautiful electric blue. Unfortunately, the backlight is not evenly spread, which results in lower illumination levels on the outer edges of the keypad. Also, the writing on the number keys is too small, rendering it nearly illegible with the backlights on. Otherwise, the keys do have a nice tactile feedback and are easily used without concentrating directly.Phone Functions

The LG CU720 Shine runs on AT&T's 3G network and supports HSDPA data speeds up to 3.6Mbps on the 850/1900MHz frequency bands, in addition to supporting quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) when necessary. I found reception to be extremely solid and call quality fantastic. However, the speaker on the Shine has a slight tinny sound to it. When on speakerphone mode, the Shine does well, with voices coming through nicely and perfectly loud.

The web browser on the LG CU720 Shine is a typical feature-phone web browser, and was able to successfully load the mobile

Camera
Resolution2 megapixels
Live Video Capture and Playback60 min (CIF, 15fps)
Music
Music Player
Supported Music FormatsAAC, MP3, WMA
AT&T Mobile Music
Subscription Music ServiceseMusic Mobile, Napster Mobile
Streaming RadioMobiRadio, XM Radio
Customizable Equalizer
MusicID - Identify songs you're listening to
Create Music Playlists
Visualizer
Messaging
Text MessagingInsert pictures, video clips and sound clips easily
Instant Messaging (IM)AOL, Windows Live, Yahoo Messenger
Video Share
Email
Mobile EmailAOL, Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live
Video & Web
Web browser
MEdia Net for wireless internet access
CV - news, sports, weather, entertainment and more
Media Mall
Ringtones
Answer Tones
Cool ToolsMobile Banking, MobiTV, MySpace Mobile, eBay
Gamespuzzle, sports, action, card, racing and more
GraphicsChoose from your favorite music artists, celebrities, sports heroes, and more
Productivity
Calendar, Alarm clock, Call waiting, Caller ID, Personal Organizer
Address book
Conference calling
Call Forwarding
Extras
3Ghigh-speed data and voice
World PhoneQuad-band
Bluetooth® wireless connectivity
USB connectivity
Hands-free speakerphone
Voice dialing and voice commands


for more information go to http://www.wireless.att.com/ce​ll-phone-service/cell-phone-de​tails/?device=LG+Shine(TM)-(Re​furb)&q_sku=sku2380237

Alright, so first off this is definitely a beautful phone, no matter what color you get it in. I have the red one myself.

Functionality - I personally think it's a little bit awkward, and texting is a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be. On the keypad more than once did I press multiple buttons at once, and then with the Toggle 'Send' key I sometimes accidently sent mid-message. The menu's could have been customized a little bit more as well. I own a samsung A737 as well, and I miss all the music options that were placed in that little phone.

The Shine does a good job of playing music, but once you get used to hearing anything you want while texting, or just messing around with the settings on your phone, it's something you begin to miss.

Durability - Geez, could this be a more hardcore phone? Despite the face being somewhat scratchable (I mean, it IS a mirror finish) the metal backing and the weight of the phone definitely keep it from being damaged quite a bit.

I think this phone also has the better camera out of any one I've used recently. The flash option is incredibly bright, and I love not having to use the slide to reveal my camera. It's these small things that make a difference.

Unfortunately, my battery life was only sub-par, I don't know if anyone else is having these problems. That's mainly why I go back to my other phones so quickly. 10 minutes on a call and my phone is dead! It's really only good for pictures and texting.

Overall, it's a beautiful phone with good signal, and a great price on a contract phone whether or not you are becoming a customer, already a customer, or just buying the phone outright.