LG KC550 (LG Orsay)

Available now
18th June 2008
NEW! - Play / download MP3 podcast

The LG KC550 (also known as the LG Orsay) is probably the best camera phone that you have never heard of.

While most manufacturers still make a song and dance about 5 megapixel camera phones, LG have been very low key with their launch of the KC550, which has sneaked into the shops without much fuss.

Essentially, the LG KC550 can be thought of as a cut down version of the Viewty, retaining almost all of the Viewty's camera features but scaling back elsewhere.

Before we look at the camera in more detail, we will quickly look at the rest of the KC550's specifications. This is a GSM only phone with a 2.4" 240 x 320 pixel display, an FM radio, microSD expandable memory and a built-in accelerometer. There's a TV output too, so video clips and stills photos can be displayed on a television set.

The accelerometer can be used to flip the screen orientation from portrait (tall) to landscape (wide) modes as you rotate the handset, and it can also be used for games.. although we think that this is of limited use. Unlike the Viewty, the LG KC550 has a standard display and lacks a touchscreen.

Of course, the really interesting part of the KC550 is the camera. This is a 5 megapixel unit with a "Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens". We're not sure what certified means in this context, but having the name plastered over the back of the phone should guarantee the quality of the KC550's optics. The camera has autofocus and what appears to be an LED flash. The maximum video capture resolution is 720 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second, so it's certainly one of the best phones on the market for video recording.

There's a protective cover on the back of the phone to hide the lens when not in use, and the camera also has an image stabiliser and low-light capabilities.

Obviously it would be nice to have a touchscreen, and the lack of 3G is a little surprising, but then the KC550 is going to be cheaper than the Viewty and it is ideal for people who want high-quality pictures but are happy with a fairly standard GSM phone.

The LG KC550 is available right now from several different vendors in Europe.