LG KM380

Available now  
14th August 2008
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At first glance the LG KM380 looks like a dedicated media player - although quite a large one - but flip the front open and it becomes apparent that the KM380 is actually a mobile phone.

It isn't the first time that we have seen this trick, the Sony Ericsson W350 and even the old BenQ Siemens EF51 did something similar. The KM380 is a slightly better specification than the Sony Ericsson W350 though, even if it lacks the W350's striking looks.

As a phone, the LG KM380 is a tri-band GSM device with GPRS data, Bluetooth, a web browser and email client. There's a 2" 240 x 320 pixel display on the front and a basic 1.3 megapixel camera on the back. The 800 mAh battery provides 3 hours talktime and 10 days standby time.

As a multimedia player, the LG KM380 comes with dedicated media keys, support for MP3, AAC, AAC+, AMR, WMA and WMV media types, microSD expandable memory and an FM radio. The KM380 supports USB 2.0 which should make file transfers go quickly. On top of that, the KM380 comes with a standard 3.5mm audio socket.

It's a pretty lightweight device at just 79 grams (slightly lighter than the W350) and 108 x 48 x 13mm in size (a little larger than the W350). While we're comparing the LG KM380 to its Sony Ericsson rival, it is worth pointing out that the LG has a significantly better display but shorter battery life.

It's clear that the LG KM380 won't appeal to everyone, but if you're after an MP3 player that can also make phone calls then this is probably of interest.

The LG KM380 is available now or very soon in several countries (Germany, France, Greece, Russia and Brazil are all confirmed). LG's recommended SIM free price is €169, but we have seen the handset available for closer to €140 which is much more competitive.