LG KF750 Secret review: No secret, all guts
One thing we know about the LG KF750 Secret is that it’s hard to resist. The handset seems to have it all - turn-head exterior, top-notch skill and a few exotic extras to spice things up. Looks have long been the defining feature of the Black Label series by LG. Now, the Secret brings some muscle to tip the form vs. content scale the other way. LG Secret packs a 5 megapixel camera, slow motion and Fast video recording, carbon fiber battery cover and tempered glass over the display. The other highlights are the Neon Touch Navigation and Touch media navigation. So, there we go with keeping it a secret.
Key features:
- 2.4″ 262K-color display of QVGA resolution
- Touch-screen functionality and auto screen rotation
- 5 megapixel autofocus camera with AF-assist light
- VGA video recording at 30 fps
- SloMo and Fast video recording
- Touchpad with haptic feedback
- Carbon fiber battery cover and tempered glass display
- 3G with HSDPA
- USB and Bluetooth connectivity
- Hot-swap microSD card slot
- Slim body and sleek looks
- Ambient light sensor
- Built-in accelerometer
- DivX player
- FM radio
Main disadvantages:
- Tri-band only
- Poor sunlight legibility
- Limited touchscreen functionality
- Glossy front panel is a fingerprint magnet
- Fast motion videos limited to QVGA resolution
- Uncomfortable file manager
- No SSL support for the native email client
As we see it, the bitterest market rivals of LG KF750 Secret will be Sony Ericsson C902 and the Samsung U900 Soul. While none is a match for the video recording capabilities of the LG KF750, each of the 5 megapixel cameraphones has some unique feature to flaunt. With the Cybershot, it’s the advanced camera handling with touch controls, and the Soul boasts 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 16M-color screen.
In fact, the Secret is likely to get some pressure too from a proven performer within the very LG family. The LG KU990 Viewty pulls off the same VGA videos at 30fps and even has the slow motion recording. What it lacks is the time lapse capture, plus it’s quite thicker than the LG Secret.
Finally, potential buyers should also consider the Samsung F480. It may not boast the same feature pack as the LG Secret but it has the sweet TouchWiz interface up his sleeve. It is also even more compact than the KF750.
LG KF750 Secret 360-degree spin
Standing at 102.8 x 50.8 x 11.8 mm LG KF750 Secret is among the compact sliders (and the other form factors as a matter of fact) on the market. The less than 12 mm thickness is impressive enough given the features it packs.
The weight of 116 grams is more of a compliment considering the high-quality materials used. In fact, the weight does benefit the handling of the LG Secret.
Design and construction
Cliche though it may be, the Black Label series LG KF750 Secret is dressed to impress. As far as we are concerned, there’s hardly anything wrong with the design of the handset. The glossy front panel looks really classy and so does the carbon fiber and leather-like surface at the back. The metal frame around the front panel is another sleek ornament.
In all fairness, some of the members of our team weren’t that impressed with design. It is obvious that the carbon-fiber battery cover doesn’t go that well with the rest of the surfaces and contrast is too much for some.
The earpiece of LG KF750 Secret is centrally placed near the upper edge of the front. Next to it are the video-call camera and the ambient light sensor. The latter allows the device to automatically adjust display brightness to its current environment and thus save precious battery life. It can also be switched off, should the user find it unnecessary.
Below the earpiece is the LG KF750 Secret’s display, which will be discussed a little latter in the review.
Underneath the display is the rather exotic navigation solution of the LG Secret - the Neon Touch navigation pad. It basically is a touch-sensitive pad with only the confirmation center, being a regular press key. There are also some nice illuminations to enhance the navigation experience.
In addition, the problems we encountered with our first LG KF750 Secret unit, which we previewed, are now gone. The two context keys are now clearly marked and pose no problems to usage. Now, that’s one beta issue solved.
The only possible inconvenience of the Neon touch navigation is that the combination of hardware and touch sensitive keys can be really confusing to some. Nevertheless, once you get the hang of it, you will realize that it is a really smooth and fun way to control the phone. Once again LG have put fun-to-use high on their list of priorities with the Secret.
Sliding LG KF750 Secret open reveals the alphanumeric keypad, which will also receive its due attention in in the relevant chapter of the review.
There is nothing but the mouthpiece at the bottom of LG Secret. The top is also very plain, with no functional elements whatsoever.
On the left side of the handset we find the universal USB port and the lanyard eyelet. The USB port is hidden under a plastic lid so the looks aren’t damaged.
There are four keys on the right side of the handset. They include a volume rocker, the touch media key, the shortcut menu key and the camera button. All of those are large enough and easy to use. The touch media key is used to turn the touch sensitivity of the display on and off.
The back side of LG KF750 Secret features the 5 megapixel camera, the LED flash and the AF assist light. The AF assist light is really of help when shooting in dark environments. The LED flash however isn’t powerful enough so, unless you’re taking a photo of a close object or shooting video, it won’t be of much value.
As we already mentioned the battery cover is made of carbon fiber and it looks really well (at least to some of us). By the looks of it, you might expect some rough surface, but it actually feels like glass to touch. That way touching it harmonizes nicely with the front panel which is entirely covered by glass.
We are very pleased with the battery cover release mechanism of LG KF750 Secret. You only need to press the key below the cover and it pops up. When you fit it back on, a distinct click verifies the piece has locked in its proper position.
Under the carbon fiber back cover of LG KF750 Secret lies the 800 mAh Li-ion battery quoted at 260 hours of stand-by time and 4 hours of talk-time. In reality it gives you slightly less than two days of intense usage.
The memory card slot is also under the battery cover but as opposed to the LG Viewty you don’t have to remove the battery to access it. Not the most comfortable location you can think of, but with the smart opening mechanism we just described, it might not be such a big issue. Besides, it really improves the looks of the Secret.
According to the official LG web site, the KF750 Secret can only handle memory cards of up to 4GB. However, we had absolutely no problems using a 8GB microSD card with it.
We are delighted with the build quality and handling of LG Secret. The top notch materials used do make a difference. The rather heavy weight, considering the otherwise compact size, makes the handset a pleasure to hold and control.
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