Back when the first camera phones started to appear on the market many people balked at such decadent gimmickry; with their weedy resolutions and poor picture quality these phones could never be truly taken seriously.
Several years on and this standpoint has been proven to be wholly erroneous; pretty much any manufacturer you care to mention has some kind of 'serious' camera phone available with many of them showcasing high-quality lenses and megapixel counts that make your dedicated 'point and shot' quiver in fear.
With the release of the LG KC550 we've been taken a step further - this is arguably a camera that also makes calls as opposed to a phone that happens to snap photos. As soon as you pick up the KC550 its aspirations are as clear as day; it's unfashionably chunky and the metal camera cover takes up much of the phone's rear casing. Sliding this cover back reveals the Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens and the accompanying lettering boasts of the handset's 5 megapixel sensor.
Given the intense focus that LG has bestowed on this aspect of the KC550 (the packaging even states that it's 'camera-friendly', whatever that may mean) it only seems right to assess the photographic abilities of the phone first and foremost. Although the handset essentially shares the same lens as its big brother the LG KF750 Secret, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that when it comes to mobile picture-snapping it matches (and in some respects outclasses) its more expensive sibling.
For starters, the flash is a lot less overbearing than the one witnessed on the KF750. Taking close-up shots in low light with that phone invariably led to the LED flash filling the image with white light, but the KC550 doesn't suffer from this unfortunate complaint. Long-distance shots tend to favour the KF750 but when you consider the price difference between the two devices it shows just how impressive the KC550's photographic capabilities are - this is essentially a budget handset, after all.
Unfortunately, when you put aside camera work for a moment it becomes apparent that elsewhere things are a little less refined. The design is bound to divide users; cheap materials coupled with a slightly shaky 'slider' mechanism only serve to reinforce the impression that this isn't a product that has been created to the maximum specification, as is the case with the almost self-indulgent KF750. Still, it feels solid enough and the rubberised back aids grip, making the phone extremely comfortable to use.
However, there's one aspect of design where the KC550 definitely has the edge over its stable mate: the USB/charging port, which is protected by a sliding door rather than a cheap-looking and ultimately bothersome piece of rubber, as is the case with the KF750.
Given the relatively lowly status of the phone within LG's portfolio it should come as no surprise to see that the Korean manufacturer has omitted touchscreen control this time around. To be perfectly honest, after testing a flood of mobiles that show off this capability it actually comes as a refreshing change to use the traditional 'pad and button' interface, but this could have something to do with the fact that the KC550 possesses a wonderfully robust D-pad which offers swift and accurate control.
As you might expect this makes the pad perfect for mobile gaming, but ironically the KC550's pre-loaded entertainment software forsakes it for more fashionable accelerometer-controlled titles. Like the KF750 this phone features LG's bespoke 'M-Toy' package, containing six motion-sensitive slices of portable amusement. There are two standalone games as well, in the form of Extreme Skateboard and Mini Game World, but to be honest neither of these titles is really worth investigating, so we instead downloaded some of our favourite Java games and really put the excellent D-pad through its paces.
The user interface will be familiar to anyone who has picked up an LG phone over the past six months; it's easy to navigate, offers plenty of options and is generally as pleasurable a menu system as you're likely to experience outside of a Sony Ericsson product. There's a slight delay between key presses and actual on-screen reaction, but it's hardly a deal-breaking issue. Slightly more annoying is the lack of 3G capability; surfing the net is therefore a little laborious and download times are often protracted.
It may be cheaper and less desirable but the KC550 effortlessly slips in beside the KF750 to take a well-deserved position within LG's line-up. If you're after a phone that truly excels at taking photos but you don't want to throw around the kind of cash that is required to purchase a top-of-the-range mobile then you should definitely consider this device; it may not turn heads in the same way that fellow LG products such as the Shine and the Prada have done in the past, but its pleasingly comprehensive feature-set and overall likeability more than overcome such superficial qualms.
LG KC550 Orsay
It's not the best looking device LG has ever produced and the lack of 3G is disappointing but the KC550 excels in practically every other regard and is therefore worthy of a glowing recommendation
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.