Introduction

For serious text messaging, a QWERTY keyboard is a must. And the continuing trend to decrease cell phone size seems to contradict this notion. However, manufacturers such as Motorola and Nokia have condensed their phones with fold-out keypads that don't compromise size. While other manufacturers such as Danger, have opted for a twist-out design with the Sidekick.

Now LG has released its version of the messaging phone. Utilizing an inventive side-sliding design, a QWERTY keyboard glides out from the right while changing the F9100 to a horizontal profile.

Going further than just text messaging, the F9100 is advertised as an instant messaging phone, keeping users in touch with the world by connecting with buddies through 3rd party clients such as AOL, Yahoo!, ICQ, and even Cingular's own proprietary chat software.

Design

Compact when closed, the LG F9100 looks like any ordinary phone. Albeit a bit thick, at 105 x 50 x 24 mm in size and 125 in weight, the F9100 is not overly bulky in size or weight. The features on the F9100 are minimal, with the front panel featuring a 128 x 160 px STN color screen. Positioned below, a 5-way navigational joystick is flanked by two Selection keys above and a Clear key below. A numeric keypad occupies the lower half, with an offset center row.

Quick keys along the left side control ringtone and speaker volumes during standby and calling modes, while a 2.5 mm headset jack is located on the right side. A port along the bottom of the F910 is used for charging.

Hidden beneath the cover, a full QWERTY keyboard slides out on twin rails from the right; turning the F9100 90-degrees from a vertical to horizontal view.

The two mysterious keys located to the right of the screen suddenly become apparent; being the soft keys when in messaging mode. The keyboard layout is more spacious than other QWERTY phones; allowing more comfortable and quicker typing with a more tactile feel and touch.

Out of the box, the LG F9100 comes with a 1030 mAh Li-Ion battery, AC charger, and user manual.

Basic Features

The LG F9100 is dual-band GSM 850 / 1900 MHz and has a 1030 mAh Li-Ion battery rated at 4.5 hours and 330 hours of talk and standby times respectively. However, those are under optimal conditions.

When handset manufacturers and mobile phone carriers list talk-time and standby-time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times.

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