Introduction

Contrary to ever-slimming market trends, for a different group of consumers, functionality is more desired than an ultra-thin profile, and a QWERTY keyboard is what they're after.

Aimed at consumers who do as much communicating with their thumbs as with their voice, the LG F9200 is the latest Cingular phone to feature a QWERTY keyboard, letting consumers type with greater speeds when composing email, multimedia, and instant messages.

Adding features to enhance the experience, the F9200 integrates Cingular's Mobile Email (which supports Yahoo!, Hotmail, and AOL email), allowing users to register up to ten different email accounts. Also including the most popular instant messaging clients (AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and ICQ), users can open up to ten simultaneous conversations, ensuring they never miss a word.

While messaging focused, the F9200 doesn't compromise imaging and audio capabilities. Adding a built-in VGA camera, full-duplex speakerphone, and 64-chord polyphonic sound support, users have added versatility when communicating with friends and family.

Design

Resembling its predecessors, the LG F9100 and F7200, the new F9200 offers a more casual and relaxed design, offering rounded corners and angles rather than strict lines and edges. Measuring 110 x 50 x 25 mm and weighing 134 g, the F9200 is also slightly larger and heavier than the former models, leaning towards the bulky side, but neither abnormally large nor small by mobile standards. Part of the dilemma facing manufacturers is creating a typing device small enough to be easily carried around, yet large enough to type on comfortably. For most consumers, the F9200 should accomplish both.

The all-gray exterior is highlighted with a standard 65K-color LCD, displaying frequently-accessed information such as time, battery strength, and reception status. Below, a 5-Way Keypad is flanked by Send, Clear, End, and Left and Right Soft Keys for quick and convenient access.

Side Keys along the left control the ringtone and speaker volume during standby and calls. On the right, an ear microphone jack allows users to talk through a handsfree headset, while a dedicated Camera Key activates the VGA (0.3-megapixel) camera lens positioned on the back, capable of capturing photos up to 640 x 480 px in size. The Charger Port is located on the bottom.

With the push of a thumb, the F9200's true strength is revealed. Activating the QWERTY keyboard, two buttons directly right of the LCD suddenly becomes apparent, functioning as Left and Right Soft Keys when operating in landscape mode. Providing a 32-button layout, the QWERTY keyboard includes a Text Input Key (that toggles between Abc, ABC, and abc), a left-handed Shift Key, and right-handed Space and Return Keys, with buttons large and spacious enough for comfortable and quick text messaging on the road.

Out of the box, the LG F9200 comes with a standard 950 mAh Li-Ion Battery, AC Travel Charger, and User Manual.

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