It’s been a while since we used the term ‘clam-shell’ in describing a smartphone design but we’re dusting it off and getting nostalgic to introduce you to LG’s latest Android offering to the western world – the Wine Smart.
Featuring throw-back style but updating it with a modern day operating system in Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, the LG Wine Smart also features a physical keyboard and 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen – a real clash of classic and contemporary. Using the touchscreen to work the phone seems to be secondary to the keyboard however, and the display offers a humble 320 x 480 pixel resolution, crammed into its minimalist frame.
Since the Wine Smart runs Android the Google Play store will of course be available and the handset connects to 4G data networks and WiFi but we can’t exactly expect the go streaming Netflix on it or be playing any high demand games. LG has clearly created a phone designed to function as, believe it or not – a phone!
The LG Wine Smart comes with modest entry-level specifications across the board, with processing provided by a 1.1GHz quad-core CPU, a 3-megapixel rear-camera and front VGA, 1GB of RAM and just 4GB of internal storage with no potential of expanding this. But with the intended uses of the phone, why would you need more?
It isn’t the first time that the LG Wine Smart has appeared on the mobile market. It was quietly released for an initial run in the company’s home country of South Korea back in September. The handset is now due for release in other regions including the United Kingdom, France and Spain, heading to the mid-range market later in the month (exact date and price TBC). Choices of leather-effect colours available include navy and a very attractive burgundy.
As a footnote, LG’s name before abbreviating it was “Lucky Goldstar” – Now doesn’t that sound just like the name of someone who’d flaunt a leather flip-phone? We’re not sure if fortune will favour the LG Win Smart – or whether it’ll appeal only to a very niche market of clam-shell connoisseurs.
Source: LG Newsroom