LG's LG550 musicphone

CTIA is just getting rolling here in Vegas, but we've already spotted a couple of fine looking new handsets, most notably LG's new LG550 musicphone. LG was lame and wouldn't let us take any hands-on shots, which turned out to be a big mistake since the press shots they gave us really don't do this thing justice.

Yeah, that touchpad on the front definitely reminds us of you-know-what, but the rest of the phone is sleek and thin, and along with the Chocolate Phone, the LG550 represents an evolution of LG's handset design sensibility Specs are decent, but not extraordinary: EV-DO, Bluetooth, a MicroSD memory card slot, a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, swappable faceplates, and software for creating your own ringtones by humming the melody of what you want it to be (or something along those lines). No carrier or price confirmed yet, but the LG550 should be available here in the States sometime in Q2.

[splob @ Apr 5th 2006 8:02AM]

That's how I expect the eventual iPod phone to look, if they choose a clamshell design.

[PEZ @ Apr 5th 2006 8:11AM]

Good golly gosh! Get rid of that silly antenna. I knew it was a CDMA. EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeWwww.

So, I gues Apple reinvented the wheel, and everyone else wants to take credit?

bAw haw hAw.

[Craig @ Apr 5th 2006 8:11AM]

why did they have to put removable faceplates on it? I hate removable faceplates. it's like the designers are saying "we could have made the phone smaller, but we decided to put this slab of plastic over it instead."

[andy @ Apr 5th 2006 8:15AM]

ok, we all know the ipod was a great design, but does EVERYBODY really have to copy that interface? really i thought there must be someone out there that can come up with an original idea. imitation is the best form of flattery though i suppose.

[Alex S @ Apr 5th 2006 8:39AM]

Is that really a touch pad, like on the you-know-what? does it scroll?

[Farris @ Apr 5th 2006 9:36AM]

Wait a second, those specs are "decent but not extraordinary?"

Those specs are a lot better than (I want to say 90%, but thats wrong) 75% of the phones available on the market today.

And by the way, all you people that bash this for iYou-iKnow-iWhat imitation, so what? The touchpad was not developed by Apple, just cleverly used on the iPod.

My two cents.

[Alexander Wunderlich @ Apr 5th 2006 9:39AM]

THE POD. The..... i.... POD. .... The iPod.

IM TIRED of LOOKING AT YOUR FACE iPOD!!! My friends have one, my mother has one. Even the bum in the corner provably has one. Now you find a way to integrate yourself into our cellphones!. Hey man. Guess what. Now im actually gonna buy a Zakang Kiss MP3 Player!!!

Alexander Wunderlich.

[Bryan!! @ Apr 5th 2006 10:02AM]

Its going to be on Sprint as per LG at our last training. We were also told that it features a built in FM tranmitter. (for car stereos) I wasnt very impressed with the design, its fugly and it doesnt feel any better than it looks.

[leetlefeesh @ Apr 5th 2006 10:33AM]

More info at Mobileburn:
http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=2261&source=HOME

Sprint logo plastered all over it.

[flamer's grill @ Apr 5th 2006 11:02AM]

EV-DP? FM Transmitter? STEREO BLUETOOTH?

Um, anyone wanna buy a used A900?

[TIMMAH! @ Apr 5th 2006 2:04PM]

"By CTIA this year these phones will be chocolate!"

[Jennifer Harris-Frowen @ Apr 5th 2006 5:33PM]

I don't carry my iPod absolutely everywhere with me. It is nice to have my Slvr to listen to music when I'm waiting on someone or just biding my time at in a doctor's waiting room. I find it comes in very handy.

[Nate @ Apr 5th 2006 5:53PM]

Oh my God!! Apple is gonna seriously sue LG for this. Don't expect this on the market for long, if at all.

[Ivan @ Apr 5th 2006 6:00PM]

LG's been using the circle surrounded by an Ok button for years, and usually "LX-xxx" phones go to sprint and "VX-xxx" phones go to Verizon. I have to say though when i read on phonescoop that it had an FM transmitter I was impressed at the innovation.

[mike @ Apr 5th 2006 7:11PM]

i love LG


even if the antenna is stupid looking

[Robert Stewart @ Apr 6th 2006 12:03AM]

How long is it before they stop makin individual cell phones and mp3 players and jsut make one device that does both beautifully? Not that im a fanboy but m money is on apple to pull this off.

[jordan @ Apr 14th 2006 1:46PM]

This will be released for sprint on the same day the 700p will be released, may 29. And it's not going to be expensive :)