LG's KU990 touchscreen "Viewty" is a 5 megapixel, HSDPA beauty

It's out. LG's newest heartthrob -- the KU990 -- is official and on the way to the UK (likely with Vodafone) this fall. The German IFA show at the end of the month will mark its coming out party seeing the KU990 dressed up in a 5.1 megapixel shooter with Schneider-Kreuznach lens, image stabilization (likely digital), auto focus, 120fps video, and ISO 800 sensitivity. Sure, the camera is nice and all, but this pup is packing a 3-inch, 240 x 400 touchscreen riding on 3G HSDPA data. Hoozah! With a European launch imminent (sorry, no Stateside details), the wait for the iPhone is suddenly less of a burden, eh?

Gallery: LG's KU990 touchscreen "Viewty" is a 5 megapixel, HSDPA beauty

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[Via Akihabara News]

[Owen V @ Aug 21st 2007 1:52AM]

120 fps video? what good is that? cut it down to 30fps and quadruple the resolution. I can't imagine anyone needing 120fps video from a cell phone.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Aug 21st 2007 2:03AM]

120FPS... But will it play PACMAN?

[bob @ Aug 21st 2007 2:13AM]

I wish more camcorders and digital cameras could do 120 FPS. 120 is enough to do some dynamite slow motion.

[Michael @ Aug 21st 2007 6:55AM]

Yeah 120fps, there really isn't a need for it on a cell phone. 24-30 is good enough. Do we have any more specs on the video or that lens?

[tony @ Aug 21st 2007 9:19AM]

120fps video? No way. Sure, it would make for some great slo-mo video if it did but, c'mon.. just look at that babelfish translation..it makes this meandering sentence look like a literary masterpiece.

[Radiohead @ Nov 28th 2007 10:26AM]

Anyhow, some people can still think outside the box...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/880972/viewty/

[AKBlade13 @ Aug 21st 2007 3:00AM]

How much, does it have MP3 capabilities, and is it CDMA (it probably isn't).

AKBlade13

[MattNL @ Aug 21st 2007 3:02AM]

Who wants to wait for the iphone when you can get this piece of beauty... it's gooood.. nice job LG!

[MattNL @ Aug 21st 2007 3:10AM]

Some extra info:

It has HSDPA, EDGE, Bluetooth met A2DP, a FM-radio, 130MB memory, een microSD-slot (max 2GB), a VGA-camera for videocalls, USB2.0 and a multimediaplayer that can handle mp3, wav, aac, wma, mpeg4, H.263, H.264 and wmv. The 3 inch touchscreen has a QVGA-resolution with 262.000 colors. Also streaming video (3gpp en mpeg4) can be played with a resolution of 320x240 and 30fps. With the camera you can record video with a resolution of 640x480 with 30fps. It supportsPOP3/IMAP4 e-mail.

Size: 103,5 x 54,4 x 14,8 mm
Weight: 112 grams

[Thomas Ricker @ Aug 21st 2007 3:38AM]

MattNL,

Those are still rumored. Unless you have an official release from LG? Do tell.

Thomas

[MattNL @ Aug 21st 2007 4:00AM]

Youre right it hasn't been confirmed yet by LG, i should have mentioned that.. i believe these specs come from people who have tested a pre-release version of the phone

[Michael @ Aug 21st 2007 6:59AM]

I hope for our sake it isn't. I'd really like more then 2GB or max storage.

[MattNL @ Aug 21st 2007 7:15AM]

More then 2GB kills the performance and it might become very slow.. So I'm guessing that they have the limit delibertly so they can't be held responsible for the firmware clogging up if users start putting 8GB in the thing...

[Michael @ Aug 21st 2007 8:45AM]

Why does it kill the performance. I've never heard that before. it's all fast flash memory in the end right?

[MattNL @ Aug 21st 2007 9:04AM]

it is pretty fast flash memory, but your phone has to be able to process all that data for it to be effective... if you read out a folder of like 300 id3 tags from mp3's its clogging up internal memory and the processor (less ofcourse if it uses indexing) and you dont want that if you get an incoming call... but the 2gb limit hasn't been confirmed and there are no specs on the internal hardware so we'll just have to wait and see how it performs...

[Xzavier @ Aug 21st 2007 11:58AM]

Perhaps this might help in specs!
http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_ku990_viewty-2070.php

[jay @ Aug 21st 2007 3:31AM]

It looks Great and all but its still just a lg prada with the camera changed slightly. Just a personal request lets keep iphone comparisons to a minimum.

[iPhoneway @ Aug 21st 2007 2:25AM]

Please let some other product take the fame away from the iPhone, every where I go people want to see it. Then of course they want to tell me why there phone is better and why they would never buy one. I'm getting sick of it, I bought the iPhone because I like it not because it's the best.

[Owen V @ Aug 21st 2007 2:28AM]

aha, good point BUT, it loses the prada branding so the unfashionable are now allowed to use it.

[theboss @ Aug 21st 2007 3:20AM]

This is better looking than the iphone. A nice black finish. What more could you ask for? The majority of iphone users are sadly bandwagon hoppers.

[Wwhat @ Aug 21st 2007 3:55AM]

OMG engadget staff is starting to move away from the iphone? best news I've read here for quite some time ;)

[XSportSeeker @ Aug 21st 2007 4:31PM]

Engadget moving away? If there's one thing I admire on Engadget is that they aren't too much biased towards iPhone... try looking Gizmodo posts. They even banned people who disliked iPhone...

About this phone... if the specs are right, no, this is not a "Prada with the camera changed slightly". Well, all depends on POV, but for some, 5.1 camera that records on 120fps is not only impressive, it's also unique. Even more with Schneider-Kreuznach lenses.

Most digicams and even amateur digicamcorders can't do that.
My next cellphone, depending on specs confirmation and price.

[Johan S @ Aug 21st 2007 3:58AM]

The resolution though barely better than QVGA- still sucks.

A minimum of 800 pixels width is needded for a decent ability to use websites and look stuff up on the web in a hurry or waiting at the dentists office (although QVGA does enable skipping the dentist office for tooth pulling).

[tso @ Aug 21st 2007 4:34AM]

http://www.operamini.com/

and as it has bluetooth it can probably play nice with my nokia 770...

[Iain @ Aug 21st 2007 6:37AM]

I'd been wondering if I was the only person who saw "240 x 400" and felt disheartened.

I guess that means I'm still waiting to see what the MiniOne/M8 is like when it's released...

[Taylor @ Aug 21st 2007 4:10AM]

Hellz, if this comes out in Australia and the touch-screen keyboard/media functions are on par/better than the iPhone, I'm so totally getting one.

[Rynth @ Aug 21st 2007 4:55AM]

120FPS video?! A load of digital cameras don't do that! Wicked phone, I may have to invest...

[Galley @ Aug 21st 2007 9:35AM]

Is it a camera, or a cellphone? I'm so confused!

[Mike @ Aug 21st 2007 10:02AM]

But will it blend?

[Dan @ Aug 21st 2007 10:15AM]

This must be that Kodak CMOS sensor they were raving about way back when. Nice to see it finally introduced on a cell phone.

[Nick @ Aug 21st 2007 2:27PM]

is it me or do the does it not look like the same phone in the first picture... showing the camera its long and skinny.. and then showing the interface the phone is short and fat... ????

[Morockin @ Aug 21st 2007 3:50PM]

120fps? Impossible. Must be a typo, probably should read 12fps.

[john asher @ Apr 14th 2008 9:45AM]

It's no typo it is 120fps....it works well too...photo's and video superb!

[Douglas @ Aug 22nd 2007 2:06AM]

As an owner of the LG Prada phone, i hope they've improved the UI.
I think losing the Prada name loses part of the curiosity; alot of people have gone "Prada? As in the real Prada?" Had someone today go "Oh my god! Is that the prada phone??" and I'm in Australia where it's not out (yet?).

[James @ Aug 22nd 2007 7:32AM]

This interview with the director of handsets at 3UK suggests that they will be taking the u990 too!http://www.smstextnews.com/2007/08/your_questions_to_fergal_walker_3uk_director_of_handsets.html

[Garrick @ Oct 1st 2007 1:04PM]

Max 2GB?! Makes the iPhone's 8GB look incredibly roomy...

[backflip bedlem @ Dec 20th 2007 11:47AM]

I've got this and it kicks ass. the 120 fps video is awesome, SLLOOOOOOWWWWW MOOOOOOOOO!!!!! well fun, hunting around for things to film then watch em back in their slow hilarity!!!!

The only downside is this external memory limit to 2GB. I've heard people running 6GB cards, but im not sure if their actually getting all 6GB, I've put in a 8GB card, and its only recognizing 2GB!! bit annoying
Anyone aware of any ways round this????

[smickers666 @ Jan 22nd 2008 4:20PM]

Hi was thinking of buying a LG's KU990,but dont like the 2Gb limit on it,Even if you put an 8gb card in it only reconizes 2gb???Even if you use it as mass storage device????Even so what if you loaded the card up with a card reader/writer,then put it in the phone what its gona reconize all 8gb of stuff???
Anyones help would be dandy!!!!!!
Cheer smick.......

[number777 @ Feb 13th 2008 11:40PM]

Ive got one here with 8gb card....loaded 6gb mp3 and divx from the pc,
phone says 2gb free space, file browser and media player accesses all 8gb no problem,
mass storage device to pc no worries, just dont format card on phone and you'll be right.
Great phone, ....got to love that rumoured full vga 120fps in next firmware release....
plenty of support and hacks on ku990 forums too....

[shorty @ Apr 1st 2008 5:36AM]

Hi number777 or anyone else who can help,

I have an LG Ku990 and want to put a 8gb memory card in it.

What 8gb memory card did you use?
Do I need a reader aswell?

You mentioned not to format it on the card on the phone...does this mean i should format it on my pc?
How can i format it so it will work like your does?

I'd really appreciate your help.

Thanks :-)

[Kinky @ Mar 27th 2008 1:52AM]

anyone know how to get the vibrating feedback off? its getting annoying