LG's next-gen Chocolate BL40 teased on video, looks good enough to eat

We can't verify the authenticity of the video, but it seems a little far-fetched to believe that even LG diehards out there would've been able to toil away making a very legit-looking promo piece for the company's recently-teased new Chocolate in such a short period of time -- so we're tentatively going to say we think we're looking at the real thing here. That said, what we've got is nothing short of drool-worthy: the rumored 21:9 800 x 345 display appears real (which is said in the video to be 4 inches diagonal), plus there's a gorgeous Flash-based 3D UI, multitouch, AGPS, WiFi, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and a glass screen surface that's said to be scratch-proof, all packed into an impossibly thin case. Yes, we know everyone's been trying to sound the dumbphone death knell for years now -- but frankly, you'd have to have a grossly miscalibrated monitor to not have a special place in your heart for what you're seeing here. Follow the break for the quite-possibly-authentic video in full.

[Thanks, Edward]

[Steven M @ Jul 13th 2009 1:09AM]

daaaaaamn

[james @ Jul 13th 2009 3:07AM]

sexehhhh

[nerdtalker @ Jul 13th 2009 3:43AM]

shineeeyyyy

[a.kandyba @ Jul 13th 2009 6:09AM]

Does John Frusciante from RHCP endorse this?

[Tinu @ Jul 13th 2009 9:43AM]

If this is what it really looks like, the phone could be a hit. Because LG knows how to market and it would keep this phone in demand. I remember how the 1st Chocolate wasn't such a great phone but because of their marketing ways, they sold a lot of those.

[EI8HT @ Jul 13th 2009 10:50AM]

i do like the looks of this, although i think it's quite long. maybe another unmentioned function of the phone would be to serve as a cricket bat in case your wood one breaks. also, lets see if the speed of this thing is even a quarter of what's shown in the commercial.

[Will @ Jul 13th 2009 12:14PM]

If this has a webkit-based browser, I'm sooo in.

[DizWhiz @ Jul 13th 2009 12:29PM]

I love how it showed the user scrolling through WB filters in camera mode to show you the visual differences! (And they looked like actual SLR lens filters). Very nice.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 13th 2009 12:34PM]

PHAAAT!

[sk8ordie @ Jul 13th 2009 1:03PM]

STOLE my words lol... But yeah... daaammmnnnn I am so getting this! (If it's on Verizon of course)

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 13th 2009 4:05PM]

this thing is sweet, why don't they just use android and skin it? Who wants a crappy feature phone. Once customers see how good the Pre, iPhone, BB and new Android devices are, why would they buy a featurephone?

[MrFairladyz @ Jul 13th 2009 1:10AM]

Giggity

[damiaking @ Jul 13th 2009 10:46AM]

goooo

[DudeManDude @ Jul 13th 2009 1:10AM]

wow!

[Napsterking @ Jul 13th 2009 1:11AM]

Thatss Quite Awsome

[omiyawaki @ Jul 13th 2009 1:11AM]

WOW! i would definitely buy that if its like what it is the vid

[Grindboy @ Jul 13th 2009 7:26AM]

Sadly they never are :-(

[Frostblade10 @ Jul 13th 2009 9:32PM]

I have a feeling that the UI, though beautiful, is going to end up being sluggish.

[SoulinEther @ Jul 13th 2009 1:12AM]

:O it's pretty tall... and unique-looking. Wonder if the UI will really be that smooth.

[ifalldownstairs @ Jul 13th 2009 1:44AM]

yeah, seems almost too tall... the screen itself is about 3.77 inches tall, and the ends add another inch at least. That means the phone is probably 4.75 - 5 inches tall, which exceeds the length at which it is no longer comfortable in the pocket. I would rather LG lowered the aspect ratio - why did they choose 21:9 over a traditional HD aspect ratio like 16:9? A 4 inch screen like that would be 3.48 and more internal components could be stretched throughout the greater width, reducing the amount needed on the ends. In my opinion 4.25 - 4.5 inches is long, but still comfortable.

[AlFa @ Jul 13th 2009 2:09AM]

And the price is? if more then 100-150 on a contract, then fail.

[XChrisX @ Jul 13th 2009 8:59AM]

Phone looks good, ui looks but why so tall? I guess they're after the bigger or in this case longer is better mentality. Works in the case of the touch hd, but this is borderline awkward looking.

[Quixotic @ Jul 13th 2009 5:54PM]

@ifalldownstairs

I agree this phone seems oddly proportioned compared to other phones coming out now. I calculated the screen as roughly 3.68 inches tall and 1.58 inches wide. By my calculations, this should put the phone at about or just under the 4.75 inches tall you mentioned. While I agree this does seem long, it's only .25 inches longer than the iPhone 3GS; however, this LG is a good .5-.75 inches slimmer than the iPhone 3GS. And while this aspect ration does make the phone very sexy, indeed, can anyone honestly browse the web on a screen with a 1.6" vertical (assuming browsing done in landscape view)

That being said, I still lust after this thing, and if the UI is anywhere as smooth as what the video shows, I'll be there in line to get one.

[Sanity @ Jul 16th 2009 6:40AM]

@ifalldownstairs:
The 21:9 was chosen because all of the movies displayed in cinema's are in 21:9.
Furthermore, the recent DVD's don't get cut anymore so they also have 21:9. The 21:9 is made for watching movies, original style...

[Henzapper @ Jul 13th 2009 1:13AM]

Long phone is loooooooooong.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jul 13th 2009 1:28AM]

Execute command:

"That's what she said!"

END

[ilianto @ Jul 13th 2009 1:13AM]

Can't be true!!! Too good to be true!!!

[abbas350 @ Jul 13th 2009 1:15AM]

i was thinking the same thing, i hate LG but that looks tasty

[paezbak @ Jul 13th 2009 5:49AM]

i know!!! 3.5mm jack!!! thats just too good to be true....

[wooram.lee @ Jul 13th 2009 1:14AM]

finally something different!

[Chris @ Jul 13th 2009 1:14AM]

Still can't Beat the iPhone

[10minutehobo @ Jul 13th 2009 1:16AM]

Nothing can beat the iPhone in hype. Nothing at all. You happy now?

[Napsterking @ Jul 13th 2009 1:19AM]

I took 10 comments for an iphone comment
all praising the phone, and what do you know? You have to say something!

Go iJaculate somewhere else!

[MSM @ Jul 13th 2009 3:28AM]

LOL

I like the iPhone but I would never bring it up in an LG article :P

Anyways, I love the new war between phone companies to see who makes up the best phone,,,

This will ultimately force all cellphone makers to create extremely good phones, or they basically get out of the game!

Think about it, LG is making this quite beautiful phone to stay in the game, companies like Research in Motion is making Blackberries very popular, SonyEricsson has quit their old style and started making some nice smartphones, Nokia is improving their devices, this will make companies who basically started the revolution (Apple, as some might say) improve their own devices, make it even better... I would love to see how phones in the next 5-10 years will look like!!

[American @ Jul 13th 2009 3:37AM]

ZUNE FTW!!!!

[crrp6501 @ Jul 13th 2009 9:25AM]

I'm an iPhone 3GS owner and while I love my phone, I really lament the lack of camera functionality when compared to other phones. This new LG purports (at least in the screenshots) to allow such AMAZING features (sarcasm here) as zoom, flash AND exposure control. As well, if the UI is this smooth, then WOW, LG has a winner on their hands big time .

[redleader158 @ Jul 14th 2009 12:52AM]

@napsterking

yea... chris should iJaculate somewhere else, because whats fanboy exclamations than high-resolution ejaculation?

[Adderz @ Jul 13th 2009 1:23AM]

At least here in Australia LG is always associated with cheap and nasty stuff, so at least as long as it has that LG logo i wont be buying it, however that is one damn awesome promo video.

[Quix @ Jul 13th 2009 1:16AM]

21:9 aspect ratio??? Crazy.

And "scratch proof" glass or "scratch resistant" glass? As an iPhone 3GS owner who had a scratch on the screen within 2 weeks of purchase (BLURG!), I'd be interested to see this "scratch proof" glass LG promises.

Other than these two niggles, looks like an intriguing device.

[Jeff @ Jul 13th 2009 1:27AM]

Its been proven on the LG Secret already

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9PpMBLEX_A

[awbhoops @ Jul 13th 2009 1:31AM]

Who said Phillips was the only one who could pull it off?

[Quix @ Jul 13th 2009 1:43AM]

@ Jeff:

The iPhone underwent similar key-on-screen assaults, with similar results. Yet here's my iPhone, which has been nowhere but my empty, keyless pocket, with a small scratch deep enough for my fingernail to make clicking sounds on it within two weeks of purchase.

Perhaps it's the new oleophobic coating scratching and not the glass?

[gianpo @ Jul 13th 2009 1:52AM]

@Quix
I call BS on you having a scratch I've had an iPhone since the day after the 3G came out I work in a machine shop meaning I have metal dust and chips permeating every nook and cranny of my clothes and there is not a single scratch on the face of my iPhone. The only way your scratching tempered glass is with a diamond.

[the4thheat @ Jul 13th 2009 2:11AM]

Anything with a screen can be scratched but even my Treo with it's regular old plastic screen that I've used for two years has no visible scratches on the screen and I don't use a protector or anything and just keep it in my pocket (empty pocket with just the phone). I suspect the recessed screen helps since I've even dropped it a few times but the plastic outer took the brunt of the drop.
The key test isn't really like real life anyway where stuff next to the phone sometimes gets a lot of pressure on it when a door hits your leg or whatever. And my tempered glass watch crystals all managed to eventually get scratches so in reality I would just hope for fairly scratch resistant and leave it at that.

[Gad Get @ Jul 13th 2009 2:27AM]

@ gianpo

*rolleyes*

OK, you're saying you've had your iPhone since the day after the 3G came out, so I feel pretty safe inferring from that statement that your experiences are with the 3G, and not the 3G S. You do know that the iPhone 3G S, unlike the previous models, actually has an oleophobic coating added to the screen, right? And there have already been complaints of the oleophobic coating wearing away to form ugly patterns on the screen. The screen is only as scratch-resistant as the outermost layer.

[Bash @ Jul 13th 2009 5:25AM]

Unless you carry diamonds in your pocket, its not possible to scratch a glass screen. (well unless you have something harder then it and there aren't much things that are.)

[Kinger @ Jul 13th 2009 9:36AM]

I scratched my 3g with a fork

[silversun @ Jul 13th 2009 10:09AM]

it's the same styleof screen the zune has, but its tempered so it could be even better

[uwsteve @ Jul 13th 2009 2:02PM]

@ Bash

It's definitely possible to scratch it, my iPhone has a scratch on the screen almost an inch long, and I sure don't ever have any diamonds lying around.

[Trey @ Jul 13th 2009 1:17AM]

I personally hate the design, its too thin and narrow it just looks uncomfortable to use as an actual phone.

That being said LG certainly did do a great job overall, and different sells.