LG KF600 launch brings us cell phones with ‘virtual keys’
Physical navigation keys are dead — long live ‘virtual keys’. The LG KF600 is a sliding smartphone with a difference. Its keys are displayed on a screen allowing them to reform into any displayable image, enabling the keys to modify as you browse the phone’s interface.
The InteractPad allows users to see precisely which keys they need to complete a task and being much more flexible than ordinary keys the KF600 eliminates the demands most smart phones make upon their users memory in order to remember all the key operations. It also allows the keys to be bigger and better spaced.
The interactPad also controls multi-media features such as the audio player, camera and video camera. It is also equiped with ‘multi-sensorial’ feedback providing audio visual and tactile feedback when a button is ‘pressed’. The button then becomes larger and the phone vibrates slightly and makes a clicking sound. The combination of sensory feedback is supposed to make ‘pressing’ the button more like pressing a real button.
The KF600 comes with eight dynamic interface themes. Each customizes the phone in with a distinctive character that pervades all aspects of the phone’s interface including InteractPad. Depending on the theme chosen all the layouts of each application change including the icons, wallpaper and menus.
Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG said:
“The LG KF600 and the InteractPad reflect LG’s commitment to making its handsets easier to use through improved user interface technology. Usability is truly at the centre of this handset’s design and it represents LG’s latest achievement in making phones that connect with their users. This handset offers a mere glimpse into a newly emerging trend in the mobile market. LG is researching and developing new ways to improve usability and will continue focus on features that add practical benefits for users.”
The LG KF600’s multimedia features include a 3.0-megapixel camera, MP3 player, video recording, FM radio, Bluetooth and more.
Specifications
General
- 2G Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- Announced: 2008, February
- Status: Coming soon
Size
- Dimensions 101.2 x 50.7 x 14.1 mm
- Weight 107 g
Display
- Type: TFT, 256K colors
- Size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2 inches
- Touch-sensitive lower display 256K colors TFT, 176 x 240 pixels, 1.49 inches
Ringtones
- Type: Polyphonic, MP3
- Customization: Download
- Vibration: Yes
Memory
- Phonebook: 1000 entries, Photocall
- Call records: 40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
- Card slot: microSD (TransFlash)
- 64 MB internal memory
Data
- GPRS: Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
- HSCSD: No
- EDGE: Class 10, 236.8 kbps
- 3G: No
- WLAN: No
- Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0
- Infrared port: No
- USB: Yes, v2.0
Features
- Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
- Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML
- Games: Yes
- Colors: Pastel pink, shiny pink, wine red and titan
- Camera: 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, video, flash
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3/WMA/AAC/AAC+ player
- Office document viewer
- T9
- Organiser
- Voice memo
- Built-in handsfree
Battery
- Standard battery: Li-Ion 800 mAh
- Stand-by: Up to 480 h
- Talk time: Up to 4 h
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February 17th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Like the related Gizmodo post shows.. the touch screen on this device sucks. It needs some serious improvement.