Key features:
3.0" 256K-color TFT LCD touchscreen display (240x400 pixels)
3.15 megapixel fixed focus camera, QVGA video @ 15fps
Quad-band GSM support
Bluetooth with A2DP and microUSB v2.0
microSD card memory expansion
Standard microUSB port
FM radio with RDS
Widget interface and LiveSquare homescreen
Accelerometer sensor for automatic screen rotation and turn-to-mute
Landscape on-screen QWERTY keyboard
Office document viewer
Smart dialing
Nice battery life
Optional solar panel battery cover
Allegedly affordable price
Main disadvantages:
No 3G support, no Wi-Fi
Display has poor sunlight legibility
No DivX/XviD video support
Camera lacks autofocus and flash
Video recording maxes out at QVGA@15fps
No standard 3.5mm audio jack
The LG Pop seems a reasonable move given the generous return of investment by the Cookie. We still think the Cookie is very hard to beat but the LG GD510 Pop may've taken the right approach. It's striving to repeat a huge success and uses the same concept but does well to distinguish itself. The Pop is just a bit more conservative - but equally appealing - and that may secure it more diverse demand.
It's true though that the LG Pop hardly outdoes the Cookie in terms of features save for a few little S-Class touches to its interface. Comparisons will be inevitable and the LG Pop may find it hard to motivate as many users. It seems 3G and WLAN are too much to ask in the kind of market the Pop is aiming at, but DivX support could've made a lot of sense for the target audience. LG chose to go green instead but it's not certain that the optional solar panel will make that much difference.
Anyway, we have to admit the Pop is facing a much harder task than the Cookie. And we're not talking pure sales. The Cookie was pretty much unchallenged in its day - free to take on the more or less empty niche of basic touchscreens. The Pop in turn has to strike a difficult balance. It could've easily been expected to match the Cookie track record if it offered a couple of upgrades but it would've stood right in the way of higher-ranked devices like the Arena. In the end, it follows the Cookie recipe almost literally, so let's see how that works on the market.
Today basic touchscreen phones are all over the place. There are still enough high-end gadgets that cost a fortune but the first icebreakers like the LG Cookie and the Samsung Star really made touch available to the masses. Keeping an eye on Samsung is actually very important for LG and the Pop is their response to the growing Samsung presence in that segment.
A couple of other Samsung alternatives are the still hot S3650 Corby and the old but gold F480 Tocco, which is getting cheaper as it grows older. The Corby has just been released and specifically targets youth with a basic feature set and lively paintjobs. On the opposite site, the F480 Tocco may cost 30 euro more, but it's easily a fashion statement on its own and it's got an excellent camera.
Nokia offerings in the same class are an important indicator of how much the market has evolved since the Cookie. We're talking serious smartphone competition. The Symbian S60 based 5530 XpressMusic offers a higher-res screen plus Wi-Fi, while the Nokia 5230 swaps Wi-Fi for 3G connectivity and a GPS receiver.
So, the Pop is a neat little gadget that's keen to build on the Cookie success. It does follow the Cookie concept closely but tries to write its own story. The good thing is the Pop has a distinct feel and in the same time manages to match the easy-going friendly attitude that did wonders for the Cookie.
The bad… well, the Pop doesn't really offer anything much over the Cookie except some visual upgrades. But the Cookie will eventually start to phase out. So, if the Pop is supposed to come off the bench and keep up the pace, it may as well do a good enough job for LG. And it will sure do a great job for users who want a neat and friendly touchscreen that looks better than its price tag.
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