At first glimpse, the LG BL40 Chocolate looks about as wieldy as its confectionary cousin, the Curly Wurly. With its epic 21:9, 4–inch screen and revolutionary look, surely it couldn’t work as a regular device. Or could it? We’ve got our mitts on one, so read our LG BL40 Chocolate review for the full verdict.
Ok, let’s not mince words here. The LG BL40 does look ludicrous. But in an age when all touchscreen phones are usually bland reworkings of each other, the Korean deserve kudos for their clever approach. With movies on the move such a big deal these days, why not slap on a 21:9 screen, aping Philips Cinema 21:9 and be done with it?
The result is an unparalleled on–the–move movie watching experience. Flicks look an absolute treat on the LG BL40′s super wide screen, although with a lot of content in 16:9 you will find black bars either side more often than not. That’s a real letdown, but will doubtless change as 21:9 becomes more prevalent on DVD.
The screen is about more than just watching films. It makes using apps far more intuitive as you have extra space to tinker without having to slip into sub menus. So video mode and taking snaps using the (excellent) 5 megapixel camera is far easier as you get a regular sized screen to see your handiwork while the outer reaches host menu buttons and the like. It’s a wonder no one’s thought of it before.
The screen works equally well with messaging and email. However, we will say that the touchscreen on the LG BL40 leaves a lot to be desired and felt a tad awkward. You’ll find yourself needing to prod hard in order for your commands to register. Likewise, browsing could be easier, with zooming a tad laggy for our tastes. It seems all touchscreen phones still have a lot to learn from the iPhone and its peerless web experience.
Read our LG BL40 watchphone review now
That’s not to say the LG BL40 Chocolate is not a good piece of kit. It’ll make you stand out a mile and with the S Class interface making an appearance you can customise and tweak to your heart’s content.
Size is an issue, but as long as you don’t wear jeans as tight as an East London fashionista and keep a dedicated pocket for the BL40, you shouldn’t got too far wrong. There’s no denying this is a good phone, but we fear the novelty factor may eventually wear a tad thin.
