LG Chocolate BL40 hands-on -- photos

At its global launch in central London, the latest Black Label phone from LG broke its cover.

The Chocolate BL40 is a 5-megapixel fashion phone, with an ultra-wide 800x345-pixel LCD touch-screen display. And despite the number of unusual (and unneeded) models here to glam-up its christening, we at Crave UK are feeling cautiously impressed. Click through the gallery to see more.

You'll remember that this was the phone we all thought looked too long and enormous to believe comfortable, but it's actually quite compact--like an iPod Nano, only thicker and a bit heavier.

Its 4.1-inch-thick capacitive touch screen is responsive too, with rich colors and a tight pixel density that produces crisp menus and images.

Browsing photos here. Looks a bit like iTunes' Cover Flow, and you're perfectly justified in your opinion.

The text messaging interface we mentioned earlier. Notice the two distinct panels: one on the left, one on the right.

When browsing the text messaging menu, the people you've been chatting with appear in a list down the left half of the screen. But when you tap one of their names, their messages to you appear in a window on the right-hand half of the screen--it's like using a computer with two monitors.

Argh! Giant eyes! But don't worry, friends, it's only a movie.

Taking some photos here. If you look carefully you'll see CNET UK site editor Jason Jenkins filming a video for this very phone in the background.