Mobile phones are like buses: you wait for ages for one to come along and two turn up at the same time, and drive straight past you. Enter the LG KC780, an 8-megapixel slider phone that's hot on the heels of another 8-megapixel camera phone from LG, the stupidly artistically named Renoir.
We're not sure why LG would introduce two 8-megapixel camera phones so close to each other, but we ain't gonna complain. The KC780 packs EDGE, but disappointingly no Wi-Fi or 3G. You can shoot video in slow motion and you can put the ISO up to 1,600 for (no doubt useless) low-light shots. There's even a motion sensor so pictures align themselves automatically.
Other camera features include face detection, in case you don't know what a face looks like; smile detection -- so that the second your grandma cracks a smile it takes a picture; and beauty mode, in the event that your mates are all ugly. An unexpected feature is 'Smart Bluetooth', which turns the KC780 into a wireless webcam.
Our first impressions are rather tepid -- the lack of 3G and Wi-Fi is a bit of a downer, but hopefully it'll make it much cheaper than the Renoir if you want to buy it SIM-free. The KC780 will be available at the end of October, most likely for free on a monthly contract. Check back soon for a full review. -Andrew Lim