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February 16, 2009 12:55 PM PST

LG kicks off Windows Mobile deal with LG-GM730

by Bonnie Cha
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LG-GM730

First up: the LG-GM730.

(Credit: LG)

LG Electronics made a number of announcements at GSMA Mobile World Congress 2009, one of which was its alliance with Microsoft to make Windows Mobile the primary operating system for the company's smartphones. As part of the agreement, LG said it would create a tenfold increase of Windows Mobile devices in 2009, and it got things started with the introduction of the LG-GM730.

LG expects to ship the GM730 during the first half of 2009, so unfortunately, it will run Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition. But the company said it would release a Windows Mobile 6.5 version in the second half of the year.

What you do get right away is LG's new S-Class 3D user interface. S-Class features a cube layout with four customizable home screens that you can rotate through with the flick of your finger. It slightly reminded us of HTC's TouchFlo interface on the original HTC Touch, but much, much cooler.

Unfortunately, we don't know much else about the smartphone. We do know that the smartphone will have Internet Explorer Mobile 6.0 and is 0.46-inch thick. LG plans to announce more specs soon and hopefully some news about a North American release. Wishful thinking?

Bonnie Cha is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones and GPS. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her chasing after her crazy lab or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California. E-mail Bonnie.
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by SidekickLover24 February 16, 2009 2:21 PM PST
The interface seems familiar... *cough*cough* iPhone *cough*
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by timber2005 February 16, 2009 4:07 PM PST
Seriously... where is the innovation? Are the managers above the graphics people just oohing and ahhing over it? Let the graphics people use the power of their degrees to the max!
by forever4now February 16, 2009 2:35 PM PST
I don't know why handset vendors don't create device "platforms" that can be flashed with different OSs. The installed OS could be designated in the model name like so:

LG-GM730-W - WinMo
LG-GM730-A - Android
LG-GM730-S - Symbian
LG-GM730-L - LiMo
LG-GM730-M - Moblin
LG-GM730-U - Ubuntu Mobile
LG-GM730-? - ...

This device looks kinda nice, but I happen to be looking for a smartphone running Android, not WinMo.
Reply to this comment
by djxcaliber February 16, 2009 2:38 PM PST
Nice phone, and yes perhaps it is an iPhone imitator. I like competition because it ultimately favors the consumer.

However, as a resident in South Korea, I noticed that all of the most competitive phones and smartphones made by Korean companies like Samsung and LG ARE NOT IN THE South Korean market! Nor are they generally available to ordinary foreigners unless you're a business owner.

The self-proclaimed cellphone capital of the world consistently snubs the rest of the world's opinions of the future trends in cellphone technology.

But I digress. I think it's a nice phone :)
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by Aikuchi February 16, 2009 3:41 PM PST
I have a windows mobile phone and I hate it, I will never get another device with windows mobile on it again. windows mobile isn't optimized for touch screens, they
always seem to need a stylist, witch one doesn't want on a true touch smart phone. its also really
slow. This was a bad call on LG. Though I don't Android is by any means perfect, I do see the
potential of it.
Reply to this comment
by Aikuchi February 16, 2009 3:43 PM PST
I have a windows mobile phone and I hate it, I will never get another device with windows mobile on it again. windows mobile isn't optimized for touch screens, they always seem to need a stylist, witch one doesn't want on a true touch smart phone. its also really
slow. This was a bad call on LG. Though I don't think Android is by any means perfect, I do see the
potential of it.
Reply to this comment
by Aikuchi February 16, 2009 3:43 PM PST
I have a windows mobile phone and I hate it, I will never get another device with windows mobile on it again. windows mobile isn't optimized for touch screens, they always seem to need a stylist, witch one doesn't want on a true touch smart phone. its also really slow.
This was a bad call on LG. Though I don't think Android is by any means perfect, I do see the
potential of it.
Reply to this comment
by srleeplus3377 February 17, 2009 12:53 AM PST
well i see ur enthusiasm but please stop raving and spamming your ideas,
by rbz275 February 16, 2009 4:04 PM PST
I read elsewhere ( i think engaget mobile) that the gm730 will be the first phone to come with WM6.5. and if it's going to have IE 6 mobile, then it obviously has WM 6.5. The article states that the initial ones will have 6.1... which I don't think makes much sense.

Don't quote me on it, but I think because of this deal, LG will be the first manufacturer to have a WM 6.5 phone released, and it will be this one.
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by Aikuchi February 18, 2009 2:11 PM PST
sorry about that, i thought i was editing my comment before i realized all i was doing was spamming. Its odd CNET leaves your comment in the comment box after you submit it.
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by dottylin October 31, 2009 11:31 PM PDT
can someone quickly get in touch with LG for a review of this phone so that people like myself can ascertain the staibility, durability and user-friendliness of the phone? Planning to get my very first smart phone and am considering this new one which happen to fit my limited budget...
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