LG CG180 (AT&T)

In an age where gadgets grow even more complicated, it's comforting to know that you can buy a cell phone that's just a phone. Every once in a while, AT&T quietly rolls out a basic handset for its Go Phone prepaid service that eschews most high-end features and is all about making calls. One of its latest models is the LG CG180. Exceedingly simple in form and function, the CG180 does exactly what a phone should do while offering a speakerphone, a Web browser, and simple organizer applications. We had a few quibbles with its design but we could find few faults with its call quality. The LG CG180 is just $39.99, but you can get it for as low as $19.99 with a mail-in rebate.

Design
The CG180's design takes us back to an earlier time when cell phones were nothing but rectangles with a display and keypad. With its blue color scheme, internal antenna, and clean lines the CG180 doesn't call attention to itself; however, you know right away that it's a phone. It's compact (3.91 inches by 1.77 inches by 0.58 inch) and extremely lightweight (2.37 ounces). Yet we have to say that the plastic casing feels a tad flimsy. Though we know that the CG180 is designed to be an inexpensive, simple handset, it doesn't have the sturdiest feel. What's more, the battery cover is difficult to remove. The external speaker sits on the rear face of the phone, and the left spine holds the headset port/charger jack.

TheCG180's speakerphone is on its rear face.

On the upside, the CG180 is extremely easy to use. The 65,000-color display isn't the largest (1.51 inches) or the most vibrant (128x128 pixels) screen around, but it's perfectly serviceable. The menu interface is easy, and we liked that you could adjust the backlighting time and the contrast. The font size is rather small and can't be changed, so users with visual impairments should test the phone before buying.

The CG180 doesn't offer a side-mounted volume rocker.