LG CG225 (AT&T)

Pros: Sturdy construction, loud ear speaker, well integrated camera function.

Cons: Minimal configurations, poor selection of default options, constant attempts to sell you upgrades.

Summary: I picked up mine yesterday, and for me the LG CG-225 was a replacement/upgrade for a Motorola t720 suffering from a broken hinge and over two years of abuse. I loved the t720. It’s a dinosaur by today’s standards, but it did everything I needed, and was fully configurable. Anyway, here is my 24 hour analysis of LG’s CG-225:

I should start off by saying that the CG-225 is a pretty good phone. Its small, seems to have a sturdy hinge, and has a loud ear speaker (despite what the above review says). This is my first phone with a camera, and the functionality is cool and well integrated into the phone.

Now, here’s what bugs me about the CG-225:

None of the basic functions are configurable. The top keys all have useful functions, but these functions can not be changed. This is fine for the camera and the phone book, but I will never use the notepad or instant messenger. It would be nice if I could reconfigure these keys to bring up the calculator and game menu. I also miss the ability to chance the soft keys which are permanently set to the menu and Cingulars wireless mall. Once you have your phone setup the way you like, there is no need for easy access to the menu, and forcing a link to singulars wireless mall to be on hand at all times is close to evil.

Speaking of evil, the two most annoying aspects of this phone are the inability to offload pictures to your computer, and the demo natures of the default games. I just signed up for two more years of cellular slavery to get this phone and to get full use out of the phone (i.e. saving the pictures, or playing a decent game) I have to plop down even more cash! Come on now, is it too much to ask for a free version of solitaire to be built into the phone? Am I delusional to expect the phone to come with a USB cable so I can get the pics without the expense of emailing them to myself? The entire thought of it makes my head hurt.

In the same category, but not quite so evil, is the poor selection of wallpaper and ring tones, and the lack of a ring tone editor. I’ve had Willie Nelson’s “She is always on my mind,” as the ring tone for my wife and the seven notes from Close encounters for everyone else since I picked up my first cell phone. Its annoying to think that, even if I manage to find polyphonic versions of these diddies, I’m going to have to pay to have them sent to my phone.

These constant attempts to suck money out of me, make my pine for the days when my vintage Snoopy phone was my only wired connection to the world.


But… As I said, the CG-225 is a pretty good phone, and it should serve me well for the next two years or so.