LG Shine II GD710 Review

Introduction:

With over 2 years under its belt, the LG Shine was able to turn heads thanks to its stylish exterior and savvy marketing campaign with AT&T. You couldn’t help but gaze into its mirror-like screen to either look at yourself or at someone secretly across the room. In any case, the LG Shine II GD710 is the successor to the popular slider phone and will be scrutinized from head to toe – let’s hope it still has what it takes to grab the center of attention in a crowded room.


The package contains:

• LG Shine II
• Charger
• User Manual
• Quick Start Guide
  

Design:

There’s no arguing how stylish the original LG Shine looked, but we were thoroughly baffled at the LG Shine II’s design approach. Its overall dimensions have increased to make it look larger than the original – all the while retaining the same brushed metal finish. When it’s fully opened (4.2”), it feels a bit hefty in the hand when compared to other slider phones. There’s no question that the construction feels top notch, but the additional weight (4.4 oz) packed on will definitely be noticeable to anyone holding it. Overall, we feel that the uninspired design remains stagnant and doesn’t continue the evolution set forth by its predecessor.



You can compare the LG Shine II GD710 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.



You’d think that the LG Shine II would boast a better display; unfortunately you’ll quickly find that there is nothing different. Sadly it’s the same 2.2” TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 and support for 262k colors. The mirror-like finish does add that fashion factor that the original embodied, but it’s already been done before. You won’t have to squint when viewing text thanks to the sharp display with its superb viewing angles.


Gone now is the navigational joystick and in its place is just your regular 5-way directional pad. We really can’t help but wonder why a fashionable centric phone like the Shine II deviates outside its zone and opts for something so traditional. Unfortunately the buttons are extremely stiff and require a solid press in order to register. The keypad has been left unchanged and so have the rest of the buttons found on the phone.