LG KC550: Hands-on with the bargain camera phone

There's nothing worse than having your mate shove their fancy new £500 camera phone, such as the Nokia N82, in your face when you're not exactly rolling in moolah. But if you're on a budget it doesn't mean you can't find a good mobile snapper. In fact, it's worth keeping an eye on the pay as you go shelves for older handsets that end up there -- you can often find a bargain.

If old phones don't float your boat, LG has come up with a relatively inexpensive solution in the LG KC550 slider. It doesn't have 3G or Wi-Fi, but it does come with a 5-megapixel camera that takes good shots in daylight. It's worth mentioning that there's only an LED photo light on the camera, so shots in low light don't come out brilliantly, but in the daytime it performed just fine.

As for the rest of the KC550, we don't have too many complaints. The keypad is easy to use, and the screen is large enough to prevent unattractive squinting. Overall it's a pretty, well-built phone and feels like one too -- it's neither too heavy nor too light.

Typical to LG's new fleet, the KC550 exudes a certain style and doesn't shout pay as you go, which is a welcome change. You can currently pick one up for about £170 SIM-free from Play.com, which sounds expensive but isn't compared to other 5-megapixel snappers. Expect a full review soon. -Andrew Lim

Update: Read our full LG KC550 review. 

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• LG Electronics,
• LG KC550,
• camera phone,
• camera,
• photo light