LG Mini GD880: Miniature by name, minuscule by nature

LG has unveiled its latest effort in the mobile-phone arena -- the GD880. If you find that name a little tricky to wrap your tongue around, you'll be delighted to learn it also goes by the Mini moniker.

As you may have guessed, the Mini's main draw will be its size. When it's released to European markets in March, the Mini will be rocking a decidedly petite, 81mm (3.2-inch) touchscreen.

This diminutive screen will be packed into a tiny housing, which, judging by the press photos, will be perfectly smooth, save for a few buttons around the sides. The Mini's face, however, will be completely button-free. That does much for the phone's looks, but might hamper usability.

Features-wise, the Mini will be sporting a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, and -- joy of joys -- social-media integration. LG has also promised push email and speedy Web browsing, although how easy it will be to surf the Net on the tiny screen remains to be seen.

Apparently, the Mini was designed in response to specific requests from consumers who consider current touchscreen phones 'too bulky, too clunky and too expensive'.

Hmm. We haven't exactly been overwhelmed with complaints about unwieldy smart phones, but we're excited to see how the Mini's various features will appear on the small screen, and whether, if the price is right, LG's latest offering could become the toast of the budget-smart-phone town.

There's no word yet on which networks will be offering the Mini, or how much it'll cost when it launches, but keep it CNET for all the latest.

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