LG has announced their intention to release their newest entry level device sometime this January. They definitely want to start the New Year with a bang and it looks like it is the LG GS200 that has been tasked to represent the Korean-based company in the low end market.

LG is hoping for another good year in 2010 as it aims to be at the same level of the likes of the Nokias, the Sony Ericssons, or perhaps even the Apples. While in the past it may have succeeded to some extent, LG still has a long way to go before it is even mentioned in the same breath as these moguls in the mobile phone industry. However, launching a very affordable device that is equipped with a decent set of functions will definitely not hurt their chances at all.

Music to Your Ears

The GS200 is packaged as an entry level music mobile phone. It hopes to take the same approach as Nokia's XpressMusic or Sony Ericsson's Walkman line of devices. In fact, you could very easily mistake the GS200 for the Nokia 5130 XpressMusic mobile which was released nearly a year ago. It has that same black and red look and is also sized almost exactly like the 5130.

Aside from having stereo speakers and a standard 3.5 mm ear jack, one of the main features of the LG GS200 is its FM radio. Along with its built-in antenna is its one of a kind FM recording feature. Few handsets in the market (if any) actually have this feature on board. It is quite handy for folks who still love listening to the radio despite the undeniable popularity of the iPod and other portable MP3 players. Whenever you hear a great song on the radio, you can always record it on your GS200 for future playback. It's quite a neat feature actually.

As for the mobile's multimedia player, it is compatible with the latest file formats today. That's MP3, WAV, and eAAC+ for audio and H.264 and MP4 for videos.

More Than Just Multimedia

What's even better is that it's more than just a dedicated music mobile. It also has a decent set of features that are pretty impressive for a mobile phone in this price range. Its 2-inch TFT screen can display up to 256K colours and has a pixel rate of 176 x 220. There's also a handy microSD slot that can hold up to 8GB of external memory for storing your multimedia files.

The GS200's built-in camera is purely functional. It is only at 1.3 Megapixel, but can also capture videos at 15 fps (QCIF).

The Verdict

For a mobile phone that costs around £80, don't expect to get the most cutting edge features such as 3G, Wi-Fi, or a full-on touch screen display. However, for £80, the features on board the LG GS200 aren't that bad at all. It is a great alternative for music lovers who have yet to outgrow the time-transcending appeal of the radio.