LG Remarq Brings Solid Messaging, Cute Looks

LG's latest eco-friendly effort comes in the form of the LG Remarq, a vertical-sliding messaging phone released by Sprint. Not only does the handset boast green credentials, it looks adorable in its squarish frame.

Physically, it takes on the short and cute form factor, with curved sides, rounded corners and overall compact design. Hard plastic construction looks tough and the phone handles with a good feel in hand. It sports a rather small 2.2-inch display (220x176 resolution), showing clear pictures and sharp lines. The navigation array right below it features a comfy design and easy operation. Slide up the front panel and you'll turn up the four-row QWERTY keyboard, with its well-spaced and raised keys.

As a phone, the Remarq makes for average calls. They're clear enough on both ends, but occasionally exhibits noticeable distortion. Speakerphone had even louder interference, made worse by the lacking volume. Battery is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time, which made good for close to two days of moderate use.

The green credentials come courtesy of the 19% recycled plastic used in the device's construction, 87% recyclable parts and an energy-efficient charger. It gets various eco-friendly apps bundled with the handset too.

It has all the feature phone basics, including a 600-entry phone book, PIM tools, stereo Bluetooth and a mobile web browser. There's also a GPS with Sprint Navigation and Family Locator. For messaging, you get the usual SMS and MMS, coupled with threaded view. It adds pretty robust IM and email (POP, IMAP and corporate are supported).

A number of Java-based social networking apps are also on board, such as Facebook, Twitter and Sprint's Social Zone. Connectivity is strictly GPRS/EDGE, so expect updates to run a tad slower than usual. It uses Sprint's standard music player, which is rather basic. The 1.3 megapixel camera offers a number of editing options, but captured photos just look washed out.

Overall, the LG Remarq is a solid messaging device with spiffy good looks. Beyond that, there literally isn't much else to crow about. It's free on a two-year agreement, though, so that's always a plus.