LG GM730

We first saw the LG GM730 back in Feburary and now after a long wait, LG have finally given some more details about this upcoming Windows smartphone.

It's worth noting that the design has changed a little since the first time we saw it, and annoyingly LG still haven't confirmed all the GM730's technical details.

LG's announcement at the CommunicAsia event in Singapore indicates that the GM730 should be available in Asian markets in July, followed by the rest of the world afterwards. Inspired by Apple, LG too are launching an "application store" for their smartphone range, where users can download and buy add-on software.

The GM730 has been designed to be easy to use - the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system has been enhanced with LG's S-Class user interface to make it easier. There are a number of other smaller enhancements to the software on the GM730 as well, but we do feel that all the customisations come at the expense of the standard look-and-feel that you should be able to get with a Windows Mobile device.

Apart from the colours available, LG haven't given any more updates on the GM730's hardware. We know that it has a 3.0" 240 x 400 pixel touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach optics, a multimedia player, GPS and WiFi. The GM730 will be available in Black, Lime and Pale Pink colour schemes. We don't know for certain if the GM730 takes microSD cards, but we assume that it does.

Measuring 110 x 57 x 13mm, the LG GM730 is quite a lot more compact than the rival Apple iPhone 3G S (for example). Underneath, this is a quad-band GSM mobile phone with dual-band UMTS 900 / 2100 and 3.5G data support. Maximum download speeds on HSDPA are 7.2 Mbps with maximum HSUPA upload speeds of 2.0 Mbps, and as we mentioned earlier.. the GM730 also has WiFi.

So, the GM730 seems to fit in a very small market niche - aimed at people who want a relatively compact Windows smartphone, but who want a friendlier interface on top. But ultimately, there doesn't seem to be an awful lot to make the GM730 stand out from the crowd.

LG GM730 at a glance
Available:	July 2009 (Asia)
Network:	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 + UMTS 900 / 2100
Data:	GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G) + HSDPA + HSUPA + WiFi
Screen:	3.0" 240 x 400 pixels
Camera:	5 megapixels
Size:	PDA-style device 110 x 57 x 13mm
Bluetooth:	Yes
Memory card:	MicroSD (unconfirmed)
Infra-red:	No
Polyphonic:	Yes
Java:	Yes
GPS:	Yes
OS:	Windows Mobile Professional 6.1
Battery life:	Not specified