If you are a fan of vintage mobile phones, you may be familiar with the LG U8120. Released in 2004, the U8120 was a popular feature phone from LG that offered basic calling and messaging capabilities, along with a few added features.
A Sleek Design with Basic Features
The LG U8120 had a slim and compact design, measuring at just 23mm thick and weighing 126g. Its dimensions were 96 x 50 mm, making it easy to hold and use with one hand. The body was made of plastic and had a smooth and glossy finish.
The phone featured a mini-SIM card slot, which was the standard at that time, and had a second external monochrome display for viewing notifications and caller IDs without having to open the phone. The main display of the phone was a TFT screen with 64K colors and a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels, spread across 7 lines. This may seem basic compared to the high-resolution screens we have now, but it was considered quite impressive back then. The phone also had four-way navigation keys for easy menu navigation and the ability to personalize wallpapers.
Limited Storage and Connectivity Options
One of the downsides of the LG U8120 was its limited storage capacity. It had only 32MB of internal storage and did not have a card slot for expandable memory. This meant users were restricted in how many contacts, messages, and media files they could store on their phone. Despite this limitation, the U8120 did have a small but useful phonebook that could hold up to 500 contacts, along with 20 call records for dialed, received, and missed calls.
The phone had basic connectivity options such as GSM and UMTS, with 2G bands of GSM 900/1800 and 3G bands of UMTS 2100. It also had an infrared port for easy file transfer to and from other devices. However, it lacked features like WLAN and Bluetooth, which are common in modern phones.
Entertainment and Productivity Features
Despite being a basic feature phone, the U8120 did offer some entertainment and productivity features. It had an integrated media player for listening to music and watching videos, along with a VGA camera that could swivel up to 180 degrees. The camera also had video recording capabilities, which was not a standard feature in phones at that time. However, the phone did not have a front-facing camera for taking selfies.
The U8120 also came with pre-installed games and Java support for downloading and playing more games. It had a messaging feature that allowed users to send SMS, EMS, and MMS messages, along with email. The phone also had a WAP 2.0/xHTML browser for basic internet browsing.
For productivity, the U8120 had a voice memo and dialing feature, along with an organizer for managing tasks and appointments. It also had predictive text input to make messaging faster and more accurate.
Battery Life and Discontinuation
The LG U8120 had a removable Li-Po 700 mAh battery, which had a decent standby time of up to 120 hours and a talk time of up to 2 hours and 30 minutes. However, with heavy usage, the battery life would significantly decrease.
The U8120 was announced in 2004 and discontinued sometime after that. While it may seem outdated now, it was a popular and well-loved phone during its time.
In Conclusion
The LG U8120 may not have had all the fancy features of modern smartphones, but for its time, it was a reliable and functional device. Its compact design, basic features, and decent battery life made it a popular choice among mobile phone users in 2004. Even though it is no longer in production, the U8120 still holds a special place in the hearts of vintage phone enthusiasts.
LG U8120 Full Specifications
Network
Technology
GSM / UMTS
2G bands
GSM 900 / 1800
3G bands
UMTS 2100
Speed
Yes, 384 kbps
Launch
Announced
2004, Q2
Status
Discontinued
Body
Dimensions
96 x 50 x 23 mm (3.78 x 1.97 x 0.91 in)
Weight
126 g (4.44 oz)
SIM
Mini-SIM
Display
Type
TFT, 64K colors
Size
Resolution
176 x 220 pixels, 7 lines
Other
Second external monochrome display, 96 x 64 pixels
Four way navigation keys
Wallpapers
Memory
Card slot
No
Phonebook
500
Call records
20 dialed, received and missed calls
Internal
32MB
Main Camera
Single
VGA, 180 deg swivel
Video
Yes
Selfie camera
Other
No
Sound
Loudspeaker
Yes
Alert types
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones
3.5mm jack
No
Comms
WLAN
No
Bluetooth
No
Positioning
No
Infrared port
Yes
Radio
No
USB
Proprietary
Features
Sensors
Messaging
SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML
Games
Yes
Java
Yes
Other
Predictive text input
Media player
Voice memo/dial
Organizer