LG KS360

One of the first QWERTY keyboard phones to be available on prepaid, along with the Centro, LG's KS360 is a commendable slider that is only really let down by its lack of 3G connectivity.

The KS360 feels surprisingly solid for a phone that commands a price of just $199. The spring-operated slider is sturdy and firm, while the rounded edges make this handset comfortable to hold in both a landscape and portrait orientation. The backlit QWERTY keyboard is obviously a highlight: it's a feature usually reserved for much more expensive smartphones. The KS360's keypad is comfortable, provides excellent tactility and is well designed. The circular buttons are a theme throughout the whole device, extending to the five-way navigational pad and selection buttons.

When slid open, the KS360 automatically rotates the screen, but there is no accelerometer. Annoyingly, when in landscape mode, the two selection buttons don’t match up to their intended on-screen menu text, so you have to reach away from the keyboard to press them. The display itself is excellent considering the asking price of this handset, though sunlight glare is an issue.

The KS360 is exclusively offered through Boost Mobile, which is owned and operated by Optus. Unfortunately, despite this handset possessing a number of social-networking features, including a preinstalled MySpace Mobile application, there is no 3G connectivity. Boost is quick to highlight the KS360's features, which include a Web browser and e-mail capabilities, but at GPRS speeds you'll quickly become frustrated with long loading times.

The QWERTY keyboard is still handy, particularly for text messaging. Also bundled are a number of Boost games as well as multimedia features, including an MP3 player, a 2-megapixel camera that doubles as a video recorder, an FM radio and a voice recorder. Where LG has yet again failed is with its insistence on a proprietary headphone and charging port; this means you are stuck using the included headphones, which are below average in quality. The lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack has been a gripe with almost all LG phones and shows no sign of being rectified.

For extra storage, the KS360 includes a microSD card slot, located on the left side of the handset. There is no card included in the sales package, but their price has fallen dramatically in recent months, so it shouldn't add too much to your overall purchase.