Cell worth the price

LG’s Cookie has enjoyed a fair ranking among the youth-oriented, affordable touchscreen handsets. One of the follow ups is this, the GD510 or Cookie Pep as it’s popularly called.

LG's Cookie has enjoyed a fair ranking among the youth-oriented, affordable touchscreen handsets. One of the follow ups is this, the GD510 or Cookie Pep as it's popularly called.

Form

The Pep is a small and lightweight handset that fits neatly into your palm and is slim enough not to bulge from your pocket.

It has a resistive touchscreen that doesn't come with a stylus. The 3.0-inch display has taken some hard knocks and came out unscathed.

A single button below the screen makes it easy to return to the main menu or hang up and a camera key doubles up as a shortcut button. Also, a universal micro USB port is located on the same side as the volume/ zoom keys. The power key doubles up as a screen lock and is located at the top. A hot swap slot for the bundled 2 GB card is located under the rear panel.

Interface

The Pep uses a version of LG's S-Class UI with an option to switch to the Cookie interface. Three desktops are available, and each one is associated with specific settings — one offers desktop widgets, another is for access to favourite contacts and the third is for LG's Live Square. This isn't a social networking platform but a way to keep track of people who you're most in touch with.

On the whole, the user interface is smooth. The keypad is one feature that has minor problems. There was a lag between hitting the screen and information showing up. The QWERTY (in landscape) too is a little small if you don't have slim fingers.

Media

The Pep excels in the multimedia segment. The music player is loud and clear. The depth in the bass level is impressive, and the the EQ presets help enhance the overall audio experience. 'Peaking' the volume is never going to be necessary. The FM radio also works well.

The phone also has a few games of the non-motion variety as well as ones that use the accelerometer. LG's Muvee Studio application, to create slideshows, is also available.

Connectivity

3G support is not available in the Pep. Setting up email accounts with POP or IMAP support isn't hard. The browser is simple and convenient for surfing.

For social networking, there's the SNS application that allows you to connect to Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Unfortunately, this is not a programme that can run in the background — if you get a call or a message, you'll have to quite the application first.

Camera and battery

Much like the original Cookie, the Pep, too, comes with a 3 MP fixed focus camera. Features include white balance, night mode and a self timer. Image quality is quite good, and pictures appear sharp even on close inspection.

The Pep's 900mAh battery is managed well. On a single charge you get over a day-and-a-half of usage. Stand-alone talk time averaged at a little over 3 hours and 10 minutes — good for an entry-level touchscreen handset.

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