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Review VK CG107 (VG107)

VK CG107 (VG107), live pictures

Standard kit:

Phone Slim battery (620 mAh Li-Ion) and standard battery (720 mAh Li-Ion)
Travel adapter
Desktop charger
Hand strap
Portable handsfree combined with a neck strap
User’s guide (in English and localized version)

VK Mobile is almost not known on the European market now. It is popular only in several countries, for example, in Italy. But phones of this manufacturer little by little will appear in the other countries too. Now they are launching on the Russian market. Let’s see what VK Mobile offers to its users.

VK CG107 and VG107 are differed in design and have small differences in software. This fact allows us to unite two reviews in one. First thing, which we were impressed, was a standard delivery kit. It contains 2 batteries, portable handsfee and a desktop charger, which is made in the shape of a compact powder-box. The company thinks that most of users of these phones are ladies. So, based on this assumption, developers of VK Mobile phones developed a design and style of all accessories and phones’ exterior. If you look at CG107, you can see that an external cover of the clamshell phone is mirror-like. An external display is inside it. The second model is more classical, it doesn’t contain mirror. A shortcoming of the mirror front cover is that it becomes dirty very quickly and you should often clear it.

The phone’s dimensions are 70х39х22mm and the weight is 70 grams. Such compact size allows to consider this phone is one of the smallest on the market. But we can’t say that it is the smallest, as there are phones, which have lesser size and weight. Like most of Korean manufacturers, VK Mobile offers many color solutions for the phones. For example, CG107 is available in 5 colors: red, blue, gold, dark-grey and light grey. VG107 is produced in 4 colors: – Pearl White, Silver, Fukuda White, Fukuda Deco.

Up to 2 text lines (for example, date, time and provider) are displayed on the external screen (96х32 pixels). It’s pleasant that you can select one of the seven colors of external screen backlighting (green, orange, blue, cobalt, violet and white) or you have a choice to set a pattern. In this case these colors will be changed automatically one by one. One can add special colors of backlighting to phone numbers form the phone book; while incoming call you’ll see assigned color. The main shortcoming is that you can’t preview the color while working with phonebook. To see it, use side volume key. If you don’t like the selected color, you should return to the menu and select the other one. Of course, it is not a big shortcoming, but it exists.

A double volume key is placed on the left-hand side of the phone. A system connector is positioned at the bottom. It’s interesting that it is similar to system connector of Samsung’s phones, even chargers are the same.

If you open the phone, you’ll see an internal display. It has 4-gray scale graphic dot matrix. The backlighting is blue. The display has a resolution of 129x96 pixels, what allows to show up to 4 text lines, title and tips to the soft keys use. Font size is changed in SMS-mode and the display contains up to 5 test lines. As for me, I would prefer larger font size like in other menus, not to peer into the screen, but engineers think otherwise.

Plastic keypad has also a blue backlighting. A 4-directional navigation key is placed under the screen, it is rather small, optimized for women hand.

Two lithium-ion batteries are included in the standard delivery kit. The capacity of batteries doesn’t differ greatly: 620 and 720 mAh respectively. At first I even presumed that an operating time of the phone is rather short. Manufactures declared that it could provide up to 100 (120 hours) of standby time and up to 150-180 minutes of talking time. Fortunately, my first presumptions failed, in reality the phone worked about 3 days in case of 15 minutes of talking and not active using of other applications. A peculiarity of this phone is that is it you can’t turn on any backlighting when the battery level is low. It’ s a logical solution if to say about power consumption. Autonmy of the phone with slim battery is less. If you use the phone in the same way (see before), the phone can work about 2.5. days. In case of 20-25 minutes of talking, it operated only 2 days. Time of full re-charging is about 2 hours.

The battery also serves as a rear part of the phone. There is no backlash; the construction is reliable.

The second menu peculiarity is that you won’t find double menu items in the menu. For example, you can call a phonebook in the standby mode using a right soft key or enter Messages menu, pressing navigation key to the right. But these items are not available from the main menu. It seems to me that it is also rather logical. The main menu is not congested by the information. On the other hand, you don’t have a choice. But do you really need it?

If you press an arrow up, you can call a Favourite list. You can store here the most frequently used menu items and access them without scrolling through the whole menu.

Let’s overview the main phone capabilities.

Phonebook. Up to 100 phone numbers can be stored in the phone memory. But only one number can be added to one name. Up to 8 phone numbers can be assigned to speed dialing. The phone displays phone numbers from both memories: phone memory and SIM-card memory. There is a search by name and phone numbers. In general, this phonebook offers standard possibilities.

Messages. Up to 20 messages can be stored in the phone memory. The handset supports only SMS-messages, not EMS and MMS. There is a predictive text input – eZi, similar to T9. In out phone it was available in Russian and in English. In general, the phone always supports two languages: English and language of the county, which the phone is supplied to.

Display. It is the first item of the main menu. You can select one of two animations (girl or a boy) or one of pre-default image. The choice is really great, though you can’t download your own pictures. For example, you can select one of the 12 zodiac animals; they can be automatically changed depending on the month.

There is also a set of funny pictures. Besides, you can set clocks (digital, analogue, 2 time zones), calendar (monthly and weekly view), just a text or simple picture with nature scenery.

Sound. The phone supports 40-tones polyphony. Volume of the ringer is sufficient for the phone of this dimensions. Totally, up to 26 ringtones are available, there is even noise of the waves, it sounds very unusual. Several types of incoming alert can be set (just a ringtone, vibrating alert, mixed mode). You can set the same types of alert and ringtones for alarm-clock. There also 5 tones, which sounds when you call is connected to the system.

Phone set. Several settings are hidden here, including date, time and alarm-clock. It can be defined as once or daily repeating. You can also set power on/off alarm function. Besides, you can set a backlighting of the external display here. Other settings are standard.

Call set. All settings, which calls are concerned, are located here. For example, calls divert, call barring and etc.

Secretary. This menu gives you access to an organizer. You can view the calendar here (weekly, monthly). The phone supports different events (schedule, call, memo, anniversary). It is possible to set a signal reminder. A pleasant peculiarity of the calendar is that it displays a phase of Moon for every day.

Calculator is convenient due to a navigation key use.

Unit converter is standard, a separate currency converter is not available.

World time feature enables to view time in the largest cities of the world.

Private. This menu allows to view the information, concerning calls duration, and up to 10 personal records (for example, numbers of your credit cards). This menu can be closed by a password to be sure that the information won’t be used unauthorized persons.

As the phone is aimed to women, there are biorhythms and biocyles counters here.

Games. There are two pre-installed games in the phone: JumpJump, SpaceBall. The sense of the first game, I didn’t understand even after reading the rules. The second game is an original version of Snake. Different types of balls are located on the gaming field. When a snake swallow the ball, it grows to snake’s tale. If the snake swallows three equal balls one by one, they are removed. Your mission is to swallow all available balls and remain with short tail. It’s very captivate game.

Internet. The phone has wap-browser in verision 1.2.1. It works without problems.

Impressions

Reception quality of the phone is quite good. Sound of the loudspeaker is soft and rather loud. Sometimes the person, who you speak with, could hear surrounding noise together with your voice. It happens, most likely because the phone has too small dimensions are microphone is placed too far from your mouth.

Polyphonic melodies are rather loud, but you can miss call in noisy places. Vibrating alert is average.

Phone’s advantages are correctly working software. All declared functions are realized well and comfortable to use. It is a phone of good quality. Exterior also is well-made.

Shortcomings are the following: scarce phonebook, impossibility to send EMS-message and download own pictures and melodies. Partly a rich set of melodies and pictures improves the situation.

In general, it is a decent well-made phone. The main shortcoming is a price, which is not reasonable. For example, in Moscow it costs 300 USD. It’s too much for the phone with monochromic display of unknown manufacture. We think that real price of the phone can’t exceed 200 USD barrier. Only in this case, customers will be interested in this phone. To some extent, it’s not up-to-date handset. It is positioned in fashion segment and the main things, which such customers pay attention to, are color screen (65000 colors) and at least 16-tones polyphonic ringing tones.

In the end, we would to add, that VK Mobile wins the first place if to compare it with Maxon phones, but the handset loses to other rivals from marketing point of view. The price is exorbitant. On the other hand, more models are available on the market, easier it is to choose the one you really need. In our opinion, VK CG107 (VG107) are not those phones, which are necessary to buy, its rivals offers more functional models, which have lower or the same price. There are also more expensive phones, but they have absolutely other, more advanced features. In response to design, VK Mobile phones are not considerably differed from other mobile terminals and we doubt that namely design will the main reason to buy this handset.

Here you can listen to the phone melodies

Eldar Murtazin ([email protected])
Translated by Maria Sennikova ([email protected])

Published — 03 April 2003

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