| LG Shine CU720 Phone, Black (AT&T) | 
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| List Price: $199.99
Buy New: $0.01
You Save: $199.98 (100%)
Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 5 reviews)
Sales Rank: 380
Category: Wireless
Publisher: AT&T
Studio: AT&T
Brand: LG
Label: AT&T
Color: Black
Media: Wireless Phone
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
Model: CU720
UPC: 652810719094
ASIN: B0012DDJA2
Release Date: May 5, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Quad-band slider phone in black with high-speed 3G network connectivity for multimedia streaming | | • | Innovative multi-angle vision LCD stays hidden when inactive; brushed stainless steel body | | • | 2-megapixel camera with video capture; MicroSD expansion; Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming | | • | Up to 3 hours of talk time, up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time; measures 3.93 x 1.99 x 0.59 inches (WxHxD) | | • | Includes: battery, AC adapter, printed user guide |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Combining glamorous form with advanced multimedia function, the LG Shine is available exclusively from AT&T. It can access AT&T's tri-band HSDPA/UMTS high-speed 3G network, which makes it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music, stream tunes from Napster and eMusic, and watch video streamed from CNN and Comedy Central via AT&T's Cellular Video. It also supports AT&T's Video Share service, which offers a one-way video stream during a mobile-to-mobile phone call. This elegantly minimalist slider phone has a unique, reflective mirror finish that activates into a brilliantly colorful LCD screen and a brushed stainless steel housing. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, MicroSD memory card expansion, Bluetooth connectivity for both communication headsets and stereo music streaming, mobile email and instant messaging, and quad-band GSM network capability for global roaming. AT&T Service
The stylish LG Shine has a brushed stainless steel body that slides up to reveal a backlit keypad. | This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900 MHz network (also known as WCDMA), making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services with speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services. In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You'll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming. With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company's 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.) It's packed with multimedia streaming and download capabilities. AT&T's Cellular Video (CV) service features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster subscription music service, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal. The handset is XM Radio Mobile-capable, so you can enjoy streaming live digital radio as well. It's also MobiTV capable, which enables you to stream or download video content from providers ranging from MSNBC, ABC News Now, and CNN. MobiRadio lets you listen to more than 50 channels of digital radio. (A MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T's Internet, video, and music services.) The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T's MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. 
The large 2.2-inch screen is hidden when inactive and offers multi-angle vision technology for easy viewing. | Phone Features
The centerpiece 2.2-inch screen is hidden when inactive, a key feature to save battery life or when keeping a low profile is a must, and it has a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and 262K color support. The multi-angle vision technology enables you to view display contents from all different angles. A five-way navigation joystick and is found just beneath the screen, and it's joined by two softkeys. The top of the phone smoothly slides up to reveal the light blue backlit numeric keypad. The unit's advanced camera lens and flash can be found on the backside, just above the battery cover. This phone also shines as a mobile digital music player, with compatibility for MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+/eAAC+ files, customizable equalizer, playlist creation and management, and large capacity storage via MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB in size). Synchronize music from your PC (including music files from online services such as Napster and eMusic) via USB 2.0. The phone also offers USB mass storage capabilities for storing your most important documents and files. This phone provides Bluetooth version 1.2 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, object push, file transfer, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server. Send contacts, calendar events, and pictures/videos/voice memos wirelessly. The phone stores up to 20 Bluetooth pairings. The Shine is also great as a digital camera/camcorder, with a 2-megapixel resolution for still images (including five resolution settings ranging from 160 x 120 to 1600 x 1200 pixels). Other imaging features include a 2x zoom, integrated flash, brightness and white balance controls, multi-shot capability, self timer, and an in-phone image editor (for resizing, cropping, rotating, and adding color effects). You can capture video in two resolutions--320 x 240 (QVGA) and 176 x 144 (QCIF)--and the phone can record small files up to 42 seconds for sending via MMS or as long as you have capacity on an optional MicroSD memory card for saving. In addition to voice calls, text messaging, and MMS capability, the phone is also compatible with mobile email from services including Yahoo!, AOL, Windows Live, AT&T Yahoo!, and BellSouth, as well as instant messaging (IM) from AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo!. The Shine also comes stock with a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing via MEdia Net (with WAP 2.0, WML, iHTML, xHTML, and WCSS compatibility). T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. Other features include: - One-touch speakerphone
- Speaker-independent voice commands
- Voice memo recording (MMS and general modes)
- 10 unique ringtones, vibrate and silent modes, and music ringtone support
- Address Book with 500 contacts--each stores 5 numbers, 2 e-mail addresses, & a picture ID
- Flight mode
- USB charging via PC
- Tools: Alarm Clock, Calendar, Notepad, Calculator, Tip Calculator, World Clock, Tasks, Stop Watch, Unit Converter, Date Finder, D-Day Counter
- Java 2.0 support for application and game downloads
Vital Statistics
The LG Shine weighs 4.28 ounces and measures 3.93 x 1.99 x 0.59 inches. Its 900 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk time, and up to 10 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 850/1900 WCDMA (3G) frequencies.
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| Customer Reviews:
 my phone September 6, 2008
great phone . . . i got an adapter to listen to music with my headphone n i got 2gb microSD n a bluetooth headset. i took pics n vids with it. the only thing, some pics taken from a lil bit far are lil blurry. better visibilty would have been much better for me. after all, i got nothing to coplain. next time, i'll a touch screen..
 Sony Ericsson W580i vs LG Shine CU720 August 7, 2008
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
Background: Over the past two months, I have spent a great deal of time debating between whether to get the Sony Ericsson W580i or the LG Shine CU720. After making numerous threads at various forums regarding this question, reading countless reviews, watching many videos, looking at hundreds of pictures, and mapping out the pros and cons of each one multiple times, I have settled on the Sony Ericsson W580i. Since my family just got a family plan with ATT (3 lines/550 minutes shared) and one of my sisters got the Shine, I was able to do a comparison between the phones.
Battery Life: The claim that Sony Ericsson has poor battery life, in short, is complete bull ****. Those that say they had short battery life... you just got a lemon (or are trying to reason yourself out of the fact that buying a shine was actually a poor decision). My OTHER sister, who also got a Sony Ericsson, also gets great battery life with hers. Rather than the claimed "3-4 day charge" that many people on this forum and others are claiming, I have found that the phone will last over a week (11-13 days). The LG Shine, which is said to have poor battery life, disappoints: its battery life is indeed very short. The papers that the LG Shine comes with claims that battery life is around 3 hours of talk time, up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time, is standard marketing bull ****: through a test of 10 different charges with three different batteries, the phone has lasted no more than 3 days before it required a charging.
SE: 10/10 Shine: 3/10
Durability: People say the LG Shine has a stronger build than the Sony Ericsson, but if you actually compare the two, you find that you cannot actually compare the two... Why? The SE is a plastic phone; the LG shine is a plastic phone with metallic components. One thing that is not usually noted is that the Shine actually has VERY little metal in its body; it's only the battery cover and some of the front. The LG shine doesn't really feel that much more durable than the SE. If you drop the shine, you will certainly damage the screen, and/or scratch the body, and/or break the phone. With something plastic, eg. Sony Ericsson, a drop will do no more than give a few scratches. Regarding the slider mechanism, the LG Shine's "snaps" when you open and close it, whereas the SE's slider is not as snappy. Due to the difference in the way that the phones slide, it isn't really accurate to say that one feels more durable than the other. Since the durability was one of my biggest concern in getting the phone, I did a test of each phone upon cracking open the box: I opened and closed each phone 300 times. Results: The LG Shine's slider remained the same; the SE's slider got smoother after the test.
SE: 9/10 Shine: 6/10
Fingerprints/Scratchability: The claims that the Shine is a fingerprint magnet could not be more true. The Shine cannot stand to be touched at all. Walking around with the Shine put in my side jeans pocket for a day, the Shine went in looking stellar and came back looking pretty poor. The back plate had obviously been rubbed on, the front plate exhibited small, but noticeable scratches. I'm sure you could prevent the Shine from getting scratched by getting a screen protector and/or case, but the hassle of one is not something that I'd want to deal with (not to mention such protection would take away the "beauty" of the Shine). The Sony Ericsson, as one may predict, does not scratch easily. Same jeans, same walk, and the SE still looked great after. There was something that looked like a small scratch on the front screen on the SE, but nothing a wipe could clean off. Speaking of which, with the LG Shine, you cannot wipe the phone with any shirt; it will scratch if the fabric of the cloth/shirt is rough. A BIG reason people get the Shine is because it looks good. Well, if you don't take care of it like a newborn baby, it's going to look like **** and ipso facto, it was a poor decision to buy the phone for its looks.
SE: 9/10 Shine: 1/10
Keypad: People always complain about the keypads of the Sony Ericsson and the LG Shine and say how small they are and how difficult it is to text with them... Most of these complainers are complaining from hearsay (they repeat what they read/hear from others, not from their own experience). The problem of cracking keypads is also a huge concern for potential buyers of the SE. First, to address the keypad. The size of the keypad is very usable for texting and other usage. I have 6'2" and have large hands and I can still manage to comfortable use the phones' keypads. Texting with both is very easy (albeit not as easy as texting on a RAZR). The SE's keypad is not as responsive as the Shine's, meaning the click down are not as solid, and that the row of numbers are connected so that one press on a number slightly depresses the row, but nonetheless, it is very solid. The LG Shine's keypad is like a smaller version of the RAZR. Regarding the cracking keys on the SE, I performed a test to see if this rumor was true. Over a period of 2 days, I had the phone off and during my spare time (which is a lot since it's summer), I've been clicking away at the keys (with a good amount of pressure I might add), and the keys exhibit no sign of cracking. Clearly the cracking keys is an issue with older phones (which you could potentially still buy if the reseller of your phone has old stock).
SE: 9/10 Shine: 9/10
Navigation: Those that say navigation on the Shine is difficult are clearly retarded: physically or mentally. The joystick on the Shine takes no practice to nail. It is very easy to use, and is not too small. The SE, with no joystick, as imagined, is also very easy to use. My only caveat with the SE is that there's no dedicated end call button like my old Nokia. The numbered menus in the Shine are very easy to use.
SE: 9/10 Shine: 9/10
Reception/Sound Quality: I live in Northern California in a well populated city, and everywhere I go, I get 5 bars with the SE and from 3 to 4 bars with the Shine. I have found the number of signal bars that you get has a big impact on the call quality (as it should)... The Shine frequently echoes what the other person says, and a background static seems to be present in all calls. To ensure that I didn't receive a lemon shine, I tested a friend's shine and sure enough, it was the same. My friend told me they didn't notice the static (he probably got use to the poor call quality)... The SE's reception and sound quality it top notch. No complaints whatsoever here. Even with 3 bars (in a tunnel), the call was still strong.
SE:10/10 Shine: 5/10
Features: SE wins hands down. Read the features at each phone's respective website; I won't waste your time here. The LG Shine is the most basic of phones. The only thing its got over the SE is 3G. The Shine is all looks.
SE: 10/10 Shine: 2/10 (absolutely pitiful for a phone be so lackluster in features)
Other concerns and notes:
- The speaker on the SE kills that one which is on the Shine
- Both phones have ringtones are loud enough to be heard
- Both phones can [be modified to] receive games and , but with the SE, you have more options.
A few 'ifs' but seems a good product. August 4, 2008
I replaced a 2 year old Samsung slider with this instrument (necessary after dropping the Samsung into cole slaw--don't ask). It's very similar in size and shape to the Samsung and seems to be of similar construction quality, which is to say, pretty good.
Reception is excellent and I live in a weaker signal area.
My main objections are two. The voice dialing function in the LG is markedly INFERIOR to the Samsung. The old phone almost always recognized my instructions and the internal voice responses were clear and useful. The LG has difficulty recognizing my commands, even after training, and it's internal voice responses are very hard to understand. This may be minor, but after knowing how well the function COULD work, it's a disappointment.
Second annoyance is the scarcity of USB connectors that fit the phone (I ordered one from Amazon that did not fit the connector). Also, it seems, even after you get a USB connection, it will not sync with common computer contact lists such as outlook. This is a major annoyance in this day and age.
One other minor note, compared to the Samsung, the camera, while superior, has an external lens even when the slider is closed. Some may consider this an advantage, but the Samsung's slider covered and thereby protected the lens while it was being jostled in a pocket or out in the weather.
All in all, it's a good choice for a modern slider phone, but has some limitations.
Looks great, but doesnt deliver June 20, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have had the LG Shine for about 2 weeks now. No doubt its a beautiful phone, but it does preform very well.
Cons:
One of my main gripes is the sound, which is too soft. If you're in a quiet room, you arent gonna miss it. But if you're on a bus or engaged in something else, is very easy to not notice a phone call. However, the only time the sound does kick in hard is when you set an alarm.
It just be my phone on this one though, but I noticed that the ear piece volume will go from high to low when talking with people. It would go up and down throughout conversations. It also happened when listing to voice mails. Very annoying. I also had issues with dropped calls. I had full bars and 3G connection, but it wouldnt connect. Phone calls would be immediately dropped when I made them. Turned the phone off, then on, and it worked fine again. Still, annoying.
The phone is also very sluggish. Navigating through menus is fairly quick, but when starting to dial numbers or adjust the volume, you notice a lag between the time you push and the time it finally pops up. After pushing three numbers or using the tactile buttons on the side to increase/decrease the volume, things finally started to pop up. So you can be left wondering if you did actually pushed the button or made a mistake numbers finally start popping up.
The calendar is disappointing and pretty much useless. There is only one alert type for the calendar, and it is a little jungle noise that goes for like 5 seconds. Their will be a alert on the screen, but its nothing more than a picture of a clock bouncing around. It is very easy to miss and wouldnt wake a person up. You are better off using the alarm.
Pros:
There are some great features of the phone that can get a little getting used to though. You cant customized the directional pad settings, they are set to certain tools/functions, but you can customize and assign your own list which is very helpful.
The phone also have a very durable feel to it. It doesnt feel like cheap plastic. It is also a bit heavier, but you wont notice any more drag in your pants.
I also text often, and I like the feature to insert your own words into the dictionary so it pops up when you use T9. So you wont have to switch between when you have to input proper nouns, street names, etc. VERY convenient.
The camera also takes good pictures. Its not gonna be as good as a stand alone digital camera, especially in action shots, but it is decent for quick snap shots.
Again, its a beautiful phone, but it doesnt perform very well. It's decent, but if you are looking for user friendly phone, the shine really isnt the first one to consider.
Not what I was expecting June 6, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Let's get the bad out of the way first.
I'm not going to whine about key size or anything because I knew going into this that it was a small phone and would more than likely have a small key pad, that really isn't an issue to me; although playing games like Tetris on it can become a bit painful. What I am a bit let down about is the fact that you really can't customize exactly what most of the hotkeys do in the first place. Prime example being that hitting left on the little joystick (which is wonderful for menu navigation by the way, I wish all phones had this) pulls up your IM menu. Now I don't use IM since I'm not a 16 year old girl, and it would have been nice to be able to switch it to something else like bluetooth or a phone tool, instead it sits there unused.
Navigating the menus themselves takes much getting used to, and feels to me a lot like I'm using a Verizon phone. There are many menus within menus within menus, making it very easy to get lost inside it. Many things are in strange places within the phone itself, which require jumping through a bunch of sub-menus to get to. This is fixed partially by allowing you to assign a number of items to a menu opened with the right softkey, but again I really wish I just could have tinkered with what was assigned to the joystick.
But the biggest issue I have with this music phone is that it, like 90% of all other music phones, don't come with headphones, any form of docking cable, or an SD card, but I can understand that last one. What I don't understand is why they can't kick me an inexpensive cable for committing myself to their two hundred dollar phone. Instead I had to hunt down the cable to order it, then wait for that along with compatible headphones to arrive. It might not be a big deal to some, but I see it as a prepackaged errand that came with my phone. What further adds insult is that I managed to find a new cable on this very site for $1.99, but I assume packaging these with the phone would have bankrupted LG.
As for the headphones, other phones such as the Sony Ericsson are making some headway by coming with adapters right in the box which allow you to use your favorite pair right from the start.
Over all though this is a trend that has to stop, it's like buying an MP3 player and then having to buy a dock, the earbuds, and the memory for it. In my opinion if the phone can't play music out of the box it shouldn't be advertised as a "music phone", instead it is simply a phone that can be modified to play music and should be shown as such.
Now onto the good.
One of the features I enjoy the most about this phone is actually the construction of phone itself. It has a good weight to it and doesn't feel like a cheap piece of plastic crap (like the Sony Ericsson). Although this phone is indeed made of mostly plastic it really doesn't feel like it and manages to come of as more sturdy and robust, which is very nice because I don't enjoy feeling like I'm going to crush the thing by dialing it. Honestly though I don't think it would survive a drop to the pavement, but many phones wont and that's why God created cell phone cases.
The screen is easily one of the impressive assets of the phone; it takes up most of the front and displays an image so crisp and clean you could eat off it. The fact that it's also a 3G compatible phone (assuming I can one day connect to that network in my city) means that you can stream video to it at an improved rate through various services, browse the web quickly and enjoy other things that up until now you had to have a smart to make any real use of.
Preloaded is an XM radio trial as well, which I'm incredibly stoked about using but will again, have to wait until headphones arrive.
Something else that seems to have most of the bugs worked out of is the 2 MP camera, which is placed on the back of the phone and comes complete with an LED flash. The flash LED itself can be left on and due to its incredible brightness would easily double as a flashlight if you needed it to I suppose, you can also take short range pictures in the dead of night thanks to this. Although you can't zoom on the highest resolution, you really don't need to either, and if you ever load the image on your PC you'll see what I mean. So far I haven't had any problems with using the camera and it actually feels like I'm using a proper digital camera when I do, so kudos on that LG.
As far as bluetooth goes, it works. No problems. I've read other reviews for this phone saying "it won't pair with anything", mine paired with everything I tried it on. My old headset, my new one, my friends headset, and his laptop. Again, no problems. Stereo bluetooth is also supported meaning you can use wireless bluetooth enabled headphones to switch seamlessly from music to talking and back again.
That's pretty much it, though there are other trial features like MySpace mobile, My-Cast weather, mobile banking, etc but like I said they're only trials and MEdia Net offers many more programs than just those. All in all it's a pretty good phone, but I would have enjoyed it more if I could have popped in my SD card and started uploading music to it right away.
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