Tools of the Trade: The 3G phone from LG

3's frame: a new contender for the handset jet-set

The first mobile phones to work on third-generation networks were chunky, ugly and had poor battery life. But with 3G now almost a year old - at least in the form of Hutchison's "3" network - better handsets are at last coming on to the market.

The first mobile phones to work on third-generation networks were chunky, ugly and had poor battery life. But with 3G now almost a year old - at least in the form of Hutchison's "3" network - better handsets are at last coming on to the market.

Asian manufacturers have a headstart in developing 3G handsets, because extensive networks are already up and running in Japan and Korea. This expertise shows in LG's latest phone for 3, the U8120.

The handset keeps to the clamshell design that has helped Asian manufacturers wrest market share from the likes of Nokia and Ericsson. The U8120 has a small mono screen on the outside of the silver case, and a high-quality colour screen inside. The almost obligatory camera sits in the hinge of the clamshell and can swivel towards the caller for video calls, or outwards to use for taking pictures.

The U8120 is small and light enough to pass for a 2G phone, and the battery life, although it may not win any industry awards, is respectable.

The phone is happy enough for a couple of days in standby mode, although features such as video calling - one of the selling points of the 3 network - will run the battery down quickly.

The screen is large and clear enough to view 3's web content and to use the in-built email program. This can use 3's 3mail service, but it can also access any POP3 or Imap address, so the handset will work with most company accounts as well as some webmail providers.

Judging the U8120, though, is a struggle without taking a view on 3's services. So many of the features of the phone are delivered via the browser, or need 3G coverage to work properly, or at all. Unfortunately, the good design of the U8120 cannot fully compensate for the holes in 3's network coverage.

Subscribers to 3 use the company's own 3G network where there is coverage, but fall back to a 2G network - in 3's case on O2 - where 3G is out of reach. Unfortunately, some of the most useful features, as well as much of the fun, are 3G only.

During tests with two U8120s, it proved impossible to make any video calls. At times, ordinary voice calls were a struggle, and access to the 3 web portal was at best intermittent - frustrating for anyone trying to follow Olympic results. This patchy coverage applied even when visiting the same location several days apart.

Coverage on 3, though, does appear to be improving steadily, and the company's voice tariffs are priced to win new users to the network.

For anyone who is keen to try the features of a 3G handset, Orange will be launching its 3G voice network with a similar handset - the U8150 - possibly as early as next month.

But it still looks as though it will be some time before a phone like the U8210 comes into its own.

THE VERDICT: LG U8120 3G phone

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pros: neat design, compact, reasonable battery life.

Cons: 3G networks still a work in progress.

Price: varies, depending on contract.

Contact: 3UK, www.three.co.uk