Flashback: the LG BL40 New Chocolate put a cinema in your pocket with its 4" 21:9 display
- J
- Jnis
- 0uJ
- 11 Apr 2023
Expensive plastic phones, they are. With no lifetimw waranty.
- N
- No-name
- 0Zb
- 11 Apr 2023
Still have one of those in my drawer 😉. Love the design!
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- dan golczewski
- Pt5
- 11 Apr 2023
To this day my favourite form factor and design of any phone ever.
While I loved the N9 too this to me was peak functionality vs size at least regarding the form factor. I can only imagine this one revised in 2023 with better camera, much higher screen % front facing speakers, headphone jack and some oled or sony display... that would be gorgeous!
- ?
- Anonymous
- n$E
- 11 Apr 2023
Anonymous, 11 Apr 2023I still find foldable phones to be a complete joke, especia... moreWell, that's your opinion. I on the other hand travel every 12 days, and use my Fold 4 (which replaced my Fold 2 after two years) both for productivity and media consumption daily and I can tell you that I have sold my tablet, as there was no use for it.
I have found the screen to be quite durable (and protected when the phone is closed) and the Fold is much more flexible in terms of productivity and media consumption compared to an average tablet (let alone the fact that I have one less device to carry around).
- ?
- Anonymous
- gqb
- 11 Apr 2023
Anonymous, 09 Apr 2023Ppl here 🤬, when LG had 21:9 .. Ppl here 🤬, when motorola... moreI still find foldable phones to be a complete joke, especially when it's not that cheap to replace the screen. Foldables still won't replace native mini tablets.
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- Anonymous
- ntJ
- 11 Apr 2023
Anonymous, 11 Apr 2023If only sony thinks that, so why all you want 1700 nits for... morePeople think that having a high brightness nit is good when they don't even know that it only works in Auto brightness. Also, there are scores of movies and home videos recorded in 21:9 aspect ratio. If you watch 21:9 video in a 16:9 screen, you're only going to get a huge black letterbox at the top and also at the bottom.
- ?
- Anonymous
- 8N3
- 11 Apr 2023
David, 10 Apr 2023Only Sony seems to think people watch movies on their phone... moreIf only sony thinks that, so why all you want 1700 nits for HDR videos? To watch tiktok vids? 😅
Watching movies on phone is much easier task than using microsoft power point (cough cough old note 20 tv ad) or playing silly games since you have fingers on screen all the time.
- NeonHD
- 6Fi
- 10 Apr 2023
hmm, 10 Apr 2023Where is coming this bezels on the side of the screen argum... more1) Learn how to type proper English.
2) I'm not the one arguing about it, I was only telling the fact that there were many old phones back then with incredibly thin side bezels, since that person claimed there wasn't any.
- M
- Mr. Anonymous
- 3SL
- 10 Apr 2023
Oh, the glory days of LG design. I remember this device, how impressed I was when I saw it in real life and had the chance to play with it for a few minutes.
- Kangal
- 2Cy
- 10 Apr 2023
Great article Peter, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Forgot about this little gem, only ever used the original LG Choc, whilst I wasn't a fan I appreciated that they were trying something different. Too bad we don't have LG anymore, and a handful of other innovative companies (remember Pantech?).
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- hmm
- m2J
- 10 Apr 2023
YUKI93, 10 Apr 2023Never mind the Z Fold, the Huawei Mate X2 has an exact 21:9... moreAll these clamshell phones also have outer screens that are also narrow and long.
It's not like these screens find much of a use other then looking contacts list on who to call.
Every other thing you do on unfolded with large screen
These folded phones look for sure like TV remotes cause they be like as thick as rometes too
But still i see this comparing a foldable to a phone just like comparing bus with a plane as two totally different category of devices.
Now think of the times when we would get rolling screens then what we call it a pencil phone or something ? As you cant compare them even with remote controller probably
- h
- hmm
- m2J
- 10 Apr 2023
NeonHD, 10 Apr 2023What??
I don't know the context behind this reply,... moreWhere is coming this bezels on the side of the screen argument ? What brain dead even come up with it ? Since when have ever been a problem with bezels on the side of the screens ? It's basically always being top and bottom where the bezel is heavy.
On the sides of the screen the bezel size have not changed much at all and i dont think i have ever heard anyone talk about bezels and then be specific on the sides.
Also phone is not in portraite mode when you watch videos as it be like common sense that you watch the video in the way you get full screen of the picture. How is it called landview wide or what ever.and there for you have side bezels or black pars
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- Anonymous
- m2J
- 10 Apr 2023
David, 10 Apr 2023Only Sony seems to think people watch movies on their phone... moreWhy would you think anyone want to watch movies on something like that ?
You have black side pars cause the video format probably is not in 21:9 Or the video has top and bottom black pars.
Anyways it's like with the flat wide screen FHD that made me mad like 10 years ago.
Get a wide screen TV for movies and still have 1/3 of the screen black
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- dalmeow
- 7kn
- 10 Apr 2023
My cousin used to have this phone. The first time I saw it as a kid, I was amazed at how awkwardly tall it was. Loved playing the games mentioned in this article. When tall 21:9 or even for that matter 18:9 Sony phones started becoming a thing, I always thought how the world had conveniently forgotten about the Chocolate phone which did it way before anyone else! Nice trip down the nostalgia lane @GSMArena, thank you for the post.
- you have to suffer
- wrg
- 10 Apr 2023
Anonymous, 10 Apr 2023I would like to buy a phone like this in 2023 if they remake itif LG still kept the mobile market going, they'll gonna remake this and they also come up with other innovative, populated with features and ports just like their flagship V series..
- you have to suffer
- wrg
- 10 Apr 2023
Anonymous, 09 Apr 2023Ppl here 🤬, when LG had 21:9 .. Ppl here 🤬, when motorola... morethis concludes that they moan to foldables more.
- YUKI93
- K1F
- 10 Apr 2023
Anonymous, 09 Apr 2023Ppl here 🤬, when LG had 21:9 .. Ppl here 🤬, when motorola... moreNever mind the Z Fold, the Huawei Mate X2 has an exact 21:9 outer screen.
- YUKI93
- K1F
- 10 Apr 2023
This is what I always love about LG Mobile. They aren't afraid to innovate and be different from the norm. I always thought Sony was the first brand to use a 21:9 screen, but I never knew about this phone. This is why I still miss LG in the smartphone market. We definitely need more healthy competition with various ideas.
- ?
- Anonymous
- fCE
- 10 Apr 2023
David, 10 Apr 2023Only Sony seems to think people watch movies on their phone... moreWell, people DO watch movies on their phones. And Sony doesn't compromise on display either by adding some silly looking holes and cuts on the screen