LG Chocolate BL20 now officially official: UK in Q4

Having made its first official appearance on an LG engineering site last Wednesday, the LG Chocolate BL20 has finally got a press release and product page to go along with the specifications.  Smaller – and less complex – sibling to the BL40, the BL20 will arrive in the UK on O2 in Q4 2009 with a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash.

That camera has a "Clear Memo Capture" mode which, according to LG, allows the BL20 to grab clearer shots of text, handwritten notes and diagrams.  That could be useful for sending on to organisation and transcribing services like Evernote.

Meanwhile there are touch-sensitive controls, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP support, a microSD card slot (up to 16GB cards supported) and an FM radio.  The BL20 measures 106.9 x 50.8 x 12.3mm and promises up to 5hrs talktime from its 900mAh battery; unfortunately there's no 3G HSDPA, with the phone topping out at EDGE data.

Press Release:

LG's newest Chocolate flavour slides to market

Berkshire, September 28, 2009 – LG Electronics a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, today announces its second New Chocolate phone, BL20, featuring a sliding keypad. The newest addition to the Chocolate series follows the launch of the stylish New LG Chocolate phone (BL40) at the start of September.

Available in the UK in Q4 at O2, the BL20 features a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash in a slim casing measuring just 12.3mm in depth.

The handset also features touch-sensitive controls which are discretely concealed on the sides of the phone. Users can instinctively feel their way around functions such as volume control and camera zoom for quick adjustments.

Widget Hotkeys enable users to personalise the phone to directly access favourite features for weather, news or personal updates. A new feature includes Clear Memo Capture which captures text, handwritten notes and drawings with maximum clarity, offering a different way to record information.

Jeremy Newing, head of marketing, LG Mobile UK and Ireland says, "Boasting advanced new features such as Widget Hotkeys and Clear Memo Capture, the BL20 offers consumers a design alternative to the already successful BL40 with its widescreen display."

The New LG Chocolate BL20 is referencing the original Chocolate's design characteristics such as glossy black surface accentuated with red highlights but reinterpreted them in a sliding keypad handset. Notably, the handset has refined its red navigation keys – part of LG's overall design language – which are revealed when the phone slides open. It has evolved from the iconic design of its predecessors combining enhanced interactive features with a sleek minimalist look aimed at style-conscientious consumers.

"Standing proudly alongside the BL40, the BL20 expands the Chocolate series with a beautiful but practical slider option reflecting our leadership in design," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "The New LG Chocolate BL20 offers consumers another way to experience the luxurious style and high performance that is symbolic of the LG Chocolate series but at a more affordable price."