The KG245 is a cut price model with a good range of features that performs well overall. Although it lacks the latest multimedia options and a high quality camera, the KG245 represents an excellent buy for the user who needs a good, basic phone at a reasonable price.

The KG245 may be an entry level phone, but at first glance this isn't really apparent. The phone sports a sleek two-tone colour scheme with an attractive gloss black front complemented by a brushed silver back. Weighing 83g and with a discreet clamshell design, the KG245 is also fairly light on the pocket. LG has included a good quality 262,000 colour internal screen which is beautifully crisp, though perhaps a tad small. A 65,000 colour external screen is also a welcome addition, particularly when using the camera with the phone's lid closed. These factors all combine to give the look and feel of a more expensive handset.

Opening the phone reveals a well designed and spacious keypad. LG has opted for the usual design of a multidirectional circle of buttons surrounded by other shortcut keys and a numerical keypad. We found the keypad easy to use both when navigating menus and when entering text messages. LG has implemented a slick and intuitive interface, and we never encountered any speed or lag issues during our navigation. Both screens are fully customisable with changeable wallpapers, and both display caller information, battery life and signal strength.

LG hasn't disappointed when it comes to other basics such as ringtones and connectivity. With support for 64-tone polyphonic and MP3 tones the KG245 is well equipped, particularly as LG bundle over 60 ringtones as standard. However, only a couple of these are recorded as high quality MP3s. Additional tones can be transferred using the phone's Bluetooth connection or downloaded via GPRS, but there are no infrared or USB options. The main problem with using MP3 tones is the KG245's lack of memory, with the phone only sporting a paltry 8Mb. This could also be a problem when using the phone's voice recorder, but we found recordings to be so quiet that the function is of limited use anyway.

The KG245's camera only provides 640x480 resolution, so images are best displayed on the phone's screen rather than printed out. Despite the resolution limitations, images are colourful and bright and look quite good. LG also include a 'flash' on the exterior of the phone, which is basically just a small, white LED. It's surprisingly bright but not as effective as we'd like. It is also described by LG as a 'torch', but we think this is perhaps getting a little carried away.

The quality of voice calls is excellent, and these can be turned up to extremely loud volumes using the dedicated switch on the side of the unit. A hands-free speakerphone is also included, but the volume of the standard speaker is so loud it almost isn't required! We also found the phone comfortable to hold with good microphone and speaker positioning. The only real limitation is the disappointing battery life. Rated at up to 200hrs standby and just two hours talk time, we found we had to recharge the battery every couple of days. This is fairly poor when compared to some other phones on the market, but can perhaps be forgiven for a budget offering.

Overall, the KG245 does everything a budget phone should do and more. If you have no need for a good camera or built in multimedia player then this model from LG makes an excellent choice.