Sprint's mobile media offering gets a boost with the launch of their 2nd generation LG music-phone.

Some convergence is complicated - putting a full email, IM and Office suite into a smartphone, for instance - while some is straightforward, and often it's the latter which is most successful. Sprint's new MUZIQ cellphone might just be a case in point; it replaces the FUSIC model and in doing so steps Sprint's whole mobile-music range up a gear. Made by LG and exclusively available on the Sprint network, it's an example of realistic, usable music features and the carrier backbone to support them.

A 0.61-inch thick clamshell with bright 128 x 160 pixel external TFT and touch-sensitive music controls with vibration-feedback, the MUZIQ boasts access to the Sprint Music Store via the carrier's high-speed mobile broadband. That means a choice of over 1.6 million songs, each of which can be downloaded direct to the handset in as little as 30 seconds. A rather miserly 64MB MicroSD card is provided (although the MUZIQ supports up to 4GB cards), although if you're short of space you can always listen to the streaming Sprint Radio, Pandora, SIRIUS, VH1 and MTV options for a continuous supply of fresh music.

Where the clever thinking comes in is when you get into the car. LG have packed an FM transmitter into the MUZIQ, meaning you can tune your car radio in and wirelessly transmit audio from the handset for up to 10 feet. Obviously FM adaptors of this sort are nothing new, but it's still unusual to find one actually built into a cellphone. If you prefer headphones then you've a choice of traditional wired or A2DP Bluetooth wireless, although only the former are included in the box, and there's an speaker to the right of the external D-pad which manages to be reasonably clear. Sound quality using headphones is above average for a music-phone, although of course you'll have better results if you swap those bundled for a decent aftermarket set.

The 1.37 x 1.72-inch, 176 x 220 pixel internal display comes into its own when used with Sprint TV, the carrier's streaming live and on-demand video service. Clear and colorful, as long as you have reasonable network coverage, there are up to 50 channels to choose from and with surprisingly high framerates. It's worth remembering that both the streaming music and video channels are part of add-on service packs that cost from $20 a month, while individual track downloads from the Music Store cost $0.99.

Other than the media features the MUZIQ has a pretty basic 1.3-megapixel camera with LED flash (capable of both still images and video), PictBridge for direct connection to compatible photo printers, and the usual bevy of SMS, MMS and email messaging. Thanks to some multi-tasking grunt you can be using these while simultaneously be listening to music. As for photo quality, since it's dark here right now we'll be following up the review with some image samples over the next day or two. Personally I think it's a shame that the camera wasn't swapped out for a higher-resolution model, since 1.3-megapixels was really only average back when the FUSIC launched. Mobile games round out the functionality, with World Poker Series standing out above the rest.

LG quote four hours continuous talk-time from the LiIon battery, or up to 10 hours in music-only mode. I'll be taking the MUZIQ with me as I camp out for the iPhone launch, so will have some real-world figures for you after that. I'm not worried about the handset holding up: despite being plastic it feels solid and reassuringly classy. The internal keypad feels good to use, neither too light nor too hard for speedy texting, and the whole thing gives the impression of being an adult's phone where the FUSIC felt like a kid's toy.

Sprint bundle the USB cable and PC software with the MUZIQ, allowing for drag'n'drop syncronization of MP3s, and the handset is also capable of acting as a modem for that same high-speed internet access on your laptop. Again, Sprint offers an unlimited data tethered-use package for $39.99 a month.

I was pleasantly surprised by the MUZIQ. Where its predecessor was promising the MUZIQ follows-through, with mobile media functionality that, if you're a willing to stump up the add-on fee, stands out in the crowd of mainstream handsets. No, it's not an iPhone or a Treo, but it doesn't claim or try to be; instead LG have focussed on giving Sprint customers a decent, reliable cellphone that makes the most of the network's strengths. It definitely comes SlashPhone recommended.

Rating: 7.5/10