LG X110 review

LG’s X110 may be a tweaked version of MSI’s Wind, but its pastel pink and white design sets it apart.

It’s also available in an all-white design. Unlike any other Wind variant we’ve seen, the X110 has a built-in 3G modem with the SIM card slot accessible by removing the battery. It’s available from Phones4U on a 24-month contract at £35 per month, but you can buy it without a contract for £330.

Despite the built-in 3G, the X110 isn’t well suited to working for long periods away from the mains. The battery lasted just over two hours, which is one of the shortest times here.

The X110 is an otherwise well-specified and well-built netbook. It didn’t have any trouble playing iPlayer or standard-definition DivX video files. The large and responsive keyboard is comfortable to type on; it’s similar, but not identical, to the Wind’s keyboard. There are dedicated page navigation keys and the right Shift key is larger than it is on the Wind, but the cursor keys are a little smaller. The small touch pad and its buttons are identical to the Wind’s, which is a missed opportunity. Larger buttons would be easier to press.

None of the netbooks here has particularly great speakers, and that includes the X110. It comes with SRS Wow software, which is supposed to improve sound quality and create a virtual surround-sound effect, but it made the tinny sounding speakers sound even tinnier.

There’s plenty of room for storing documents and photos on the 160GB hard disk. It’s much more spacious than the 16GB SSD in Dell’s Mini 9, which is the only other netbook here with built-in 3G. However, SSDs should be more resistant to damage.

LG’s X110 is a generally well-designed and well-specified netbook, especially if you want built-in 3G, but it’s let down by poor battery life. Frequent travellers who need 3G internet access would be better off with the Inspiron or an external 3G modem and Samsung’s NC10, which is cheaper and has a longer-lasting battery.