Samsung Monte vs LG Cookie Pep

Samsung Monte and LG Cookie Pep are two new mid-end touchscreen devices launched in the Indian market recently. Both Samsung and LG have introduced some massively popular budget touchscreen phones in the market this year.

Pricing
As far as the pricing of these devices are concerned, you don't need to worry much as both these devices are placed almost in the similar price bracket. You can avail Samsung Monte at a price of Rs. 8,850, while the LG Cookie Pep costs around Rs. 7,500 in India. Although, Samsung Monte is placed a bit higher within this price segment but it comes with the icing of 3G services, which is worth for that spare thousand rupees you shed for this added feature.

Verdict: Samsung Monte

Screen
The 3-inch, 240x400 pixel resistive touchscreen covers the whole front of the LG Cookie Pep, with only a single button in the bottom right corner.

The touchscreen's design and small size makes the phone hard to navigate even for those with ordinary sized fingers.

The Samsung Monte's capacitive touchscreen doesn't feature multi-touch, but is more responsive than the LG Cookie Pep.

The 3-inch display is a bit on the small side for multimedia rich activities, but at least even the small-handed should be able to manage one-handed use without too much of a stretch.

Verdict: LG Cookie Pep

Camera
The LG Cookie Pep features a 3.2 megapixel camera that takes good quality images which are easily viewed on the 3-inch display.

Switching between images can be done with a neat flick of the phone.

If you're into photography then the Samsung Monte is probably one to avoid.

The 3.2 megapixel camera comes on strong with smile and face detection but lacks autofocus or any kind of flash, which means images seriously lack in sharpness – and shooting at night is, well, just pointless.

Verdict: LG Cookie Pep

Operating System
The LG Cookie Pep's operating system is essentially the same one that we've seen on LG's phones for some time.

The homescreen comprises three homescreens, which you can slide left and right with the annoying, slow, and cumbersome rotating cube effect that LG insists on using. The rest of the operating system is basic and a bit slow but is easy enough to use.

The Samsung Monte runs on the Java-based Samsung proprietary platform but features the manufacturer's Touchwiz interface with a modified theme to account for the smaller screen.

The age-old TouchWiz problem still exists: there's only space for about three widgets per screen, which is pretty sub standard by anyone's standards, especially when compared to HTC and Apple.

Verdict: LG Cookie Pep

Features/Quirks
The likable features of the LG Cookie pep phone are that it has a large touchscreen and fairly minimalist looks.

We are not fond of the fact that there is no 3G or Wi-Fi, it is slow to operate, and the touchscreen is a bit unpredictable.

The Samsung Monte's positive aspects are that it's small, features a 3.5mm headset jack and a Clever Smart Unlock System.

The cons of the phone are that there is no QWERTY keyboard and the widgets are too large.

Verdict: Samsung Monte

Overall Verdict
The small details are what make the LG Cookie Pep attractive for people not serious about all the bells and whistles.

The LG GD510 Cookie Pep is a budget touchscreen phone that will only suit those who need limited features. If you can go without 3G or Wi-Fi capabilities this is the better choice.

However, the Samsung Monte isn't a bad handset by any measure of means. However, it just doesn't have anything to set it apart from the crowd.

Although, both the touchscreen phones fare somewhat similar on most of the parameters, so ultimately it remains a matter of personal choice when you make a selection. If you prefer a budget phone with limited features then, LG Cookie Pep is the right choice for you. And, if you need a phone with more connectivity and 3G capabilities, you can opt for Samsung Monte.

Also, check out the LG Cookie Pep review and the Samsung Monte review.