Virgin Mobile Welcomes Ultra-Basic LG Aloha

The first LG phone in Virgin's line-up won't buy you any street cred with the Blackberry crowd, but it's only $34.99, so you might just be able to buy yourself something else.

Despite the flurry of new cell phones pushing touch screens, Wi-Fi, and other gadgetry, it turns out there’s still room for the basic, no-nonsense clamshell phone out there. The LG Aloha, Virgin Mobile’s first LG handset as of Thursday, fits that description to a tee – and it only costs $34.99 retail.

The unremarkable little handset looks a bit like every clamshell you’ve ever seen. It has a clean, rounded design, conventional keyboard, and 65K-color screen. It won’t win any awards for its svelte figure, either: at nearly an inch thick it’s a bit of a piggy.

What the Aloha does bring to the table are the basic cell phone features demanded by Grandma or any other novice cell user. There’s a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, pre-loaded games, ringtones, and a phonebook that can handle 199 contacts (you had better not get too popular).

“Adding LG Mobile Phones to our handset line-up is a win for consumers, given the company’s track record of developing affordable phones with great performance, striking looks and features our customers love,” said Virgin Mobile USA CEO Dan Schulman, in a statement. “The Aloha has all of that.”

As part of the Aloha’s launch, Virgin Mobile will auction customized Aloha phones from emerging and established visual artists at the RE*Generation Gala and Art Auction in November. Proceeds go to the various charities dedicated to helping homeless youth.