All the other US carriers have an LG Optimus One phone in their roster, so why not Cricket?  And now they do with the LG Optimus C, which is the exact same thing with a very slightly tweaked design and a very slightly tweaked model name.

The first LG smartphone peddled by Cricket, the entry-level Android packs the exact same features as the numerous versions released by other operators.  Clad in a silver body, it measures 4.57 x 2.22 x 0.625 inches and weighs 5.39 ounces.

Details of the LG Optimus C include a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS, stereo Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G with HSPA and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  The onboard 1,500 mAh battery should keep it running for up to 14 days on standby (rated at 7 hours of talk time).

Handset runs Android 2.2 Froyo, along with the usual ensemble of Google apps and Android Market access.  A 600MHz processor controls the action, which, based on run-ins with versions of the same phone  on other carriers, brings enough muscle to handle the OS nicely.

The LG Optimus C continues with the Optimus One's bottom-rung pricing.  Cricket has it for $130 (with a $20 web discount and a $50 mail-in rebate) without a contract.

[MyCricket]

When searching for smartphones on contract, you rarely seek out US Cellular.  Last year, though, the carrier beefed up its smartphone lineup, bringing a number of Android-running hardware into the fold.  The LG Apex is one of them.

Physically, it's not the most striking design from LG.  It has solid construction, though, with a nice soft-touch finish and a sturdy feel in hand.  Display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), with a narrow profile.  It's crisp and bright, with good touch responsiveness.  While the QWERTY keyboard looks odd with the D-pad on the side, it surprisingly works.  In fact, this is one of the better keyboards out there among budget Android handsets.

As a phone, the LG Apex makes for usable calls.  Voices went through clear with no background noise, but sound quality isn't the best.   Those on the other end appeared to have a better experience.  Battery is rated at 7.5 hours, but it seems to drain faster than we expected (could be a bum battery, though).

You get the usual smartphone favors here -- a variety of voice calling options, basic messaging, Bluetooth, 3G with HSPA, aGPS and WiFi.  Email and IM are also supported, along with a bunch of apps for social networking.

Hardware is strictly midrange.  It has a 600MHz CPU running Android 2.1, so it can get sluggish once you have a lot of programs open.  Keep it to a moderate amount, however, and the speed is actually pretty good.

Media playback uses Android's default player, so it's nothing exciting.  The 3.0 megapixel camera offers the standard editing options and takes rather average shots.

Overall, the LG Apex has two main strengths: a great keyboard and an attractive $49.99 price on contract with US Cellular.  Entry-level Android users hankering for a physical keyboard should find it a very good choice.

The third Windows Phone 7 device from AT&T, the LG Quantum has a very unassuming appearance.  Fortunately, it delivers a more solid experience than the first impression the rather uninspired design makes.

Physically, it's easy to mistake this phone for a cheap budget touchscreen.  Once you cup it in hand, though, that opinion quickly changes, as you feel the soft-touch finish and  sturdy build.  A bit on the heavy side, you can blame the use of steel across some parts of the exterior (a nice touch, by the way) and the slide-out landscape QWERTY keyboard.

Display is a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen with a 480 x 800 resolution.  Screen quality is right on par with other high-end non-Super AMOLED LCDs in the market.  Keyboard is spacious and easy to use.

As a phone, the LG Quantum makes for good calls.  While we encountered some slight background noises, they were negligible.  Those on the other end reported the same thing.  Speakerphone was usable, but nothing spectacular.  Battery is rated at 6 hours of talk time.

Since Microsoft allows very little changes to the stock WP7, you can just check our Windows Phone 7 review to learn more about the experience of using the platform -- they're very similar across all devices.  Overall hardware performance was speedy; same with the 3G coverage, which loaded YouTube videos with only a few seconds of buffering time.

The LG Quantum is a quad-band world phone with the usual roster of voice and calling features you expect in modern smartphones.  Aside from 3G connectivity, it also supports WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS.   All messaging options are adeptly handled, as well, from simple texts to IM to corporate email.

Aside from WP7's own apps, you get a slew of AT&T services, as well as access to LG's 10 free apps promotion (where you can download freely from a selection of paid titles).  Like other WP7 devices, media playback is tight via Zune integration.  The 16GB storage (and no microSD card support) could be frustrating for folks who keep plenty of media on their handhelds, though.

The 5.0 megapixel camera comes with LED flash, 720p video capture and a good range of options.  Both photo and video quality were actually very good, provided you have good lighting (e.g. outdoors).

Overall, the biggest differentiator for the LG Quantum comes in the form of an excellent keyboard and the 10 free apps.   If working with a QWERTY is essential to your smartphone use, this is your likely best Windows Phone 7 option right now.

LG just announced a new dual-SIM phone, their third packing a touchscreen along with the twin card bays.  Billed as the LG P520, the likely-to-be-affordable handset brings with it a modest set of features.

If you're wondering where this handset fits in the market, it should fall along the lines of Samsung's Corby series, except with the convenience of being able to work with two networks at the same time.  Connectivity is only quad-band GSM (making it a great phone for travel), though, with neither 3G nor WiFi available.

Details of the LG P520 include a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen (320 x 240 resolution),  a 2.0 megapixel camera module, Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio and microSD card expansion (up to 4GB only).  Phone measures 108.9 x 55.9 x 12.9 mm, with a weight of 120 grams.

It comes toting push email, along with a healthy dose of preloaded software, including social networking apps, Opera Mini 5.0 and the Yandex suite (at least, for the Russian version).   Battery is 1,500 mAh, rated at 9 hours of talk time and up to 400 hours of standby.

The announcement was made in Russia, so it will likely hit that market first.  No word on price or release date, but expect it in the lower price ranges.

[via Mobile-Review]

It's tough to get excited for a feature phone nowadays, given the low price point of some entry-level Android smartphones.  Still, there should be room in the market for handsets like the LG Cosmos Touch, a touchscreen candy bar with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The compact messaging handset pairs full touch controls using a 2.8-inch touchscreen display (480 x 270 resolution) with the convenient typing of a four-row QWERTY keyboard.  Naturally, it offers the full range of messaging capabilities, including SMS, MMS, Mobile IM and Mobile Web Email, along with Social Beat for access to your social networking accounts.

Details of the Cosmos Touch include a 1.3-megapixel camera module, Bluetooth 2.1, aGPS (with VZ Navigator) and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  It comes with a custom interface, with three home screens and customizable widgets.

Slated for availability in Verizon stores beginning November 23, the LG Cosmos Touch will retail for $79.99 with a new two-year agreement.

[Verizon]

There are a handful of affordable Android phones out there.  One of the better ones in the bunch comes in the guise of the LG Optimus T.

Physically, it takes on a simple but functional styling.  You won't mistake it for anything high-end, but the rounded corners and coated curved back leaves it with a comfortable feel in hand.  Display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320x480 resolution.  It has excellent color, sharp lines and very good touch response.

As a phone, the LG Optimus T made for clear calls, although it did allow for some  noticeable background noise.  Those on the other reported the same, including that hissing sound in the back.  Speakerphone was good and usable even in loud environments.  Battery is rated at 11 hours of talk time and actually ran for near two days on regular use.

It ships with Android 2.2, which is a definite upside, considering how many more expensive phones haven't even been updated to the latest OS version.  For text input, you get both the default Android keys and Swype.  While it isn't the fastest phone out there, the 600MHz CPU does zip through most tasks, rarely providing a sluggish experience (launching many apps and zooming into webpages does give the lack of power away).  The handset's 3G reception is also good, with most large pages loading in under 15 seconds and YouTube videos running smoothly after a short buffering period.

The Optimus T gets the standard smartphone voice calling features, including quad-band world compatibility, voice dialing and visual voice mail.  Phonebook can merge contact information from multiple email and social networking accounts, although you’re limited by the small available memory.  Messaging of all varieties is ably handled, as with all Android 2.2 devices.

Some extra features users will appreciate include tethering, WiFi hotspot support and even calling over WiFi, although the latter will be enabled as a firmware update down the line.  You also get the usual suite of Google apps, along with numerous preinstalled titles, including ThinkFreeOffice, DriveSmart and Twitter.

Despite Android 2.2 at the helm, Flash 10.1 is not available -- a direct consequence of the underpowered guts.  Multimedia features are standard Android, so there isn't much to separate it from the rest of the pack.  There's only 170MB of built-in storage, though, so you'll need an SD card to load your media files.  The 3.2 megapixel camera offers some editing options and takes decent outdoor shots.

Overall, the LG Optimus T is a heck of a value for a smartphone, retailing at $29.99 on a two-year agreement.  If you know where to look, you can even get it for under a buck on contract (really).  That's decent smartphone hardware running Android 2.2 -- absence of Flash 10.1 be damned, it’s a winner.

Call it a pre-announcement, but LG has just confirmed its first Windows Phone 7 handset, the LG Optimus 7.   The highly-anticipated smartphone has been heavily talked about the last few month, with a bunch of leaks and unofficial photos appearing on various blogs and websites.

LG's main angle for the announcement is the handset's heavy multimedia features, which allow it to be "at the center of a complete entertainment experience." We're not exactly sure what the point is,  since all the press release discussed is the phone's ability to share multimedia files (720p HD videos, music, photos) with all DLNA-compliant devices.

Despite LG's decision to stay mum on the specs, there is some amount of leaked information on the Optimus 7.  Known details include a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen (480 x 800 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module with 720p video recording, aGPS, 3G with HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor.

According to LG, the phone can share media to devices within the same WiFi proximity, without even having to leave the current application you have open. For instance, you can simply flick images from the photo gallery to send the file to a targeted machine, such as your TV.

Expect a more formal announcement for the LG Optimus 7 soon, given that they're looking to debut this sometime in the fourth quarter.

[via KoreaNewsWire]

Slim and lightweight, the LG Sentio is a decent mid-range touchscreen phone.  While we're not big fans of its looks, it does offer a solid set of features, along with capable multimedia talents.

Physically, the slim design is very noticeable, easily making it one of the thinnest (0.5 inch) and lightest (3.3 ounces) touchscreen feature phones around.  Wrapped in a smooth plastic shell, it grips well and fosters an ergonomic feel.

Out front lies a 3-inch resistive touchscreen, with a 240 x 400 resolution.  Display looks sharp, vibrant and colorful, with decent performance outdoors.  The UI is similar to other LG phones, so it's pretty good.  Touch interface is fine, but not the most responsive.

As a phone, the LG Sentio made for very good calls.  Voice sounded clear, with loud volume and just an occasional hint of static.  Same quality was reported by those on the other end.  Speakerphone offered noticeable echo, but was usable.  Battery is rated at six hours of talk time, which should last this a good day or two of normal use.

Text input on the phone is accomplished via an onscreen QWERTY.  The keys are well-sized and spacious.  However, that also means very limited space for the text you are typing.  Browsing is fast with support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA, with little to no buffering when streaming YouTube videos.  In the US, it can also access T-Mobile's suite of streaming services, making for a robust multimedia device.

It has all the requisite phone features, including a 1,000-contact address book, standard messaging and Bluetooth.  In addition, it offers support for more advanced messaging (IM and email), an HTML web browser, aGPS (with Telenav Navigator support), a basic but intuitive music player and Social Buzz, an all-in-one manager for various social networking sites.  The 3.0 megapixel camera offers a good range of editing options, with above average photo captures.

Overall, the LG Sentio is a solid midrange offering.  If you like your phones slim and light, with a good collection of messaging and multimedia features, it's a great purchase for the $69.99 price (with a two-year contract on T-Mobile).

Optimus, as it turns out, means "best" in Latin.  At least, that's the pitch LG is throwing out there for their new Android phones, the LG Optimus Chic and the LG Optimus One.

According to the company, the Optimus is a new line of products that will comprise of both smartphones and tablet computers.  Apparently, they're going heavy on the project too, promising ten smartphone releases in the series before the year is over.  And, just so it's clear, the naming has nothing to do with the Transformers (though I doubt whoever holds the trademark for the leader of the Autobots won't have any issues with it).

The press release is light on the specs.  All we know so far is that the LG Optimus Chic is going to be a fashion smartphone , while the LG Optimus One will be geared towards an entry-level user base.  Both handsets will ship running Android 2.2 Froyo, with availability likely guaranteed only for South Korea.

All phones and tablets slated for release in the Optimus line will feature individual-specific designs, rather than the current smartphone trend of one device doing everything for a wide variety of audiences.  No word on either pricing or availability for either of the two Optimus handsets were given.

[via Gizmodo]

LG's latest eco-friendly effort comes in the form of the LG Remarq, a vertical-sliding messaging phone released by Sprint. Not only does the handset boast green credentials, it looks adorable in its squarish frame.

Physically, it takes on the short and cute form factor, with curved sides, rounded corners and overall compact design. Hard plastic construction looks tough and the phone handles with a good feel in hand. It sports a rather small 2.2-inch display (220x176 resolution), showing clear pictures and sharp lines. The navigation array right below it features a comfy design and easy operation. Slide up the front panel and you'll turn up the four-row QWERTY keyboard, with its well-spaced and raised keys.

As a phone, the Remarq makes for average calls. They're clear enough on both ends, but occasionally exhibits noticeable distortion. Speakerphone had even louder interference, made worse by the lacking volume. Battery is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time, which made good for close to two days of moderate use.

The green credentials come courtesy of the 19% recycled plastic used in the device's construction, 87% recyclable parts and an energy-efficient charger. It gets various eco-friendly apps bundled with the handset too.

It has all the feature phone basics, including a 600-entry phone book, PIM tools, stereo Bluetooth and a mobile web browser. There's also a GPS with Sprint Navigation and Family Locator. For messaging, you get the usual SMS and MMS, coupled with threaded view. It adds pretty robust IM and email (POP, IMAP and corporate are supported).

A number of Java-based social networking apps are also on board, such as Facebook, Twitter and Sprint's Social Zone. Connectivity is strictly GPRS/EDGE, so expect updates to run a tad slower than usual. It uses Sprint's standard music player, which is rather basic. The 1.3 megapixel camera offers a number of editing options, but captured photos just look washed out.

Overall, the LG Remarq is a solid messaging device with spiffy good looks. Beyond that, there literally isn't much else to crow about. It's free on a two-year agreement, though, so that's always a plus.