LG Optimus L3 a Budget But Good Looking Smartphone

As Android phones tap into the budget market, a part where Apple tend to ignore with their iPhone range this could be quite a popular end to target, especially for people who can’t afford the more premium prices.  The LG Optimus L3 hits at a cheap price, even for budgets but gives a no thrills option.

Even in the budget range people want something that stands out, with the Optimus L3 offering a version of Gingerbread with LG changes added on will this appeal to people? At a time when Ice cream Sandwich is taking Android by storm is this enough?

Build

One thing noticeable about the build of the Optimus L3 is that it’s a surprisingly pretty phone, even if it’s only plastic and has a big LG logo on it.  Even for its cheap price they have really tried to give it a premium look which of course is something people really want.

At 102mm x 61.6mm x 11.7mm it’s not that big a phone which means it’ll fit in the palm of your hand with little issues.  The screen is 3.2 inch so it’s quite small but it does make use of as much of the space it’s got as possible with the screen pushing to the edges of the phone.  This of course adds to its aesthetic appeal.  The buttons on the bottom of the phone are well placed and lit too.

Features

Coming with a 3MP camera a fairly average battery and adequate screen it’s obvious where the price saving was done.  The browser that comes with the phone is fairly speedy though which is an advantage and with 1 GB memory (32 GB storage space if you use the MicroSD expansion slot) this is fairly adequate for what is a cheap budget phone.

Operating System

As mentioned earlier the operating system is Gingerbread which means it’s not going to be as swish or as fast as the more up to date Ice Cream Sandwich variety.  The Optimus UI 2.0 Lite does add extra LG options but at least it does not slow the phone down as can sometimes happen when makers decide to add their software on top.  For email, Twitter and Facebook this is an adequate phone but with the out of date operating system it is a disappointment in terms of having to show something off, but it’s still fully functional for daily use.

Screen

The 3.2 inch screen is small when compared to the more premium smartphones but again when looking at a cheap budget phone this is something that has to be accepted, especially when it still looks good.  The 320 x 240 resolution though is a drawback especially for browsing the internet and trying to do anything that needs more space for the applications.  That said the display is bright and the quality of the image is crisp enough for what you would want to do on the phone.

Verdict

With a battery that will easily last a day of constant use, or more with less stress on the battery this is a good phone for the market that it is aimed at.  If you want a phone that will let you use Facebook, Twitter, let you listen to music and let you take acceptable quality pictures all at a budget price this could be the option for you.  Just remember that it is a budget phone.

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