There is no masking the truth: lower-end Android phones tend come with lacklustre specs. So when a company releases an affordable, well-made Android phone that has decent specs, people tend to sit up and listen. The LG Optimus One was the first such device, and its follow-up, the LG Optimus Net, continues that tradition.

At $199.95 outright, both post and pre-paid, the Optimus Net takes what made the Optimus One such a popular device and tweaks it just a little. From a 600Mhz processor we move to 800Mhz, from Froyo we move to Gingerbread, while everything else stays the same — 512MB RAM, 3MP camera, 150MB internal storage, 480×320 resolution — keeping the price low.

Obviously the market for this device isn’t the same as someone looking for an iPhone 4S or Galaxy Nexus, but for $200 the Optimus Net is a compelling deal. Read on to find out if it’s right for you.

Specs:

- Android 2.3.4 w/ custom LG skin
- 3.2″ 480×320 pixel screen, 256k colours
- 800Mhz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7227T processor
- 512MB RAM, 120MB internal storage
- 3.2MP camera
- WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth
-  113.5 x 59 x 11.7 mm
- 122g

The Phone

LG has created one of the hardiest entry-level Android devices to date. The Optimus Net is robust and heavy, and at 122g it matches some devices twice the size. Instead of feeling cumbersome it feels secure; this is a device you can easily drop onto concrete, toss in your bag or let your kid play with and not worry about it breaking. That being said there are some areas of the phone, such as the placement of the glass over the camera, that feel haphazardly slapped together.

The phone is also slimmed down quite a bit compared to the rotund profile of the original Optimus One. At 11.7mm the Net can’t be considered thin in today’s world of smartphones, but no one is going to make fun of it for being unsightly.

At 3.2″ and 480×320 pixels, the screen on the Optimus Net is decent. While it only displays 256,000 colours — most modern devices can display millions — for practical use the limitation is only a small hindrance. It does make photos and video appear washed out, though, with sloppy transitions between colours, but you get what you pay for in this regard. More worrisome is the low pixel density. Text suffers greatly from jagged edges and photos from softness.

Screen response, however, seems to be smooth enough. We had problems with keyboard responsiveness, but switching to a third-party keyboard solved the matter. App response was uniformly adequate, with only a slight delay when opening and exiting. Scrolling through web pages was a little more tiresome, as we had to wait often twice as long for it to load than we would on a high-end Android device. Once loaded performance was choppy but manageable; we’d recommend sticking to mobile versions of your favourite sites if possible.

The Optimus Net uses four hardware buttons below the screen for the standard Android functions, and they provide a mix of relief and frustration. It’s nice to have physical feedback to an often-pressed button such as Home or Back; it’s also much harder to accidentally press them if in landscape mode, for example. But the keys are not set precisely, often wobbling in place if hit from the side.

Inside the phone we have around 120MB of internal storage, and Bell bundles a 2GB microSD card for photo and video storage. Note that without such a card you cannot use the camera at all.

Performance

The 800Mhz processor inside the Optimus Net is only a slight speed improvement over the original Optimus One. A versatile and efficient chip, it’s also quite sluggish compared to most modern smartphones, and the only thing it really has going is that it’s inexpensive. That being said, we were not wholly disappointed with the performance of the Optimus Net. Other than an incredibly slow keyboard which could not, under any circumstance, keep up with our key presses, the device took what we threw at it with relative aplomb. Because of the low screen resolution, games like Angry Birds didn’t have to try very hard to run smoothly, while others like Wind-up Knight weren’t even available to download due to the underpowered GPU. Most apps do a fine job scaling down to the 480×320 resolution, but they tend to be squashed together and require a fair amount of scrolling.

Overall performance is what one would expect from a $200 phone. It’s nowhere near the experience of even, say, an original Samsung Galaxy S; its competitors are more like the HTC Wildfire and Samsung Galaxy Gio. While you may be able to do most of the things you would do on a more expensive device, they won’t be done quickly or vividly. If you’re looking for a bare-bones calling/texting/emailing/minimal browsing/seldom gaming device, the Optimus Net is a good option.

From the call quality and speed side of things, the Optimus Net supports 7.2Mbps in the downlink and 5.76Mbps in the uplink, and we netted a cool 2Mbps on average in both directions. Calls sounded quite good and we experienced no dropped calls on Bell’s network.

Camera

The LG Optimus Net has a 3.2MP camera, and in the right setting shots can turn out decently well. We’re not talking high-end optics here — think BlackBerry 9700 circa 2009 — but in the right lighting results are surprising. That being said, these are not pictures you’re likely going to blow up and display on a billboard, and without a flash the Optimus Net suffers from what most similar phones do: a paucity of low-light performance. Colours are washed-out and white balance is completely off: we found the auto-white balance sensor unpredictable, changing from outdoor to tungsten to incandescent without warning. As you can see from the sample photos, results are mixed.

Like on higher-end LG devices, the interface is clean and usable, with easy two-touch navigation for most options. You can adjust ISO and white balance, and add colour effects to suit the mood. Most of the images we took indoors turned out grainy and dark, but the results are to be expected from such an inexpensive device.

On the video side, the Optimus Net can film 640×480 at 30fps, a resolution we wish would die sooner. It suits cat videos on YouTube and very little else, and as processors get quicker we expect 720p to be the minimum resolution, even on low-end devices, before the end of 2012. At least we hope that’s the case.

Battery Life

The Optimus Net, ahem, netted us very good battery life. With a spacious 1500mAh battery doing work much less taxing than similar-sized batteries have to do on high-end Android phones, it wasn’t uncommon to see the three or more days of moderate use from the device. In our standard cat video loop test, we eeked out 12 hours and 14 minutes from the phone, one of the best numbers we’ve seen on Android.

Software

The Optimus Net is dressed up like someone ready for the party, and though it doesn’t quite make the same impression as its big brother, the Optimus 4G LTE it comes with all the same clothes.

Running Android 2.3.4 with a minor-tweaked skin, we device comes with RemoteCall, SmartShare and LG World, along with some Bell additions. The three aforementioned apps are provided by LG and allow for remote technical support, DLNA content sharing, and third-party app downloads, respectively. None of them are essential, and the Bell stuff is pretty fluffy — TV&Radio is the only one of note — but they’re not intrusive.

Moreover, you have access to the Android Marketplace, of which most apps are available for the Optimus Net. Any that aren’t, like most 3D games, have been filtered for the device due to its weak processor, but we had no problems finding 95% of our regular suite of apps.

Conclusions

The Optimus Net is one of the best entry-level Android devices currently available, and should be an easy justification for parents looking to get their kids a smartphone without breaking the bank. For anyone looking at a first-time smartphone, the Optimus Net is a decent choice. However, unless you’re really, really desperate to save money, we’d recommend spending an extra few dollars on a 3-year term, or an extra $100 outright. The performance, app compatibility and additional features and overall experience will be enhanced, something that you’ll dramatically enjoy long term.

The LG Optimus Net is available for $0 on a 3-year term and $199.95 on Bell prepaid, or bought outright. It is also available at Best Buy and Future Shop.

Entry-level Smartphone Rating: 6.5/10

Pros:
- Robust plastic build quality
- Decent speed for the price
- Unobtrusive Android skin
- Runs Gingerbread
- Good battery life

Cons:
- Poor screen resolution and colour quality
- There are faster devices for very little more money
- Underwhelming camera and video quality
- Front plastic buttons feel loose and breakable

There is something wonderful about a company breaking new ground. Of the myriad Android reviews over the past few weeks, the LG Optimus LTE is probably the biggest wildcard. On paper the phone has everything: a dual-core processor, HD screen, LTE connectivity. In fact it’s the only device outside the US to have both a 720p screen and LTE support. There is intense competition for the high-end Android space right now, and LG is coming in hot, guns blazing.

With the Galaxy Nexus nipping at its heels, can the Optimus LTE deliver? And where does it fit in Bell’s lineup of superphones? Read on to find out.

Specs:

- Android 2.3.5 (upgradeable to 4.0 upon release)
- 1280×720 TrueHD IPS display
- 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
- 1GB RAM, 2GB internal storage, 8GB microSD card included
- 8MP camera with flash / 1.3MP front camera
- 1080p video capture
- WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0 w/ A2DP, A-GPS, WiFi Direct, MHL(HDMI) out, DLNA support
- LTE 75Mbps 700/1700Mhz, HSPA/UMTS 21Mbps 850/1900/2100 MHz
- 133.9 x 67.9 x 10.48 mm, 135g
- 1830mAh battery

The Phone

The Optimus LTE gives a very good first impression. It straddles the border between comfortable and bulky, but manages to slip into the former. At 10.5mm thick and 135g it fits right in with the latest Galaxy S II devices though it is slightly thicker. That thickness gives the impression of sturdiness, something this symmetrical monolith can boast assuredly. In the hand, despite its plastic construction, there isn’t a creak or seam; the body is crafted from premium polycarbonate plastic, and the battery cover a nice machine-cut overlay that wraps around the side of the phone. The left side volume rocker is nicely delineated with plenty of travel. The top portion of the device is the busiest, with a headphone jack, a microphone, microUSB/MHL port under a plastic door, and a power button on the right side.

It seems that all the devices we’ve reviewed recently, from the Motorola Razr to the Galaxy S II LTE, have a small chin at either the top or bottom, throwing off its symmetry and balance to some extent. Despite its relative thickness it’s nice to use a device again that feels uniform in the hand, regardless of how you hold it. The textured backing has a diagonal pattern that is conducive for gripping in even the sweatiest hands; the grooves are wide and attractive.

Along with the power button, the only metal present on the device is on a little vertical stripe housing the camera optics. Like the Optimus 2X, LG has opted for small flourishes that save money but ultimately delight their customers. Underneath is a 1830mAh battery, an 8GB microSD card and a SIM card slot.

Around the front LG has wisely consolidated the menu and search buttons into one superbutton, allowing for large spaces between it, the home and back buttons. In order to activate the search portion, just hold down the button for a second.

Overall the Optimus LTE isn’t a striking or beautiful device, nor is it plain and utilitarian. There is a pleasant symmetry to its curved top and bottom, an austere and familiar consistently with previous LG devices and, most importantly, a nice balance between form and function.

The Display

Of course this needs its own section. The Optimus LTE is the second device we’ve used with a 720p display after the Galaxy Nexus, but in many ways the True HD here is a different beast altogether. LG has wisely spent the extra money on an IPS panel, so viewing angles are practically endless. Colours are accurate and clean: no Super AMOLED oversaturation here. Text is dead-sharp, arguably more so than the Galaxy Nexus, with bright, accurate white levels. Blacks, and by virtue contrast, vary with brightness but for the most part fare quite well. Coming from the perfect black levels of the Galaxy Nexus it’s nice to know that the Optimus LTE holds its own in that regard, though obviously contrast is not quite up to par. The backlight is very strong, and we’re happy to report that Optimus LTE didn’t have any of the light bleeding issues that plagued the Optimus 2X.

Our one concern is that there is a fair amount of dithering on colour gradients, interrupting the generally-smooth flow of images and icons. While it’s not immediately noticeable and depends highly on the quality of the image’s texture, it is present throughout the OS. One of the most egregious examples of this are the jagged line transitions present on the first screen of the Marketplace (see photo).

One boon for the IPS display is that it is bright enough to be seen in relatively direct sunlight. Though we haven’t seen a single backlit device that fares particularly well in the sun, LG had the presence of mind to beef up the maximum brightness on this display; at auto brightness it is even a bit too high. We wouldn’t complain except our battery life suffered as a result: we’d recommend manually setting the screen brightness to around 30%.

A lot of people are going to ask if the display is as good or better than that of the Galaxy Nexus. There are a couple reasons it is, and a couple it is not. Firstly, having perfect blacks on a display changes everything, including the colours that aren’t black: colours are punchier and more vivid. But with such great contrast comes a trade-off: whites, especially at lower brightness levels, have an icy blue tint to them. As you move up the gamut it becomes less pronounced, but because the Galaxy Nexus has a very sensitive auto-brightness mechanism, the majority of the white you see will have that bluish hue. The Optimus LTE suffers no such fate: whites are some of the cleanest, most accurate out there. Colours are great but for the dithering problems I mentioned, and maximum brightness is significantly higher. Both have comparable viewing angles.

Overall, both displays are tightly matched but I’ve give an edge to the Galaxy Nexus in terms of overall vividness, contrast and viewing angles.

Performance

LG is sticking with what works here, and like HTC and Samsung, have chosen the 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S3 SoC to power their mighty beast. It’s clear that LG has worked some voodoo magic here, since the LG flew through all its synthetic and real-world benchmarks, and never seemed to skip a beat in our browsing tests. Apps loaded quickly, 720p video streamed effortlessly and the whole experience shone.

Despite the high native resolution the graphics chip kept up remarkably well: take a look at the benchmark results next to the Galaxy Nexus, which runs a slightly slower CPU but faster GPU. The LG kept up in most regards, with a few of the more graphics-intensive tests being taken by the pure Google device. We can also say with confidence that once the Optimus LTE gets Android 4.0 it will only get faster.

It’s very difficult to judge, however, which Android device is the smoothest these days. Android 2.3.5 does not have the same dual-core optimizations that debuted in Ice Cream Sandwich, so any hardware acceleration is implemented by the OEM. It’s clear LG has done some work to speed up the browser which matches the lower-resolution Samsung Galaxy S II blow-for-blow. But when you get to these speeds, it’s hard not to find fault in even the most minor stutter or delay. At times we found the keyboard to fall behind our flurry of presses, or the browser would stall for 10-15 seconds before resuming its page rendering. Before Ice Cream Sandwich we’d say, oh it’s typical for Android, but now we that know these issues have been largely resolved it’s hard taking a step backwards.

Software

The Optimus LTE follows the same path as the Optimus 2X, though it ships with a newer version of Android in 2.3.5. It arrays Gingerbread in colourful icons, garishly outlined in a sort of protective bubble we wish was absent. There are seven home screens, though they can be removed by pinching your fingers together and dragging one to the trash can. In fact, LG has affectionately borrowed much of Android’s customization from HTC and Samsung, though in truth every manufacturer shares a subset of features. What’s important is how well implemented those features are, and I can happily say LG hasn’t let us down.

There is a permanent four-icon dock at the bottom of the home screen, though the default icons can be moved around or removed. The app drawer, when opened, is pretty intuitive, dividing its wares into categories. Apps preloaded onto the device are stored in the Applications column; these cannot be removed or deleted, just relocated. Below that is the Downloaded category which stores all your Marketplace apps. Apps can be sorted by category, listed alphabetically or, more traditionally, scrolled through page by page.

LG bundles some of its well-worn Android offerings here, including the rather helpful RemoteCall which allows a representative from the company to remotely log in to your device to troubleshoot. Extensive DLNA supports comes by virtue of SmartShare, which streams your video, photos and music to any connected device.

LG’s SmartWorld is an Android app store. If you take the time to register an account, you are free to download certain “paid” apps for the low, low price of nothing. While most of the top apps are the same ones present in the Android Marketplace (really, Angry Birds?) there are a few interesting inclusions that should keep your app discovery pangs at bay. I just question the need for another proprietary app store, especially one with significantly fewer apps than the official one.

Taking a page from Samsung, LG has integrated gestures into the OS. Tilt your phone when moving an icon around the home screen and it uses your accelerometer to fly from side to side. Flip your device over to silence an incoming call or alarm, or to pause a movie clip. Though non-essential to one’s enjoyment of the phone, their inclusion is genuinely useful — if you can remember to use them.

One of the cooler features I wish more vendors would implement is WiFi Sharing. This allows two users connected to the same WiFi network to transfer image, video and music files from device to device without having to go through a central access point like a PC. The capabilities have been in the WiFi spec for years, it just took an enterprising mobile company to implement it. Not limited to just LG devices, most modern Samsung devices support WiFi Sharing, too.

Lastly, LG has licensed Nuance’s excellent voice recognition engine for its Voice Control app. I found it to be much more accurate than Samsung’s implementation of Vlingo — it actually knew who “Mom” was, someone the Galaxy S II insisted was called “Mark” — though it wasn’t possible to map it to a specific key like you can on the Samsung.

Oh, and screenshots can be taken by holding down the Home button and quickly pressing Power.

Connectivity

I’m just going to come out and say it: LTE is ridiculously, mind-blowingly fast. Bell and Rogers keep trading crowns as the speediest mobile carrier, and with the Optimus LTE tests it takes back the crown (though not by much). We were able to consistently get over 45Mbps download speeds and 15Mbps upload speeds. Think about that for a second. In the downstream that is equal or faster than many top-tier cable and fiber connections. In the upstream it is up to 15x faster than home broadband.

Not only do the results speak for themselves in speed tests, but they translate nicely into real-world performance. Over LTE, web pages load instantly. High-bandwidth sites that typically take minutes to render are complete in seconds. Think 500px.com; think Flickr. This is the first time in history that a device bottleneck is the CPU, not network speeds. Forget checkboards or spinning wheels, the only time you’ll be waiting for a page to load is when there is an excess of Javascript or Flash content.

Let me put it another way: I used this phone’s LTE connection to upload the YouTube video you see above. At 1.16GB it usually takes nearly 4 hours on my 1Mbps home connection. I completed the upload in less than fifteen minutes.

Battery Life

In truth, we expected battery life to be negatively affected by the high-resolution screen, powerful backlight and LTE chip. We just didn’t expect it to deplete this quickly. If you take a look at the screenshot of battery use, you’ll see that for most of the day the battery life decreased fairly slowly. This was because I was using the phone sparingly in an area with no LTE.

After coming downtown I began using the device as I would any other: downloading apps, surfing the web, streaming music and playing half an hour of games. Doing so took the battery from 70% to around 10% in less than two hours. In fact, LG claims only three hours of talk time on the device, even with its prodigious 1830mAh battery. Suffice it to say, if you’re going to be using the Optimus LTE to its fullest computational, graphical and connectable extent, I’d recommend investing in a second (or third) battery.

Luckily there is a toggle in the Mobile Network section of the Settings app to disable LTE. In that case the phone will fall back to Bell’s still-fast 21Mbps connection

Camera

We tried well-lit, low-lit, indoor-lit and sunny-lit, and only in the last scenario could we get a photo that wasn’t unreasonably blurry. Though possessed with fantastic macro abilities and a capable, fast autofocus lens, I was not happy with the majority of the results. While there were a few gems among the rough, with accurate colours and excellent dynamic range, images suffer from a softness that I couldn’t abide.

Individual settings such as white balance and exposure are editable, and there are various scenes to select from. None of these improve the quality of the camera sensor which continues the tradition of inferior photography offerings from LG . This is unfortunate and a mar again an otherwise fantastic product. In 2011, having a capable camera on a phone is bare minimum; having a bad camera is untenable. While it’s better than the average camera from a couple years ago — think iPhone 3GS plus a few million pixels — it can’t compete with the iPhone 4S’ and HTC Amaze’s of the world. That said it takes photos quickly, and when they turn out well they’re pretty nice to look at.

Luckily the front-facing camera isn’t as objectionable as the rear, owed to the fact that expectations are much lower. I am happy to report the 1.3MP camera is clear and capable, though there is plenty of noise in lower-light scenarios.

Video quality fares slightly better than stills: 1080p video, while soft, is smooth and artifact-free. For general use the quality is good enough to capture a kid’s birthday party or film your dog playing in the park, but if there’s anything important you need filmed I’d bring the point-and-shoot (or the iPhone 4S/HTC Amaze).

Sound Quality, Miscellany and Misgivings

There isn’t much else to say about the Optimus LTE, which comes in around the middle of the pack for sound quality and speaker volume. Making calls on Bell’s network resulted in clear, sharp dialogue and a distinct lack of background noise or hiss. The second microphone at the top adequately cancels ambient noise, though we were told our voices sounded rather tinny at times, like it was being wrung through a metal can. On our end, voices sounded normal and robust, so we’ll chalk it up to network conditions rather than a fault with the phone.

We tested our Bluetooth stereo headset with the Optimus LTE to great success; range was good and quality superb. Connecting our headphones also resulted in accurate, punchy music, though maximum volume levels seemed a tad low. The mono speaker on the back, on the other hand, produced excellent quality sound that was good enough to fill a whole room with a conference call. Recipients on the other end heard me loud and clear.

Bell bundles their standard suite of, ahem, bloatware, though as I’ve stated before there are a couple of great apps thrown in there. In particular their TV&Radio app shines, facilitating a wonderful mobile television experience for not all that much money. For those cord-cutters who still want a piece of the live TV action, this is definitely your best bet.

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One note on LTE reception: due to the fact that Bell currently only uses the 1700Mhz frequency for LTE connectivity, reception will be less robust than a regular HSPA+ network which falls back to 850Mhz in times of multipath or signal fade. As a result, unless I was right downtown in the open air I rarely saw more than three bars of LTE. If I happened to fall back to HSPA+ I consistently had five bars. Keep that in mind if you live in a basement or in a place with thick concrete walls.

Another qualm we had with the device was its lack of internal storage. At 2GB is undercuts the industry by several times, opting instead to bundle an 8GB microSD card. The entire 2GB is given over to app storage, making it necessary to always have a card in the device. If you wish to upgrade to a larger size, you must be sure to copy the content over to the new one or risk losing essential app data.

Development and Upgrades

LG devices have always been pretty friendly to the developer community. The Optimus 2X received a CyanogenMOD 7 port fairly soon after it was rooted, and the community continues to thrive today. While I am not certain whether the bootloader is unlocked on the Optimus LTE there is no reason to believe the company would start now.

As for Ice Cream Sandwich, Bell’s own website states that it will be upgraded as soon as it is released. Without reading too much into that, we’re thinking they mean when LG releases it, not Google. Be that as it may, it’s a good sign when a carrier posts a message like that on their site before a device’s actual release. They know what people want, and people want ICS.

Final Thoughts

For all its virtues the Optimus LTE falls well short of greatness. For every high there is an equal low; for the wonderful screen there is a distracting dithering issue; for the ridiculous LTE speeds there is disappointing battery life; for the unparalleled performance, a poor camera.

I admit that I am a hardened critic trained and conditioned to see the worst in devices. In this sense I can forgive the screen issue as it will likely not be noticed by the vast majority of potential buyers. The camera and insipid battery life I’m not so sure about. LG had time to think whether they wanted to implement LTE in their flagship device, and it was a choice I’m sure they grappled with. Every manufacturer releasing a LTE device knows of the battery hit and not a single one decided to wait until the next generation, which will likely bring usage to parity with current HSPA+ solutions. And by bringing it to market they are banking on users understanding the shortcomings: with every first-generation technology there are sacrifices.

In other ways the Optimus LTE is the full package. It is fast, well-constructed with a beautiful screen and an OS as close to stock Gingerbread as you’re going to get. The 720p display and LTE connectivity are going to be more than enough to get people talking.

The LG Optimus 4G LTE is available from Bell for $149.95 on a 3-year term and $629.95 outright.

In addition, you can get this at Best Buy and Future Shop.

Rating: 7/10

Pros:

-     Stunning 720p display has accurate colours, high brightness and endless viewing angles
-     LTE speeds are the fastest we’ve ever seen
-     Phone is blazing fast, beats most devices with the same chipset
-     Nicely-constructed
-     Comfortable to hold
-     Subtle additions to OS like gestures are genuinely useful
-     Nuance-powered Voice Control is accurate and fast
-     Excellent reception and voice quality

Cons:

-     Poor camera quality
-     Dithering problems with screen
-     LTE battery life drains fast
-     No internal storage, only 2GB app storage

According to LG’s Dr. Henry Noh (who has an awesome name, we might add) next year’s model will likely be significantly thinner — 7mm or less — and feature better camera sensors than the Optimus 3D, which is equipped with two 5MP shooters that, combined, take 3MP 3D stills.

He also hints that prices for 3D tech will have to be significantly lower than their premium status right now in order to reach the mainstream user market. As it stands, 3D technology on phones is still relegated to the “interesting, but unnecessary” for most consumers, but if the price was lowered to the point where it was the same price or less than the equivalent 2D device, with no size penalty, it would spur sales right along.

Source: Pocket-Lint via PocketNow

Visiting the LG Booth I spoke with Frank Lee, he’s the Senior Manager of Public Relations for LG Canada. The 2 phones that they officially announced and are extremely beautiful are the Android powered LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black. These are global devices and are on display at CES and the word from the press releases are that the “Optimus Black will be rolled out globally in the first half of 2011″, and the LG Optimus 2X will be soon first in Korea then in Europe and Asia to follow.

Frank Lee had this to say about a Canadian availability: “The LG Optimus Black and LG Optimus 2X are currently being reviewed by Canadian carriers but regarding if and when they will be released in Canada there are no specific dates”. We’re wishing there was a bit more solid info other than “reviewed” with at least being “tested internally”. However, sounds like it’s just a matter of time before somebody makes an announcement.

The Quantum comes with 1GHz SnapDragon processor, a 3.8 inch 800×400 screen that supports 262K colours. It weighs in at 180 grams, and measures 119.5 x 59.5 x 15.22mm. The Quantum supports Quad-band GMS / EDGE networks using 850/900/1800/1900MHz and Tri-band UMTS/HSPA using 850/1900/2100MHz. Other features include wireless b/g support, 16GB internal storage with no external MicroSD slot for expansion, a 5 MegaPixel camera with LED flash capable of taking a 720p HD video, 1500mAh battery, FM Radio, and Bluetooth. The Quantum also supports DLNA-DMR for streaming your media from the phone to any DLNA enabled monitor.

Two things hit me when I first received this phone. One of those is weight – the Quantum weighs in at 180 grams. If you compare that to it’s brother – the LG Optimus 7 at 157 grams, or the Samsung Focus at just 121 grams, and lastly, the HTC Surround at 165 grams – it’s obvious that the Quantum is the heavy one on the Windows Phone block. For reference, the iPhone 4 weighs in at 137 grams. But you don’t need to compare the numbers, just pick it up and you’ll notice right away; This is one of the heaviest phones you’ve held in your hand in recent years. I understand that this phone has a keyboard so it may not be fair to compare it to these phones. I wanted to show the weight compared to other Windows Phone 7 devices, and of course, the iPhone is popular so that reference is understandable. For those that think the extra weight is a result of the keyboard, the HTC Desire Z comes in at 164 grams. LG Quantum is still the winner, or loser, depending on how you look at this.

Weight is one of those magical things – if it’s too light then people tend to think it’s cheap feeling, and if it’s too heavy then it gives the impression of bulk and carrying a brick. For me, this device was just too heavy. Your mileage may vary, so I strongly suggest you head down to your local Bell store and pick one up for yourself. But for me, it was at that weight where I can’t forget that it’s in my pocket.

The other thing that hits you right away is the finish on the device. LG made the battery door out of very thin metal, which feels nice in your hand, but they covered everything else with that soft rubbery feel. It’s great to help prevent the device from slipping out of your hands, and if LG had only used this on the back around the battery door it wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, LG covered the whole device with this soft rubber finish, including the front. The end result is that the phone looks like it has a poorly made rubber case on it all the time. Every time I looked at the device, I wanted to take the case off, only to remember that it wasn’t a case at all.

Let’s take a close look at the keyboard; The Quantum’s keyboard slides out to the left. It has 3 rows of letters and a row of symbol keys. In order to enter a number, you need to press the function button and then the corresponding key. The function and shift keys are off to the side of the keyboard and can be a little difficult to press because of their size and height, but nothing too dramatic. While the keyboard doesn’t sport an offset design, it is still very functional and I found it pretty easy to use. The keys have a good amount of travel and a spaced nicely.

Battery life on the Quantum was very nice. I had 4 email accounts (2 Exchange, 2 Gmail) linked on the phone along with my Facebook, and Windows Live accounts and I would have plenty of juice left at the end of the day. I could go a second day if I had to, without a problem.

The top of the device has the 3.5mm headphone jack and the power button. On the right side of the device, you’ll find the volume rocker at the top end and the camera button about three quarters of the way down the side. The bottom of the device is clean and clear. And the left side of the device has a little thumbnail opening where you can pop open the battery door, and then closer to to top of the side is a microUSB plug for charging and syncing the phone.

Across the front of the device you’ll find the standard 3 buttons – Back, Home, and Search. LG made the Home button a true resistive button that requires pressing, while the Back and Search keys are capacitive buttons that just require you to touch them. There’s little chance you will accidentally press the Home button while reach across the device for the Back button. LG has also offset the Home button – it’s sits below the screen and below the Back and Search keys.

No surprise that you’ll find the camera on the back of the device. I was a little surprised at the location of the flash, it seems to be set a little far into the device. But it didn’t seem to effect the pictures at all.

The battery door on the Quantum is pretty unique. It’s kind of a hinge, but not really. It’s different enough that LG felt the need to put an instructional sticker on the back of the device. When you put your thumbnail in and pop the back cover, it swings out a little and then releases. When you put it back on, you need to be sure to get the hinged side lined up first, and then swing the door down and snap it into place. Once you’ve done this it’s pretty easy and not a problem to open/close. It’s just a little different the first time.

The screen on the Quantum is bright and vibrant and very responsive to the touch. While it may not be an AMOLED, it certainly is a vibrant screen that is easy enough to see indoors and out.

The LG Quantum is a solid phone with a really good slide out keyboard. The phone is fast both on data speeds and when running applications. The weight of the device is a bit much for me, and the rubberized finish left a lot to be desired, but your mileage might vary. Head down to your local Bell shop (or AT&T if you’re in the US) and check it out – especially if you fancy physical keyboards instead of on-screen type.

More here at TELUS

UPDATE: This contest is now over and the winner is Michael Krochter. Congrats Michael… and thanks to everyone who entered!

Fancy Android? How would you like to win the recently released LG Loop? This is powered by Android, has a 3-inch touchscreen display, 3.0 megapixel camera with video, GPS, WiFi, hold up to 32GB and it could be yours! All you have to do to win is one of the following: follow us on Twitter or become a member of our Forum. People who are already following or members are automatically entered. The contest ends Tuesday, September 7th at 11:59pm. Good luck to all who enter…

The second generation of the Neon has officially landed at Rogers. The Neon2 has some improvements from the original, mainly the increased screen size, memory and the overall design looks cleaner.

The Neon2 packs a slideout QWERTY keyboard, 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen display with a resolution of 240×400 (was a 2.4-inch display with the fist Neon), can hold up to 8GB with a microSD card (was only 4 before), 2 megapixel camera with video, FM radio, MP3 player, Bluetooth. Overall dimensions are 107.5×52.5×15.9mm with a weight of 122 grams (was 109 grams before).

The Neon2 is priced at a low $19.99 on a 3-year contract, but we’ve already seen this hit a low $0.00 at Future Shop. Other price points range all the way up to a decent $174.99 no-contract. This will probably find it’s way over to Fido soon.

More here at Rogers

Rogers is prepping to release the LG Neon2 – dummy phones have arrived at stores and so has stock. The only thing missing is a full rundown of the specs. Talking a look at the LG Canada site shows all the goodness of this slider.

If you’re thinking about getting this here’s what you can expect the specs to be: Slide with a full QWERTY keyboard, 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen display with a resolution of 240×400, 5 hotkeys, can hold up to 8GB with a microSD card, 2 megapixel camera with video capabilities (2x zoom), FM radio, MP3 player, Bluetooth, overall dimensions are 107.5×52.5×15.9mm with a weight of 122 grams. In addition, this apparently comes in 4 colours. The only price point we know of currently is the 3-year at $29.99.

There are a few more images after the break, but you can check it out here at LG