Buyer's Guide to LG Phones: Best Budget and High-End Options

Buyer's Guide to LG Phones: Best Budget and High-End Options
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The LG name originally stood for Lucky GoldStar after the merger of two companies, but it has since come to stand for Life’s Good and it certainly has been in recent years for the South Korean electronics giant. They may be better known for their flat screen TV range, but their forays into the mobile market have been increasingly successful.

In this guide we take a look at some of the best smartphones that LG has to offer. They’ve always been quite strong at the budget end of the market with a range of feature phones offering a proprietary UI. Their adoption of Android, Google’s fast growing mobile OS, has catapulted them into the big leagues.

Recently LG has released some great budget Android options, but they’ve also had an impact at the other end of the market with some truly impressive Android handsets featuring cutting edge specs. This buyer’s guide highlights the pick of the bunch. We’ll run through their high-end offerings and we’ll also take a look at the best of their budget releases. So, if you’re considering an LG phone make sure you read through this guide first and make the right choice.

<strong>LG Optimus 3D: The World’s First 3D Smartphone</strong>

You may argue that the lack of excitement about 3D in the world of TVs would suggest this is a gimmick on a smartphone. You’ll just have to get a look at it in action to decide whether you think it’s the next big thing in mobile. Even beyond the 3D mode this is a slick and powerful smartphone so it’s worth learning more.

<strong>LG Optimus 2X for Android</strong>

This dual-core Android powerhouse features a 4 inch capacitive touch screen and an 8 MP camera. It is attractive, lightning fast and it supports true HD video at 1080p (it even has an HDMI port). It’s also reasonably priced when compared with other top Android smartphones.

<strong>LG Revolution Reviewed: 4G Android Smartphone on Verizon</strong>

It may not be revolutionary, as the name would suggest, but this Android smartphone is a welcome addition to the market. It has a massive 4.3 inch touch screen display, a decent processor and a 5 MP camera. It is also another release that takes advantage of the new 4G networks that are rolling out across the US.

<strong>Is the LG Optimus One a Worthy Budget Phone?</strong>

The LG Optimus range keeps expanding and they released several variations of this phone on all the major US carriers. It is a solid budget Android option with a 600 MHz processor and a 3.2 MP camera. The 3.2 inch touch screen isn’t the greatest, but the price is right.

<strong>LG Optimus 7: Windows Phone 7 Smartphone</strong>

Android isn’t the only other platform that LG has experimented with and the Optimus 7 is a WP7 device. Microsoft imposed pretty strict design guidelines so there isn’t much difference between the first batch of WP7 smartphones to hit the market, but this is a solid device.

<strong>LG Optimus S: Affordable Android Smartphone</strong>

This is Sprint’s version of the LG Optimus One and it is a great choice for anyone seeking a budget Android phone. It is a little laggy because of the limited processing power, but as a first introduction to the world of Android it should serve you well.

<strong>Best Budget LG Phones</strong>

This round-up of budget options from LG covers five phones that you should be able to pick up very cheaply. There are old school options with a clamshell design, there’s a phone with a full physical QWERTY keyboard and there’s a budget touch-screen Android option in the mix as well.

<strong>LG Fathom: The Last WinMo Release</strong>

Before there was Windows Phone 7 there was Windows Mobile 6.5 and this was the last LG release on the platform. To be honest it is dated but for international travellers it may still be an attractive option thanks to the roaming and business support, not to mention the physical keyboard. It will be very cheap now too.

<strong>T-Mobile G2x: Android Powered and 4G</strong>

This is actually the T-Mobile branded version of the LG Optimus 2X. It offers great specs including an 8 MP camera, 4 inch touch screen and dual-core processor. The biggest difference is that T-Mobile stripped away the LG UI and went with stock Android and that will be enough to attract quite a few people.

<strong>LG Ally: Budget Android with a Keyboard</strong>

The Ally is an awful lot like the LG Optimus One range when it comes to hardware but there is one vital difference – it has a full physical keyboard that slides out for easy typing.

<strong>LG Saber Reviewed: Basic Messaging Phone from U.S. Cellular</strong>

If you’re shopping for a real smartphone then move along swiftly because this is a budget feature phone aimed at the text happy crowd. It looks like a BB Curve with a small screen and a full physical keyboard beneath. As a quick messaging device it’s not a bad option, but the features are very limited.

<strong>LG Rumor Touch: Feature Phone with a Keyboard</strong>

This is another one to avoid for real smartphone fans but the Rumor Touch is nicely put together, it offers great call quality and it comes at a budget price. If you just want a phone for calls and texts then the slide out physical keyboard and call quality will be a big draw for you here.

<strong>LG Genesis Reviewed - A New Name, Carrier and OS, Oh My!</strong>

This phone started life as the LG enV Touch Pro but Verizon ditched it and it ended up with a new name at U.S. Cellular. It’s actually a solid Android smartphone and it features two displays – it folds open to reveal another display and full physical keyboard.

<strong>Comparison of the LG Optimus 2X and the iPhone 4</strong>

Learn about how well the LG Optimus 2X stands up to the popular iPhone 4. This comparison takes a close look at both smartphones and declares an overall winner.

<strong>HTC Thunderbolt vs LG Revolution: Verizon Android Smartphone Showdown</strong>

This comparison pits two of the best smartphones currently on offer from Verizon against each other. These Android powerhouses go head to head so you can decide which one to splash the cash on.

As you can see LG still offer a pretty mixed bag of phones. Some of their budget options aren’t great, but then you get what you pay for and they are making strides at the top end of the market with Android. What’s your impression of LG phones? Post a comment and let us know.