While everyone was drooling over the cutting edge in Android phones announced at CES, another kind of revolution was happening at the other end of the spectrum. A great example was the LG Optimus U, which debuted on U.S. Cellular in late 2010. The sibling of the Optimus T, Optimus S, and Vortex, it was a capable Froyo phone for only $30.
(If you were a current U.S. Cellular customer in their “Belief Program,” it was $30 after rebate without requiring any new contract commitment. New customers would need to sign on for two years.)
What We Liked
- Despite a 600MHz processor, the OS and all but the most demanding apps ran smooth and fast, thanks in large part to Froyo’s performance enhancements.
- Froyo’s tethering and hotspot functionality, a real differentiating feature on a low-end phone, though they required a tethering plan from U.S. Cellular.
- Toggles for sound, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and airplane mode on the notification shade.
- LG’s custom camera app was genuinely great, with useful shooting modes like Macro, Face Tracking, and Portrait, as well as manual controls including ISO and exposure compensation. Combined with a dedicated camera button, the experience was closer to a point-and-shoot than a typical phone camera.
- Build quality was solid, managing to be small and light without feeling cheap or flimsy.
- Battery life was respectable, lasting a day with moderate use.
- LG had committed to a Gingerbread update for the Optimus One line, which the Optimus U was part of.
What We Didn’t Like
- Froyo was customized, and the cosmetic changes were not an improvement over stock.
- Most included apps aside from Swype and the camera app were taking up space. “Twitter for LG” and “Facebook for LG” were both inferior to the official apps.
- There were limits to what the Optimus U could handle. It ran like a champ for the most part, but got a little bogged down when handling several things at once.
- U.S. Cellular’s 3G data speeds maxed out at around 1 Mb down in the Chicago area where this was tested.
Specs
- 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen
- 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7627
- 3.2-megapixel camera
- MicroSD slot with 2GB card included
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.1
- Android 2.2 (Froyo)
- 1500mAh battery
- 3.5mm headphone jack
The Bottom Line
The Optimus U was not an “entry level” phone in the pejorative sense; it was a great Android phone for anyone on a budget. Phones like the Optimus U meant that folks who never considered getting a smartphone could do so, without the compromises of earlier entry-level Android devices. And that was great news not only for Optimus users but also for Android as a whole.
