The LG Optimus V has made its way onto nearly every single U.S. carrier and now the prepaid carriers are getting some love from LG's popular mid-range smartphone. MetroPCS recently released their version of the Optimus and now it's Virgin Mobile's turn. At $149 with no contract, you really can't beat the value that the Optimus V brings to the table, but does it still perform as well as the other versions? More than likely yes, but we've got our demo unit now so we'll be able to test it out and see for sure. I've had the Optimus V for about a day so here are some of my initial impressions of it.
- In terms of physical design, it's pretty much identical to the Sprint version, and every other version, for that matter. The dark grey body and silver accents at the top are something we're all used to by now, but it works and makes the device feel sleek. It does feel a little heavier than the MetroPCS version that I tested and a little more cheap and plasticky, but this is a pre-paid phone, so I'm not going to be too picky about that.
- Some will be relieved to see stock Android on the device and some won't, but nevertheless, it's there. Though Virgin Mobile is partnered with Sprint, the Optimus V does not feature the Sprint ID service like the Optimus S does. (I'm pretty sure no one will be complaining about that.) It's awesome to see Android 2.2 on a device out of the box and this definitely gives it an edge in the market.
- As expected, there are a few pre-installed Virgin Mobile apps, but it's really not that bad. I count seven apps in the "bloatware" department, but a few of them, like Downloads and My Account, will be actually be useful.
- The Optimus V's 3.2-inch LCD display is bright, clear, and responsive. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
- The phone's 600 MHz processor seems to be doing well. Granted, I've only used it for a few hours so I haven't been doing any power-intensive tasks, but so far it's promising.
- The phone does ship with Swype along with the stock Android keyboard, so you'll have options in the messaging department. Swype may come in handy for some users who aren't used to the smaller screen size.
- Just like the other Optimus phones, the V has a 3.2 megapixel camera that captures VGA-quality video. Gladly, there is also a dedicated camera button. That's always a nice thing to see.
In general, the Optimus V is a very standard mid-range Android device. It's specs are nothing spectacular and it's not going to win any popularity contests, but it seems to be a solid device for those who need a smartphone, don't feel like emptying their wallets, and prefer to not have a contract. I'll put it through further testing to see exactly how it performs through different tasks, but so far, I'm pleased with the Optimus V.
Check out my full LG Optimus V review!
