It may not be the most exciting phone to have launched this season, but hey, smartphones aren't for everyone.  To those that enjoy using a regular, no frills phone, the LG LX290 is for you.  Despite the lack of 3G, it offers Bluetooth, e-mail, and a 1.3-megapixel camera.  From a design perspective, it should be mostly well-received, though the four shortcut buttons above the numeric keypad will be a love or hate thing.  Roughly half of the people I spoke with liked the shortcut keys, and the other half (myself included) didn't.  To be a device on the cheaper side, it seems to be constructed quite well - the hinge felt strong, and keys had an audible click to them.

The device measures in at 4.09 inches long by 1.94 inches wide by 0.63 inch thick, and comes in at 3.6 ounces, making it a decent size.  For an entry-level device, the LX290's screen is quite nice.  It sports 262,000 colors and has a 240 x 320 pixel resolution.

The LX290 offers a 1.3 megapixel camera, and while it's nothing to write home about, it's decent for basic shots with the appropriate amount of light.  Due to the basic nature of the device, it doesn't have a video camera.  I'm still testing call quality and battery life, but in my initial tests, call quality was very good.  Not only was the volume loud, but reception was great.  Callers could hear me well, and there were no call issues.  When I took it to a fringe area, I was able to successfully make and hold a call.  Speakerphone was great, and I was able to program my Bluetooth headset successfully.

Be it for backup purposes or a handset for Grandma, is it a device worthy of owning?  Stay tuned for my full review!