LG Optimus One review

LG’s latest Android handset, the Optimus One, follows on from the original Optimus GT540, which at the time of review was far too expensive and ran an out-of-date version of Android. The Optimus One runs Android 2.2 and is available for half the price of the GT540, but otherwise has a similar specification – a 3.2in, 320×480-pixel screen and a 3-megapixel camera. It’s also available on contract as well as prepay.

The One looks nothing like the GT540, and we found its rounded corners and buttons a bit bland. It feels well made, with a metal strip around the edge that houses the ports and a volume rocker, and a rubber finish on the plastic casing that makes it easy to grip. LG has opted for physical rather than touch-sensitive buttons, which are easier to feel for in the dark and you’re less likely to trigger them accidentally.

The screen is small by today’s standards, but despite the low resolution we found it sharper than other budget handsets’ displays, such as the HTC Wildfire or Motorola Flipout’s. It’s nowhere near as good as Motorola’s Defy, though, with its much larger 480×800 resolution. The 3-megapixel camera is also slightly disappointing, especially as it lacks a flash and so isn’t suitable for low-light conditions.

We found pictures suffered from a lot of smearing and colours were a bit flat. Videos too were blurry and the camera struggled to capture movement, while their low resolution makes then only suitable for posting on the web. We were disappointed to find that the One lacks the GT540’s clever video editing app.

Android 2.3 may be the cutting edge, but it’s only available on a tiny number of phones. The One’s Android 2.2 operating system is acceptably up to date, and LG has added a few extras. There’s a full version of the ThinkFree office document editor, and the official Facebook and Twitter clients come pre-installed so you can import your contacts from those services straight away. You can merge contacts, although the process isn’t obvious; you have to edit a contact, press the Menu button and choose “Join”.

There are some nice touches, the most useful being the ability to create custom categories in the application tray, so you can organise your apps rather than have a massive, unsorted list. Apps can also be uninstalled directly from the app tray, which is handy. You can choose to have either five or seven home screens on which to place widgets and shortcuts.

Inevitably, there are also niggles. The screen seems too sensitive to movement and we found it flipped between portrait and landscape mode too readily, although frustratingly it wouldn’t switch to landscape in some text entry screens. It’s almost impossible to edit text in ThinkFree’s PowerPoint editor, as the keyboard takes up 90% of the screen’s space.

The One is available for only £20 per month on contract with an unlimited data plan, and you can also buy it SIM-free for just over £200, or on a prepay deal with Three for £180. While this makes it an attractive budget choice, it doesn’t compare well with the Motorola Defy, which has a far larger screen, a better camera and tough chassis, and is also available on a £20-per-month contract. You should also consider the Motorola Flipout if you’d prefer a physical keyboard.