My review of the LG Optimus LTE

[howard]

Here’s my review of the new LG Optimus LTE. The Optimus sports a beautiful 4.5” 1280x720 high definition display along with support for LTE. Other specs include a dual core 1.5Ghz processor, Android 2.3.5, 1GB RAM, 2GB storage, micro SDHC, 1830mAh battery and WiFi direct.

Without a doubt the Optimus best feature is its display. In a word, the display is stunning. I compared the Optimus’ display with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus’ which has identical resolution but is slightly larger (4.65” vs 4.5”). The Optimus sports an IPS LCD display - the same sort of technology used in many high end computer monitors as well as the iPhone 4/4s.

As far as sharpness goes, the Optimus’ display is slightly sharper. Compared to the Nexus the Optimus’ looks more ‘solid’ because it doesn’t have a pentile matrix display like the Nexus does. However, the difference is not noticeable unless you have them side-by-side and look for it carefully.

The Optimus seems to have more accurate colour. The Nexus colours are a little overblown - the contrast feels too intense. Still, most people will probably prefer the Nexus’ colours.

The Nexus’ display is slightly brighter.

both are work quite well outdoors in direct sunlight and are very close in this regard.

One area which I don’t usually talk about is how resistant a display is to fingerprints. When it’s clean, the Optimus has fantastic viewing angles. The same can’t be said when it’s covered with fingerprints so keep a microfiber cloth handy! The Nexus is slightly better in this regard.

Black levels are better on the Nexus. The Nexus display can get so dark sometimes I wonder if it’s actually on. Compared with other LCD’s the Optimus is not the best but it’s definitely better than average.

On top is the 3.5mm headphone jack, micro USB and power button

volume buttons

8mp camera with LED flash.

While I like the pattern and the metal insert on the battery cover I found that it it creaked a little when I squeezed the phone. I was a little disappointed by this because it’s predecessor, the Optimus 2x was a very solid phone. Actually, I was a little surprised at how light the Optimus felt in my hand.

I was satisfied with the Optimus’ ergonomics. There are only 3 menu buttons which have ample space around them, so that I was able to hold it without accidentally pressing anything. Actually, the ergonomics are so good that despite the huge display I can frequently use it with one hand.

Unlike the LG Optimus 2x the LTE has LG’s Android customizations. They have their own custom font, lock screen, main menu plus they’ve customized some of the software. I must say, out of HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola I think LG’s customizations are the worst looking. The LG font looks cheap; ditto for the lock screen. The main menu icons have these weird boxes around them. Actually, if Samsung Touchwiz is a copy of iOS then the Optimus menus kind of look like a copy of Touchwiz.

I like how you can go directly to new messages from the lock screen.

There are 2 English keyboards: The Android one along with one from LG. The LG one is just a regular QWERTY keyboard. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what the point of the LG one is. It has even less features than the Android one. The Optimus’ combination or good ergonomics along with the large screen make it easy to type on.

There’s a 8mp camera that can also record 1080p (actually 1088p) video. Focus speeds can be relatively fast but it’s not that accurate. I should point out that other fast-focusing camera phones also trade accuracy for speed but the accuracy seems worse on the Optimus. I noticed that the Optimus seems a little more susceptible to blooming that other camera phones. I also wasn’t that happy with it’s overall colour.

The Optimus records video using the center pixels of its sensor. What this means is video’s will appear to be more ‘zoomed’ in than still photos. This results in shakier video plus you also have to stand further from your subject. Anyways, the effect is not as dramatic as it is on the Samsung Galaxy LTE but I’m still annoyed by it since the HTC Raider and Motorola RAZR don’t do this.

LG RemoteCall allows LG’s support to connect to your phone in case you’re having problems. Don’t worry, this feature is off by default.

Richnote is a note taking application. Besides letting you enter text you can also draw pictures, attach images, sound clips, music and even your current location. When you’re done you can share them via email, messaging or with the Social+ app. I don’t think the Richnote files are compatible with OneNote or Evernote.

You get some games with the Optimus including Asphalt 6 (an unrealistic arcade style racing game), Let’s Golf 2 and N.O.V.A. 2 HD (a shooter).

SmartShare is a DLNA program which allows you to display pictures and video stored on the Optimus on other compatible devices like many newer TV’s, the Xbox 360, Sony PS3, Western Digital WDTV, etc.

I was impressed with the Video Player app. It has decent video file support. I was able to play back 480p avi (DIVX), 720p mkv and even some wmv files. I also remembers where you left off and has a useful lock feature. While it looks slightly different it’s functionality is very similar to the video player app on Samsung phones which makes me wonder whether they’re from the same company.

SmartWorld is LG’s own app store. Unless you plan on only buying LG phones going forward I don’t understand why anyone would buy apps from there.

There’s a social networking widget which supports Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.

Polaris Office allows you to view MS Office documents. It’s cloud support is limited to only Box.net.

I stuck a 16GB class 10 card in the Optimus and observed read speeds of 19.3MB/s and write speeds of 10MB/s. Both are quite good.

HSPA RF performance is average. It’s similar to the HTC Amaze in this respect. I took both phones to somewhere with low network signal and observed very similar performance from both.

LTE RF performance was a little trickier to test. I tested the Optimus head to head with a HTC Raider on Bell. One area where the Optimus wins hands down is that it is able to handoff back-and-forth between HSPA and LTE. Here’s an example. I loaded up a video on YouTube in an HSPA only area. As I moved into an LTE area the Optimus switched to LTE. Later, as I exited the LTE zone the Optimus switched back to HSPA. The video playback was not affected at all during this test.The Raider stayed on HSPA mode the entire text. Now as far as outright performance goes they’re quite similar. They both find and drop LTE signal at approximately the same speed.

Incoming sound quality was average. If the incoming was loud the Optimus tended to get a little fuzzy sounding, almost like it was being over-driven. There is noticeable background hiss. Outgoing sound quality is actually pretty good.

Performance is good. Programs launch quickly and there is minimal lag.

The 1830mAh battery is decent. You might be able to get a full day out of it.

Since the Galaxy Nexus has already been released it’s a little disappointing that the Optimus LTE only ships with Android 2.3.5. While they’re nothing wrong with Gingerbread a phone with a cutting edge 720p display should come with the newest possible software. I guess it’s worth pointing out that LG probably used 2.3.5 so that they could get the Optimus LTE out before the competition brings out their 720p phones. Sometimes it’s important to be first. On the other hand, LG doesn’t always have the best track record when it comes to releasing updates for their phones. I have a LG Optimus 2x on Wind which came out about 10 or 11 months ago that’s still only officially on FroYo.

In fact, besides the awesome screen and LTE support nothing really stands out with the Optimus LTE. The camera, while better than the 2x still lags behind the competition. The software is ugly and basically vanilla Android with DLNA support. The body creaks when you squeeze it.

Still, if you’re looking for a high-end phone, LTE and 720p are 2 features that should be right at the top of your list.

Highs:
720p display looks amazing
snappy performance
fast memory card speeds
video player has good codec support
Lows:
battery cover creaks
camera could be better

Interestingly:
The Optimus LTE’s display has a slightly higher pixel desnity compared to the iPhone 4’s ‘Retina’ display. 329 pixels per inch vs a measly 326.

[HC - NO "i"]

Fellow HC,

Thanks for the review. Regarding the HSPA < > LTE hand-offs, I am also intriguied by the observation too. I still do not know why the HTC Raider would behave differently. Just that streaming media from YouTube has got a little buffer, so it just reconnects when the hand-offs taken place.

My first impression of the Optimus LTE is how light it is, feels comfortable to hold in my hand. The battery cover is part of the housing and it creaks / flexes when squeezing it though. LG has a lot to say about the AH-IPS display used in the "World's 1st HD Display LTE Superphone", I find it does offer very natural, accurate colours. Just that I must be so spoiled by the Samsung Super AMOLED! It is more "pastel" like for my eyes

[Steve Punter]

In your second picture, presumably comparing face-on shots of the Optimus next to the Galaxy Nexus, you seem to be running Ice Cream Sandwich on both of them, but you stated that the Optimus came with Gingerbread. I am missing something here?

[Prom1]

In your second picture, presumably comparing face-on shots of the Optimus next to the Galaxy Nexus, you seem to be running Ice Cream Sandwich on both of them, but you stated that the Optimus came with Gingerbread. I am missing something here?

Good catch!! I thought Howard posted two Galaxy Nexus' side by side and passed it off without a second look.

Steve how you been?!!! I must say I think ALL of us have learned a HUGE deal about cellphones and networks off of our blog and eventual posts here over the past 15yrs!

[Prom1]

Fully Charged.

Some initial observations - coming from a former die-hard BB user fully converted in the flock of OSX+iOS synergy.

The build quality is completely SOLID! Sorry Howard, my device ... Has ... No ... Creaks! The design is very subtle, basic, yet professional and direct in presentation. I actually LOVE the rear of this device. Despite 4.5" display size its incredibly svelte. If you know how easy the iPhone 4 is to use with 1 hand, you'll feel right at home on the LG Optimus LTE. The display, being an AH-IPS 720P 4.5" is incredible. I've been surfing and reading PDFs on this bad-boy and your eyes will NOT suffer those stoned tell-tale red-eye signs of a toker that commonly plagues AMOLED device users just after 2hours of use. AMOLED screens have their advantages, however long term, consistent use is not one of them - not to mention to over TINT used to create that "POP" effect for colours due to over saturation or high contrast. The 720P resolution, pixel density, and 4.5" screen all work hand in hand, something I'll expect from Apple (at least 4") on the next iPhone 5 late summer 2012.

Audio ... something hardly mentioned ... the DSP on this is incredible! I'm no audio file but the same mids & high's I love on the iPhone 4 are present hear but with a much deeper bass range (from mids to the very lows - Bass Guitar enthusiasts will love this). I'm using the Bose MIE2's on both devices listening to the same tracks and playlists and I can say I'm quite impressed. I couldn't even attain the bass of the Optimus LTE using the iPhone 4 if the equalizer had a chance, to which it doesn't.

WOW this thing is light in the hand! I'm VERY shocked ... however I miss a bit of heft of my iPhone 4, but not to worry the build is solid as previously mentioned.

Android ... I'm not sure WHAT it is but I cannot wrap my head around it. Being a smartphone user for years - yes I've tweaked many an S60, Windows Pocket PC-PE, UIQ, and Windows Mobile 6.1 SE (smartphone edition) in my day - but I think I'm "officially" old. That or I've too many hours to work too much to focus on servers, powershell scripts, OSX Lion Server, MDM solutions to bother tweaking phones any longer; most likely its this.

Android gripes on 2.3.5 (on LG Optimus LTE) that I hope changes with ICS. Keep in mind this is from an iOS user alright?

1. Games preloaded will NOT work without the MicroSD card - mine didn't include one - annoying, even though 1.2GB on-board storage was available.
2. Calculator VERY basic ... horizontal or vertical orientation gives the same basic use. I'm sure Android Marketplace can resolve this - but this should be a core app to forego this. Marketplace is to enhance beyond the basic/medium system offerings (i.e. an HP Scientific model) - not to provide a decent calculator.
3. Key press vibration ... where on EARTH do I turn this stupid function off?! Guys I can be 80yrs old and would NEVER need this function. Yes I looked in Settings, but I'm sure my thinking of where it should be located.
(Update: OOOOOH its located in main screen, menu, Sound Settings ... Haptic Feedback. really is this actually a "sound" setting? pffff).
4. Creating Folders - cannot do this iOS style, yes you're thinking DUH but

Bonus of Android:
1. LTE ... ******* this thing is sick! Why do we have Cable/DSL Docsis 3.0 modems again?!! (oh yeah the price and no reliance on a battery) If you have a laptop and you need data THIS device will give you the speeds you need without bottlenecks - and I'm using a Rogers SIM card.
2. Applications Layout - do you know how blissful it is to an iOS user that you can use a phone to organize by Category, Page, or List view?!!! Sweet.
3. Exchange ActiveSync supports Exchange 2010 features and functions!
4. GPS location seems to work on WLAN without a SIM card inside; impressive.

Bell Optimus LTE Bonus:
- although I cannot access the content using my Rogers SIM card, I can traverse the offerings and its pretty well offered. NHL on Demand, NFL, Bell TV Online, CTV News, CBC, AccuWeather (station), TSN, TSN2, RDS, RedZone, Tout le Monde en parle, Treehouse, YTV (DragonBall Z anyone?), The Comedy Network (enjoy using your phone, not just the specs over a FAST data connection will make Bell laugh all the way to the bank while you laugh all the way till your pocket is empty ) and of course HBO!!! Rogers, where is YOUR offering? Junk actually.

Ringtones: Central Park & Seasons Change (both very jazzy and well done), Anticipation & Illusion (funky/acid jazz like), Acappella Beep (seriously & wonderfully creative), and It's My Home (LG should make a commercial of the Optimus LTE with a scene at a Starbucks coffee shop JUST on this ringtone alone!!). This actually amazes me since Apple has a longstanding stack in creative audio software/engineering on OSX, OS9 and many incredible apps on iOS yet their core staff cannot come up with incredible and usable stock ringtones? !!! ???

That's all I have for now, great device honestly.


EDIT: I just found that you can specify the type of network connectivity in Settings> Wireless & Networks> Mobile Network Settings> Network Mode:
WCDMA Only
GSM Only
GSM/WCDMA Auto
GSM/WCDMA LTE Auto

[HC - NO "i"]

Good catch!! I thought Howard posted two Galaxy Nexus' side by side and passed it off without a second look.

Steve how you been?!!! I must say I think ALL of us have learned a HUGE deal about cellphones and networks off of our blog and eventual posts here over the past 15yrs!

Prom1 / Steve,

There are not two Galaxy Nexus (see the front-facing camera locations) but there are ways to achieve the outcomes... capture a screenshot from the Galaxy Nexus and shows it on the Optimus LTE, Photoshop, port the ICS...

[Steve Punter]

I'm no audio file but the same mids & high's

I'm pretty sure I'm not an audio FILE either, but I might be a bit of an audiophile.

[Steve Punter]

Steve how you been?!!! I must say I think ALL of us have learned a HUGE deal about cellphones and networks off of our blog and eventual posts here over the past 15yrs!

I'm doing fine, but as you might have noticed the level of new content on my web page has slowed down a little over the last few years. This the result of a few factors, such as the inclusion of site locations in the Industry Canada database which removes the need to actually go out and LOOK FOR new sites. I setup the web page initially to post my site maps to the public, but now it isn't really a big deal.

Secondly, the advent of the smartphone has shifted my priorities somewhat. I used to test phones primarily to see how well they worked AS PHONES, but like many people using smartphones these days I find myself making fewer and fewer voice calls and using the device more as a small computer. This fundamental change has greatly reduced the number of phones I test, despite the large number of models available on the market. Devices such as the Galaxy Nexus (which I tested just recently) was driven in part because I thought I might have wanted to buy one to replace my aging Galaxy S Captivate.

I'm still very active as far as cell-phones-as-a-hobby is concerned, but the shift in priority has meant I haven't found myself with anywhere near as much to say about them as I did before. While the smartphone is still a number of years away from attaining "mature" status, as is presently the case with desktop and laptop computers, the changes that come out almost daily are basically restricted to the speed and number of cores in the processor, the amount of RAM (though surprisingly that's reminded static at 1 GB for quite some time now), the speed of the GPU, and how many megapixels the camera sports. While it's always cool to get the latest and most powerful phone, the end result isn't really something you can spent a lot of time writing about. The "core functionality" has fundamentally shifted to a paradigm where raw specs tell you much more than personal experience.

You've demonstrated in your observations of the LP Optimus LTE that there still a few areas that demand a personal point-of-view, but once we discount your comments on the O/S in general (which has nothing to do with the Optimus specifically) there isn't really much, which only highlights my point.

I will continue to write phone reviews and I'll continue to search for the right level of focus that tells the reader things he couldn't find by just looking at the spec sheet, but I doubt I'll be writing anywhere near as much as I did before.

[Steve Punter]

There are not two Galaxy Nexus (see the front-facing camera locations) but there are ways to achieve the outcomes... capture a screenshot from the Galaxy Nexus and shows it on the Optimus LTE, Photoshop, port the ICS...

If Howard did indeed use a screen capture from the Galaxy Nexus on the Optimus, then that explains it. However without an explanation with the photo it does seem a little confusing.

[HC - NO "i"]

If Howard did indeed use a screen capture from the Galaxy Nexus on the Optimus, then that explains it. However without an explanation with the photo it does seem a little confusing.

Steve,

I have done something similar to trick people. Remember the WP Metro UI feel music player for Android from the author of LauncherPro? And the functional Sense home screen widget theme for BlackBerry?

[howard]

Correct. I screen grabbed the galaxy and stuck that image on the Optimus. The idea was to show the same image on both screens so that we can compare them. In retrospect I should have mentioned that.

[Steve Punter]

As far as sharpness goes, the Optimus’ display is slightly sharper.

Curiously, your photo doesn't bare that out. I zoomed the photo in for a closer look and perhaps because the Super AMOLED screen is bright, the text on the Galaxy Nexus looks distinctly sharper. Perhaps a link to a high-resolution version of that shot would provide a better feel for the difference between the two.

[howard]

Curiously, your photo doesn't bare that out. I zoomed the photo in for a closer look and perhaps because the Super AMOLED screen is bright, the text on the Galaxy Nexus looks distinctly sharper. Perhaps a link to a high-resolution version of that shot would provide a better feel for the difference between the two.

Good eye Steve. I do have a high resolution close-up of the two, but I didn't include it because upon closer examination, I noticed that the screenshot had compression artefacts. Obviously this wouldn't be fair to the Optimus.