LG Optimus S

Cheaply priced doesn't mean cheaply made, thanks to a plethora of surprisingly speedy and feature-packed budget Android smartphones, reviewers say. The LG Optimus S for Sprint offers a zippy Android 2.2 experience bundled with a decent camera, mobile hotspot capability and a vibrant screen packaged in a smartphone that is "comfortable in the pocket of all but the tightest pair of jeans," says Philip Berne of PhoneScoop.com. 

Similar to T-Mobile's LG Optimus T (Free with contract), the Optimus S, which comes in purple and black, is a "compact, attractive device," says Berne. It measures 4.5 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide, weighs just over 4 ounces and has a 3.2-inch, 320-by-480-pixel LCD touch screen. In place of touch-screen keys, which are often too sensitive, four raised buttons line the front. There are also buttons for power, volume, camera and voice dialing. The microSD card is conveniently located in a slot on the left of the phone instead of behind the battery. Though not a Super AMOLED, the Optimus S's screen still provides "colorful" images and "sharp" text, says CNET's Nicole Lee, and the "brightness made the screen easily viewable in bright sunlight," says PhoneScoop's Philip Berne.

Though the Optimus S lacks the powerhouse hardware of higher-end smartphones, its 600 MHz processor coupled with Android 2.2 offers "zippy performance overall," says Lee. The smartphone has Wi-Fi as well as mobile hotspot capability ($30 a month). Lee reports the Optimus S can load CNET's mobile site in 12 seconds and YouTube videos need only a few seconds of time to buffer, though the video quality was "blurry and pixelated." While Android 2.2 supports Flash for web browsing, the processor doesn't have the power to pull it off. Reviewers have mixed views on call quality and battery life for the Optimus S. PCMag.com tests report "excellent" battery life, at six hours of continuous talk time, while Engadget.com reports two days of moderate use without needing a charge. Berne, on the other hand, says he consistently had to charge his test model halfway through the day, even with only light usage. CNET and PhoneScoop.com testers are disappointed by the smartphone's call quality, while PCMag's Jamie Lendino and Engadget's Myriam Joire have no issues with quality or reception.

PhoneScoop.com provides the most detailed review of the phone while CNET and PCMag.com provide brief overviews of its pros and cons. Engadget covers the hardware and software specs and performance in detail.