LG Optimus L5 E610

Overview

LG Optimus L5: All in one

Overview

First announced in February 2012, the LG Optimus L5 has been a long time in getting a release date. It's finally here, promised as a seamless merger of style and technology - but does it live up to the hype? The LG Optimus L5 is a mid range handset in the L series and features a 4 inch screen that enhances readability. This is a Android (4.0) Optimus UI phone. Some of its features include a phonebook with Unlimited entries, Caller groups, multiple numbers per contact, Search by both first and last name, Picture ID and a Ring ID. To keep you on track it includes a Calendar, Alarm, and Calculator. For those who message frequently it features SMS, MMS, Threaded view, and Predictive text input. Moreover, it has an email option as well including IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and Microsoft Exchange. Not only does it have a large screen to enable better readability but also 320x480 pixels resolution and a picture density of 144ppi. Additionally it is capacitive and multi touch. It also includes a Wi Fi and Bluetooth facility. Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone are some of its other special features. LG Optimus L5 also has a camera with a camera resolution of 2592 x 1944. This 5-mega pixel camera is capable of taking high quality pictures. Some of its other features include a data speed of HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps.

Design and Build Quality

LG Optimus L5 is the middle option in LG’s trio of L-series handsets. At 9.5mm deep, it’s a slim built iteration of the classic L-style device, featuring a white plastic case enclosed by a fine chrome edge that makes the phone look upmarket. Most of the phone is plastic but the device still feels strong and sturdy, capable of withstanding a few shocks, and the textured back panel gives it a certain sophistication. It weighs in at 125g, making it significantly lighter than some of the behemoth smartphones now available in the market, and its slim size means that it fits easily into a pocket and in the hand. The phone is dominated by a 4-inch HVGA display screen at 320x480 resolution, which is clear and reasonably bright although it lacks the eye-popping visuals of the new Super-AMOLED screens now being used by the likes of the Galaxy S2. The display is coarser and poorer than lower-end phones from other manufacturers, and a clear sign of corner cutting by LG.

User Interface and Comfort to Use

Running the brand new Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, and upgradable to 4.1 Jelly Bean, the device nevertheless looks less powerful than the competition (for example, the 1.5 GHz dual-core processor of the HTC One S) due to a disappointing 800MHz processor. Over the top LG has added the LG 3.0 UI, a scaled down version of the sort of interface expected from HTC’s Sense. The UI runs relatively smoothly, but due to the limits of the processor, experiences lag and slow-down when moving between the 7 home screens or browsing through pages. The ICS interface is quite easy to master, with customizable features like widgets.

Telephony and Phonebook

The Contacts function offers the bare minimum in terms of function, but the interface is intuitive and simple. The phone lacks a front-facing camera and isn’t video calling enabled. Call quality is below average: voices can sound tinny and hollow, and the volume is too low for crowded or noisy environments.

Messaging and Emails

The touchscreen keyboard is relatively well spaced and easy to use but is slightly inaccurate; some users may wish to opt for a third-party app from Android Market to make messaging easier. The range of options is limited, and the lack of social media integration is disappointing.

Gallery, Photo Viewer and Video Player

LG Optimus L5 is furnished with the expected range of media options. Its internal memory of 4GB (of which just 2.5GB is user-available) means that most users will make use of its micro-SD slot to store video, audio and image files. If browsing photos or watching videos is a priority, you may wish to opt for a slightly more expensive phone offering better screen quality, such as the Sony Xperia S. The LG Optimus L5 is adequate but uninspiring.

Music Player and FM Radio (Audio Quality)

The music player is nothing out of the ordinary, categorizing songs by artist, album or playlist. It allows the user to create folders for easy sorting. Some audio boosting effects are available, and the general sound quality is reasonable, even from the loudspeaker. The phone also features FM, DLNA and NFC radios, a nice array of options – although the FM radio is not particularly powerful and struggles when scanning for stations.

Still Camera and Image Quality

The phone includes a 5MP camera complete with LED flash. The camera app is slightly unresponsive, and there can be a delay when taking snaps. It includes the typical modifications: tap-to-focus, auto-focus, scene options, modes and after-shot effects. The LED flash means that photo lighting can be harsh, but the camera performs relatively well in low light, although some shots are very grainy and distorted. It copes less well with motion than some of its competitors.

Video Camera and Video Quality

Optimus L5 can capture video of VGA quality (640x480), which is only a modest offering given that the top end of the market is now dominated by phones with 720p capability. The results are reasonable, given the hardware – the HD video produces relatively good results, although the auto-focus works poorly and can interfere with the exposure.

Connectivity Options

The phone comes with 3G (HSDPA, speed of 7.2 Mbps), Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Hotspot support, and is enabled for Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity, so you’ll be able to use to connect to networks and devices on the go.

Organiser and Other Utility Tools

Furnished with the usual utilities and tools, the LG Optimus L5 contains everything you’ll need to stay organized, such as Alarm/Clock and Calendar. LG throws in a few of its own apps, such as LG SmartWorld, Polaris Office (for viewing documents and files), and the NFC and DLNA capable apps.

Web Browser and Applications

The stock Android web browser works less well on a single-core processor, and there are long waits while the phone loads and renders pages. However, once a page is loaded the phone handles panning, zooming and scrolling with relative ease and stability, and it supports Adobe Flash. Of course, the phone’s out-of-the-box software can be supplemented by a dizzying range of apps from Android Market.

Google Maps and GPS

The phone features its own Map app, but most users will choose to download Google’s offering. The phone includes GPS tracking, but running the Map app can be painful because of slow rendering times.

Distinctive Features and Value for money

LG Optimus L5 also includes the innovative new NFC technology, enabling it to make contact-less payments, and to use LG’s newly developed Tag+ system. These are two exciting features that will probably see considerable development in the coming year. The phone aims to capture the middle to low end of the market, providing only essential functions in order to keep the price down. If processing power is unimportant, it’s a good value purchase, particularly given the size of the phone's screen.

Verdict

Smartphone users accustomed to more powerful devices will be disappointed with the performance of the L5, which struggles with multiple processes and heavy-duty apps, and shows clear signs of corner-cutting by the manufacturer. For users who are less fussy about response times, and who want a practical phone for texting, calling, taking snaps and surfing the net, the L5 has plenty to recommend it.