LG Optimus GT540 Smartphone Reviews and Deals
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The LG Optimus GT540 is an Android-powered smartphone (v2.1) with enhanced multimedia capabilities and a dedicated social networking client. Connectivity is solid, with 3G/HSPA complimented by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
There's a nice three-inch TFT touchscreen on front, with call and end buttons below. On the flip side you've got a 3.15-megapixel camera with autofocus and face detection, that also doubles up as a video recorder.
You can crank the storage capacity up to 32GB via the microSD card slot, giving plenty of room for your music and video collections - and there's also an FM radio if you fancy a change.
But the LG Optimus GT540 really shines on applications, with all of the Google goodness (Mail, Talk, Maps etc) backed by a social networking system that integrates your Twitter, Facebook and Bebo accounts.
LG Optimus GT540 review
Good
Cheap and stylish Android smartphone
Bad
Poor touchscreen; bad internet experience
Overview
Not everyone that wants a smartphone has bottomless pockets. But luckily, as the top end mobile phone handsets screech off into the technological distance, the slightly older gadgetry comes down in price. Hence, we get some nice little handsets like the LG Optimus GT540.
Importantly, there’s nothing cheap looking about the GT540. The metallic brushed silver casing is lovely, while the curved top and bottom add a touch of class. Three little plastic buttons let it down a little, but the overall look is a winner.
With a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and a hidden microUSB port on the side, it looks a lot more expensive than it is. there are also handy camera and volume control buttons on the sides. The LG GT540 has a good shape and heft in the hand too, while the back easily slides off access to the microSD card slot.
While the shape is good, the handset is a little on the small side compared to many smartphones, and the touchscreen is just three inches. This is fine for standard phone and texting features, but a little on the small side for anything beyond that.
Talking about the screen, it’s resistive in more ways than one - you really have to give it a push to get anything done. This is the first sign you’re not holding cutting edge technology, and sadly not the last. But for a first-time touchscreen owner, or someone replacing an older model, it certainly doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. However, we’d suggest you try before you buy.
Another slight disadvantage is the old and not upgradeable version 1.6 of the Android operating system. This means you’ll miss out on the cutting edge Android goodness, but again, if you’re new to smartphones this will give you a good, and cheap, introduction to what’s in store.
The processor is only 600MHz, so a slightly poorer feature set is something of an advantage - it can be a bit slow, but the LG Optimus GT540 should be able to handle everything you throw at it.
Work
This really shouldn’t be your first choice as a work handset. However it’s certainly better than your average mobile phone in most departments so can do a job, but at a push.
The Android operating system was built primarily with phones in mind and you’ll find even version 1.6 does the basic things very well. The call quality is fine, address book neat and simple to use, email set up a doddle.
However, that poor touchscreen and small size mean texting and emailing can be a real chore. If you’re going to be entering a lot of text, we would advice you to look elsewhere.
The same goes for accessing documents, using maps or getting online - the small screen size is a hindrance, as well as the touchscreen’s poor response.
Play
So if it’s not suitable for work, what about play? Well, we’ve already touched on the poor internet experience, so won’t spend any more time talking about it. That aside, things are more positive.
Social networking support tends to be strong on LG smartphones and the GT540 is no exception. Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are particularly well catered for - you can even use them to add contacts to your smartphone.
The camera is only three-megapixel, with no flash, while you can shoot video at a rather small 640x480. However, both should be perfectly adequate for your Facebook and YouTube needs when you’re out and about.
Talking of YouTube, you’ll find a dedicated app on board - alongside demos of Sim City 3 and Monopoly, plus access to the Android Market and Orange Games stores.
The music player is basic, but it does the job and the 3.5mm headphone jack means you can use your favourite headphones too. There’s not much internal memory, so you’ll need to make use of the microSD card slot. Once up and running though, you can choose tracks by album, artist or genre, and create playlists. There’s also an FM radio.
Connectivity
No problems here. You’ve got 3G HSPA for broadband speeds up to 7.2Mb, alongside triband for international use. There is Bluetooth, so you can pair it with wireless car kits and the like, while Wi-Fi means you can connect to your home internet connection, or a public spot, to save on your data bills.
While the screen isn’t that big, you can still use the LG Optima GT540’s assisted GPRS alongside the included Google Maps app to find your way around..
The microUSB port means easy charging, as well as easy syncing with your PC or laptop.
Performance
As it should be clear now, the LG GT540 isn’t the racing model. However, it has a chunky 1500mAh battery under the hood, which is commonly found in smartphones much more powerful than this one. Consequently you’ll easily get through a day on a single charge.
As we mentioned earlier, the 600MHz processor isn’t going to turn any heads either, but at this price you can’t really expect much more. This is strictly a pay-as-you-go handset now, and for less than £150 you can do an awful lot worse.
Verdict
While the LG GT540 is a long way from being the greatest handset in the world, smartphones at this price point fill an important niche in the market. Namely for the young and for those new to this kind of handset, or on a tighter budget.
Coming in three different colours and hitting the social networking aspect on the nose, it seems a good choice for the teenage market. And its good looks mean no one is going to turn there nose up at you for owning one, no matter what age you are.
While it may be a little slow, it can do everything its bigger brothers can when you need it to, if not in style. So, generally, we give it a thumbs up. However, we’re not going to give it the recommended tag due to the hassle we had with the touchscreen - if it had been just a little more sensitive, the LG Optimus GT540 would’ve been a real winner.
LG Optimus GT540 specification and features
- Model
- LG Optimus GT540
- Manufacturer
- LG
- Operating system
- Android OS
- Colours
- Pink, white, black, grey, silver
Mobile internet
- WiFi
- Yes
- 3G
- Yes
- HSDPA
- Yes
Size
- Size
- 109mm x 54mm x 13mm
- Screen size
- 3"
- Screen Resolution
- 320x480
- Weight
- 115g
Features
- Talktime
- 7 hrs
- Standby
- 500 hrs
- Touchscreen
- Yes
- QWERTY keyboard
- No
- Camera
- 3 megapixel
- Video
- Yes
- GPS
- No
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Music Phone
- No
- FM Radio
- Yes
- Quad Band
- Yes
