LG Connect 4G Design and Looks
When we first looked at LG Connect 4G, we felt that the phone has been designed for those who thought that LG Esteem was just too big. As far as smartphones are concerned, Connect 4G feels just right. At dimensions standing at 4.6×2.5×0.5 inches, the phone should fit into most pockets quite perfectly. The front is dominated by a glossy 4 inch touch screen and the top half of the phone is surrounded by a thick glossy plastic. The phone feels like a quality device and weighs 137 grams. The phone is lighter than LG Esteem which weighs 172 grams. Overall we were quite impressed by the looks and design of LG Connect 4G.
LG Connect 4G Screen
The phone displays a 4 inch NOVA display whose resolution is very low (480×320 pixels). But we liked the fact that the display is protected by Gorilla glass. The screen delivered vivid colors but we witnessed that the colors faded when we tilted the screen beyond 45 degrees. The screen uses IPS LCD technology similar to that of iPhone 4S. LG says that the phone is capable of displaying 700 nits of brightness, while iPhone’s display measured 541 nits. Sunlight legibility of the phone is quite good and we did not face much problems in reading the screen contents in bright sunlight.
LG Connect 4G Keyboard
LG Connect 4G for metro PCs come with a couple of virtual keyboards. We were quite impressed by the large white keys and their spacing in portrait and landscape mode. The keyboard also has the ability to access particular characters by extended pressing of a button. The phone is also equipped with a Swype keyboard which helps us for speedy texting and emailing.
LG Connect 4G Features
Software and Interface
LG Connect 4G runs on Android 2.3.6(Gingerbread). The lockscreen features a large digital clock with date shown below it. There is a large notification window which shows missed calls and messages. While we swiped the lock screen, then we got access to 7 customizable home screens. The apps page features four columns which are divided into a couple of sections.
Apps
Connect 4G is packed with robust set of applications such as:-
- Smartshare
- LG Wi-Fi Cast
- Loopt
- Windows Live
- MStudio
- Metro Navigator
- Metro411
There are several Yahoo branded apps too such as
- Answers
- Movies
- Sportacular
Third party apps include
- Google Talk
- Polaris Office
- Pocket Express
- Rhapsody
LG Connect 4G Specs
Here are some of the technical aspects of Connect 4G:-
- Carrier: MetroPCS
- OS: Android 2.3.6
- Network: 1xRTT; EV-DO Rev. A; LTE
- RAM: 1GB
- Internal Memory: 4GB
- Card Slot: MicroSD, up to 32GB
- Display: 4 inch
- CPU: Dual-core 1.2 GHz
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity
- Browser: HTML, Adobe Flash
- Java: Yes, through Java MIDP Emulator
- Messaging: SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS
LG Connect 4G Camera Quality
The phone is equipped with a 5MP auto-focus camera with LED flash. The shutter speed was quick and the photos looked quite good. Both colors and details were decent and the camera should work fine while capturing quick pictures. The pictures captured offered good amount of details and brightness levels were also good. The camera quality of Connect 4G is quite decent. There is also a secondary VGA camera for video chat. During Skype video talk over 4G LTE, our callers complained about slightly grainy image with loud audio.
LG Connect 4G Video Quality
The camera of Connect 4G is also capable of recording 720p videos at a smooth 30fps per second both indoors and outdoors. The details of the videos however looked a bit smudged. Though we did not notice any white haze, yet there was a fair amount of graininess.
LG Connect 4G Multimedia
One gets a microSD card slot beneath the battery cover and the phone was able to play back music test files. The sound quality was also fine, though the performance of the speakers was not great. All the test videos played were quite good.
LG Connect 4G Call Quality
In order to test the call quality, we made few calls to landline and cell phones. We observed that landline calls were better than calls made to cell phones. While some of the callers reported a bit of echo, other reported loud and clear audio without any distortion.
LG Connect 4G Battery Life
In our laptop battery test, the battery of LG Connect 4G lasted for approximately 4 hours which is an hour below than an average Android phone.
LG Connect 4G Price
Price of LG Connect 4G is approximately $350 which is a bit steep.
LG Connect 4G offers great 4G LTE speed and overall the performance of the phone is quite good. If you are looking for a phone with no-contract route, then Connect 4G is a good deal.
