LG Unveils the New Optimus L Series
Recently, LG introduced a quartet of smartphones in the LG Optimus L series viz., LG Optimus L3, L5, L7 and L9. Out of these, L3 is a small pocket sized smartphone with a 3.2 inch display, while others have their displays over 4 inches in screen size. LG L9 is expected to have the biggest screen size with a 4.7 inch display. Amongst all of these devices, the LG L3 is a budget device having Android v2.3.6 Gingerbread; whereas the other phones in the series run on the ICS version of the Android operating system. L9 hasn’t hit the shelves yet.
First Looks
They are all of the bar form factor, with a very slim design. The L series sport an Optimus UI, just like other phones in the Optimus series. L9 is expected to have a UI comprising of circular icons seen on the homescreen, instead of the earlier rectangular icons. LG Optimus L3 and L5 are also available in Dual SIM variants with more or less the same specifications and appearance.
Here is a comparison chart of the quartet of smartphones from the LG Optimus L series range:
|
Specs
|
LG Optimus L3
E400 |
LG Optimus L5
E610 |
LG Optimus L7
P700 |
LG Optimus L9
P760 |
|
Display
|
3.2 inch TFT LCD capacitive multi touch
QVGA |
4.0 inch TFT LCD capacitive multi touch HVGA
|
4.0 inch IPS LCD capacitive multi touch
|
4.7 inch IPS LCD capacitive multi touch
|
|
Battery
|
3.7 v | 1540 mAh
|
3.7 v | 1540 mAh
|
3.7 v | 1700 mAh
|
3.7 v | 2150mAh
|
|
Android OS
|
2.3.6
Gingerbread
|
4.0.3 ICS
|
4.0.4 ICS
|
4.0.4 ICS
|
|
Memory
|
Internal: 1GB
RAM 384 MB External: MicroSD expandable upto 32GB |
Internal: 4GB
RAM 512 MB External: MicroSD expandable upto 32GB |
Internal: 4GB
RAM 512 MB External: MicroSD expandable upto 32GB |
Internal: 4GB
RAM 1 GB External: MicroSD expandable upto 32GB |
|
Connectivity
|
WLAN, Bluetooth v3.0, USB v2.0
|
WLAN, Bluetooth v3.0, USB v2.0, NFC
|
WLAN, Bluetooth v3.0, USB v2.0, NFC
|
WLAN, Bluetooth v3.0, USB v2.0, NFC
|
|
Sensors
|
Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass
|
Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass
|
Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass
|
Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass
|
|
Camera
|
3 MPix
Fixed Focus no flash |
5 MPix
Auto focus LED Flash
|
5 MPix Auto focus LED Flash
|
5 MPix Auto focus LED Flash
|
|
Processor
|
800 MHz
Cortex A5 (Single Core) |
800 MHz
Cortex A5 (Single Core) |
1 GHz Cortex A5
(Single Core) |
1 GHz Cortex A5
(Dual Core) |
|
Pricing
|
Rs. 7,900
|
Rs. 13,200
|
Rs. 19,000
|
Rs. 25,000
|
Pros
● Gingerbread OS is the best choice for L5 since it is an entry level smartphone. It is well suited for the youth.
● L5 sports a high internal memory. It is smartphone that provides NFC at a cheap rate.
Cons
● Processors based on Cortex A5 architecture are primitive. Latest smartphones have either A8 or A9.
● They are fairly clocked. L5 should have had at least 1GHz processor. L7 and L9 should have had processors clocked at a frequency more than 1 GHz.
Conclusion : Which Phone You Should Actually Go In For
It totally depends upon your budget. For a moderate budget, you should go for LG L5 or L7. LG L5 sports a feature like NFC at a price of about Rs. 13,200 only. A budget competitor sporting NFC for it isn’t seen in the form of an Android smartphone. Ironically, the only budget competitor for L5 supporting NFC in the price range, is a smartphone from the Nokia Lumia family running Windows v7.5 Mango OS.
However, if you have a higher budget and are wanting a smartphone with a bigger screen size, then you must definitely go for LG L9. But you need to be patient for it, since it isn’t available in the brick and mortar outlets now. It is expected to be available by the end of this month.
This is a guest post by Prathamesh Kamath who is an Electrical Engineering student in the University of Mumbai, and blogs at GeekosTechos about Technology, Computers, Smartphones, Android, Tablets and Blogging. If you would like to write for Boundbytech, do read our page Be My Guest; Write A Guest Post.
