Even though the LG Optimus G released way back in early November of last year, it just recently got the operating system it has been waiting for. The Jelly Bean 4.1 OS upgrade hit the handset last month on the Sprint network, and Amazon is selling the Sprint LG Optimus G 4G Android smartphone for one penny on contract. That bargain bin price tag can probably be financed by looking under your couch cushions, and will snag you a 4G LTE capable handset with large, high-resolution screen, powerful quad core processor and full feature package.
Sprint has reached over 58 major markets in the United States with their first ever 4G LTE network, and the Optimus G is powered by the Chrome for Android mobile web browser out-of-the-box. LG effectively minimized size while still delivering a large display, and the result is a phone that is 5 mm smaller top to bottom and 2 mm smaller side to side than the Galaxy S III. A slight but noticeable difference, that gives the LG Optimus G dimensions of 5.19 x 2.71 x 0.33 inches (131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45 mm).
Recently LG was reported to have reached the number three spot (behind Samsung and Apple) in Q1 worldwide global smartphone shipments, a first time feat for the company which a spokesperson said is due in large part to the popularity of the LG Optimus G. The handset offers optional Eco Mode and Power Saver features for battery conservation, and these help the 2,100 mA battery on board the phone deliver up to 13.0 hours of talk time on the Sprint 4G LTE network in the US.
The 4.70 inches True HD IPS+ Touch Hybrid Display on the Optimus G handset delivers an overall resolution of 1,280 by 768 pixels, and the handset offers LG’s first ever delivery of Zerogap Touch technology to a smartphone. This combines the handset’s LCD panel and glass, removing the layer of air which is usually found there. This moves the display closer to the surface visually, meaning truer colors, better viewing at extreme angles, and better viewing in bright light and outdoors. Pixel density is substantial at 318 pixels per inch, and a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass protects the display against scratching and chipping.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 system chip powers the phone, built around a quad core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU. A powerful Adreno 320 GPU handles all graphics processing, a very generous 32 GB of onboard data storage is present, as is 2.0 GB of RAM memory. The 13.0 megapixel camera built into the back of the LG Optimus G provides voice activation, a built-in LED flash, digital zoom, a multishot burst mode and special effects package. That camcorder records video at a rate of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (1,080p HD resolution), a front facing chat cam is also on board, as is a music player with Dolby mobile sound enhancement.
