LG Optimus 2

The LG Optimus 2 was supposed to be the rightful heir to the Android-powered Optimus throne. So many fans were disappointed when it turned out to be mostly a dud. It hardly improves on the original, and apart from having an updated version of the Android software, there’s really nothing noteworthy about it. In Hollywood, movie makers usually go big on sequels. But not so with LG and its Optimus 2.

The 2 is decidedly small, sporting a 3.2-inch touchscreen display and an overall weight of only 125 grams. It has a 12mm thin profile and manages to carry hardware features that include a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera, GPS with A-GPS, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and support for up to 32GB microSD cards. As you can see, it doesn’t have that much going for it in the hardware department. To make matters slightly worse, it comes with only 512MB of RAM and 179MB of internal storage space. Also, its processor only has a single core. This puts its at a disadvantage of multi-core CPU-equipped alternatives with the same pre-installed software.

Speaking of software, the Optimus 2 comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread as the default operating system. This will let users download and install hundreds of third-party software applications for extra functionality and make the most of the hardware components. However, that’s as far as it will go with Android; official device updates to later versions of the software will not be made available.

As a standard CDMA smartphone, the Optimus 2 offers support for 3G wireless data. While not a very good candidate for a hardcore Android user’s main device, it may be a good fit for those who want something simple.

Need to Know: LG Optimus 2

1. Android 2.3 Gingerbread pre-installed. (The Good)

2. Speedy processor clocked at 800MHz. (The Good)

3. Very limited amount of internal storage and RAM. (The Bad)

4. Cannot be upgraded to later versions of the Android software. (The Bad)