LG Mach

“For the $100 price, the LG Mach is a decent keyboard slider. You’ll get speedy performance, comfortable design, and a good-looking, if low res, display. Still, if the keyboard is the deciding factor for you, there is at least one better option on Sprint. The Motorola Photon Q is more impressive overall but costs $100 more. The Mach may be a better choice if budget is a higher priority. Aside from the physical keyboard and low price, there are no compelling reasons to choose the LG Mach over any other Android smartphone.”

“Looking at Sprint's current lineup of slider phones, I don't recommend the Mach over the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE. True, that handset is nearly twice the price of the Mach, but with that extra $100, you'll get an 8-megapixel camera, a beautiful 4.3-inch display, and a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor -- all in a stylish design. However, after the Photon Q, the Mach is definitely an excellent choice. Yes, the Kyocera Rise is free, but its hardware specs are unimpressive. And if you're eyeing the $50 Samsung Transform Ultra, consider paying that extra dough since the Mach's OS is newer, the camera is better, and the internal speeds are faster.”

“Adding it all together we are fairly impressed with the LG Mach as a mid-range device. With a $99 on contract price it is half of what Sprint wants for the Photon Q but is definitely more than half the phone. In our testing the Mach can go toe-to-toe with the Photon Q in just about any category and will usually come out ahead. In fact, thanks to the S4 plus processor the LG Mach can match the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC EVO LTE pretty closely as well. It sounds a bit odd to say, but with the Optimus Elite, Mach and Optimus G LG might just have the best Android phone in each market segment on Sprint right now (entry level, mid-range, high end.) The Mach isn’t without its shortcomings (the camera), but overall it is one of the better mid-range devices we’ve reviewed.”

“The LG Mach for Sprint is a solid little Android smartphone. It offers the right selection of features and nearly all perform well. With the exception of the camera - which only takes average images - everything else works as it should. The physical device itself is comfortable to hold and use. The keyboard has the right selection of keys and works well for inputting text. The basics (signal, voice, and battery performance) are all right on the money. The software customizations from Sprint and LG are obvious, but don't get in the way too much. The Mach offers plenty of room for user personalization, and the Android 4.0 system software is well-matched with a dual-core processor for solid performance. Sprint customers who need a QWERTY smartphone should look at the LG Mach before any other option.”