LG Optimus LTE

“The Nitro HD is a big and solid-feeling phone, with a plastic textured back that comes off for access to the battery, SIM card, and microSD slot. The rounded edges and smooth bezel make it a little slippery to hold. Has a 4.5-inch 720x1280 screen that doesn't use PenTile technology, and as a result, it's beautiful. The phone's icons are big and pretty and the display's color balance is great. However, we did find that it is a little underresponsive—the occasional tap would go unregistered. Typing was not as good an experience as we've had on other phones, and our texts sometimes came out rife with typos. When playing back audio, the speaker produces slightly better sound with less distortion than what you normally get out of a smartphone, even at the loudest volume. That said, the loudest volume is not very loud at all, and having the sound projecting directly out the back doesn't help. Voice call quality is is fine on the Nitro HD, as good as cell phones get. There are two cameras on the Nitro HD: 1.3-megapixel front-facing, and an 8-megapixel on the rear that also records 1080p video. It seems to take better photos indoors than out, and scenarios with a lot of light and dark contrast will have some noticeable flare. Better-lit indoor photos looked a little misty. There's also a noticeable lag between pressing the camera button and the shutter—a formerly widespread problem with phone cameras. Has a 1830mAh battery, which is large for a smartphone. Unfortunately, the superior display seems consume its fair share of power. We could get through a workday with light to moderate use, including texting, e-mailing, web browsing and a bit of gaming, but found the phone usually conked out shortly after dinnertime. When playing video, we were able to log just under five hours. Given the quality of the screen and the networks available to this phone (4G LTE), the battery performs admirably on the whole. The Nitro HD isn't entirely rough—you can get where you need to go and accomplish what you need to do. But for the price ($199 with a two-year contract), there are other phones that doesn't compromise so many fronts.”

“The LG Nitro HD is the third smartphone to tap into AT&T's emerging 4G LTE network and (after the HTC Rezound) the second phone available in the U.S. to feature a 720p display. That display looks absolutely dazzling in person and the Nitro is a performance speed demon. We're leaving our Editors' Choice with the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket for its better signal strength and data speeds, but make no mistake: Either phone is a great choice.”

“It’s been a good while since we last saw a flagship from LG. The Korean giant took its sweet time with the Nitro HD to make sure it got everything right. And on most accounts, this is the very case. The screen of the device is marvelous, the spec sheet impressive, and the OS up to date. In this department, we already know that an Ice Cream Sandwich update is in the works. We just hope we’re not going to see it roll out this time next year as in the case with the company’s previous flagship. The LTE connectivity also gave us a few great initial impressions – it further boosts the future proof credibility of the phone. The battery left us with a mixed bag of feelings. We will dedicate a separate post on it when we are sure we got all the data right. As far as the UI goes, it is a matter of taste. Some people will find it a bit too colorful, while others will love it. We can guarantee you though, that, regardless what you think of its look, its functionality is uncompromised. With a price tag of $249.99 with a two-year contract on AT&T’s networks, the LG Nitro LG is in the middle of the smartphone battlefield. The market is simply full of options right now. Here are several for you, which we picked out. There are two obvious rivals within AT&T’s own LTE ranks. The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is the latest incarnation of a legendary handset. It doesn’t have an HD screen, but the Galaxy S II still knows a few tricks, which the Nitro HD doesn’t. It is priced at $149.99 with a contract in New York but it costs more in other places.”

“Every review I write elicits the same feeling: this is such an exciting time for Android. Devices are evolving at the speed of light and as soon as you feel like you've got the best of the best, there's something better lurking around the corner. As is the case with the Nitro HD, which currently sits on the top tier of the Android heap. It might not be the best device on the market right now (that's a debate for another time and place), but it certainly has all the makings of a king. The beautiful next-generation display, the insanely fast and powerful processor, and the LTE radio make the Nitro HD impossible to ignore. It is certainly the highest-spec'd phone on AT&T right now, and if you're not a Galaxy faithful, you'll agree that it's the best device on Ma' Bell today.”