LG Vortex

“The LG Vortex performed well in both call quality and battery life. Callers were very pleased with the quality of the Vortex. They said we were slightly muffled, but not too bad. There was no echo and they had no issues hearing us, rating us an 8.5/10 overall. On our end the call sounded loud and natural, almost as if we were on a landline. The battery is rated at a very healthy 7.5 hours of talk-time, plenty to get even a heavy user through a full day of use.Like the Optimus One, T and S we reviewed before it, we really like the LG Vortex. It is a solid smartphone for those who don’t need the absolute best. It offers speedy performance, good battery life at a great price (the Vortex can be had between free and $50 depending on where and when you get it.) The build quality is more like that of a high end phone versus a starter smartphone, and all around the Vortex has a lot to like. Unless you absolutely need a top-tier handset like the DROID Incredible or Samsung Fascinate, the LG Vortex deserves strong consideration.”

“It's hard to recommend the LG Vortex. The poor touch response made the entire experience a hassle, especially in typing and basic menu navigation. The camera is lousy, and the camcorder videos are unwatchable. The phone is bloated with apps that either clutter the menu or, in the case of LG's puzzling and mediocre Facebook and Twitter options, confuse the user. The Vortex can feel underpowered at times, taking a while to load Web pages or handling the advanced features of Verizon's NFL Mobile app poorly. Bing and VZ Navigator replace the more powerful and familiar Google Search and Maps, though these are still available as downloads. Though LG does offer some customization options and a few useful widgets, the phone is basically a stock Android device with some nice tweaks thrown in. This is the cheapest acceptable Android on Verizon Wireless, but there are better cheap Androids elsewhere, and Verizon's high-end smartphones are so impressive that they completely outshine this dud.”