LG Vortex Review

Introduction:

The LG Optimus One family of phones has already proven to be a worldwide hit, and thus far the Optimus T and S for T-Mobile and Sprint, respectively, have hit the shelves with both critical praise and sales success here in the States. Now the third member of the U.S. family, the LG Vortex, is available from Verizon in all of its “transitional smartphone” glory. Despite dropping the Optimus moniker, the Vortex is nearly identical to the Optimus One. Included in the box you’ll find a 2GB microSD card and a combo USB cable/AC adapter.

Design:

Like Sprint’s Optimus S, the Verizon Vortex tweaks the Optimus One’s original design but retains the overall feel. It features the same responsive 3.2” 320x480 display as the rest of the line. It is a good display, plenty bright and generally readable, especially for an entry level handset. It has both an ambient light and proximity sensors hidden near the top. The left side simply features a microSD slot while the right houses the volume rocker. The power button and 3.5mm headphone jack sit along the top of the phone, while the charging and data port is at the bottom. The battery door is generally coated in soft touch plastic with the 3.2 megapixel camera and speaker perched near the top.



You can compare the LG Vortex with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.



The LG Vortex, like the other Optimus One phones before it, feels very good in the hand. It has plenty of grip and is a good size to hold comfortably. It slides easily into the pocket and feels natural against the face. LG has done a great job with the Optimus One line and the Vortex is no exception.


   

Interface and Software:

The LG Vortex retains the same LG software found on all the other Optimus One phones save the Optimus S. It is fairly close to stock, but LG has customized the bottom launcher bar, added power widgets to the notification shade a-la Samsung and thrown in a few nice custom widgets. It also has slightly customized versions of Twitter and Facebook for a deeper UI integration. You won’t find anything all that new here, but the software is well done and does not slow down the Vortex at all. Despite mediocre Quadrant scores in the 450 range, the Vortex is faster than the benchmarks give it credit for. Even with lots of apps loaded- it comes preloaded with a number to begin with- the Vortex runs rather quickly.



Speaking of preloaded apps, the Vortex comes with 17 apps already installed, way too many for our tastes. Some of them- like a full version of ThinkFree Office and Verizon’s Backup Assistant- are useful enough, but many others are subscription services or paid apps, or free apps such as Skype and Kindle which the user could easily install on their own if needed. One curiously missing app is Google Maps, but we would assume Verizon is trying to push their paid VZ Navigator software rather than Google’s free solution. It is still available in the Market however.



Camera and Multimedia:

The camera interface is well laid out and easy to navigate. Options are decent; there are adjustments for ISO and white balance as well as different shot modes, color effects and geotagging. Images are mediocre, which is no surprise for an Optimus One phone at this point. Detail is somewhat good, but colors are bland and there is a lot of noise in indoor shots. There are not too many situations where the Vortex feels like an entry level handset, but camera performance is one of them. Video performance is similarly bad. Maxing out at VGA resolution, videos are soft and pixilated for the most part.



LG Vortex sample video:



The LG Vortex utilizes the stock Android music and video players, but there are several alternatives available in the market. Verizon has included VCast Music, Tones and Videos which gives the user easy access to purchase music, download ringtones or watch on-demand video clips.



Connectivity and Internet:

The LG Vortex is an EVDO Rev. A phone that also sports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The standard Android browser works well and the Vortex allows for multitouch navigation. Several other very good options are available via the Market, check out our Android Browser Race to see which one suits your needs best. GPS performance was great, the Vortex achieved a lock in under 10s indoors.

Performance and Conclusion:

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.

Software version of the reviewed unit: Android 2.2, baseband: VS660MV5.6038.1001

LG Vortex Video Review: