LG GW620 review

LG's GW620 (InTouch Max) smartphone joins the league of small but growing number of mid-end Android phone segment. This new LG offering is priced close to HTC Tattoo and is poised to give tough challenge to budget Android handset phones in India.

The LG GW620 phone bears some distinct traits that highlight its budget origins. The first feature to look at is its resistive touchscreen for which navigation requires a press rather than a light touch.

The device does not packs a stylus which is primarily a budgeting issue rather than a design choice. For a resistive touchscreen, it’s commendably responsive but still a cut below the capacitive model used in the other mobile phones incorporating the similar technology.

The next thing that will catch your attention is the LG GW620's screen size. At 3 inches, the screen is smaller than the majority of Android phones currently stocked around your nearest local handset outlets - although not by all that much.

As long as you're not planning on watching movies regularly on your mobile, the GW620s screen is more than adequate. And it uses the resolution as top smartphones like the HTC Hero and iPhone.

However, one of the most admirable feature of this handset is its slide-out QWERTY. Although, the screen has its ups and downs, but the slide-out QWERTY is the star of the LG GW620. Each key is subtly contoured, and while the key spacing isn't all that dynamic, still the keyboard is a pleasure to use. A clear layout, sponge-free click response and fairly large keys belie the GW620's price point.

There's no virtual QWERTY – just a virtual T9 numerical pad – when the slide-out is slid in though, so make sure you're happy to use a physical keyboard for any text tasks. Our only concrete disappointment in GW620's navigation is with its touch sensitive soft keys. Unlike the touchscreen they're capacitive, but real buttons would have been preferable.

The bevelled edge of these buttons makes them more susceptible to being set off by your leg – while in your pocket - leading to those irritating accidental calls. From a purely aesthetic perspective, this rolled-off edge softens the otherwise simple all-black look. The GW620's design lacks the personality of the HTC Hero or HTC Magic, but is functionally admirable.

The USB and micoSD slots are discreet but easy to access while the 3.5mm jack sits exactly where it should be – on top of the device. Also, the headphone jack doesn't require an adaptor. Like all the features we like most about the LG GW620, it's simple, it’s sensible, it’s good.

Where this style reaps the most rewards is in the OS itself. Although the GW620 uses a 528Mhz processor, offering similar levels of power to the earliest Android phones, it’s still a speedy device. This is because LG hasn't burdened it with an over-modified version of the vanilla Android OS.

The GW620 runs the behind-the-times 1.5 cupcake OS, and there's freely switchable custom S-Class-style interface that you can use too. However, all this adds is a handy dock of icons at the bottom of the home screen and a slightly different apps menu. No lumbering adornments here.

Other Android variants have been notorious for slowing down the phone, but this slight S-Class version works perfectly. And, if you don't like it you can just switch back to vanilla 1.5 from the Settings menu. Once again: simple, sensible, good.

The built-in 5 megapixel camera is only recommended for fairly casual use, but the autofocus is quicker than other budget Androids and the flash – while far from a proper Xenon – improves low-light performance significantly.

Feature tweaks like these, and the increasingly rare FM radio, make the GW620 a seriously competent phone. Still, the advantages of a capacitive touchscreen and larger display can’t be buried entirely.

If you're looking for a budget Android device, then the LG GW620 is an excellent choice. But no need to mention that the competition is heating up with each passing day.  Still, if you can't do without a QWERTY, the LG GW620 represents stunning value.