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LG Optimus Black P970 Review
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Review: July 2011 |
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Phone rating: 
In a nutshell: The LG Optimus
Black is a higher-end Android phone featuring a NOVA display
for improved readability in bright sunlight. Running Android
2.2 with access to 150,000 apps, this is a powerful smartphone
with a 1GHz processor, fast data access and plenty of battery
power and memory. More powerful than mid-range Android phones,
yet lacking the speed and features of the latest high-end models,
the Optimus Black is worth considering if you're on a budget
but don't want to compromise too much.
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The LG Optimus Black is a higher-end phone running Android 2.2 and
priced at the same level as the dual-core LG
Optimus 2X. What's that, you say, it costs the same as the 2X, but
doesn't have a dual-core processor? Duh, why should I be interested
in this phone? Well, good question, but the Optimus Black does have
a few tricks up its sleeve, so stick with the review for now.
First things first, the Optimus Black is a nicely-styled smartphone
with a sleek body measuring just 9.2mm at its thickest point and weighing
only 109g. It has a large 4 inch display, with four Android touch buttons
immediately below. The key selling point of the Optimus Black is probably
its screen. 4 inches is large by any standard, and the pixel count of
480 x 800 is as high as you'll find on any phone in this price range.
But it's the brand-new NOVA technology that LG's really pushing. NOVA
is designed to offer improved outdoor visibility, more readability,
more natural colours and 50% power saving compared to conventional LCD
screens. It certainly delivers on that promise, but we can't say that
it's better than the AMOLED technology used in phones like the HTC
Desire S for example.
The phone is equipped with a 1GHz processor, which is certainly fast
enough for the job it's been given, but it can't compete with the new
dual-core phones such as the LG Optimus
2X. The phone also isn't the most up-to-date in terms of operating
system, running Android 2.2 (Froyo). But it does have the latest Optimus
user interface customisations of Android, which includes 7 home screens
and some nice widgets, including a friendly weather widget and clock.
You can pinch and zoom and rearrange items using the menus very easily,
and we found it a nice user interface on a par with Samsung's Android
customisations. The whole thing zips along too, thanks to the fast processor.
Contacts are nicely integrated with social media and gmail. There's
a "G" button on the side of the phone as well. Pressing the
G key unlocks the "gesture" user interface. You can now start
shaking and tapping your phone to get it to do stuff. Frankly, G might
just as well stand for "gimmick".
The phone comes with two cameras - a front-facing 2 megapixel camera
for videos and the main rear-facing 5 megapixel camera with autofocus
and LED flash. Whilst the latter is average, struggling in low light,
the addition of a 2 megapixel camera for video calling is very welcome.
Connectivity excels, with 3G HSDPA and Wi-Fi for always-on fast internet
access, plus Bluetooth, USB, DLNA and a 3.5mm audio connection. Assisted
GPS is here too of course, with Google Maps to help find your way. The
internet runs smoothly on the Optimus Black, with that nice 4 inch NOVA
display and a good pre-installed browser. There's built-in flash support,
but watching the BBC iPlayer you might wish you'd chosen a dual-core
option instead, as video can be juddery at times.
Finally, battery life. Better than average for a modern smartphone
with its 1500 mAh cell, and the NOVA display is helping out too, of
course, but you'll still need to charge every couple of days.
So, the LG Optimus Black. Well worth the money, with the 4 inch NOVA
display and gesture-based user interface making it stand out from the
crowd. There's really nothing not to like here, and it holds its own
against competitors, but there's nothing truly inspirational here either,
and the camera quality and Android 2.2 are a tad of a let down. All
in all, a decent Android smartphone, but we'd pick the LG
Optimus 2X or the very polished HTC
Incredible S over the Optimus Black. Even the outstanding Samsung
Galaxy S is now available at a similar price on contract.
The LG Optimus White is a special
edition in a white finish.
Features of the LG Optimus Black P970 include:
- 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
- 720p HD video recording, 2 megapixel secondary camera
- Display: Capacitive touchscreen, 480 x 800 pixels (4 inches) with
auto-rotate
- aGPS receiver with Google Maps
- Music player / media player with support for MPEG4, DivX, XVid,
WMV
- FM radio
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
- Ringtones: AAC+, MP3, WMA, polyphonic ringtones
- Internet: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (7.2 Mbps download / 5.76 Mbps upload)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, Wi-Fi, DLNA, 3.5mm audio jack
- Memory: 1GB plus microSD memory card (up to 32GB)
- Vibration alert
- Quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) plus HSPA/WCDMA (900/1700/2100
MHz)
- Size: 122 x 64 x 9.2 mm
- Weight: 109g
- Battery: 1500 mAh
LG Optimus Black User Reviews
Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
language, and please, no advertising!
Average rating from 11 reviews: 
Reviewed by oreo from oreo on 7th Jan 2013
Phone force closes almost everytime, battery runs out fast, camera couldnt
work anymore, lag very very lag. Have to constantly remove battery and
turning it back on again which is highly time consuming and fustrating!!
Gives me a major headache. Cant wait to get a new phone. And not to
forgot, many of my friends have complained about the same problems too
and all changed phones in less than a year. I really hope they could
make better improvements in the phone.
Rating:  Reply
Reviewed by Sally from UK on 9th Jul 2012
Battery life on this phone is chronic,
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by d travers from england on 27th Mar
2012
nice and happy phone
Rating:
Reply
Reviewed by Jack from England on 11th Feb 2012
I have had this mobile for 6 months and I have not had a single problem
with it. I have had an iPhone 3g before this and this, for me, is way
better.
Its faster for browsing and I much prefer Android than the apps on the
iTunes market.
I got my LG on a contract from T-Mobile. The battery life is to be expected
from a mid to high end phone any thing more than a day is a bonus on
any mobile. I don't use the "launcher" I use the GO launcher from the
Android market which is infinitely customisable.
Rating: 
Reply
Reviewed by Tino.P from England. Luton on 14th
Jan 2012
Got this phone on contract from phones4u on o2. At first it was brilliant
I couldnt of been happier with it. Since i had this phone i had sold
my old lg GD510 mobile to my friend and gave him the charger that came
with the optimus instead of the GD510's charger by mistake. Whenever
I tried to charge it with the old charger it was acting really weird,
if im sending a text and press 1 letter it would come up with 5 or 6
letters. if i click on an app in the menu it would open the one next
to it, etc. Now it has got so bad that even though i have got the optimus
charger back from my friend, the phone just does not charge, will not
turn on, its basically one of them dummy phones that you see on the
shelf in the shop. I phones various sources including LG and phones4u
and both told me completley different things. In the end i had to go
down there and make a scene to get any kind of help. As a result of
that the manager kindly gave me a new mobile from his own money, only
a basic one mind, and topped it up with £20 credit wich i was very greatful
for and will be sending it off for repair on tuesday. I am wondering
if anybody else has had any similar problems with their optimus P970
handset and if so please let me know and how you dealt with it. If you
are considering buying this phone then i would say definatley get the
samsung galaxy s2 instead, i could of got that when i got the optimus
and am really regretting not getting it. Also the new grand theft auto
3 game that has just came to the android market is not compatible on
the optimus... and it is on the s2.
Rating:
Reply
Reviewed by nigel street from uk on 28th Dec 2011
I am on my second p970, the first lasted about 2 months. Although light
and having a good screen size I am unhappy with the overall performance,
the ring volume is not loud enough, it doesn't have a constant reminder
telling you that you have missed a call or message and apparently you
cannot connect to Microsoft Windows. I have e-mailed LG about this many
times, they admit there is a problem, but have not offered a solution.
I am going to send this junk back to my mobile phone company and buy
something better.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by phil from england on 22nd Dec 2011
Perfect size and Some powerful features and i personally love the styling
on the white edition however the battery life is poor. I struggle to
get through the day with moderate use. The gingerbread update is supposed
to improve battery life but when will it be released. Lg have dragged
their feet on this. Good for tehering, music, and watching video. Also
good at hanging onto a signal. Video recording is average at best and
battery life is scary. These last issues lose it a star.
Rating:
Reply
Reviewed by Adreanna Morris from u.s.a on 21st
Dec 2011
i cant download anything this phone sucks
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Zoe from UK on 11th Nov 2011
Battery life is absolutely awful. Other than that, good phone!
Rating:
Reply
Reviewed by Sam from England on 1st Nov 2011
At first this was the most amazing phone I had ever used. Light. Super
quick. Brilliant display. Then it all started going down hill, the touch
screen cannot keep up with typing speed. The WIFI and signal are both
real dodgy, it takes longer to connect each time you use the WIFI. The
phone is automatically set with Data Roaming on... so if you didn't
know what that was and just carried your phone about you through out
the day, your credit would be eaten in a few hours. Battery life is
shockingly bad to the point my phone has to be charged every night.
The phone in general overheats and the whole system crashes. I do not
recommend buying this phone at all.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by amaan from india on 16th Aug 2011
Now this phone is like the best in its price and as its display is concerned
it even beats the top of the edge phone but the processor is surely
not the best but its pretty descent but a very nice UI and i personally
like the keyboard a lot its just too good the gesture key is also quite
usefull at times. though the processor is not the best it plays games
quite smoothly as compared to the samsung galaxy s2 as I've seen it
gives game reendering issues as I've seen in splintercell conviction
hd and hawx and actually these are the only two games which I've played
on it which requires quite good graphics and i donno bout how other
games play as I've not seen them so i would say its the bestbuy phone
and one more thing that the hd videos also look amazingly good on the
nova display
Rating:
Reply
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