The successor to last year's LG Ally, the LG Enlighten is the latest entry-level Android smartphone to join Verizon's roster. If you'd like an affordable handset with a physical keyboard, this phone could prove an ideal pick.
Physically, it's a compact device, much like a lot of the entry-level phones out there. Design is blocky, with curved edges, rounded corners and a slightly bulky profile. Display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320 x 480 resolution. While the sharpness is definitely lacking, the screen is notably bright and colorful. It's also usable even under direct sunlight. The slide-out landscape keyboard is roomy, with good travel between keys and a snappy tactile feel.
As a phone, the LG Enlighten made for great calls, with little to no distortion throughout our tests. There was plenty of volume to go around, with clear audio and natural-sounding voices. Speakerphone performed in a similarly positive manner. Battery is rated at 6 hours of talk time.
Considering this is an entry level device, we're stoked that LG decided to throw in Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread into the thing. It runs a custom interface, which we actually found to be easier to get into for first-time smartphone users.
It's got all the usual Android smartphone fare -- robust messaging, wireless connectivity (GPS,3G, WiFi with mobile hotspot, Bluetooth), Google's Mobile Services and a number of preloaded apps. The Verizon apps can't be removed, though, so you're stuck with the bloatware.
An 800MHz processor powers the thing, which makes for decent-enough performance. Some lags occur once you've got a lot of apps open, although things are usually smooth. Heck, it even runs Flash on the browser pretty well, so I can't complain. The 3.2 megapixel camera actually takes good pictures with rich colors for outdoor snaps. Multimedia experience is standard Android.
Available for free on a new two-year agreement with Verizon, the LG Enlighten is one of the best entry-level Android handsets in the market today. If you can live with the smaller, low-res display, it's an excellent choice.
