LG Optimus L7 review

Since Mobile World Congress in February, LG has pushed relentlessly to increase its presence in the UK, announcing and releasing a fresh wave of handsets.

One of the first handsets we got our hands on was the L7. With a price tag of just £250, it's clear the L7 isn't targeting the same market as its forthcoming big brother Optimus 4X, instead looking to entice new smartphone users or customers on a budget.

Even so, LG has added Android Ice Cream Sandwich to the mix, seeking to differentiate the L7 from other devices in the price range. While that's a bold move, the addition unfortunately comes at the cost of processing power.

Design and build
The L7 packs a 4.3in 800x480 touch-screen and measures in at 128x69x8.7mm.

Sadly, the device's screen is noticeably dim even when turned up to maximum brightness. We also noticed that the colours are slightly washed out, making even the most vibrant of images look dull.

The L7, like most of the devices in its price range, has a screen with 217 pixels per inch resolution. So like Samsung's Mini and Ace series of smartphones, its screen is nothing to set the pulse racing.

The device is also predominantly made of plastic, housing a large back plate that curves round to cover the device's sides as well. This would make the device feel very cheap were it not for the L7's front facing metal lining and the gorilla glass finish. These two touches help elevate the L7 and give a slightly more opulent feel.

Despite its very angular design, the L7 is comfortable to hold and its textured back and 121g weight make it fairly easy to get a decent grip on.

The L7 also has physical home, volume and power buttons. The power button is made of metal and sits on the right side of the device's top, with the volume control sitting just across on its left-hand side.

Both buttons felt fairly solid and were pleasingly responsive to the touch. In terms of ports the device has the standard micro-USB and headphone jacks on the outside and an internal micro-SD card slot that can be accessed by removing the L7's backplate.