LG Thrive - A Good Starting Point for New Android Users

LG Thrive Basic Specifications

• Dimensions: 114 x 59 x 13mm
• Display: 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen
• Weight: 91 grams
• Processor: 600 MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset
• Memory: 160MB internal storage, comes with 2GB MicroSD card with support of up to 32GB
• Operating System:  Android 2.2
• Camera: 3.15MP autofocus

LG’s Optimus range provided the first entry-level Android phones to US buyers. The Optimus T was the first of those models to arrive, a phone based on the international Optimus One and exclusively available on T-Mobile. It was quickly followed by the Optimus M, the Optimus V and, for AT&T Wireless, the LG Phoenix, an Optimus in all but name.

The phone itself is attractive with all of the Optimus range’s good looks. Measuring 114 by 59 by 13mm, the device is small and streamline, with a feeling of lightness helped by the angled edges and curved corners. The screen though is small too, at just 3.2 inches and 320x480 pixels.

The Menu, Home, Back and Search keys are placed in a strip beneath the screen with the Home and Back buttons in a highlighted area of their own, a useful ergonomic detail. Shortcuts at the bottom of the screen lead to the phone dialer, the contacts list, the main menu, messaging and the browser.

The 3.2 megapixel lens produces reasonable photos and while the 160 MB of internal memory will fill up quickly, the phone is expandable to 32 GB with microSD cards.

The device runs Froyo but the Thrive copies the Phoenix in not shipping with Swype and LG’s user interface. Users can download it or they can run vanilla Android, another nice option for someone who wants to play with Android without the cellular company putting itself in the way. It does however have a custom LG virtual keyboard in addition to Android’s own keyboard and a slew of pre-installed AT&T apps that can’t be removed. Like the Phoenix, the Thrive doesn’t run Flash, which can only be used in native apps such as the YouTube app. Uniquely though, it also doesn’t allow for mobile hot spot use or data tethering.