LG Optimus L7

Most of the devices that LG introduced this year at Mobile World Congress have a standout feature. The LG Optimus 3D Max has, you guessed it, 3D imaging. The flagship Optimus 4X HD has its quad-core processor going for it. And the Vu can flaunt its 5-inch screen.

Designed as a mid-level Android device, the L7 has no outstanding identifying features. Its run-of-the-mill specs include a 5-megapixel camera and a disappointing 1GHz processor. However, if you consider the fact that it runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and has NFC capabilities, suddenly the term "mid-level" doesn't seem so deflating any more.

The LG Optimus L7's humdrum design is nothing to write home about. With its sharp corners, plastic backing and tapered edges, the device looks similar to all the other minimalist Optimus handsets we've seen recently. It is one of LG's smaller devices, and can snugly fit in a front or back jean pocket. It's easy to pack into a small purse, and handling it with one hand is a cinch.

On its left side is a volume rocker, up top there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and a sleep/power button, and at the bottom is a micro-USB port.

At the back centre is a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. Below that, to the left, are two small slits for the output speaker. Unlike most phones, the L7 doesn't have an indentation to make it easy to pry off the back of the phone. Instead, you'll have to just insert your fingernails anywhere within the seams of the back plate. Once you remove it, you can access the microSD slot, SIM card and 1,700mAh battery. On the opposite side of the backing are two small gold antennas for the NFC capabilities.

Though generally we don't mind plastic battery covers, since they keep a phone light and durable, the L7 is an exception. There are ways to give plastic a more luxurious feel, either by giving it a matte coating or unique texture. But the L7 just has lined grooves like a 3D baseball card, which makes it feel really cheap and almost like a toy.

The L7 sports a 4.3-inch WVGA Nova display with an 800x480-pixel resolution and 450 units of brightness. Though the lowered specs aren't as impressive as those of other phones, like the LG Optimus 4X HD, the screen is still decent in its own right. App icons were crisp, text was sharp and at maximum brightness, colours were vivid. Although gradient patterns looked somewhat streaky, on the whole, images were rich and highly saturated.

Above the display, in the right corner, is a proximity sensor, and to the left is a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. Below is a physical Home button, with a Back and Menu front key on either side of it, that light up when in use.

The LG Optimus L7 runs on a disappointingly slow A5 1GHz single-core processor. Basic tasks like unlocking the screen, opening the camera app and even transitioning back to the four home screen pages, took noticeably longer than usual on other phones. The lag time made the screen feel unresponsive sometimes. After tapping on an app, nothing would happen for a few seconds. At first, we were unsure whether the display had registered the input at all, but, by the time we went to open the app again, it would finally launch.

On the upside, the device runs on the latest version of Google's mobile OS, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and comes with all the Google goodies you expect: Gmail, Search, Plus, Latitude, Play Store, Messenger, Maps with Navigation, Places, Talk and YouTube. Other preloaded content includes a finance app, for keeping track of your stocks; a news and weather app; the Polaris Office mobile suite; RemoteCall, an app that lets LG support services remotely access your phone for troubleshooting; SmartShare, a content distribution app; LG SmartWorld, for downloading LG apps and ringtones; an FM radio; and an app that enables you to receive cell broadcast messages.