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LG Optimus Black

06 Jan 2011

Loaded with Google Android 2.2 and slated for a Gingerbread update, the LG Optimus Black's unique proposition comes from its 4.0-inch display dubbed as Nova that pits itself as a more power efficient screen against the likes of LCD and AMOLED displays.

Tags: google, mobile phones, lg, google android

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HWZ's Overall Rating: 7.5

Design:

7.5

Features:

7.5

User-Friendliness:

7.5

Performance:

7.5

Value:

7.5

Light and slim

Good display legibility under strong sunlight

Minimal buttons to keep design sleek

Poor handling, tends to slip from grip

Low battery mileage for single-core device

Lacking in responsiveness

Design/build could have been better

<div id="product-review" class="article">
			<h2 class="header-green">LG Optimus Black - Shining Black (Updated!)</h2>
		<span class="byline">Reviewed by Seow Tein Hee on Thursday, 07 Jul 2011</span>
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		 		<h2 class="page-title">Overview &amp; Design</h2>
		 		<p><em><strong>** Updated on 7th July 2011 **</strong></em></p>
<p>The article has been updated with performance benchmarks conducted on a retail unit, thus updating the earlier preview to a final review with ratings given for the LG&nbsp;Optimus Black.</p>
<h3 class="page_title">Looking Prime in Black</h3>
<p>What is the LG&nbsp;Optimus Black? One thing's for sure, it has no relation to the iconic leader of the Transformers' heroic Autobots. The Optimus Black represents the company's continued focus on design excellence. While first impressions do count, what lies beneath, i.e. the hardware and software, still matters greatly to the consumer. As such, the Optimus Black also adds a few bells and whistles to its repertoire.</p>
<p>First seen in our <a href="/features/view/122081/page:2" target="_blank">CES 2011 roundup</a>, what we've had in our labs for sometime was the pre-production unit of the Optimus Black. As such in our initial preview article, we reserved our comments for its performance to a later date when the retail unit was ready for review.&nbsp; Finally after the busy June period when all the major launches subsided, we managed to find some quality time to review the LG&nbsp;Optimus Black in detail. To start off, we'll take a quick look at the concept behind its design, and what you can expect from the features of the Optimus Black.</p>
<p>Looking purely at the exterior, the Optimus Black takes on a minimalistic approach to its design. Other than the LG&nbsp;branding placed prominently at the top, you won't find anymore markings across its chassis. Once it's awakened from its standby mode, its four main icons for home, menu, back and search will be lit up and presented below its 4-inch display.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img height="345" width="500" title="From the front, only the LG brand is visibly seen, until..." src="/files/images/lg1_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" title="...the Optimus Black awakens from standby mode, revealing four touch-sensitive buttons below its 4-inch screen." src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2011/03/8fbfc7a2f7.jpg" /></p>
<p>Along the borders, the inconspicuous buttons can be challenging to locate, given how it's fully flushed to the body. That said, we had to fumble around the edges to locate the volume buttons. Right below the volume buttons, we spotted an unfamiliar button, which was later revealed to be its gesture button. We'll be explaining more of its function in the following features page. Surprisingly, we found no camera button on the device, which means you'll have to rely on the touch screen interface to activate, focus and shoot with its 8-megapixel camera.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" title="Along the edges of the Optimus Black, we only spotted the overly flushed volume button. Right below it, is the gesture button which is used in conjunction with the device's accelerometer to control the various features of the Android smartphone." src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2011/03/d3cb96235d.jpg" /></p>
<p>The crown of the Optimus Black is occupied by the power button, a 3.5mm audio port and a slider cover that protects the microUSB port. Of these three, we favored the slider cover for its practicality, joining the <a target="_blank" href="/product-guide/view/20283/page:2">Samsung Galaxy S</a>&nbsp;as one of the rare few devices that adopts such a design concept. Its power button, however, did give us quite a headache to depress with its flushed design.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" title="Our favorite design consideration - a slider cover to hide the microUSB port. Unfortunately, it sits right next to a flushed power button that's a pain to access." src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2011/03/5d23dbe1ec.jpg" /></p>
<p>Officially, the Optimus Black's profile measures in at 9.2mm. Upon closer inspection, the thickness isn't uniform across the device, with a tapered edge along the borders. This does give the impression that the Optimus Black is thinner along the edges, which measures at 6mm according to LG. Its weight, or the lack of it, was one of the first few aspects we noticed when we held the Optimus Black in our hands. Not expecting the feather light weight that comes with it, we handled the Optimus Black with care, hoping it won't crumble in our grip. Its body encased mostly in plastic, felt flimsy and cheap overall. This is a far cry from LG's previous smartphones, such as the <a target="_blank" href="/product-guide/view/90439">LG&nbsp;Optimus 7</a> that combines a fine mixture of glass, plastic and metal to create a premium feel to the device.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img title="While it measures 9.2mm thin, the tapered edge which goes down to 6mm gives an illusion of a much thinner profile for the Optimus Black." src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2011/03/a5aadd2233.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" title="The flimsiness of the plastic frame is felt as we pried the cover open to access the battery and microSD card beneath." src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2011/03/7202b83121.jpg" /></p>			</div>
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LG Optimus Black

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