LG Lotus LX600 Phone, Black (Sprint) Review

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(More customer reviews)** UPDATE ** 09/30
Going on 9 months with the phone. Still enjoying it and happy with my decision. There is word of the Lotus 2 (2nd generation) phone coming out sometime in 2010. It's too early to tell how much will have changed from the Lotus 1, but so far word has it that the micro SDHC memory limit has been expanded to 32Gb and the outer screen will be touch sensitive. The touch screen functionality suggests that the inner screen will have this too, but that was not mentioned. In any case, expect the phone to debut sometime in the summer. If you really need a phone right now, you can't go wrong with the Lotus given the extremely attractive discounts going on.
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REVIEW
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The LG Lotus was introduced in the fall of 2008, to reasonable fanfare and press. But do you hear anything about the Lotus now? Not much, which I find strange because the LG Lotus is such an amazing phone. Maybe the surging popularity of touch screen phones overshadows it?
I bucked the touch screen trend and instead went with an LG Lotus. I had to switch from Verizon to Sprint in order to get it, because US based cellular carriers still impose a carrier lock on most phones and have significant pricing discounts when buying a phone with a plan. At first, I was worried about leaving "American's most reliable network" and sacrificing the "in network" minutes with a few of the people I know... but then I came to realize that Sprint has an excellent network as well. So far in my first few weeks of being on the Sprint network, I've noticed no performance loss.
But back to the phone. This is what attracted me to the Lotus:
1) EXCELLENT QWERTY KEYPAD. I don't like the lack of feedback from a touch screen phone; but you've no choice with it, because that's the main interface you're given (unless you do everything by voice command). On the other hand, the tactile sensation of the Lotus keypad is excellent. I have XL sized hands and have no trouble rapidly "double thumb" typing on the Lotus. I tried the Blackberry Curve and Treo--the Lotus keypad works with fewer typos.
2) SMALL FORM FACTOR. The iPhone, Storm, and Omnia touch screen style phones are all quite large and a bit weighty. They don't fit comfortably in your pocket, especially if you've got it in a case to avoid screen scratches. But the Lotus disappears in your pocket. Even in a shirt pocket, it is unobtrusive. When folded, the inner screen and keyboard are fully protected. Yet, when you open it up, the size is doubled and it is easy to hold. THIS is what cellular communications should be all about. I've tried out the Motorola RAZR and I'd say the Lotus is about the same thickness but easier to hold. Overall, the design of the Lotus is very unusual. When opened, it almost looks like a miniature laptop! :-)
3) SEMI-SMART PHONE. What does it take for a cellular phone to be called a Smart Phone? "There is no agreement in the industry about what a smartphone actually is and definitions have changed over time." The Lotus supports Java applications, can browse the web, download files, exchange e-mail (when connected, e-mail is pushed to the phone), and work as a GPS device. This certainly sounds smart to me. Aside from the default browser, you can download others (like the Opera Mini) and even use a GMail application instead of going through the HTML interface. I'm sure as time goes on, the list of compatible Java apps for the Lotus will increase.
4) PLAN VERSATILITY. With smart phones like the iPhone, Storm, and Omnia, you MUST have a data plan. With the Lotus, you can choose whether or not you want a data plan. Plus, on Sprint, you can do this change mid-stream on your contract without incurring costs or contract change penalties (the countdown to expiration remains unchanged). I find this an attractive advantage over the competition.
5) SCREEN RESOLUTION. The inner screen of the Lotus is 2.5" diagonal. It is a beautiful wide screen that looks like one you'd see on a quality digital camera. The resolution is SUPERB. Pictures appear razor sharp and in full accurate color. Even the external screen looks great, and you can choose not only a few different clock layouts but a different wallpaper from the internal screen.
6) MENU SYSTEM. The default "Carousel" style menu system is actually very nice. It is customizable and provides very easy access to popular functions of the phone. It is great for novices but a little annoying for the technically adept. However, you can dispense with it and go with the LG menu system. With the help of a Sprint store rep, you can get the default LG menu activated (or if you know your MSL number, you can do it yourself). I prefer the LG menu as it removes the Carousel clutter (if the menu would auto-hide, I'd like it more) so you can see your wallpaper image in all its glory. Plus, you go from 5 to 12 favorites (shortcuts), something I really appreciate. Not only that, but the left menu button becomes a quick access link to the Calendar/Scheduler, instead of it being hidden behind a carousel tile you have to hunt for. Supposedly, going with the LG menu saves you some battery life, too.
7) NO THEFT MAGNET. Large and glamorous PDA phones are a theft magnet, especially the coveted iPhone. Personally, I find the idea of constantly whipping out an expensive device increases the chance for damage (who here hasn't dropped a phone at least once on a hard surface?) and involuntary loss due to theft. The Lotus is nicely inconspicuous (especially the black version).
8) MUSIC PLAYBACK QUALITY. The built in music player is a little cumbersome at first, in that upon initial insertion of the SD card, it scans all of your music and creates an internal index. But once that index is created, it is quick and easy to play music selections by "All Songs", "Artists", "Genres", and "Albums". Plus you can create your own playlists, as well as use random or sequential play by Genre, Artist, and All Songs. A very nice attribute for the way the SD card is used is that you can subdivide your music by whatever folders you want--the Lotus scans the card and finds them, rather than requiring all songs to be in one folder. Sound quality is impressive, although for this small size the bass is lacking. But mids and highs are clear and accurate. I couldn't believe what I was able to hear... better than the iPod earbuds, that's for certain. Plus, it has a 2.5mm jack so you can plug in earbuds if you wish to listen privately. Bluetooth headsets are also supported.
9) EXCELLENT GPS SOFTWARE. I was about to buy a Garmin Nuvi 255w. But now, I don't have to. The Sprint GPS Navigator is excellent! It really works. Plus, it's full featured. You get horizon view and bird's eye view, turn-by-turn voice navigation with street names, easily stored favorites, and interfacing with Google maps. It also audibly informs you about traffic conditions. What more could you want?
10) DECENT CAMERA. A 2.0 megapixel camera sounds passe, when 3.2 and 5.0 cellphone cameras are available. Well, I don't know what firmware LG put in this phone, but this is the best 2.0 megapixel camera I've ever seen. I'd swear it was 3.0 megapixel. Photos are of very high quality. It works OK in low light if the subject remains still. There is NO flash, unfortunately. I wouldn't use this over a full fledged digital camera, but it makes for an excellent backup.
11) OBVIOUS CHARGING INDICATOR. On many phones, you need to look at the LCD screen to see a message that charging is complete or that the battery indicator is now on full. With the Lotus, the external music controls are lit up red when charging is taking place, but change to white once charging is finished--quite obvious to notice from a distance, which is very convenient.
12) MINI USB CONNECTOR. The mini USB connector works very well with this phone, sliding into place securely. And now there are vendors supplying car chargers with retractable cords that work with the Lotus. It's an excellent solution for convenient charging on the go with no cords to hassle with.
OTHERS - the phone has 5 alarm settings, one "quick alarm" and 4 main ones that you can set for whatever period you need (once, daily, weekly, monthly) and with whatever sound you want (default or downloaded). There is even a feature that allows you to record a phone call--not bad.So, those are the things I really like about the Lotus. But alas, no phone is perfect. Here is what I see needing improvement:
1) VOICE QUALITY. During calls, voices are projected through an internal speaker on the lid. Depending on the party reached, some calls sound a little flat and tinny on high volume. This is in contrast to the excellent voice quality I had on a Motorola E815. Now, it's not so bad that it is a deal breaker, but I wish it was a little better. If you're in a noisy room and crank up the volume, you'll be a bit disappointed. I tend to keep the volume set to about the mid-point. Using an ear set works well, as an alternative. In fact, at home I plug in a wired ear set and it works beautifully. I tuck the phone in my pocket and walk around hands free. The speakerphone quality is excellent, though.
2) BATTERY LIFE. If you leave your phone connected to the Internet most of the time, you'll probably need to recharge your phone daily. But if you shut off the Internet connection when not in use, battery life should be about average for standby and talk time. The Lotus is rated at 5.5 hours, but I'd say it's just about 3 hours. Most phone manufacturers exaggerate their talk time anyway. My last phone was...Read more›

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The stylish, uniquely designed LG Lotus flip phone for Sprint offers the perfect combination of both style and substance with a full QWERTY keyboard that is ideal for quick text messaging, e-mail or instant messaging. In addition to fast 3G speeds from Sprint's high-speed EV-DO network, you'll enjoy GPS navigation capabilities for accessing the optional Sprint Navigation turn-by-turn direction service as well as access to Sprint TV's video-on-demand with full-motion video and vivid sound. The Lotus is also a great choice for a cellular audio player, with access to the Sprint Music Store for over-the-air downloads and wide multiformat support for loading your music onto optional microSD memory cards (up to 16 GB in size). Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, access to personal e-mail, full duplex speakerphone, and up to 5.5 hours of talk time.
Sprint Service Supporting the EV-DO high-speed data standard, this phone enables you to download and stream high-quality video, straight onto your phone. Where coverage is available, EV-DO connectivity provides average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps, with peak rates up to 2 Mbps. With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.
This phone also provides access to Sprint Football Live--free for any phone with a data plan. You'll be able to follow all the live play-by-play action with the Live Game Center for both pro and college football games, as well as stay on top of the pro football draft with a Live Draft Tracker and in-depth analysis and bios on nearly 500 top prospects. Access by texting "FOOTBALL" to 7777 on the handset to download Sprint Football Live from Sprint Digital Lounge (standard text messaging and data rates apply).
The Sprint Music Store enables you to buy, download, and then jam out wherever you are with new songs or old favorites. Offering a growing selection of more than 1.6 million songs, the store provides you two copies of each song--one for the phone and another for the PC, as well as the ability to burn songs to a CD using Windows Media Player. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you.
This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone--by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, "Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street." As you approach the turn, you will hear, "Turn right on Elm Street." Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it's easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.
With Sprint Mobile e-mail, you'll get easy access to your favorite home e-mail services including AOL, Yahoo!, Gmail, and MSN/Windows Live Hotmail and more. And Sprint Mobile e-mail Work enables you to access e-mail from corporate servers, including Microsoft Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007 and Lotus Notes Domino versions 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 (with the latest software update).
Phone Features The innovative LG Lotus flip phone is the recipient of the Red Dot Design Award--one of the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world--for its original form factor. This square flip phone measures just 3.3 x 2.4 x 0.7 inches and weighs 3.7 ounces, making it perfectly pocketable. It has an external 1.3-inch LCD screen (160 x 128 pixels, 65K colors), which displays incoming calls and provides current time/date, signal strength, and battery life. You can control music playback when the phone is closed with dedicated buttons right below the screen.
Flipping the cover open reveals a small, full QWERTY keyboard that's ideal for quick text messaging, e-mail or instant messaging. The interior also includes a five-way navigator, send/end keys, and soft navigation keys. This phone features Sprint's new One Click navigation interface, which places eight shortcut tiles along the bottom of the home screen. Instead of navigating through endless phone menus, you can put the things you use the most--features like call logs, texting, Web access and GPS navigation--right up front with instant information related to each feature. For example, when you scroll to text messaging, you'll see the number of new messages received and a single click takes take you to the newest messages. Here's how it works:
Add your favorite items to the carousel, which is a row of tiles along the bottom of your phone's home screen.
The carousel can hold up to 15 tiles, which you can add, remove and rearrange to suit your needs.
Highlight a tile to reveal its menu on your home screen.
Add up to 8 "bubbles"--at-a-glance items that display on your home screen, like the weather or your daily horoscope.
Browse and download new tiles from your phone's "Personalize Home Screen" tile. New tiles are available every two weeks.
Press your navigation left or right key to select a tile; up or down to select a bubble or menu item.
The "Home" tile always stays put, so you can easily get back to your default display.
The phone includes an 80 MB internal memory, which can be expanded via optional microSD memory cards up to 16 GB in size. The phonebook can store up to 600 contact entries, each with up to seven numbers, three e-mail addresses, a web URL, IM screen name, and a picture ID. Other features include a one-touch speakerphone, speed dial (98 entries plus one voice-mail default), and voice-activated dialing.
This phone provides the latest version of Bluetooth connectivity--version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), which makes pairing with the included headset as well as other Bluetooth devices a snap. And with EDR, you'll get a faster connection than with the previous version 1.2, which makes transferring files and using the phone as a modem for your laptop hum along nicely. And with the embedded A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones or other compatible devices. This phone also enables you to send contacts and calendar events, send pictures to a Bluetooth-enabled printer, and save up to 20 Bluetooth pairings
The 2-megapixel camera offers four resolution options for still images (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 pixels), and it features up to a 15x digital zoom (depending on resolution setting; 1600 x 1200 does not support zoom), brightness and white balance controls, a self timer, and an in-phone image editor. You can print photos directly to compatible PictBridge printers via the included USB cable or via Bluetooth. You can also capture video clips in three resolutions (320x 240, 176 x 144, and 128 x 96 pixels), with video length of either up to 35 seconds (for sending via messaging or mail) or up to 1 hour (for saving to your memory card).
The digital music player supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, and MP4A files, and it allows you to play music in the background while you multitask in other applications on the phone. It also has an airplane mode that turns off cellular connectivity while allowing you to continue to play music. This phone is compatible with real-music ringtones, and you can also set voice memos as a ringtone. You can record voice memos up to 10 minutes in length. It comes with 33 unique ringtones and you can also set the phone to vibrate and silent modes.
Other features include:
Personalize your phone by downloading unique ringers and assigning them to numbers in your address book so you'll know who's calling by the sound of the ring or style of animation
Wireless Backup to manage contacts list in the event that the phone is lost, stolen or damaged
Download and play entertaining, interactive games that you'll want to play all the time
USB mass storage capabilities and charging via computer
Organizer tools: alarm clock, calculator, scheduler, document viewer, notepad, world clock, EZ tip calculator
Bluetooth version 2.1 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, e-mail), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)
Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) rating of M4 for hearing aids operating in the acoustic mode

Vital Statistics The LG Lotus weighs 3.7 ounces and measures 3.3 x 2.4 x 0.7 inches. Its 900 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.5 hours of talk time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as Sprint's EV-DO data network.

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