Product Reviews

LG Optimus Net Cell Phone
(Net10/Straight Talk)

This is the first smart phone (Android) that I ever owned.  I bought it on a Home Shopping Center special that included a $45 monthly unlimited everything card, a 4GB microSD card, a hard rubber case (skin), a wall charger, an automobile charger, and some Android apps.  I paid $99, which also included free shipping and no taxes.  So the phone itself probably only cost me less than $50, which is one hell of a deal for an Android, no-contract phone. 

This model is being superceded by the LG Optimus Zip (same $180+ price as the Optimus Q), which is basically the same phone as the Net, except the Net version only has five user screens, while the Zip has seven user screens.  You would not want to buy the Net unless you could get it at a substantial discount. 

After the first month of unlimited everything, I let the monthly prepaid subscription expire, and I use the Optimus Net as an Android "iPod."  I use my LG 800G for calls and texting, as it is so much cheaper to operate.  In fact, the high monthly service fees are the bane of all smart phones.

All Android smart phones basically do the same things (calls, text, data, camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, voice activation, etc.)  and run the same apps.  What sets them apart from each other are screen size, OS (operating system) version, how many processors, processor speed, internal storage, external storage, camera resolution, camera flash, and such.  For every superior feature included, the price goes up.

Currently, new phones coming out are running on Android 4.0, and have 5+-inch screens.  That makes the Optimus Net (OS version 2.3, screen size 3.2", 3MP camera) a dated phone.  But it does work, and for the right price, is still a good phone for those ;ooking for a cheap entry into the smart phone world..    

Would I recommend it to a friend?  Depends on what the friend was looking for in a smart phone.