In recent years, LG has become a force in the cell phone market. It has not, however, spent an awful lot of time developing Android-based phones. They made early strides with the LG Intouch Max GW620 and have now unveiled the LG GT540, a phone based on the 620. Named the Optimus, the GT540 has taken the best features of the 620 and added to them without making the phone too confusing. It is ideal for beginners in Android technology or for those already well-versed in the system. The Optimus is crafted from high quality plastic and provides a 3.2-inch resistive screen. It is not unlike other cell phone models in size, as it is 109mm tall, 54.5mm wide, and 12.7mm thick. Many users are used to the comforts afforded by capacitive touch screens, but the Optimus’s screen is quite responsive. Bright images are displayed with 320 x 480 pixel resolution and the screen supports 256K colors. The Android 1.6 operating system powers the Optimus and the phone works with and updated S-class interface. A home screen can be chosen from either the usual Android version or a customized LG version. The customized screen is attractive due to features such as available messaging right from the screen and part of the drag-up menu. Widgets, folders, and shortcuts are also found on the customized home screen. Keeping up to date on your friends is quite easy with the ability to import Facebook, Bebo, and Twitter contacts. The Optimus’s user interface is somewhat self-explanatory and is not hard to navigate. The LG Optimus includes a 3-megapixel camera equipped with autofocus. Photographs are presented in 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. Face and smile detection are nice additional features. Those familiar with the LG Viewty Smart will already be comfortable with the camera interface. The camera also records VGA video at a rate of 17 frames per second. LG is aware that phones have advanced well beyond mere speaking devices and have created a powerful multimedia device with the Optimus. The player is capable of supporting both Xvid and Divx formats. LG has kept the music interface similar to that of its other phones, supporting an FM radio and an RDS feature complete with radio channels. Audio quality receives a boost with Bass and the Optimus provides 150 MB of internal memory. The LG Optimus is a smartphone that operates on the Android system competently and is a nice step forward for LG. It offers a pleasing experience to those newly discovering Android technology and those already using it on a regular basis. Simplicity and functionality are the calling cards of the Optimus and it is a welcome addition to the smartphone market.