Virgin Mobile LG Optimus F3 4G No-Contract Cell Phone $40 shipped (Orig. $180)

This will be my 4th Android smartphone & 3rd from LG. After 2 years with the LG Optimus V on Virgin Mobile (VM), I get T-Mobile prepaid a try when I found their LG Optimus L9 at a good price earlier this year. Too bad T-Mobile’s prepaid plans aren’t as good as VM’s, neither is their mobile data network in this part of NW Ohio. So after a month of limping along with a serious Android device, I went back to VM with their Samsung Galaxy S II 4G (as in WiMax). The build quality of the Samsung is quite good, but I never got used to holding the thing, it’s a little to large for my liking (see my review elsewhere on Amazon). I did get to like the size of the display (very little squinting needed), and the speakerphone in the car was good enough I didn’t need my Bluetooth speakerphone (much). And of course, WiMax is doomed, so the 4G on that device was useless. So when I saw that VM was offering the LG Optimus F3 with 4G LTE, I got one, although Sprint doesn’t have much 4G in OH yet.My first impression of the hardware was favorable: I like the physical Home button, and the build quality is acceptable (I don’t think it’s as cheap as other reviewers). The size is about right for me, especially the thickness (same as the Samsung).Other reviewers’ complaints/concerns about the internal memory (1.2 GB) are unfounded, in my opinion. I installed all the apps I was using on the Samsung, and still have 600+ MB remaining (that’s way more than the ancient Optimus V had to begin with). Worried about space for music, ringtones, photos, etc. ? Get a fast microSD card and put those things there. And VM/LG didn’t add too much bloat to the phone; at least they give ways to remove much of it.Swapping from the Samsung to the LG was smooth enough, though VM’s instructions could be a little clearer (how often do they think the average VM customer swaps their phones, anyway?).The 4.0in, 800×480 display is small compared to the 4.7in display on the Samsung, but the resolution is the same, so we’re not missing anything (it’s just smaller). For this resolution, the 4.0in screen is just fine. Screen brightness in outdoor ambient light is OK, too. I like the Screen Brightness control in the Notification bar Quick Settings: tap for low, half, full, & a custom setting – who needs more than that ?

This phone comes with Android 4.1.2 without too much LG modification. I like that LG didn’t mess with the stock Call Reject feature; Samsung either hid or disabled it, so a 3rd party app was needed to have the phone reject calls from a black list, also on 4.1.2.

Connectivity is decent enough on 3G & good on WiFi – I get a 19Mbps connection from my home office on the 3rd floor of our late 20s frame house with the router in the basement. And while 4G LTE continues to roll-out (none in NW Ohio yet), throughput is impressive when I can find a 4G signal in SE Michigan (around Detroit Metro Airport) – 350kbps vs 17,000kbps. The GPS receiver seems to perform well, too (look out Garmin).

The 5MP camera is fine for a smartphone camera — remember, it’s (mostly) a phone, not a camera. It’s very fast, and has decent resolution.

The speakerphone is on the anemic side, so unless you’re driving an Audi S8 with an active sound isolation system, best to pair the F3 with a Bluetooth device. And while I’m on the topic, voice calls to both land-line & mobile phones sound fine (on both ends).

And I shouldn’t forget to mention the battery life with the stock 2,460 mAh battery — it is astounding. The Samsung Galaxy S II needed to be charged constantly as soon as any data connectivity was involved (WiFi or G3). As other reviewers have suggested, I fully expect that the F3 could go days between charges if one only used the phone or SMS text messages. But what would be the point of that ?

I don’t mind that the phone doesn’t have a mobile WiFi Hotspot. For as little use as that would get, I don’t plan on paying extra for that, anyway.

Bottom line: the LG Optimus F3 is a great 4G value if you can take advantage of it.