LG Optimus GT540 review

The LG Optimus GT540 comes with a 1500mAh battery. That's quite a lot of power for a smartphone with this level of spec, and we found it coped quite well. We got a day-and-a-half of use that included some Web browsing and Wi-Fi, as well as a bit of music listening and a bit of time spent using the GPS.

If you like your smartphone to double up as your music player and you are a very keen music fan, or you use Wi-Fi or GPS a lot, you'll probably find a daily charge is in order. But more frugal users might easily stretch to two days.

While this is a rarity for a smartphone, it is more likely to be seen at the lower end of the market where the LG Optimus GT540 sits, simply because such devices have less power hungry screens than those at the very top end.

Comparison

When it comes to the competition, there isn't a lot that gives the LG Optimus GT540 a run for its money.

The already mentioned InTouch Max GW620, with its built in keyboard, might be a better bet for anyone really keen on keeping in touch via written rather than spoken words, and LG's Cookie Fresh might also be an option, although it is not an Android handset.

There's also the option of the new low cost ZTE F930, which is exclusive to Three – though again this is not an Android handset, and the ZTE Racer, which appears to be something of a rival.

Maps

Using Google Maps is an OK experience on the Optimus GT540, as while the GPS chip is quick enough to find you (although no earth shattering speeds) the resistive screen makes it hard to interact with the screen successfully.

Clicking a specific address from the map is difficult as you're generally pretty inaccurate, and swiping through different categories is hard too. It's not a terrible experience, but this is one of the applications where the resistive screen on the Optimus GT540 really lets it down.

However, at least it has Google Maps Navigation on board, meaning you've got a fully-fledged sat nav as standard - something which clearly adds a lot of value to a phone from this price level.

It's easy enough to use, but the resistive screen's foibles come into play once again - trying to manipulate the display when on the move is very difficult and should (obviously) never be attempted while driving.