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Battery life
The LG Optimus L7 boasts a decently sized 1,700mAh battery, which puts it on top of the Nokia Lumia 710 (1,300mAh), Orange San Diego (1,460) and HTC One V (1,500).
That additional power, coupled with the less than fantastic processor, means the Optimus L7 is capable of easily lasting a whole day on a single charge, even with heavy use.
We found if we were a little more conservative with our usage, but still using social media, emails and music etc, we could get three days out of the L7.
Another plus point for the L7 is that it comes with a removable battery, something the San Diego and One V don't offer – allowing you to perform hard resets if, heaven forbid, the handset was to freeze – although we didn't experience this during our tests.
Oddly, the battery manager option in the settings menu seems to be missing on the Optimus L7, so we can't see what apps and functions are guzzling the juice – something which pretty much every Android handset offers.
With the battery of the Optimus L7 seemingly far superior to its rivals, it's surprising LG hasn't given us the option to show off its capabilities with the lovely usage graph we've seen on other Android handsets.
Connectivity
As you'd expect from a mid-range smartphone these days the LG Optimus L7 comes with a whole host of connectivity options, kicking off with the 3G and Wi-Fi b/g/n capabilities, keeping you online at all times.
Bluetooth 3.0 and A-GPS are also on board, along with a Wi-Fi hotspot function allowing you to share the Optimus L7's mobile internet connection with other devices.
As we've mentioned before there's a microSD card slot under the plastic back plate and a microUSB socket at the base of the handset for charging and connecting to your computer.
Another nice feature is the inclusion of NFC in the Optimus L7, and LG has also been kind enough to chuck in one of its Tag+ NFC tags into the box with the handset.
There's a corresponding app to go with the NFC functionality, so check our Maps and apps section for the full run down on that.
There's also DLNA streaming supported via LG's SmartShare app, allowing you to ping content from the handset to your computer or TV, plus a wireless syncing option with the PC software for back ups and content transfers.
