LG Optimus Slider (Virgin Mobile) review

As already noted, the Slider has a 3.2 megapixel camera. When it comes to virtually all budget smartphones, picture taking is one of the features that is almost always crippled when it comes to saving money, generally speaking. In all honestly, its performance is not horrible, at least when compared to other cost conscious Android handsets.

The quality of the image will almost entirely depend on the lighting conditions. If taken outdoors, and under a bright sun, colors and details should be more than sufficient. But indoors, its an entirely different story. At best, you'll have washed out colors and noticeable amount of digital grain. And forget about taking pictures when the sun goes down, unless you have a very strong light source; the phone lacks a flash.

Oddly enough, the straightforward Android UI is where the camera app shines the most. Without a custom skin getting in the way, you have a large number of options at your disposal, which are otherwise obscured in other instances. Including a number of white balance pre-sets, focus modes, picture quality, color effects, and more.

It's just a shame that the camera itself is not up to the task. But at least you have a fighting chance to make that picture the best it can be. Though the biggest issue is, once again, the overall sluggishness and unresponsiveness of the phone itself.

There's a dedicated shutter button that is supposed to automatically send you into the camera app from anywhere else, in case a picture taking opportunity arises from out of the blue. In similar Android handsets, it takes about one to two seconds for the camera app to be launched. But in the Slider's instance, it's three to four. Sometimes more. Which can lead to frustration if the moment has been lost.

The camera app can also shoot video. Given the VGA resolution, the results are equally unexciting. But the strange thing is how it has its own dedicated icon in the Slider's application folder, called Camcorder. Which, again, is just the camera app, with the slider that goes between still shot and video mode being adjusted already. Very strange.