The LG Vortex, offered in the US by Verizon, is billed as an entry level Android smartphone. At USD 80 after discounts with a two-year Verizon contract, it is less expensive than many other Android phones. Yet it seems to have all the bells and whistles found in Android phones. We decided to take a closer look at what might have been sacrificed for its smaller price tag.

The LG Vortex comes in a small white box, as shown in Figure 1. The contents of the box, shown in Figure 2, include a USB charger, the wall charger that can be used with the USB charger, and the Vortex phone itself. A standard lithium ion battery and a 2 GB MicroSD card come preinstalled. This phone usually comes with a quick reference guide and a product safety and warranty brochure, but these were not shipped with our demo unit.

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Figure 1: The box

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Figure 2: The box contents

The Vortex itself, shown in Figure 3, is a typical bar-type keyboard-less phone. It has rounded corners and except for a thin metallic band surround and a plastic screen cover, the phone is covered with a black soft-touch finish. This finish makes the phone easy to grip, yet allows it to slide easily into a purse or pocket. Overall, the Vortex has a sturdy look and feel. It is very similar to the LG Optimus T from T-Mobile and the LG Optimus S from Sprint and has many of the same specifications.

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Figure 3: The LG Vortex