The LG Esteem is the newest phone to join MetroPCS’ line of 4G LTE phones. Aimed for the entertainment-savvy customers, it is loaded with the latest Android technology. Come and take a look at the smartest phone in town.
Design:
LG Esteem is a smartphone designed exclusively for those of you who like to ‘live in style’. It’s sleek and modern, with a shiny matte black color and just a touch of classy silver. Granted that with dimensions of 5 by 2.6 by .5 inches (HWD) and 6.1 ounces of weight, it is a bulky phone, but the 4.3” WVGA display, 480-by-800 pixel capacitive touch LCD that it houses is one of the best displays on MetroPCS. And yes, the on-screen Swype QWERTY keyboard makes typing and touching a sheer pleasure.
Call quality:
Well, a phone has to call!! Even in this respect, LG Esteem does not fail us. The Esteem get along with a network of a LTE Metro PCS’s, to find itself whereas it is not available on a slower network such as 2G CDMA. Although the reception and call quality is good, voices on the earpiece are indistinct. Noise cancellation and voice dialing over Bluetooth score just average. As for the speakerphone, it’s better to use it only for calls, as it is hardly for outside use. Battery dies fast at 5 hours 14 minutes of talk time, but all Smartphones have the same drawback.
Data plans:
MetroPCS has rather limited coverage on its 4G LTE network, topped with not-so-impressive speeds of the range of 1.6 mbps. Still, with one of the cheapest plans available, those speeds don’t sound that bad! The various plans available are:
- $60 per month: Unlimited talk, text, and data, along with unlimited music from Rhapsody and video on demand from MetroStudio.
- $50 per month: Unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data.
- $40 per month: Unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data.
Software and apps:
Although not a dual-core processor, the 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor still gives Esteem that ‘smooth’ feeling. Esteem also supports the latest version of Android, 2.3.4 (Gingerbread), giving it a huge advantage over other Smartphones in the market. You also have a choice of five homescreens customizable to your requirements, preloaded with some standard apps and bloatware loaded by MetroPCS.
Esteem will come to the rescue of ‘lost souls’ with free, voice-enabled, turn-by-turn GPS directions provided by Google Maps Navigation and MetroNavigator. The Web browser is excellent and the big screen gives you a crystal-clear view of the HTML pages. You can access Facebook, Google Talk, Twitter and 200,000+ apps in Android Market with the IM and Social app which bundles them all together in one place for quick access.
Multimedia and camera:
The Esteem has 512MB RAM. There is 5GB free internal storage, and for additional memory, a microSD slot is provided.
Esteem supports all music file formats, except the FLAC. The sound quality is good over both the 3.5 mm wired headphones and Bluetooth headphones. The video display is great with resolutions upto 720p. The HDMI outport enables you to connect Esteem to a television or monitor, allowing you to sit back and watch downloaded movies, videos, etc. MicroHD and DLNA streaming is supported for your comfort.
The camera is, well, just average. The 5-megapixel camera has auto-focus and an LED flash, but the shutter lag is a bit long (1.2 seconds), and the picture quality, as well as color and detail, is just about OK. The video recording is rather jerky. All-in-all, Esteem is not for the avid-photographer.
What sets it apart?
The data plans are unbeatable. The design, display and hardware support is unmatched. It scores over all other Smartphones in supporting the latest version of Android and 2.3.4 (Gingerbread). It also has the best apps and on-the-go content.
Price and availability:
The standard price is $249.99 in local LG and Android stores. Better schemes and discounts may be available on the web. The model for LG Esteem is MS910.
The final word:
Looking at the various pros and cons of the LG Esteem, the upside is that the display is sharp and bright, the web is fast, the UI is simple yet enchanting, the voice quality is good and the apps and softwares are great. Most importantly the plans are one of the best you can find, and save you oodles of money. The downside is the camera and the bulkiness. The 4G speeds aren’t 4G standards.
If the price still seems high, the less luxurious but highly capable LG Optimus M is a good bet. But for the entertainment-savvy style-seekers, LG Esteem is the smartest Smartphone available today.
