GADGETSLAB
LG OPTIMUS ONE P500 SMARTPHONE
By Danee Torres
For the longest time it seems that the problem with the perfect smartphone is its size. Some users might prefer a smartphone that is as powerful as it is inconspicuously sleek, but this seems like somewhat of a rarity. This is one of the reasons why I’ve held off buying a smartphone even though I’ve wanted one for the longest time. I’m very picky when it comes to something I’ll have to spend on, so if I were to drop a whole lot of money, it should be able to meet my criteria. First of all, size and physical characteristics. It shouldn’t be obnoxiously long, or thick, and it should be able to fit in my pocket or on the palm of my hand with ease. You don’t want that smartphone accidentally slipping and shattering, so grip is very important. At 113.5 x 59 x 13.3 millimeters, the P500 is an ace. It’s not so long that you’ll have to use two hands in navigating through it, but it’s not too small or short that you’ll be straining your eyes just to view the display. There are four 40
physical buttons on the front which I particularly like as they are controls that the user is going to need the most: Search, Home, Menu and Return/ Back. The display is a brightcolored, 3-inch ultra-responsive touchscreen that gives the user a quality experience. I switched the wallpapers a few times during the test, and my eyes never got bored. The display is absolutely crisp and fantastic. Secondly, navigation and customization. It’s crucial that a smartphone allows maximum personalization, and I have no complaints in that department when it comes to the P500. Widgets can be spread out over five home screens, and if you love widgets so much that those five screens aren’t enough, you’ll be happy to know that the home screen can be expanded up to seven so you can have one page for music, another for keeping track of the weather, and another for checking email and work-related functions. It all depends on user preferences, which is pretty great to me.
DECEMBER 2010 • JANUARY 2011
Navigation is a breeze, all you have to do is slide a finger from left to right to unlock the screen. On the bottom of the home screen is the Application Tab where you can get apps and add them to the home screen. To add to the home screen, simply press and hold the icon of the app and drag to the home screen. To add widgets to the home screen, press the Menu key and choose from the various widgets on the list. The P500 has a weather and clock widget and bookmarks, among others. If viewing the applications look daunting, it’s probably because they’re just grouped into one big category: Applications. But in keeping with the customization according to user demands, the P500 allows you to group the applications so you don’t have to look through them one by one just to select, say, Google Goggles. I love organization myself, so during the test I grouped the apps in three categories; Google products, Multimedia and Games, and Social Networking. It made me
browse through applications faster because I knew where everything was, and the best part was I could name the categories myself. Speaking of Google products, did I mention that the P500 runs on Android 2.2. Froyo? Well it does, and that’s another reason why it’s so easy to suit it to your needs. Android is great when it comes to personalization, and this lets me add a third check on my list: ‘powered by a formidable OS.’ Android 2.2 provides the new and improved tethering which makes it easier to work as it allows you to share a 3G connection with your laptop. Froyo also has an impressive Exchange support and email application, so you won’t have to be anxious about getting work done. My only problem is you can’t get much done on the unit without first setting up your Google Account. All I wanted to see was if the month of November had a 31st, and it wouldn’t open the Calendar until I registered