Introduction:
Following suit after its rivals, LG has now joined the 4G LTE party on AT&T by unleashing the mighty LG Nitro HD. Knowing that it'll be tough to go head to head with competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and the HTC Vivid, however, the Nitro HD, as its name implies, has brought forward one very impressive asset – a 720x1280 HD display, to deliver a screen clarity that would be unmatched by its opponents.
But having in mind its above-average price tag of $249.99 with a two-year contract, we think it'd still be worth it if we take a closer look at the LG Nitro HD, in order to determine if it's really capable of leap-frogging the competition.
The package contains:
Design:
Above all, we’re soundly convinced that 4G LTE smartphones don’t need to be clunky anymore like Verizon’s batch of first generation devices – and it’s perfectly evident with the LG Nitro HD! Amazingly, it’s lighter (4.5 oz) than the HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, thanks obviously to its all-plastic construction. Comparing it to the Skyrocket, the LG Nitro HD is also easier to handle with one hand because it’s not as wide, while maintaining a consistent slim figure of 0.41” thickness all around. Meanwhile, we do like the patterned design in the rear of the device since it keeps the entire thing clean looking, but doesn’t necessarily provide as good as a grip over a soft touch finish. As a whole, we’re most impressed about its feather-like weight, but in terms of design, it goes with a conventional approach that’s cookie cutter in nature.
You can compare the LG Nitro HD with many other phones.
Already, we’ve seen 720p displays on the HTC Rezound and Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but what’s different with this one is that it employs an IPS panel – thus, delivering a good balance between brightness output and color accuracy. Likewise, it’s one of the most detailed displays out there because when you do the math for its 4.5” 720p (720 x 1280) True HD IPS display, it cranks out a respectable pixel density of 329 ppi with RGB arrangement. Its detail is most prominent when you look at fine text within the web browser, where it’s able to produce sharp visuals, whereas non-HD displays tend to look garbled. On top of that, it boasts some really good viewing angle to maintain its clarity even in outdoor settings.
Below the display, its capacitive Android buttons are spaced far from one another, which reduces accidental presses. On the opposite side, there’s a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera that can shoot videos in full 1080p resolution.
Looking around the sides of the smartphone, there’s nothing really out of character with it seeing we find things like its volume rocker, power button, noise cancellation microphone, 3.5mm headset jack, standard microphone, and microUSB port. Turned off because it doesn’t offer a microHDMI port? Well, fear not because you can connect an MHL adapter to its microUSB port to gain video out functionality.
Flipping it around to its rear, we find its 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash squarely in the top middle area – with two notches in the bottom right corner for its internal speaker. Prying off the rear plastic cover doesn’t take much force, which then grants us access to its microSD card slot (16GB card preloaded), beefy 1,830 mAh battery, and SIM card slot.
Following suit after its rivals, LG has now joined the 4G LTE party on AT&T by unleashing the mighty LG Nitro HD. Knowing that it'll be tough to go head to head with competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and the HTC Vivid, however, the Nitro HD, as its name implies, has brought forward one very impressive asset – a 720x1280 HD display, to deliver a screen clarity that would be unmatched by its opponents.
But having in mind its above-average price tag of $249.99 with a two-year contract, we think it'd still be worth it if we take a closer look at the LG Nitro HD, in order to determine if it's really capable of leap-frogging the competition.
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The package contains:
- microUSB cable
- Wall Charger
- Quick Start Guide
Design:
Above all, we’re soundly convinced that 4G LTE smartphones don’t need to be clunky anymore like Verizon’s batch of first generation devices – and it’s perfectly evident with the LG Nitro HD! Amazingly, it’s lighter (4.5 oz) than the HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, thanks obviously to its all-plastic construction. Comparing it to the Skyrocket, the LG Nitro HD is also easier to handle with one hand because it’s not as wide, while maintaining a consistent slim figure of 0.41” thickness all around. Meanwhile, we do like the patterned design in the rear of the device since it keeps the entire thing clean looking, but doesn’t necessarily provide as good as a grip over a soft touch finish. As a whole, we’re most impressed about its feather-like weight, but in terms of design, it goes with a conventional approach that’s cookie cutter in nature.
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The LG Nitro HD maintains a consistent slim figure of 0.41” thickness all around
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You can compare the LG Nitro HD with many other phones.
Already, we’ve seen 720p displays on the HTC Rezound and Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but what’s different with this one is that it employs an IPS panel – thus, delivering a good balance between brightness output and color accuracy. Likewise, it’s one of the most detailed displays out there because when you do the math for its 4.5” 720p (720 x 1280) True HD IPS display, it cranks out a respectable pixel density of 329 ppi with RGB arrangement. Its detail is most prominent when you look at fine text within the web browser, where it’s able to produce sharp visuals, whereas non-HD displays tend to look garbled. On top of that, it boasts some really good viewing angle to maintain its clarity even in outdoor settings.
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The LG Nitro HD employs a 4.5” 720p True HD IPS display
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Below the display, its capacitive Android buttons are spaced far from one another, which reduces accidental presses. On the opposite side, there’s a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera that can shoot videos in full 1080p resolution.
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Capacitive Android buttons
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Front-facing camera
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Bottom edge
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Volume rocker (left)
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Right edge
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Power key, microUSB port and 3.5mm jack (top)
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The back has a patterned design
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Interface:
LG's Optimus UI is installed on top of Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, and is what runs on the Nitro HD. Adding a slight tweak, it also boasts a total of 4 layouts/themes that provide prearranged layouts – these include Play, Work, Travel, and Custom. Other than that, the Optimus UI has remained pretty much intact – simple, yet functional. You get seven home screens that you can customize to your taste with shortcuts or widgets. Should you like to do so, you can change which one of them gets brought up when the “home” key is pressed. Even though it offers all of the lovable aspects of Gingerbread, it’s going to be hard to entice enthusiasts knowing that Ice Cream Sandwich is out there, but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess on when this will receive its update to the most up-to-date Android experience. If you want to learn more about the handset’s functionality and interface, please check out our in-depth review of the LG Optimus 2x.
As much as we’re thrilled to know that a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor with 1GB of RAM is inside of this beast, we’re saddened to see the handset unable to deliver a silky smooth response with various actions. For example, we notice some choppiness with its performance while navigating across the homescreen with a static wallpaper – and it’s even evident as we kinetic scroll through the app panel! Despite that, it’s able to launch applications in a relatively quick manner with minimal wait. Naturally, its 720p display might be the culprit that’s impacting its overall performance, which isn’t terrible to tell you the truth, but it’s nonetheless visibly lessened and stands out.
Functionality:
Another feature that Optimus UI 2.0 delivers is the implementation of motion gestures. Just like on the LG Optimus 2X, tapping on the sides of the device can move the cursor when typing or browsing through the image gallery. Moreover, you can use motion gestures to turn off your alarm clock or to mute an incoming call by flipping the phone over. We can argue how useful these motion gestures can be in real life because the idea of physically hitting a pricy device, no matter how lightly you do it, can always cause an accidental drop if you are not being careful enough. Luckily, some or all of the motion gestures can be turned off through the Settings menu.
Blessed with such generous space, there’s no arguing that the LG Nitro HD will perfectly accommodate a wide array of people when it comes to typing up messages. Not only do we find both the stock Gingerbread and LG on-screen keyboards sufficient with their layouts, but their instantaneous responses allow our fingers to consistently type at a fanatical rate without the worry of any lag. Of course, if physically typing isn’t your kind of thing, you can always use the voice recognition service as an alternative.
Being the Android powered device it is, the LG Nitro HD delivers the good old fashion Gmail experience we’re so used to seeing at this point, but equally as usable, the LG Email app is also quite useful on its own. too As for setting up accounts, it’s your typical process of providing an email address and password for automatic set up. However, you might be asked to input additional pieces of information before it’s able to correctly complete.
Internet and Connectivity:
Although it’s not the first, but actually the third, AT&T customers will be able to take advantage of the smartphone’s galloping 4G LTE connectivity – well, that’s as long as you’re located in any of the few markets that have the network up and running. In our usage, we strictly used it with HSPA+ connectivity, and even with that, we’re content with the speeds that we’re exposed to. Specifically, we find its download speed to be satisfying as we’re able to get up to 11.27 Mbit/s. However, its upload speeds with HSPA+ are rather lackluster seeing we’re getting 1.5 Mbit/s on the average. Strangely, we notice some choppiness with its web browsing performance, which is more evident when Flash content is present. Despite that issue, it’s still tolerable enough to accept.
Traveling abroad isn’t a problem with this GSM smartphone, even more when it’s able to get HSPA+ speeds in most countries. Of course, it features all the typical connectivity items we’d normally expect to find – like aGPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspot functionality.
LG's Optimus UI is installed on top of Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, and is what runs on the Nitro HD. Adding a slight tweak, it also boasts a total of 4 layouts/themes that provide prearranged layouts – these include Play, Work, Travel, and Custom. Other than that, the Optimus UI has remained pretty much intact – simple, yet functional. You get seven home screens that you can customize to your taste with shortcuts or widgets. Should you like to do so, you can change which one of them gets brought up when the “home” key is pressed. Even though it offers all of the lovable aspects of Gingerbread, it’s going to be hard to entice enthusiasts knowing that Ice Cream Sandwich is out there, but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess on when this will receive its update to the most up-to-date Android experience. If you want to learn more about the handset’s functionality and interface, please check out our in-depth review of the LG Optimus 2x.
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The LG Nitro HD runs with LG's Optimus UI installed on top of Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
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As much as we’re thrilled to know that a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor with 1GB of RAM is inside of this beast, we’re saddened to see the handset unable to deliver a silky smooth response with various actions. For example, we notice some choppiness with its performance while navigating across the homescreen with a static wallpaper – and it’s even evident as we kinetic scroll through the app panel! Despite that, it’s able to launch applications in a relatively quick manner with minimal wait. Naturally, its 720p display might be the culprit that’s impacting its overall performance, which isn’t terrible to tell you the truth, but it’s nonetheless visibly lessened and stands out.
Functionality:
Another feature that Optimus UI 2.0 delivers is the implementation of motion gestures. Just like on the LG Optimus 2X, tapping on the sides of the device can move the cursor when typing or browsing through the image gallery. Moreover, you can use motion gestures to turn off your alarm clock or to mute an incoming call by flipping the phone over. We can argue how useful these motion gestures can be in real life because the idea of physically hitting a pricy device, no matter how lightly you do it, can always cause an accidental drop if you are not being careful enough. Luckily, some or all of the motion gestures can be turned off through the Settings menu.
Blessed with such generous space, there’s no arguing that the LG Nitro HD will perfectly accommodate a wide array of people when it comes to typing up messages. Not only do we find both the stock Gingerbread and LG on-screen keyboards sufficient with their layouts, but their instantaneous responses allow our fingers to consistently type at a fanatical rate without the worry of any lag. Of course, if physically typing isn’t your kind of thing, you can always use the voice recognition service as an alternative.
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Typing up messages
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Being the Android powered device it is, the LG Nitro HD delivers the good old fashion Gmail experience we’re so used to seeing at this point, but equally as usable, the LG Email app is also quite useful on its own. too As for setting up accounts, it’s your typical process of providing an email address and password for automatic set up. However, you might be asked to input additional pieces of information before it’s able to correctly complete.
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Gmail
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The LG Email app
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Internet and Connectivity:
Although it’s not the first, but actually the third, AT&T customers will be able to take advantage of the smartphone’s galloping 4G LTE connectivity – well, that’s as long as you’re located in any of the few markets that have the network up and running. In our usage, we strictly used it with HSPA+ connectivity, and even with that, we’re content with the speeds that we’re exposed to. Specifically, we find its download speed to be satisfying as we’re able to get up to 11.27 Mbit/s. However, its upload speeds with HSPA+ are rather lackluster seeing we’re getting 1.5 Mbit/s on the average. Strangely, we notice some choppiness with its web browsing performance, which is more evident when Flash content is present. Despite that issue, it’s still tolerable enough to accept.
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Web browsing experience with the LG Nitro HD
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Traveling abroad isn’t a problem with this GSM smartphone, even more when it’s able to get HSPA+ speeds in most countries. Of course, it features all the typical connectivity items we’d normally expect to find – like aGPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspot functionality.
Camera:
The LG Nitro HD’s camera interface is no different from other devices running the LG Optimus UI skin, seeing that it’s functional and easy to operate, although the settings menu feels a bit cluttered, due to the sheer number of options available.
It might not take the gold medal when it comes to taking photos, but we’re nevertheless satisfied with the decent images that its 8-megapixel auto-focus camera is able to produce. In fact, they’re definitely good enough to use for a 4” x 6” printout, but beyond that, it’ll expose some of its detail deficiencies. Outdoor shots are accompanied with average details and a cooler color production, which is actually more prevalent with indoor shots under artificial lighting. Under low lighting conditions, its overall quality is dulled by some evidence of digital noise and graininess – though, its single LED flash manages to counteract some of the blemishes. As a whole, they’re not great, but undoubtedly acceptable enough to please our eyes.
Looking over the 1080p videos that we’re able to capture with the handset, the results are more of the same with its average quality. Again, fine details are average at best and accompanied with a distinguishable cooler color reproduction – but they’re supplemented by its smooth 29 frames per second capture and clear audio recording. However, it suffers from some artifacting when panning very quickly, or when moving to different lighting conditions very quickly.
LG Nitro HD Sample Video:
LG Nitro HD Indoor Sample Video:
Multimedia:
Using the Optimus UI 2.0's media player to listen to songs is pretty straightforward. All songs loaded on the smartphone are placed into the playlist where they can be arranged in the order the user pleases. Flip the phone in landscape mode and you get a neat 3D like display of your media library, completed with album art and sorted alphabetically. Lacking equalizer options with the internal speaker, audio quality is average with its balanced tones.
With its 720p display in check, the LG Nitro HD is undeniably regarded as being a suitable HD video watching device – and it doesn’t disappoint with its sizable display. Loading our test video encoded in DivX 1920 x 1080 resolution, it has no problem playing it smoothly and entirely. Simply, our eyes are presented with a visual treat thanks to its beautiful display.
Previously, many of LG’s recent Android powered smartphones packed along a dedicated microHDMI port for quick sharing of multimedia content. However, the Nitro HD opts to use an MHL port instead, which means that you’ll need to purchase an optional adapter to gain video out functionality. Nevertheless, we’re able to instantly get that gratifying mirrored experience right away – then again, you can opt to use the SmartShare app to do it wirelessly via DLNA.
Packaged along with a 16GB microSD card, it’s sufficient to handle the needs of most people – though, you can always replace it with a 32GB card instead. Meanwhile, it also packs 1.81GB of internal storage that’s strictly reserved for apps.
Software:
Looking over some of the preloaded apps on the LG Nitro HD, there’s nothing of particular interest since it boasts all of the commonly packaged apps we find with most AT&T devices. Of course, AT&T’s presence is in full force with things like AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Navigator, Live TV, and myAT&T. On the other hand, there are still plenty of other third party apps that might appeal to certain individuals – such as Amazon Kindle, MOG Music, Polaris Office, Qik Lite, Wi-Fi Share, and YPmobile.
The LG Nitro HD’s camera interface is no different from other devices running the LG Optimus UI skin, seeing that it’s functional and easy to operate, although the settings menu feels a bit cluttered, due to the sheer number of options available.
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Camera interface
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It might not take the gold medal when it comes to taking photos, but we’re nevertheless satisfied with the decent images that its 8-megapixel auto-focus camera is able to produce. In fact, they’re definitely good enough to use for a 4” x 6” printout, but beyond that, it’ll expose some of its detail deficiencies. Outdoor shots are accompanied with average details and a cooler color production, which is actually more prevalent with indoor shots under artificial lighting. Under low lighting conditions, its overall quality is dulled by some evidence of digital noise and graininess – though, its single LED flash manages to counteract some of the blemishes. As a whole, they’re not great, but undoubtedly acceptable enough to please our eyes.
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Samples made with the LG Nitro HD
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Strong
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Medium
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Low light
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3ft
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5ft
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7ft
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Indoor samples
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LG Nitro HD Sample Video:
LG Nitro HD Indoor Sample Video:
Multimedia:
Using the Optimus UI 2.0's media player to listen to songs is pretty straightforward. All songs loaded on the smartphone are placed into the playlist where they can be arranged in the order the user pleases. Flip the phone in landscape mode and you get a neat 3D like display of your media library, completed with album art and sorted alphabetically. Lacking equalizer options with the internal speaker, audio quality is average with its balanced tones.
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The Optimus UI 2.0's media player
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With its 720p display in check, the LG Nitro HD is undeniably regarded as being a suitable HD video watching device – and it doesn’t disappoint with its sizable display. Loading our test video encoded in DivX 1920 x 1080 resolution, it has no problem playing it smoothly and entirely. Simply, our eyes are presented with a visual treat thanks to its beautiful display.
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Watching HD videos
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Previously, many of LG’s recent Android powered smartphones packed along a dedicated microHDMI port for quick sharing of multimedia content. However, the Nitro HD opts to use an MHL port instead, which means that you’ll need to purchase an optional adapter to gain video out functionality. Nevertheless, we’re able to instantly get that gratifying mirrored experience right away – then again, you can opt to use the SmartShare app to do it wirelessly via DLNA.
Packaged along with a 16GB microSD card, it’s sufficient to handle the needs of most people – though, you can always replace it with a 32GB card instead. Meanwhile, it also packs 1.81GB of internal storage that’s strictly reserved for apps.
Software:
Looking over some of the preloaded apps on the LG Nitro HD, there’s nothing of particular interest since it boasts all of the commonly packaged apps we find with most AT&T devices. Of course, AT&T’s presence is in full force with things like AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Navigator, Live TV, and myAT&T. On the other hand, there are still plenty of other third party apps that might appeal to certain individuals – such as Amazon Kindle, MOG Music, Polaris Office, Qik Lite, Wi-Fi Share, and YPmobile.
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Preloaded apps on the LG Nitro HD
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Performance:
Listening through the earpiece, we notice that it tends to crackle at the loudest setting – plus, we have to combat against the grainy tones of voices. Conversely, our callers are treated to a better experience with clear sounding voices on their end. Meanwhile, its volume output is absolutely strong and potent when using the speakerphone, but it’s accompanied with some crackling and muffled tones at the loudest volume.
Maintaining a signal strength of -77 dBm in high coverage areas, which is able to put out 4 to 5 bars, we didn’t experience the handset fluctuating or dropping phone calls in the greater Philadelphia area.
Knowing that it tucks away a beefy 1,830 mAh battery, our expectations are obviously high for this 4G LTE enabled device, but sadly, its performance with HSPA+ connectivity is rather limiting. Certainly, we’re glad to get by a solid work shift with no problems, but it’s only able to provide us 12 hours of juice with normal usage – so yes, this is something that requires constant charging. Oppositely, we manage to get 318 minutes of continuous talk on a single charge.
Conclusion:
Let’s get straight to the point, there are some very profound qualities of the LG Nitro HD that stand out, but when you look at the overall picture, it doesn’t have the effect of getting us all excited in the inside. Yes, we adore its detailed 720p display and 4G LTE connectivity, though, for $250 with a 2-year contract, it’s still up there in terms of pure pricing. Nonetheless, there are aspects of the device that stick out like a sore thumb – like its paltry battery life and sluggish performance. Obviously, this device would’ve been a monumental offering if it were even released a month ago, however, it doesn’t necessarily pack a whole lot of firsts. Likewise, the introduction of the Ice Cream Sandwich filled Samsung Galaxy Nexus might deter people from siding with the Nitro HD – mainly because there is no exact timeline on when it’ll get upgraded. Looking at the big picture, it’s undeniably a respectable offering, but doesn’t particularly come off as a benchmark device in any way.
Software version of the reviewed unit:
Android Version: 2.3.5
Build Number: GRJ90
Kernel Version: 2.6.35.11+
LG Nitro HD Video Review:
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Maintaining a signal strength of -77 dBm in high coverage areas, which is able to put out 4 to 5 bars, we didn’t experience the handset fluctuating or dropping phone calls in the greater Philadelphia area.
Knowing that it tucks away a beefy 1,830 mAh battery, our expectations are obviously high for this 4G LTE enabled device, but sadly, its performance with HSPA+ connectivity is rather limiting. Certainly, we’re glad to get by a solid work shift with no problems, but it’s only able to provide us 12 hours of juice with normal usage – so yes, this is something that requires constant charging. Oppositely, we manage to get 318 minutes of continuous talk on a single charge.
Conclusion:
Let’s get straight to the point, there are some very profound qualities of the LG Nitro HD that stand out, but when you look at the overall picture, it doesn’t have the effect of getting us all excited in the inside. Yes, we adore its detailed 720p display and 4G LTE connectivity, though, for $250 with a 2-year contract, it’s still up there in terms of pure pricing. Nonetheless, there are aspects of the device that stick out like a sore thumb – like its paltry battery life and sluggish performance. Obviously, this device would’ve been a monumental offering if it were even released a month ago, however, it doesn’t necessarily pack a whole lot of firsts. Likewise, the introduction of the Ice Cream Sandwich filled Samsung Galaxy Nexus might deter people from siding with the Nitro HD – mainly because there is no exact timeline on when it’ll get upgraded. Looking at the big picture, it’s undeniably a respectable offering, but doesn’t particularly come off as a benchmark device in any way.
Software version of the reviewed unit:
Android Version: 2.3.5
Build Number: GRJ90
Kernel Version: 2.6.35.11+
LG Nitro HD Video Review:
PROS
- Detailed 720p display with accurate looking colors
- Very lightweight
- 4G LTE connectivity
CONS
- Sluggish performance
- Weak battery life
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