Review: LG Lucid for Verizon Wireless
LG has a trio of phones that are eerily similar: the Lucid for Verizon Wireless, the Connect 4G for MetroPCS, and the Viper for Sprint. The share similar size, shape and specs, though the outward appearance in unique to each.
The Lucid is a simple-looking phone. It doesn't have the biggest, smallest, thinnest, sharpest, or fastest of anything. It falls into the crowded category of devices that badly needs something to make it stand apart — but fails to do so. It's blocky looking, covered in glossy black plastic, and, well, somewhat boring to behold.
The Lucid feels slippery, thanks to the glossy plastics. While the front face is a rectangular block, the Lucid has gently rounded curves to the side and back surfaces. The result is that the back surface is much smaller than the front, and it sits deeply in your palm. You can grip it tightly without suffering the feel of sharp edges. The Lucid is not thin by any stretch, but it isn't egregiously thick, either. It's a weighty phone, and it feels dense and solid. It'll slip into pockets easily thanks to the slippery surfaces, but if your pockets are loose, you'll know the Lucid is there thanks to its heft.
The front is mostly display, and I find the large bezel to be a bit unattractive. Thick bezels give smartphones a lower-class look in my opinion. The typical four Android buttons are below the screen. These capacitive keys worked well, and offered haptic feedback when touched, if that's what you want.
The left edge of the Lucid has a faux button at the top that pisses me off. My guess is that it's meant to mirror the actual button that's placed on the opposite side, but that's no reason to make a design decision that may end up confusing users. The volume toggle is below this faux button. Its shape makes it easy to find, and the travel and feedback are very good. The Lucid's microUSB port is also on the left edge.
The only button on the right side of the Lucid is the power/screen lock button. It is placed way at the top, It's a small, oval thing that is really easy to find and use. It has the best travel and feedback of any screen lock button I've used in the last six months. It's perfect. The 3.5mm headset jack is by itself on the top surface.
In order to access the microSD card slot, you have to remove the battery cover — which is the entire back panel of the Lucid. It pops off easily. You can access the memory card without removing the battery.
You might think a device with the name Lucid, would have some sort of zen-inspired theme or appearance. Instead, the Lucid looks like a million other Android phones. The good news is that the hardware all works well.
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