Review: LG Spectrum 2 for Verizon Wireless
Menus
The Spectrum 2 ships with Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with the same user interface overlay that's been used on other LG devices this year.
The lock screen includes both customizable shortcuts and customizable clocks.
There are five home screen panels and up to five apps accessible from the permanent tray that sits at the bottom of the display. The drop-down notification shade lets users toggle on/off most of the radios, as well as access the full settings menu and dismiss notifications en masse.
The main app menu is a grid of icons that can be arranged alphabetically or in your own order. Icons can be set to large or small sizes so you see more or fewer apps per page. The settings tools are close to stock Android and let you control the accounts associated with the device, as well as fine-tune the behavior of both the software and the hardware.
The Spectrum 2 has a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor under the hood. It was able to run the Android operating system, LG user interface, and all the device's applications with no problem at all. Screen transitions were quick, apps were swift to open, and multitasking between running services didn't tax the Spectrum 2 at all.
Calls and Contacts
The phone and contact applications are good tools for managing communications. The phone software is easy to use and lets Spectrum 2 owners easily add lines, mute their call, or send messages from the call log. LG has installed the same set of contact widgets for use on the home screen. I like LG's widgets here and find them useful for keeping tabs on my favorite bunch of people from the home screen.
Messaging
If you're looking for more than the stock Android messaging tools on the Spectrum 2, you'll be disappointed to learn there aren't any. The Gmail, email, SMS, Google Talk, Google+, and Google+ Messenger apps are all fine at what they do. The individual Twitter and Facebook applications are not pre-installed, but basic support for those networks is included within the operating system. This means that even if you don't download the apps, you'll be able to share photos to Twitter or Facebook from the photo gallery.
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LG Spectrum 2
