Review: LG Optimus F3 for Sprint
Menus
The Optimus F3 runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with the same software customizations we've seen on LG's smartphones since last year.
The lock screen is fully customizable. It offers four shortcuts, all of which can be changed or deleted. You can also customize which clock appears on the lock screen, and whether or not weather data and other alerts are sent to the lock screen. There are five home screen panels for customization out of the box, but you can delete or add screens if you wish.
The drop-down notification shade provides shortcuts to control the wireless radios as well as brightness, rotation, sound, and LG's QSlide apps (videos, notepad, calendar, calculator.) These can all be customized by the user.
The main menu is a grid of apps, but it can be customized a bit. You can view it with large icons or small icons to fit more apps on each individual page. You can sort apps alphabetically or via install date. You can't, however, view them in list form, nor by most-frequently-used. Apps can be hidden and deleted. The settings menu acts the same as it does on other Android devices.
As far as performance goes, the Optimus F3 uses a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. The F3 performed perfectly with the Snapdragon engine under the hood. I didn't see any hiccups nor performance problems of any kind.
Calls and Contacts
The dial-pad provides tabbed access to call history, contacts, favorites and groups. In-call options run the standard, such as add a line, send to Bluetooth, hold, or mute. You can also open the notepad and messaging apps, or toggle on/off noise reduction (which makes calls clearer for those with whom you speak.) Settings tools let you customize the tabs that run across the top of the phone app, and the phone can also do things like provide a pop-up alert about incoming calls when taking pictures/video.
As for the contacts app, there are the usual home screen shortcuts for quick access to select contacts, as well as a nice widget for a collection of your favorites. The bigger widget lets you access your top nine contacts. The contact app itself has a pleasant visual look, and makes it easy to pull up contact data without fully opening a contact card thanks to some hold-and-press actions.
Messaging
As far as messaging goes, the F3 doesn't stray from the Android norm. It houses all the typical Google apps: Gmail, email, SMS/MMS, Hangouts, Google+, and Google+ Messenger. All of these apps functioned as designed and are well built tools for communicating with others.
Neither Facebook nor Twitter is pre-installed.
Sprint to Sell the LG Optimus F3 to Visually Impaired
Samsung Refreshes Galaxy S Series with S Pen, New Cameras
iPhone 14 Plus Offers a Big Screen For Less
Qualcomm Taps Iridium for Satellite Connectivity
LG Optimus F3 (CDMA) / Unify
