Review: LG Lotus
Bluetooth
The Lotus supports mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets. Pairing with either kind was a snap. Sound quality through both was decent, though I thought the stereo Bluetooth sounded better than I've heard on phones in recent memory. The music sounded richer and fuller than through the Lotus's external speakers. The Lotus can also be paired with PCs and send files (such as pictures) easily.
Clock
The Lotus has several different clock configurations. You can set it to be a large analog clock, small digital, large digital, or a combined analog/digital clock. Pressing the camera key or the fey on the front face of the phone quickly will show you the clock. The problem is that the on the external display, the clock rests atop the background image. Rather than be easily visible, it is 50% opaque, meaning you see whatever is behind the clock as much as you see the clock itself. Depending on what you choose as the wallpaper for the external screen, this can make the clock completely unreadable. Even if the background weren't an issue, the external screen is so unreadable outdoors, that you won't be able the tell the time anyway
Java
The Lotus can access and download third-party content via the "MyStuff" folder in the main menu. This includes games, ringers, screen savers and other applications. The top of the Application download center has its own carousel that lets you scroll through featured applications. Sprint calls this the Digital Lounge. You can browse through all the folders, or use the search tool to drill down faster.
The "MyStuff" folder is a bit of a misnomer, however. If you think that's where you're going to find your pictures, videos or music, you're sorely mistaken. It is for applications, ringtones and other content you download from the Internet.
Sprint Navigation
Sprint Navigation is preloaded onto the Lotus. It lets you get turn-by-turn directions from point A to point B. It worked well, and was able to pinpoint my location in about 2 minutes. The software came up with viable directions, and was able to re-route me when I purposely veered off course.
SprintTV
The Lotus can access Sprint's SprintTV service. It took a little bit of time to load, but I was very thankful that Sprint featured "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" in its roster of content. The range of content available to watch is extensive.
YouTube
There is a YouTube application available in the Google part of the carousel. It lets you search for and view YouTube videos. It was a bit on the slow side and completely crashed the phone several times. I had to pull the battery to unlock it at one point. I am a fan of having YouTube access on mobile phones. (What better place to watch Phone Scoop phone reviews, after all?) Videos take up to a minute to begin playback once selected. They played back with little stoppages or hiccups once you find and load them.
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LG Lotus
