14 DAY TRIAL // The not-so-old LG Optimus F3 has just been introduced by Boost Mobile and is now the cheapest LTE-enabled smartphone in its portfolio. The handset was initially launched in the United States at Sprint, soon followed by Virgin Mobile.
However, it’s been around nine months since the Optimus F3 made its debut at Sprint, so from this point of view the smartphone is rather old and Android enthusiasts know everything there is to know about the device.
Anyway, those who prefer Boost Mobile’s service will probably be pleased to now be able to grab one of the cheapest LTE smartphones available on the market. Keep in mind though that the Optimus F3 will run on Sprint’s 4G LTE network.
Speaking of price, Boost Mobile confirmed that the LG Optimus F3 would be available for purchase online and at select brick and mortar stores beginning today for only $130 (€95) outright. The handset can be paired with the carrier’s no annual contract $55 Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinking Payments.
Those unfamiliar with Boost Mobile’s plans should know that, for every six on-time payments, the cost of the plan shrinks by $5 (€3.6), eventually getting down to as low as $40 (€29) a month for unlimited nationwide talk, text, and data.
It is also worth mentioning that the LG Optimus F3 comes preloaded with TalkBack, which can be accessed right out of the box.
With the Talkback text-to-speech accessibility feature from Google, vision-impaired users will be able to interact with their devices more easily. The TalkBack feature also offers users voice guidance as they go through the activation and setup process.
Software-wise, LG Optimus F3 is definitely obsolete. The smartphone ships with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system onboard and packs a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz.
It also sports a 4-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution and features Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coating for extra protection.
There’s also a 5-megapixel photo snapper on the back, which features autofocus, LED flash, and full HD (1080p) video recording, as well as a secondary VGA camera for video calls.
The Optimus F3 packs 1GB of RAM and only 4GB of internal memory, but users will be able to further expand storage up to 32GB via microSD card. Other connectivity options aside from LTE support include Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC (Near Field Communication).