The smartphone is available for purchase for only $180/€135

Jul 19, 2013 19:01 GMT  ·  By

LG Optimus F3 has already been available in the US for about a month, but the smartphone is exclusive to Sprint. Today, Virgin Mobile has announced that it will offer the Optimus F3 as well.

The good news is that the LTE smartphone is available for only $180/€135 outright, which is about $70/€55 cheaper than Sprint’s version.

The smartphone must be paired with Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk monthly no-contract plan, which offers unlimited data and messaging starting at $35/€26 per month.

“Virgin Mobile customers appreciate value for their wireless solutions. Adding the LG Optimus F3 further enhances Virgin Mobile's strong smartphone portfolio and continues to offer choice and flexibility in consumers' no-contract wireless plans,” said Mark Lederman, director, Virgin Mobile USA.

Aside from offering LTE support, the LG Optimus F3 has mid-range features such as 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 4.0-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 4800 x 800 pixels resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coating.

Software-wise, the Optimus F3 runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box, integrated with some of LG’s innovative apps and services such as QuickMemo and Quick Translator.

The device packs only 4GB of internal memory, but users will be able to further expand storage up to 32GB via microSD memory card.

On the back, the phone sports a decent 5-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording, while in the front, there’s a secondary VGA camera for video calls.

The device is powered by a long-lasting 2460 mAh Li-Ion battery, which is rated for up to 16 hours of talk time.

“The LG Optimus F3 from Virgin Mobile provides users with tools that enable greater self-expression, functionality and entertainment in conjunction with powerful hardware and 4G LTE speeds to match their daily needs,” said Georg Rasinski, director, mobile brand management, LG Electronics USA.