14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian carrier Rogers has just added the LG Loop to its Android-based smartphones lineup. The mid-budget device was previously launched by Vodafone UK as LG GT540 Optimus
LG Loop comes with a 3.0-inch TFT LCD resistive touch screen display (320 x 480 pixels resolution) with accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate.
It sports a 3.0-megapixel camera with autofocus, geo-tagging, face and blink detection, as well as video capabilities (VGA@17fps).
Unfortunately, the device is powered by Android OS 1.6, with no chance of an upgrade in the near future.
Other key features of the mid-budget smartphone include: HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP support, 3.5 mm audio jack port, Stereo FM radio with RDS, GPS with A-GPS support, 120 MB internal storage memory, microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32 GB).
Battery lifetime is one of the strong points of the gadget, thanks to its 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery that features a standby time of up to 500 h (up to 500 h for 3G network) and up to 5 h 30 min (up to 7 h 20 min for 3G network) talk time.
Rogers also offers a free a 2 GB microSD card in the sales package, which will probably not be enough for multimedia freaks.
Those that decide to go for LG Loop will be able to access a wide range of integrated apps including Google Search, Google Latitude, Google Maps, Google Talk and more.
Social Networking (SNS Manager) is another strong point of the device, so users will be able to stay connected with friends and family, no matter where they are. Services such as, Facebook, Tweet and MySpace, are also included.
LG Loop is now available in Canada through Rogers carrier and can be bought for as low as $29.99 with a 3-yr contract agreement. The smartphone can also be acquired for $199.99 with a 2-year plan, or $299.99 free of contract.