LG Nitro HD Pro Reviews

If money isn’t a concern to you, we’d recommend sticking with the Sony Xperia ion – despite being double the price at $99.99 on-contract. For the $50 price difference from its rival, you get a better looking smartphone that’s exceptionally more equipped in taking photos and videos. Beyond that, there are still some other key advantages found with it, like offering an unoccupied microSD slot, dedicated microHDMI port, and NFC. However, if you’re really strapped for cash, you can still get by using the LG Nitro HD, since it offers nearly the same functionality at half the cost. All in all, we can totally agree that you get a ton of value with these two without forking over most of the money from your paycheck.

Storming onto the scene and gracing AT&T’s lineup very recently, we can’t help but take notice of the dominating presence attached to the Samsung Galaxy Note LTE. Not only because it’s the latest and greatest here stateside, but it’s simply different from the normal trove of smartphones we’re accustomed to seeing. Blurring the fine lines of being a tablet, the Galaxy Note LTE is also able to make some headway over the LG Nitro HD for the added functionality of its S Pen and superior battery life. When it comes to sheer presence, there’s no way to hide the Galaxy Note LTE, obviously, but it has this invisible allure that enchants people far and wide – and it’s still doing it to us! Interestingly enough, when the Galaxy Note LTE became official blessed AT&T’s lineup, the LG Nitro HD was given a dramatic reduction in price. On one hand, you’ll need to fork over $300 to pick up the newer Samsung Galaxy Note LTE, while the LG Nitro HD is easier to handle at $100 on-contract. Needless to say, that’s a major factor for some people, but if pricing isn’t a worry whatsoever to you, we totally would recommend the Samsung Galaxy Note LTE for the stark reason that it’s simply the bigger head turner.

The bleeding edge of Android specs currently boils down to three things: a 720p display, LTE support, and Ice Cream Sandwich. The LG Nitro HD has two of them, and thanks to Google’s new 18-month-update policy it should nail the third — but 18 months is a long time and I’m always wary of assuming timely and easy updates. Even if and when the Nitro HD does get updated to Android 4.0, it won’t be worth much if LG’s skin makes the transition too. If you live in one of AT&T’s LTE test markets, you’ll want a phone that can support the super-fast network, and right now this is AT&T’s best LTE phone. But if you can wait a few weeks or months, you’ll be much better served by a phone with better battery life and without the Nitro’s software problems.

Make no mistake about it: mobile users eager to experience the world from Android's apogee should look no further than the Galaxy Nexus. That Ice Cream Sandwich flagship is, bar none, the best Googlefied smartphone you can buy right now. When stacked side-by-side with the Nitro HD, it's clear Sammy's motherphone is the most deserving of your disposable income. Restrict that playing field down a tier to AT&T's LTE offerings and maybe, just maybe, a compelling argument could be made for LG's featherweight handset. The Nitro HD certainly lords over its competition in benchmarks, weight and the quality of its AH-IPS display, yet in everyday usage still falls short of the zippy Skyrocket. But for all of its spec wins, there's no overlooking the device's greedy power consumption -- a middling seven hour endurance that only the most casual of users wouldn't be affected by. Add to that a $250 two-year on contract price that's identical to the longer-lasting Galaxy S II Skyrocket's and, again, the scales tip in favor of Samsung. Unfortunately, LG's late bloomer falls prey to a heavy case of "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" envy, and we're sorry to report it's entirely justified.

The LG Nitro HD is a cutting-edge smartphone, with an big, high-res display that looks amazing. If you like — or are thinking about — Android, and LTE is in your area, you can’t lose.

With its fast processing, response times, connection speeds and beautiful HD screen the Nitro HD is an impressive Android device from a manufacturer that is relatively newer to the Android scene. Paired with its current version of Android 2.3.5 and promised upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich coming in the future, we truly believe the Nitro HD is a strong contender in the Android stratosphere. When compared side by side with AT&T’s flagship Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket, it’s a very hard decision to make. While the LCD screen on the Nitro does somewhat steal from its vibrancy and saturation potential, the very fact that is holds a true High Definition screen in its grips should differentiate it from its brethren.

The LG Nitro HD comes very close to earning a "very good" rating from me, but will have to settle for "good." The reason is mostly due to the exceedingly poor voice performance. Even though we use our smartphones more for data-centric tasks, the phone has to be at least serviceable as a telephone. The Nitro HD is not a good telephone at all. The other reason is the lag issue. As noted, the lag isn't severe, but it is enough to be noticed. The Nitro HD does very well with every other feature. The menus are a cinch to use, the screen is amazing, and the hardware works well. It is a good size and shape, includes a great camera and video camera, and of course is one of only three smartphones that can use AT&T's speedy LTE 4G network.

It’s been a good while since we last saw a flagship from LG. The Korean giant took its sweet time with the Nitro HD to make sure it got everything right. And on most accounts, this is the very case. The screen of the device is marvelous, the spec sheet impressive, and the OS up to date. In this department, we already know that an Ice Cream Sandwich update is in the works. We just hope we’re not going to see it roll out this time next year as in the case with the company’s previous flagship. The LTE connectivity also gave us a few great initial impressions – it further boosts the future proof credibility of the phone. The battery left us with a mixed bag of feelings. We will dedicate a separate post on it when we are sure we got all the data right.

So you’re heading into an AT&T store with $249.99 and change stuffed inside your pockets, ready to spend it instinctively, but we’d bet you’re fighting over which one to get. Obviously, these identically priced handsets are at the high-end of the spectrum – and justified at that! However, after spending a great deal of time with them, we have to give the LG Nitro HD the advantage. Above all, its 4.5” 720p True HD IPS display sets a benchmark with its superior detail and accurate color production. On top of that, it’s the one that takes the better photos/videos, and slightly boasts the more appreciable design between the two. Going back to its lovely display, it’s the main reason why LG’s beauty is able to stand out from the crop! Still, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is an admirable offering that’s sure to impress and astound people, but for now, it’s the Nitro HD speeding past the competition as supplanting the Skyrocket as the top dog in AT&T’s 4G LTE selection.

I could live with Nitro HD’s picayune peccadilloes – too bright Web video colors, too-tiny type, lower-than-average vocal quality, five-hour battery life – given its revelatory LTE 4G connection speed. But that six-hour recharge time is too tough to take.

Let’s get straight to the point, there are some very profound qualities of the LG Nitro HD that stand out, but when you look at the overall picture, it doesn’t have the effect of getting us all excited in the inside. Yes, we adore its detailed 720p display and 4G LTE connectivity, though, for $250 with a 2-year contract, it’s still up there in terms of pure pricing. Nonetheless, there are aspects of the device that stick out like a sore thumb – like its paltry battery life and sluggish performance. Obviously, this device would’ve been a monumental offering if it were even released a month ago, however, it doesn’t necessarily pack a whole lot of firsts. Likewise, the introduction of the Ice Cream Sandwich filled Samsung Galaxy Nexus might deter people from siding with the Nitro HD – mainly because there is no exact timeline on when it’ll get upgraded. Looking at the big picture, it’s undeniably a respectable offering, but doesn’t particularly come off as a benchmark device in any way.

The LG Nitro HD offers AT&T users blazing LTE data speeds and scorching dual-core performance, along with an incredible 720p display.

So did the LG Nitro HD deliver? Sort of. I’d say this is a good top tier smartphone for those on AT&T while having a little bit of compromise. Yes the screen is amazingly crisp and 720p but the Samsung Galaxy S II colors are better and brightness outshines the Nitro. The changes to Android aren’t my favorite but I’d hardly call them a con. Battery life could be better, but that goes for all 4G LTE devices so you should know that before hand. If you want one of the best devices from AT&T while having one of the best camera’s on a smartphone I’ve tested in a while the LG Nitro is a great choice. Pair that with the highest resolution display available for the carrier and truly excellent call quality and speakerphone this is a pretty hard phone to pass up. If I had to choose one of the three from AT&T it’d be a hard call. The Vivid has the best build quality, Nitro has the screen resolution but the Samsung Galaxy S II might be the ideal package. If you’re a pixel counter the LG Nitro HD will suit you amazingly well and you wont be disappointed.

If it's a premium, 4G LTE phone you want, the LG Nitro HD has what it takes to give the Samsung Skyrocket a run for its money. The HD screen is terrific and detailed, the camera, while imperfect, is still high-quality, and the high-end specs deliver. At this upper echelon, what separates one champion from another often comes down to minor preferences, like one Android skin versus another, or the look and feel of the chassis itself. I personally think LG could have finessed the phone's design more; there's something about the feel of that grooved back cover that comes perilously close to reminding me of nails on a chalk board. The default haptic feedback also rubbed me the wrong way (I turn this off quickly anyhow), and the often-laggy camera shutter can muck up more active shots. Still, LG deserves kudos for introducing a competitive superphone. At $249.99, it's one of the carrier's pricier phones. However, online discounts--like the $100 off I saw at the time of the review--price it to sell.