LG Optimus L9 T-Mobile Pro Reviews

The Optimus L9 isn't totally without merit. We appreciate its boxy yet dapper design and its sharp, colorful display. And while the performance didn't blow us away, it's more than good enough for everyday tasks like browsing the web, checking email and playing the occasional game. We also enjoyed the addition of T-Mobile's WiFi calling feature. Yet, its mediocre camera reminds us of its mid-level status, the carrier's bloatware is a disappointment and LG's UI 3.0, though inoffensive, belongs in the past. Its short battery life is also a practical issue that buyers should be aware of before signing any contracts.

The LG Optimus L9 for T-Mobile is quite a good little phone. Aside from the less-than-prime materials used to build it, the L9 earns good marks across the board. The display is solid and the battery life quite good. The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform runs smoothly and lets users control what they want. The stock messaging, media, and other tools are quite capable, and ensure that the L9 can compete with other smartphones when it comes to the basics. About the only drawback I can put a finger on are the network with respect to data speeds, and the pointy tone of voice call. They were OK, not great. For $79 on contract, the L9 offers a lot of usable features all while helping keep some change in your pocket rather than T-Mobile's.

The LG Optimus L9 for T-Mobile gets you a great mix of features and performance for less than $100.

What can I say? For a budget handset, the LG Optimus L9 impresses. In no way is the phone the best, but its sleek design, nice screen, and the fact that it runs so smooth with have you thinking otherwise. Be sure that you consider the options before you pick one up, however, because while the Optimus L9 is good enough to be worthy of a recommendation here in 2012, its aging hardware means that probably won’t be the case when you enter the final part of your two-year contract in 2014.Still, for $80 on contract, the Optimus L9 certainly isn’t a bad phone. It’s perfect for budget-minded consumers who don’t need the very best, but instead just want a phone that runs well and looks good. It’s not likely to win awards in either category, but it gets the job done, and that’s all you can really want in a phone that only costs $80. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the Optimus L9 is one of the best budget handsets on the market at this moment. If you’ve been thinking of picking up a new phone but don’t have hundreds to drop on the latest and greatest, be sure you take a look at the Optimus L9, as you really are getting a lot of bang for your buck.

The LG Optimus L9 brings a great budget option to T-Mobile’s lineup. It is of course not as good as the forthcoming Nexus 4, but it absolutely holds its own with similar offerings from HTC and Samsung. The 4.5” IPS display is wonderful, and the dual core TI OMAP processor delivered smooth performance. We would have preferred a better camera, but at $80 on contract we can’t complain too much. Call performance and battery life both exceeded expectations, and we are a fan of the Optimus L9’s sleek design as well. T-Mobile certainly offers better devices, but for the price you’re not sacrificing much with the Optimus L9.

Considering T-Mobile's offering of midrange 4G handsets, I'd recommend the LG Optimus L9. Its $80 sticker price (after a mail-in rebate and two-year service agreement) is reasonable, especially since T-Mobile's less expensive handsets run on Android 2.3 and start out only $30 cheaper. Plus, the phones that do offer native ICS, like the $150 Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G and HTC One S, take a steep rise in price. But even putting aside the updated OS and 4G capabilities, users will also get a dual-core processor and a 5-megapixel that can record 1080p HD video. With these decent specs and solid performance, the L9 is worth considering for any T-Mobile customer who wants to get the most out of his or her wallet.