LG GW620 Complete Guide Specs Prices Pros & Cons

Design and Build

The LG GW620, released in November 2009, was one of LG's first ventures into the Android smartphone market. Its design reflects the trends of that era, featuring dimensions of 109 x 54.5 x 15.9 mm and a weight of 139 grams. The compact build features a physical QWERTY keyboard that slides out for easy typing, which was a much-appreciated feature for users transitioning from feature phones to smartphones. The device supports a Mini-SIM, typical for phones of its time.

Display

The LG GW620 sports a 3.0-inch TFT resistive touchscreen capable of displaying 256K colors, although effectively rendering 65K colors. With a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels (~192 ppi density) and a screen-to-body ratio of around 45.1%, this display was average for its time when smartphone screens were just beginning to advance. The sharpness and color reproduction were suitable for basic smartphone tasks and media viewing.

Operating System and Performance

Out of the box, the device runs on Android 1.5 Cupcake, which was upgradable to Android 2.2 Froyo. This version of Android brought with it various improvements, including support for Bluetooth 2.1, voice dialing, and better application performance. The processing power, while modest, was sufficient for running these earlier Android versions smoothly, allowing users to enjoy the primitive app ecosystem at that time.

Memory and Storage

With 150MB of internal storage, the LG GW620 seems quite limited compared to modern standards. However, it comes with a dedicated slot for microSDHC cards for memory expansion, which was crucial given the limited internal storage. Users typically needed to rely on memory cards to store media and applications.

Camera Features

The main camera of the GW620 is a 5 MP autofocus shooter, equipped with an LED flash for better performance in low-light scenarios. It can record video at 320p at 30fps. While it holds up for basic photography and video needs of the time, the absence of a front-facing camera might be a limitation for those interested in video calls or selfies, which were becoming popular around that time.

Battery Life

The device is powered by a removable Li-Po 1500 mAh battery. It provides a standby time of up to 600 hours on 2G and up to 500 hours on 3G networks, with a talk time of up to 8 hours on 2G and around 7 hours and 40 minutes on 3G. These figures reflect a strong battery performance relative to the demands of the operating system and hardware of the era.

Connectivity and Communication

The GW620 offers a range of connectivity options, including HSPA 3G network support with download and upload speeds of 7.2/0.384 Mbps respectively. It features Wi-Fi connectivity with hotspot capability, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for wireless audio accessories, and GPS/A-GPS positioning capabilities. The presence of stereo FM radio and microUSB 2.0 adds to its versatility as a communication device.

Additional Features

The device features an accelerometer and compass, enhancing its usability with various applications. It also supports browsers up to the standards of WAP 2.0/xHTML and HTML, allowing for a decent web-browsing experience given the hardware constraints. Its loudspeaker delivers sound at different decibel levels, which varies slightly with calls and media.

Audio and Sound Quality

Sound output, which includes voice, noise, and ring tone loudness, was reviewed at 67dB, 68dB, and 78dB respectively. The audio quality, featuring measurements like noise at -86.3dB and crosstalk at -83.2dB, shows the device offered acceptable sound quality for an early Android handset, but it had room for improvement compared to newer generations.

Market Position and Conclusion

At its price point, around 90 EUR during its release, the LG GW620 was positioned as an affordable Android device with a full QWERTY keyboard, targeting users looking to transition from feature phones to smartphones. Available in black, gray, and blue, it offered consumers a choice of aesthetics to match their style preferences. A SAR value of 0.21 W/kg for the head and 0.71 W/kg for the body assured users of its compliance with safety standards. Despite being discontinued, the GW620 reflected LG's efforts to establish a foothold in the Android market, offering connectivity, functionality, and design elements that were aligned with consumer expectations at the time.