A sense of Deja Vu. Review on LG Optimus L9

There is a reason why I hate reviewing LG devices . When it comes to the hardware I’m all praises but when the software comes to software, it’s nothing compared to its competitors.  Their new flagship device did change that quite a bit but their software on midrange smartphones still suck. This device is much better compared to the other midrange smartphones in the optimus line of devices. But the problem is that LG is still struggling to find a balance between style, sense and power.

Sourceof the renmaining review : Endgadget

Look and Feel

When we first laid eyes on the Optimus L9, we experienced a bit of déjà vu. It's almost identical to the L7, with its chrome trim and piano-black, Gorilla Glass-coated face. It even has the same button layout, with a physical home button flanked by capacitive back and menu keys. The back cover is a different story, however. The L9 has a textured matte surface comprised of multiple tiny raised dots, a departure from the L7's striped backing. As such, it has a nice, grippy feel that reminds us of leather (or vinyl, maybe). Its sloped edges and slender 9.1mm profile makes for a surprisingly comfortable feel in the hand despite its wide 127.6mm x 66.9mm footprint. All told, the boxy shape struck us as boring at first, but we were ultimately won over by the phone's dapper design. Adding to the L9's good looks is that 4.5-inch qHD (960 x 540) TFT LCD, a clear improvement over the L7's 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 panel. Though not quite as crisp as the TrueHD display we saw on the Optimus G, we found the L9's vibrant display perfectly adequate. The viewing angles are decent, text is sharp and colors are rich. However, we can't help but feel a little cheated -- the international version of the L9 boasts a better-specced 4.7-inch IPS display, and it appears we're unlikely to see that stateside. We've seen these sorts of carrier shenanigans before -- the AT&T version of the Optimus G totes an 8-megapixel camera instead of the 13-megapixel shooter found on other Optimus G handsets, for example -- but it doesn't mean we approve.

Performance and Battery

The L9's 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4430 chip is fairly out-of-date; it's the same processor used on last year's Droid RAZR and Droid Bionic, and it's definitely not as zippy as the dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor found on newer handsets. That said, screen transitions are snappy enough, and the phone doesn't take long to switch between open apps. Zooming in and out of web pages feels mostly smooth, though we did notice a bit of lag with image rendering. The camera app, though, is slightly sluggish in launching. Cold-booting takes a little more than 22 seconds, which is plenty fast for us. Benchmark scores are about what we expected -- the L9 compares well against TI OMAP handsets, but pales in comparison to similarly specced phones that use Qualcomm's latest. Its Quadrant scores are higher than the Galaxy Nexus', but the L9 doesn't perform as well in the other benchmarks. In general, the performance is befitting the L9's budget status. The 2,150mAh battery inside the L9 offers fairly short battery life. In our standard rundown test, the L9 lasted a little longer than five hours, which is a poor showing compared to most phones we've tested recently (eight hours would be more acceptable). Still, with less taxing usage (i.e., taking photos, using Maps and browsing the web, with push notifications set up) the L9 still had around 50 percent capacity left after eight hours.

Camera

The camera UI here should be familiar to anyone who's previously owned an LG smartphone. The controls line the left side of the viewfinder, and you can adjust the image size, scene modes, ISO settings, white balance presets, timer, geotagging settings, shutter sound and color effects. You can opt between autofocus and face-tracking, where the camera will try to focus in on what it thinks is a face. We especially enjoy panorama mode, and continuous shot is also nice if you're attempting to shoot a moving subject. The rear camera can record up to 1080p HD, though the front-facing webcam maxes out at VGA. We found the 1080p video quite sharp and satisfactory with its autofocus, though it doesn't handle low light and shadows too well. We'll be frank: if you want a phone with a top-notch camera, the L9 isn't for you. The 5-megapixel sensor works fine for simple snapshots, but users who want something that can replace their point-and-shoots would probably scoff at the amateurish image quality on display here. Most of our sample shots showed dull, washed-out colors and there's an unfortunate amount of noise even in pictures taken under adequate light. Low-light performance was alright -- sunsets looked decent, for example -- but grain and blur continue to be an issue there as well. Touch-to-focus works fine, but don't expect a shallow depth of field in your macro shots. As you might expect, the camera works best under bright sunlight, but even then, colors are rather lackluster.

Verdict

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.

Source: https://engadget.com/2012/11/09/lg-optimus-l9-review/

Thanks and Regards,

SlightlyDrunk