It may have taken a while, but Google’s unique vision of mobile utopia is finally coming to fruition. Each month seems to bring fresh reports of several new Android-packing handsets and practically every major manufacturer now has an Android entry on the market.
It’s been a hard battle, but the persistence finally seems to be paying off.
LG is the latest supporter to flock to Google’s banner, but unlike rivals Motorola and Sony Ericsson - both of which are making bold statements with their Droid and Xperia handsets - LG has adopted a rather more restrained approach.
The GW620 - or InTouch Max as it’s affectionately known - is a phone aimed squarely at entry-level users. Like the equally cheap-and-cheerful HTC Tattoo and T-Mobile Pulse, this is Android for consumers who happen to be on a tight budget.
However, just like those two aforementioned devices, the GW620 is unexpectedly robust and has one or two pleasant surprises under its unassuming exterior.
Good things come in small packages
The first thing that strikes you about the GW620 is its size: this is the smallest Android-based QWERTY slider we’ve laid hands on and when placed alongside the T-Mobile G1 it’s pleasingly diminutive.
Of course, to obtain these demure dimensions LG has had to cut corners. The 3-inch screen is a little on the pokey side, which can sometimes make navigation awkward.
Like the Pulse and the Tattoo, the GW620 features a resistive touchscreen rather than a capacitive one. Unquestionably a piece of savvy cost-cutting on the part of LG, this move does make the phone feel slightly less responsive than the likes of the G1 or iPhone, but it’s far from being a deal-breaker.
The slide-out physical keyboard is one of the best we’ve used, and puts the Droid’s rubberised effort to shame: keys are a decent size and are spaced out so that you don’t accidentally hit two at the same time - an issue which afflicted Motorola’s DEXT.
Factor in a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot which doesn’t require you to fiddle with the battery compartment, and the bear minimum of extraneous external features and you’ve got what is, on the whole, an agreeably attractive phone.
It’s no show-stopper but is certainly one of the better-looking budget Androids current doing the rounds.
Playing catch-up
Opening up the bonnet reveals a slightly different story. The GW620 showcases a variant of LG’s propriety S-Class interface but you can choose to simply have the standard Android menu experience as well, if you so wish.
The trouble is, like so many other phones that boast unique operating software, the GW620 is saddled with the outdated 1.5 version of Android.
Google’s newly-launched Nexus One is packing 2.1, which goes to illustrate the large gulf between the various Android handsets available now.
While manufacturers are insistent that they will offer firmware upgrades over time, the GW620’s seeming lack of over the air update capability means you might have to either manually upgrade the phone or take it to a registered dealer.
Putting the unfortunate fragmentation of the Android market to one side for a moment, the rest of the GW620 experience is decent enough.
LG has attempted to factor in some rudimentary social networking features - similar to that seen in Motorola’s MotoBlur OS - but it’s pretty basic stuff and to be honest you’re better off downloading the dedicated Facebook widget from the Android Market.
Given the GW620’s humble background we weren’t expecting it to blow us away in terms of performance but, shockingly, the phone was able to outpace more expensive rivals. As always, one of our benchmark tests involved the brilliant Mega Drive emulator Gensoid, and we’re pleased to report that it runs like a dream on LG’s Android challenger.
Other areas are slightly less impressive - the media player software is the bog-standard version that shipped with the G1 all those months ago, and while it does the job to a near-acceptable degree, it really needs a facelift.
The web-browser is also looking a little long in the tooth - Firefox for Android really can’t come soon enough, in our opinion.
Taking it to the max
It’s somewhat ironic that some of these cheaper Android phones actually end up being more remarkable than their big-budget counterparts: perhaps the lack of expectation surrounding these humble devices means they have a better chance of impressing, but there’s no denying that the GW620 is an excellent debut for LG in the fast-developing Android arena.
The resistive display and reliance on crusty old Android version 1.5 may count against it, but on the whole this is a surprisingly versatile little beast and can easily hold its head up high when placed alongside other phones in its class.
LG GW620 InTouch Max
Yet another low-cost Android option hits the market but LG’s plucky newcomer is well worth a look if you’re sticking to a tight budget - despite its minor shortcomings
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.