With Android phones now flooding the market, a budget option is not too difficult to find. LG's Optimus One P500 is a sturdy offering that now comes with Android's Froyo update pre-installed, but does it make it a good enough deal to compete with the likes of HTC's Wildfire?

Easy to use; Full range of Android features; Tidy design; Large battery

Soft plastic screen; Can be a bit slow at times; Lowish resolution screen

We enjoyed our experience with the LG Optimus One. It may not offer the beefiest spec sheet or even the highest-resolution screen, but for the price it provides a weighty build and a decent user experience.

Decent touchscreen; Responsive; Android 2.2 on-board; Bundled turn-by-turn GPS; Mechanical menu buttons; Cheap

Lacks the "wow" factor; VGA video capture; Gaming is hit and miss; Earpiece is noisy

The LG Optimus One may well be the best budget Android smartphone on the Australian market. A responsive capacitive touchscreen and the latest version of the Android OS combined with decent physical hardware make it great value for money.

Low price; Good screen and design; Latest version of Android

Thin volume keys; No Flash support; Mediocre camera

LG claims that its new Optimus One is the perfect entry level phone for prospective smartphone owners, but just how good is it? We take this $349 Android smartphone for a spin.

: Running on Android 2.2; Responsive screen; Packed with a lot of 3rd party applications like Swype and NDrive; Minimal slowdown when running multiple apps; Great battery life; Attractive price : Plain design; Flash Player missing on the phone; LG App Advisor not as helpful as expected; Only USB

: Plain design; Flash Player missing on the phone; LG App Advisor not as helpful as expected; Only USB charger included

Tweet LG, the world's third largest producer of cellphones, has introduced its Optimus One smartphone, and it seems to be an ideal smartphone for mobile users looking to pop their Android cherry.

Comes out with latest Android OS; affordability and easy-to-use OS; multi-touch capabilities

Battery life; no flash for camera and not the worlds most responsive display

"With the LG Optimus One, LG joins the Android revolution." Those were the words of LG South Africa CEO Peet van Rooyen, and after putting the Optimus One through its paces they ring true. The Optimus One runs the latest release of Google's Android operating system, version 2.2 aka "FroYo.

Let's face the truth, frankly, the LG Optimus One P500 isn't as glamourous as many Android counterparts. As a result it is much more affordable, and this is where we think the LG Optimus One P500 may excel – the Android newbie's market.

Lightweight; Excellent battery life; Comes with Android 2.2 Froyo; Responsive multitouch screen; Runs well with the standard full connectivity package

Cheap plastic and rubbery feel; Small display; Not suitable for graphically demanding applications; Low megapixel camera without flash or a dedicated camera key

The LG Optimus is a very basic phone; although it features a fully active touchscreen and the capabi

Very affordable - Easily understood - Compatible - Available in pre-paid - Decent camera

- Slow loading - Basic structure - Rushed project - Many bugs/errors - Memory/synchronization limits

Bought this around 3 years ago, and no complaints performs good. I could say its a good value for money production. A satisfied purchase.

I bought LG Optimus One a week after its launch and I am very much surprised! It is the best budget Android phone I have ever seen! I first had a feeling of inferiority as there are more powerful Android devices in the market but the prices are skyrocketing.