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Right now Verizon is offering this high-end phone for free on a 2 year contract, but it is running Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and no idea if or when Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be available.It is running the same processor as the Samsung Galaxy S3, a Dual core 1.5GHz processor & 1GB of RAM.

If you're a Verizon Wireless customer, and you're not looking to spend over $100 or so on an Android smartphone, your options aren't exactly limited at this point. If you want one that's relatively current, though, the RAZR M and Incredible 4G are basically your choices, one of which we actually really liked.
Both of those phones, though, by modern Android smartphone standards, are relatively small, with 4-4.3" qHD displays. For some, such a size may actually be desirable - there have always been a steady stream of complaints about the growing dimensions of Android phones. I, too, often wonder if this is indicative of a larger trend (pun intended), or if it is merely a symptomatic of some subtle problem with the current touchscreen interaction paradigm. That's a consideration for another time, though.
LG's Spectrum 2 joins the growing crop of mid-range handsets with large displays, measuring in at a very respectable 4.7 inches. However, it does away with the compromise a midrange, large-display phone often makes to maintain the value proposition - lower resolution. Samsung in particular is guilty of this offense, and to an absurd degree, making the platitude of WVGA phones on the market, some with up to 4.5" panels. That's sort of like putting 22" rims on a Ford Fiesta.
The Spectrum 2, though, manages to keep the full-matrix 720p IPS LCD of its higher-end brethren. As you'll learn, this isn't without its own drawbacks. Still, what we're looking at here is an eminently good value for money on multiple levels, and one that reinforces in my mind a growing realization about LG: they know how to make a satisfactory, middle of the road phone better than probably anyone else on the market.

The Hardware

Design and build quality

As has increasingly been the case with modern LG phones, the Spectrum 2 is admirably assembled, even if it is largely composed of the deceased dinosaur extract we so bemoan in the tech world: plastique. But it's built from the sort of plastic you'd find adorning the interior of a modern-day Hyundai or Ford: the kind that doesn't make you immediately realize that you're touching something cheap.
The handfeel of the Spectrum 2 is largely evocative, for me, of the Optimus G. A sort of entry-level trim version of it. It is remarkably rigid, and while it does creak on occasion when torqued, it leaves the impression of a far more expensive piece of hardware. So basically, unlike every Samsung smartphone in existence, if you'd like a frame of reference.
It's so rigid that, at first, I wasn't aware the rear cover was removable. This was, to be fair, reinforced by the fact that said cover does not have a demarcated area that visually indicates it can be removed, unlike most phones with modular battery doors. The cover is coated in a very nice rubberized silicone material with a fine diamond pattern, and I love it. It's also quite beefy for a removable cover these days, and it has a handy little warning that makes it apparent why - the cover houses both the inductive wireless charging coil and NFC element. Yep, wireless charging. Fancy. (This is apparently a "thing"  that Verizon is doing on all of its new phones.)
LG was kind enough to include a charging pad to test the functionality of wireless charging on the phone. It works! However, I find it sometimes charged quickly, while at other times it took much longer. That said, this isn't a production version. I have no idea how much this pad costs, or when it's coming out, or what wireless charging specification it uses. I do know that it sort of works with the DROID DNA too, though it charges it really slowly. I can also only assume that, at some point, LG will sell something very much like this, and you will be able to buy it, and Verizon will charge you too much money for it.
Now that I've successfully derailed this section, let's get back on track with the exterior design choices. Aesthetically, I kind of like this phone. Except for the big "4G LTE" logo on the back, which I find about as appealing as that stupid little "Flex Fuel" badge GM puts on all its E85-ready cars. Who cares? Even average Joe isn't going to forget his phone has LTE, only to be reminded every time he looks at the back of it.
The Spectrum 2 certainly has an interesting style, and like most phones out of LG lately, it's understated, but distinct. It is exceptionally rectangular (like the Optimus G), eschewing the soft edges that HTC and Samsung have flocked to in their most recent handsets. LG's design isn't fussy or overly adorned, either, something I took issue with when reviewing the DROID DNA. It's simple and industrial. It's not a work of art, but LG continues to impress me with its clean "built-in-CAD" sort of lines. I do find the way the rear cover looks compared to the other half of the phone in profile to be interesting, though it sort of works, for some reason.
Button placement. If there is one thing that I do not believe is consistently recognized enough on smartphones, it's button placement. The debate currently raging in this field is, as screen sizes grow, the side-mounted power button versus the top-mounted. LG has gone for the latter. The power button is on the top right, and the volume controls on the left hand side. The power button is quite interesting, and I think LG may have stumbled upon what I would call the best smartphone power button to date (hey, you take what you can get).
The button itself is circular, made out of a small cylinder of machined aluminum. It is surrounded by a translucent, white plastic band. Under this band somewhere is a little LED, and this LED flashes blue when you receive a notification (and it actually works right, unlike previous LG phones I've used). It also glows blue when you're charging the phone. The button has a nice, long throw, is easily felt out by my finger without looking, and clicks with a satisfying clicky action. If the notification LED were brighter, it would be basically perfect. Also, it looks really cool. I enjoy the separate buttons for volume up and down, too. Once again, it makes eyes-free adjustments easier.
Overall, the exterior hardware on the Spectrum 2 feels like something from a company that has been making smartphones for ages. Carefully constructed, designed with restraint and originality, and just generally well thought out.
The Spectrum II has capacitive navigation buttons, and the backlight on them is blue, like the power button. It's kind of neat.
 

Display

The Spectrum 2 has one of the best displays I've seen on a mid-range phone. However, if you've been spoiled by the latest from Samsung, HTC, or even LG's higher-end phones, it is a very noticeable step down. While sharpness is great (it's 720p, after all), and colors are pretty decent, viewing angles are simply not good, and as a result, sunlight visibility is pretty poor. Brightness is solid, though, and LG's IPS panels have a reputation for power-sipping.
Colors, compared to something like the One X, are on the washed out side, and black levels are particularly mediocre. The display also seems to sit rather far below the glass, a phenomena I experienced while reviewing another LG phone, the Optimus 4X HD.
Auto-brightness is accomplished through LG's base range setting scheme, which I still find horribly unintuitive, and generally can't stand. I just end up using the phone at 85% brightness all the time, because dealing with the automatic adjustment isn't worthwhile. I should not have to think about automatic brightness, it should be automatic.

Battery life

It's not very good. My battery life with the Optimus G running LG's latest iteration of its UI overlay was not good, and my experience with the Spectrum 2's battery life has been just as bad -if not slightly worse. I can't help but point the finger at LG's software here. I've used plenty of dual-core Snapdragon S4 phones with LTE, and this just isn't acceptable, especially with a 2150mAh battery. LG really needs to work on optimizing this part of its devices. Making it through an entire day isn't going to be easy if you're even a moderate user.
There isn't some app using a particularly large amount of battery, there's just far too much awake time - I lost 20% of my battery with the phone simply sitting idle overnight. I'm not syncing anything unusual, and can't say I even qualify as a particularly heavy smartphone user. This needs to be addressed. The battery is removable, though, so you could buy a spare, I suppose.
I should probably go back to the wireless charger, too, for the sake of completeness. It works. It charges the phone quickly, except when it doesn't for whatever reason, though it has to be positioned with the top of the phone pointed to the top of the charger - something I personally didn't know about wireless chargers. Not a drawback, just interesting.
The charging pad is pretty small, about six inches diagonally. I can't tell you for a certainty what wireless charging tech the pad uses, though it works with the Qi-compatible DROID DNA, so I'm guessing it's a Qi-based system. Oddly, it charges the DNA rather slowly compared to the Spectrum 2. I don't know why that is.

Storage / wireless / call quality

The Spectrum 2 offers around 12GB of usable internal storage. And, comments section of this article be praised, there's a microSD card slot.
Wireless performance has been solid. Everything works as it should, including Verizon's fastastic LTE, the unbridled bandwidth of which in my little suburbia speeds along at velocities approaching 50Mbps. Your mileage will vary.
Call quality has been acceptable, and the earpiece speaker is capable of producing such volume that aural discomfort resulted when I maxed it out. I suppose that's a good thing, though, as far too many smartphones don't get loud enough during calls, at least for me.

Audio and rear speaker

The Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 chipset delivers a headphone audio experience as good as ever - very balanced, clean, and relatively powerful. Music lovers won't have anything to get upset about.
The rear speaker on the Spectrum 2 is decently loud, and includes the now-standard (for LG and Samsung) "hump" between the two cutouts in the battery door where sound escapes, so as to avoid muffling when the phone is laid flat on its back. This does mean that a phone which would otherwise sit flush on a flat surface now doesn't, but I don't think that's going to be a concern for anyone but perfectionists.

Camera

The rear camera is often the first casualty in the cost-cutting war when it comes to mid-range smartphones. The Spectrum 2's 8MP shooter is no exception. Low-light performance is simply terrible - I can't even get it to focus when using flash - and daylight photos often look washed out in terms of color and exposure, and the performance of auto-focus is less than great. LG's camera software has never been a particular favorite of mine, and that hasn't changed with the Spectrum 2. That said, the shots you'll get out of it are of a reasonably good detail, and pretty handily outclass competing handsets from HTC and Motorola. Shutter speeds are also very quick.

Software

Performance

While not as smooth or quick as higher-end Android phones, the Spectrum 2 performs very admirably for a mid-range handset. LG's UI overlay, for all of its battery-sucking tendencies, is very smooth and responsive generally, and doesn't feel like the second-rate experience it was a year or so ago.
I did get occasional stutters when opening or closing the app drawer or scrolling through the recent apps menu, and the whole UI just didn't feel as smooth as it does on, say, the Optimus G. That's to be expected, I suppose - with half the cores and half the RAM, the Spectrum 2 isn't packing quite the hardware horsepower of its big brother.
Still, Samsung gets amazing performance out of Android 4.0 and the S4 processor on the Galaxy S III, while LG has managed to just get good performance out of the Spectrum 2.

UI / UX general

So, I approached the Spectrum 2 expecting the same UI experience as on the Optimus G. But like the AT&T Optimus G compared to the Sprint Optimus G, the Spectrum 2's software is just a little different than every other LG phone before it.
LG, I understand that carriers want their little tweaks here and there. I understand there are going to be a variety of bloat apps. I understand that not every phone can support every software feature.




But for the love of all things decent, please decide on a single software experience. The app tray icon is different on the Spectrum 2. Apps won't fully alphabetically sort themselves, but rather downloaded apps are in their own, second alphabetized subgroup. The stock Android keyboard that's present as an option on some other LG phones is gone. The ability to rotate the homescreen isn't present. The dialer looks slightly different. So does the power control widget - which has had its Wi-Fi toggle removed, and color scheme altered. The Wi-Fi toggle in the notification power controls has mysteriously vanished, as well (I am giving you a very mean look, Verizon).




These are all admittedly small things, but it's the kind of stuff that drives me nuts going across multiple phones from the same manufacturer running the same version of Android. No one but a phone reviewer will notice this, frankly, but I can't help but get tech-OCD knowing I'm missing stuff I should have on this phone, based on my experience with others.
Distinctions from other LG handsets aside, I still find Optimus UI 3.0 (or whatever it's called) to be a pretty usable overlay. This version has some things I find decidedly annoying (see above), but they also don't outright ruin the experience. Optimus UI is pretty snappy (I find it quicker than Sense), more customizable in some regards than TouchWiz (lock screen, notification power toggles, etc.), and while it's not particularly pretty, seems stable enough.

Conclusion

The Spectrum 2 is probably the best mid-range handset you can buy on Verizon today. And while it's $99.99 at Big Red's retail locations, it can be had cheaper elsewhere, and by the time the new year rolls around, I wouldn't be surprised to see it popping up as free on contract occasionally. While I personally don't recommend any mid-range Android phones when asked about what to buy, if you're set on a low-cost Android handset on Verizon (eg, buying it for a kid or older relative), the Spectrum 2 is a very solid choice.
I've seen LG move from being the unappreciated underdog of the Android smartphone ecosystem into a major player, and phones like the Spectrum 2 are the leading factor behind that transformation. Even if LG doesn't have a great reputation in the community for software support, they make smartphones for the casual consumer crowd that are affordable, well-built, and functional.
While it probably won't be winning many end-of-the-year tech awards, compared to similarly positioned handsets from its rivals, I think the Spectrum 2 is another strong indicator of LG's seriousness about winning midrange market war.





Source: http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/12/04/lg-spectrum-2-review-verizons-mid-range-handset-war-just-got-more-interesting/

People like to automate things in their lives. They have dishwashers, voice mail, auto-replies for their email when they are on vacation, even control a lot of stuff in their house from a single remote control. Why not add some apps to automate  your Android phone functions?
Tasker is one of the most well known and also one of the most complicated apps out there to automate actions on your Android. In light of that, we are going to talk about some other Android apps to automate some of redundant tasks and actions on your phone.

1. Llama

Llama is one of the staff favorites here at MTE.  It is a great low-power way for you to automate some of the functions on your phone. What’s great with Llama is you can keep the battery draining GPS off and still get it to maintain location awareness. Instead of using GPS, Llama use cellphone towers to determine your location. Once you tell Llama where home or work or other location is, you can have applications activate, WiFi turn on, modify ringtones and volumes, screen times and all sorts of different aspects of your phone.



A few of the actions require root access like option to reboot your phone automatically, the majority can be used on pretty much all of the devices out there.
Llama

2. Impel

What Impel offers is a catalog of popular Tasks. The Tasks are actions you can automate on your device such as making your phone silent when you have it face down and returning it to the previous state when the device is face up. You can take a look through the catalog and see if any of the pre-made tasks will work for you. Otherwise you can create your own.



The only frustration about the free version is that it always redirects you to the Play Store to purchase the Pro version. You can always press the Back button to exit the purchase page and continue to use the free version, just keep in mind that it is going to be a frustrating experience. Once in the Tasks menu, you can view all the available Tasks in the catalog and download the one you need. By pressing the menu icon in the bottom right corner, you can create your own from the step-by-step wizard.
Impel

3. beeZee | Auto Reply SMS

Sending a quick test message is a lot easier than sending an email or making a call to a person. The problem is, some people want a reply right away. When you are working or otherwise engaged, you might not be able to reply in a timely manner. Having an automated reply to incoming text messages will let the sender know you are busy and will get back to them later.



The setup is pretty standard. Set up a profile for the event and how long you think you’ll be busy and beeZee does the rest. When someone sends you a message, they will be replied to right away with whatever reply you have set up.
beeZee | Auto Reply SMS

4. AutomateIt

AutomateIt is a full featured app to automate your Android phone. Starting off, you can look in the Rules Market. There are a lot of different pre-made ways to automate actions and apps. For example, shutting off your GPS when Maps closes, or turning off your Wi-Fi when no longer connected to the preferred network.



When creating your own Rules for your phone to follow, you can choose from the list during each step. Start with a Trigger like Pandora starts, you can have the music volume turn up automatically. Or have your device speak something every time your phone boots up.
AutomateIt

Final Words

Automation can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like it to be. Most of the automation apps in the Play Store come with the same functionalities, but some of them are easier to use while others are very complicated. The trick is to find an app(s) that you are comfortable to use. Once you have a feel for how they work, you can quickly setup an automated action for just about anything on your phone.
Do you automate your Android actions? How do you do it?

It will come as no surprise to you that we think Android is better than iOS. If you’re looking for the why, then you’ll find it right here. The most popular mobile platform in the world right now deserves its place. It’s been a good year for Android, but with a bunch of competitors waiting in the wings there’s no time to rest on laurels.
Apple’s platform is undeniably slick and it does the job for many people, but it can’t match up to Android. Even though Apple adopted Android’s superior notification system for iOS and tried to match its wireless syncing convenience, there is still a clear gap between the two. Here are ten reasons why Android is still better than iOS.

Multiple devices

There is something for everyone on the Android platform. The sheer variety of Android smartphones from manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, Sony, Motorola, LG, Huawei, ZTE, and others is staggering. You can get a compact phone, something with a physical keyboard, a huge touchscreen, or go really quirky with a dual screen device. Niche demands like dual SIM are catered for and the flagship devices are on the cutting edge when it comes to specs. You’ll find the same level of variety is starting to boost the Android tablet market as well.

Attracting a huge range of manufacturers and giving them license to run amok in terms of imagination has resulted in the widest variety of devices on any platform, even blurring the line between smartphone and tablet. Compared to the limited iPhone and iPad line up, Android represents choice on a grand scale.

Multiple price points

This naturally follows on from the first point on our list. A wide variety of devices with different designs and specs caters for any budget. The exclusive nature of Apple’s products is in stark contrast to the inclusive nature of Android. Almost anyone can afford an Android phone. It might not be all-singing and dancing, but there are solid budget options that give people a true smartphone experience. The iPhone and iPad are prohibitively expensive for many, but a budget Android device doesn’t need to cost much more than an old feature phone.

Affordability has been a key driver for Android dominance worldwide and it continues to be. If you want premium devices that match and surpass the iPhone or iPad then you can find them, but if you want a budget device then Android is your only choice.

Customization

One of the strong points of Android has always been the level of customization it allows. While Apple wants to keep control of default apps and maintain a homogenous software and hardware experience, Android lets you pick your own level of customization. This extends all the way from simple things like animated wallpaper, to alternative keyboards, to custom ROM installs. Detractors will always say only hardcore geeks care about this level of customization, but at the shallow end of the pool this isn’t true. Many iOS users would love to have live updates on the home screen or access to Swiftkey. We’ve broken customization down into four key benefits Android has over iOS.

Live wallpapers

Animated backgrounds that can also be interactive enrich the smartphone experience. They come in a huge range of styles, they allow people to add a little personality to their device, and, above all, they are fun. If you’ve never dipped your toe in the live wallpaper scene you’ll be surprised at just how many great live wallpapers are out there. They can also deliver useful information like the latest weather or encompass fun and addictive games.

Widgets

Android’s widgets have long been a feather in its cap compared to the static rows of icons you find in iOS. Even Microsoft saw the advantage, developing the Live Tiles system for Windows Phone. Widgets are still a major advantage for Android over iOS. Simply put, you can see all of the information you want at a glance on your home screen without having to fire up an app.

Custom launchers

If you want control over how your Android smartphone or tablet looks then you’ve probably tried out a custom launcher. You can choose from a wide variety of custom launcher apps in Google Play and tweak everything from your home screen layout, to your page transitions, to effects and even gestures. There’s no risk involved with launcher apps and you can really open up a world of possibilities.

Custom ROMs

You can actually replace the stock ROM that came with your device with a custom ROM if you want to. This is essentially installing a new operating system and many Android users do it because their carrier or manufacturer is slow to upgrade to the latest version of the Android platform, but you may also do it for better performance or to gain access to some add-ons or tools. This is definitely the extreme end of Android customization and you need to exercise a little caution to ensure that you don’t run into trouble. That said, as long as you can follow a tutorial and your device is supported, the benefits can be enormous.

Integration with Google services and products

A while back we discussed why Google and Android will prevail over Apple and iOS and this was one of the main reasons. Android devices integrate seamlessly with Google’s array of services. People are increasingly using their mobile devices to go online and Google is king of the web. Google Docs, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Music, Google+, Google Chrome…the list goes on, and Apple and iOS are not keeping up. The Apple Maps app debacle is a good example of iOS falling short. Despite the obvious animosity it’s tough to imagine iOS without Google apps, but even if they remain present as options beyond the defaults there’s no escaping the fact that the best Google experience is to be found on Android.

Google Now

This stands out from the crowd of Google services and, while the excellent voice search (which outperforms Siri) has been rolled into the Google iOS app, there are elements of Google Now that you can only enjoy on Android. When we look to our technology to push things forward and offer real convenience boosts to daily life, the predictive and pre-emptive nature of Google Now as it seeks to fulfill your desires before you think to search, could be truly revolutionary. It makes better use of mobile technology than anything else currently out there and as it improves it could well prove to be an important USP for Android.

More free apps and games

It may be a double-edged sword, but you can’t escape the fact that there are more free apps and games on Android than there are on iOS. Sometimes ports of the same apps that carried a price tag on iOS are free on Android. There also seems to be a greater willingness to pursue the freemium or ad-supported model. Sadly, this may be, at least partly, down to piracy concerns and, while more hits are being ported across, the ability to earn more from iOS development still means more high quality, premium apps and games release on iOS first. As Android continues to dominate we should see a change here, but it remains one of Android’s biggest challenges.

Speed of improvement

Bugs, lag, an ugly interface, a lack of apps – Android’s weaknesses have been systematically dealt with by a determined development team. The Android platform is unrecognizable compared with the first release and it continues to improve and evolve at a faster pace than the competition. That big user base and the wide range of manufacturers producing Android devices can only drive further improvements to greater heights. While iOS stagnates, paralyzed by the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” school of thinking, Android continues to innovate and improve at a faster rate.

What’s important to you?

We’d love to hear why you think Android is better than iOS. Are your motives for choosing Android covered above or did something else attract you to the platform? Post a comment and let us know.

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/10-reasons-why-android-is-still-better-than-ios-145370/