Verizon Wireless has begun selling a new LG smartphone for $250 plus contract, preloaded with the first-ever Netflix app for Android. The LG Revolution runs Android 2.2 on a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, and offers a 4.3-inch display, 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution), HDMI. and both five-megapixel and 1.3-megapixel cameras, says the carrier.

Verizon Wireless has begun selling the LG Revolution 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) smartphone starting May 26 for $250 with a two-year data deal. Announced with fairly minimal detail back at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the multimedia-oriented, 4.3-inch LG Revolution will be the first Android smartphone preloaded with the Netflix Android application, allowing Netflix customers will be able to access their movies and television shows from the device.

LG Revolution
(Click to enlarge)

Netflix earlier this month made its Android application available for a smattering of already shipping phones. These include the HTC Incredible with Android 2.2, HTC Nexus One with Android 2.2 and 2.3, the HTC Evo 4G with Android 2.2, the HTC G2 with Android 2.2, and the Samsung Nexus S with Android 2.3. The LG Revolution would be the first phone to offer the app natively.

For those who weren't clear where the value of a 4G LTE network lies, the Netflix app on the Revolution offers a good hint. Verizon, which claims its 4G LTE network is as much as 10 times faster than its 3G network, promises that Revolution buyers who live in its 4G LTE markets can expect download speeds of 5-12Mbps and upload speeds of 2-5Mbps. The Revolution will join the HTC ThunderBolt and Samsung Droid Charge as the third Verizon phone to launch with 4G LTE support.

LG Revolution, back and side views

The 5.03 x 2.63 x 0.52-inch phone can't compete in the thinness competition with Samsung's 0.39-inch Galaxy S line of phones, or, for a more apt comparison, the 4.3-inch, 4G-ready Samsung Nexus S (0.44 inches). The 6.06-ounce weight is on the high side as well. Typical duration for the 1500mAh battery is said to be 435 minutes talk time and 72 hours standby.

The LG Revolution ships with 16GB of internal memory, as well as a 16GB microSD card, according to specs posted by LG, although Verizon mentions only the 16GB card. Other features are said to include 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and a micro-USB port.

The Revolution's 4.3-inch capacitive display offers 800 x 480 pixel resolution, as opposed to the 960-by-540 quarter high-definition (qHD) resolution now available on some of the larger Android phones, such as the Motorola Atrix 4G. The phone also includes a five-megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash, and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat.

Users may capture and share HD images and HD videos in 720p, says Verizon. An image editor lets users crop, rotate, resize, apply filters, make image adjustments, draw, write, and erase and add stamps, says the carrier.

The Revolution provides an HDMI output and "SmartShare" technology, which is said to let users share video content on TV screens with HDMI cables. In addition, the device supports Adobe Flash Player for rendering Web-based multimedia content, says Verizon.

LG Revolution, internal view

Verizon is also offering its Mobile Hotspot capability, which will let customers share 4G LTE with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, or a 3G connection with up to five devices. The hotspot typically costs $20 per month for 1GB of data consumption, but is now free for a limited time.

The LG Revolution will launch with Microsoft Bing Search and Maps as the default search and map apps. While Verizon Droid-branded phones offer Google as the main search engine, most non-Droid Verizon phones do not.

Availability

The LG Revolution is now available from Verizon for $250 with a two year contract for a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan ($40/month), and an unlimited data package ($30/month). The phone is also listed with a $560 retail price. More information and online sales may be found at Verizon's LG Revolution page, as well as at LG's Revolution page.

Clint Boulton is a writer for eWEEK.

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