Coming with the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, the LG Optimus L7 is the top shelf representative of the company's new line of affordable handsets with supposedly more appealing L-Style design .

Scrollable connectivity and profile toggles in the notification bar; Thin and light handset with a generous 4.3" display

Camera takes mediocre pictures and only records VGA video; Phone feels underpowered in the browser; No ambient light sensor

As much as we wanted to like the Optimus L7, we must strongly urge those who want an entry-level smartphone to look elsewhere. It's quite a shame, really, because LG's design efforts hinted at something so much greater.

Excellent display; Elegant design

Sluggish performance; Lackluster camera; Unresponsive touchscreen; No ambient light sensor

A fashion phone for the designer-challenged. Last season's Prada at knockdown prices. The LG Optimus L7 will have to face comparisons with the latest Prada phone by LG and we cannot think of many that will swing in its favor.

If you can remember our first impression of the 4-incher LG L7, we mentioned that this is a very promising device if our price prediction is correct. Find out the verdict in our full review for the LG Optimus L7 after the break.

We covered the introduction LG's L-series of phones in our review of their Optimus L5, so there's not much to add here. The Optimus L7 finds itself being the middle child of the L-series of smartphones, with the L9 being the bigger sibling in this series of phones.

In the first quarter of 2012, LG was pushing the Optimus L7 as the high-end smartphone in its L series. But with a closer look and a shrewd eye, the L7 appears to be more of a...

Display; LG interface; Sound; Battery life

Generally choppy; Slow; Lacks responsiveness; LG interface could be perfected

First announced back in March at Mobile World Congress ( MWC ) as the standout device from LG's new L-Style of "lifestyle" handsets (which also includes the LG Optimus L3 ), the LG Optimus L7 won't be heading to the Android top-table to do battle with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X

Slick design; Decent camera; Latest Android version

Poor performance; Terrible battery life; Low storage

LG wants to bring design to the masses with its L-style range and has launched three handsets aimed at the fashion conscious consumer, the Optimus L3 , Optimus L5 and Optimus L7.

Good screen; NFC tags; decent battery life; video player app

Slow and sluggish; poor browsing; angular shape not great; VGA recording

LG's Optimus L7 is a well-designed and smart little mobile that unfortunately isn't quite as enticing as its main rivals. The screen is colourful but lacks the incredible detail of the Xperia S and One X displays, while the five-megapixel camera does a good job but lacks the fantastic features of...

Vibrant screen; slick and solid design; intuitive; customisable OS

Single-core performance; poor battery life; lacks features of close rivals

With ICS, a big screen and NFC, there's plenty packed into this budget Android phone.

Decent camera; Includes NFC support; Affordable price tag; Large screen

Stuttering performance; Unresponsive screen; Poor battery life