LG is hoping the Optimus one (LG-P500) will be a drawcard for people who’ve never thought they needed a smartphone before. Even though it’s designed as a “starter” smartphone, the Optimus one will ship with the latest version of Google’s mobile OS, the faster Android 2.2 (Froyo).

It includes Swype for easy text input and is optimised for popular Google Mobile Services including Google Voice Search, Google Voice Actions, Google Goggles and Google Maps with Navigation. to get new users comfortable with smartphones, it also features an LG App Advisor, which recommends 10 highly rated applications every two weeks.

Our colleague John Chan at CNET Asia has been using a prototype unit of this handset for a few days and here are his thoughts.

The Optimus one has a simple design and great build quality. Though it’s a budget model, it feels solid and comfortable to hold thanks to the use of a soft-touch material at the front and back. a metallic strip runs along the edges, breaking the monotony of the Optimus One’s all-black chassis.

The Optimus one is solidly built for a budget smartphone. (Credit: CNET Asia)

The screen on this smartphone is a 3.2-inch HVGA (320×480-pixel) LCD, similar to what you’ll find in mid-range Android smartphones such as the Motorola Quench and Garmin-Asus Nuvifone A10. we found that it gives good image quality, both for text and photos. This multi-touch-enabled capacitive touchscreen is a big improvement over the company’s own Optimus GT540 Android phone, which came with a resistive 3-inch HVGA display.

Arguably one of the best things about the Optimus one is that it’ll come preloaded with Froyo. most Android phones on the market now ship with Android 2.1 (Eclair) and some high-end models like the HTC Desire have received firmware upgrades to the latest Android 2.2. However, budget and mid-range models have mostly been neglected by manufacturers. This makes the P500 one of the few low-cost models to enjoy Froyo enhancements such as improved CPU performance and better Microsoft Exchange integration.

Four buttons are found below the screen — Menu, Home, Back and Search. These are pretty standard for an Android device, and we liked that they are physical shortcuts rather than the touch-sensitive ones which are becoming more popular with manufacturers. a power shortcut is found on the top while volume controls are on the right edges.

The Optimus one has a complete set of connectivity options. These include HSDPA for high-speed mobile data, Wi-Fi for use at hotspots and Bluetooth. The device also comes with A-GPS for satellite navigation and the company has bundled software/maps for turn-by-turn directions.

The Optimus one comes with a standard micro-USB port on its base for charging and syncing. Audio output goes through a standard 3.5mm audio jack on the top. The device’s internal storage of about 150MB can be expanded using a microSDHC card. The memory expansion slot is found behind the battery cover and supports up to a 32GB module.

One thing we didn’t like about the earlier Optimus GT540 was its on-screen keyboard, and that hasn’t changed for the Optimus one. LG’s custom QWERTY keypad has overly narrow keys and a layout that caused us to make frequent typing errors.

We are not big fans of LG’s on-screen keyboard. (Credit: CNET Asia)

To be fair, this is not a deal-breaker since the default Android keyboard (though it isn’t that great either) is also available. there are also other third-party options available for download on the internet.

LG is targeting to sell the Optimus one at AU$349. That’s a good price for an Android smartphone with mid-range features, and should make it competitive with models such as the HTC Wildfire and Motorola Quench.

Another budget Android 2.2 smartphone we recently talked about is the Huawei Ideos. It’s predicted to be less expensive than the Optimus one at about AU$300, but comes with fewer features. Nonetheless, these two models are great for the entry-level market, giving options to those who typically buy feature phones.