update The nation’s largest telco Telstra has intensified its focus on the Android mobile phone platform, revealing plans to launch LG’s Optimus handset into the local market on Tuesday 1 July — and before any other carrier gets their hands on it.

“With Google Android-powered smartphones growing in popularity, the LG Optimus provides customers with an ultra-affordable way to get in on the action,” said Telstra executive director of Mobility Products Ross Fielding, in a statement issued by the big T this afternoon.

The Optimus offers significantly reduced specifications compared with Telstra’s flagship Android offering, the HTC Desire. It has a 3″ touch screen at a resolution of 320×480 pixels, a 3 megapixel camera with face detection and geo-tagging functionality, the ability to record MPEG4 video at 15fps and an FM radio.

The handset runs the legacy 1.6 version of the Android platform, although it is upgradable to 2.1, and it comes bundled with a 2GB microSD memory card — although it can support up to 32GB of microSD storage. The Optimus supports speeds of 7.2Mbps on Telstra’s Next G network (although actual speeds will be less in real-world conditions), and it also boasts GPS, Wi-FI and Bluetooth connections.

The phone will be available for nothing upfront on Telstra’s $49 cap plan on a 24 month contract, or purchased outright for a recommended retail price of $504.

Image credit: LG

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1. Jenna Pitcher
   Posted 21/06/2010 at 3:46 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Very interesting design, I would like to see it with a bigger screen.

2. Jenna Pitcher
   Posted 21/06/2010 at 3:48 pm | Permalink | Reply

   But I do understand that it is an entry level device – having the smaller screen etc
   It looks funky.

3. Renai LeMay
   Posted 21/06/2010 at 9:53 pm | Permalink | Reply

   We’ll just leave you alone to talk by yourself in here :)

   • Jenna Pitcher
     Posted 22/06/2010 at 1:15 pm | Permalink | Reply

     Yes, well, I was entertained. :)

4. Steve Short
   Posted 12/02/2011 at 4:18 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Well – at least it would be a cheap and desperate replacement for the Desire!

   All the poor people (me included) who bought the original Desire from Telstra (serial numbers HT03 – HT08) have been falling foul of the dreaded overheating/rebooting fault which make the phone a useless piece of ***

   Few original Desires will see their warranty year out.