LG is teaming up with Cricket Wireless to bring an affordable entry-level handset to the U.S. market, offering LTE on a budget with the $90 LG Spree.
Flagship Android handsets with top-notch specs may stir lots of interest, but many consumers are actually looking for reliable and affordable devices that provide a decent performance without breaking the bank.
The new LG Spree aims to do just that, offering modest specifications for basic tasks and 4G LTE for fast Internet. Cricket Wireless is set to launch the smartphone on Friday, March 11, selling the LG Spree for just $90 outright.
"The LG Spree provides a combination of value and practicality, making it a great phone for those who currently own an entry-level smartphone and aspire for more without sacrificing style and features," says Cricket in its press release. "This fully-loaded smartphone is designed with features that help you."
Moreover, the carrier also has a neat promotion in place to further sweeten the deal. Interested customers who purchase the LG Spree by March 24 will also get $20 off the LG Tone Pro Bluetooth wireless headset, which normally retails for $69.99.
When it comes to the LG Spree specifications, don't expect any groundbreaking performance, features or design. The handset has a 4.5-inch display with a meager resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, packs a quad-core Snapdragon processor (unspecified model) clocked at 1.1 GHz, 1 GB of RAM and a 1,940 mAh battery.
Other specs include a 5-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel front shooter, 8 GB of internal storage space, microSD support for up to 32 GB of additional storage and 4G LTE connectivity.
On the software front, the LG Spree runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and will likely not get an upgrade to the latest Marshmallow build.
In terms of design, the smartphone sports a polycarbonate body with a brushed metal finish and hefty bezels around the display, typical for a budget offering.
The spec sheet doesn't suggest a powerful performance, but the LG Spree should nonetheless be decently reliable. On the other hand, the second-generation Moto G from Motorola is just slightly more expensive and packs notably better specifications, including a sharper display, better cameras and an Android 6.0 Marshmallow update.
