A Look at the Value-Oriented LG Sentio GS505

While the leading-edge cell phones garner the most attention, there are many fine choices for the cost-conscious consumer. One such choice is the LG GS505 Sentio by T-Mobile.

While most phone manufacturers design economy models by stripping away features from their most popular phones, LG has taken a completely different approach. In the Sentio, consumers will find the full range of modern cell phone features far more than most would expect at this price point. However, trade-offs were necessary to make that possible, so the phone is not without its issues.

Like all modern cell phones, the Sentio is compact, light, and thin, and not like most phones, feels particularly comfortable in your hand. It is made of plastic, one of the trade-offs we mentioned, but the phone never feels cheap. In fact, we were impressed with the quality in light of the materials. Nevertheless, the Sentio is not simply substance over style, and the soft-finish touch looks fantastic.

The phones most prominent feature is the 3-inch LG display that measures 240 by 400 pixels. Image quality on the screen is precise, and overall quality is much higher than you will find on other economy models. The trade-off here is size, and while overall functionality is high, the small dimensions may make viewing difficult for some users. In addition, it may make using the touchscreen impractical for some.

The LG touchscreen technology is a resistive touch display, which is the same technology used on the LG Vu Plus. The problem with resistive touch is that it doesn’t work at its best straight out of the box. However, once you calibrate correctly, it responds to location precisely. The actual feel of the press takes some getting used to. Some complain about unresponsiveness, but once you adjust to the “feel” of the phone, it responds fine.

Some value-oriented consumers will want just the features they need at the highest quality available. If you count yourself among that group, you can do more with your money elsewhere. On the other hand, if you want a full-featured phone but cannot currently handle the full-featured price, the LG Sentio is an attractive option that delivers a lot of bang for the buck.

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