LG Ally works its Iron Man cred, leaves a few loose ends to tie up

We'll admit it, we really can't find anything straight-out "wrong" with the LG Ally. Maybe we could muster up a few matters of taste to gripe about, but it really does seem to be a pretty solid QWERTY Android slider. But unfortunately for LG, Verizon, and the good people at Stark Industries, we're having a lot of trouble stomaching this handset for the mere fact that we're up to our eyeballs in Android these days; nobody here has bothered to do anything different. When your only claims to fame are a few pixel tweaks on the home screen, categories in the app drawer, and an augmented reality Iron Man app, you're running the risk of... well, that's just it, you aren't running any risk at all. Sure, including a "limited edition" Iron Man comic with every phone sold is a nice touch, but it won't help you much in two years (or two months) when everybody you know has a better phone than you.

At least LG managed to best the Droid's landscape QWERTY, with some well-defined keys and decent, clicky action, though the unfortunate layout and an oddly inconsistent key shape keeps that from saving this phone. Specs-wise it's just what we had been hearing: Android 2.1, a 3.2 megapixel camera (with a flash), a nicely side-accessible microSD slot for the included 4GB SD card, and that mid-range Qualcomm MSM7627 processor. Hopefully Verizon can announce a bargain basement price (we're figuring $99 or less is a shoe-in), otherwise we want that GW990 back pronto. No word on release date, either, but we should be learning more tomorrow.

LG Ally hands-on

[DoctarPeppar Posted May 11th 2010 10:17PM]

Slow cpu and old hardware is obsolete.

[hamsuplo Posted May 11th 2010 11:02PM]

LG really has skills in making phones look ugly, it looks like an uglier venus or chocolate when closed. I guess this phone makes business sense. this phone is a good deal, its aimed at the average joe, it'll be cheap and cool as long as you're not a technogeek and expecting a lot.

[Baustin Posted May 11th 2010 11:08PM]

@ddddd

Why would it matter? I guess you want every one on the planet to have the exact same thing...awesome. Do you go around dogging other houses because they're different than yours? That's basically your sentiment on phones. Why do you care what the competition is?

[KIrish18 Posted May 11th 2010 11:09PM]

Nothing beats my iPhone 3gs.

[iPhooey Posted May 11th 2010 11:26PM]

@KIrish18
Thank you fanboy troll for that predictable retort....

[EagleyeSmith Posted May 11th 2010 11:58PM]

I just want to know that name of the WP7 protoype device that that LG was showing of.

[EagleyeSmith Posted May 11th 2010 11:58PM]

@EagleyeSmith

*off

[Johnny Rockets Posted May 12th 2010 12:54AM]

Snapdragon + Good Keyboard

DO IT

Is it really that hard?

I mean seriously, the first manufacturer to do this will be swimming in money.

SWIMMING.