Possibly the worst-kept secret in midrange mediocrity, the 4G LG Optimus F7 was officially announced by LG last week. It’s a midrange handset that comes packing some useful features in a handy size.

Amusingly, this midrange smartphone comes with a very similar spec sheet to the supposedly high-end Motorola Razr HD – namely a 4.7-inch 720p display, dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and an 8MP camera. The Optimus F7, though, packs 2GB of memory to the Razr HD’s 1GB.

That may actually be an unfair comparison, because the F7 looks and feels like a lower-tier handset in exactly the same way that the Kevlar-backed Motorola does not. Its plastic shell positively screams compromise, though there is some lovely chrome trimming to be found on the edges. We like chrome trimming.

The LG cannot match the HD’s AMOLED screen either, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad – it’s the same resolution but was noticeably less vivid. Viewing angles weren’t as nice but with the price difference we’re probably talking here, it isn’t half bad.

The F7 throws Jelly Bean around easily enough and there wasn’t much sign of that ‘just OK’ CPU holding it back. We were able to swoosh in and out of all the menus without any sign of delay and the camera was fast and responsive too. Apps loaded quickly and it was able to switch between them easily enough,

The F7 will go on sale later this year – certainly before the summer – though word is that it might never make it to the UK shores at all.

Early Verdict

It looks like a decent midrange effort that wouldn’t be out of place at a tech show – just don’t expect leading features.