Hands-On with LG Lotus from Sprint

“$149 for a non smart phone?” Those were the words that ran through my mind when I picked up LG’s upcoming QWERTY messaging phone for Sprint. Then I started playing with it. I like the QWERTY keyboard on this device. The keys are packed tightly together but have a very good tactile feel. And you can take your pick of two colors: a standard black and purple with embossed flowers. Guess which one is for women. (Then again, how many guys would buy a phone called Lotus, anyway?)

The LG Lotus is certainly wide, but I think the larger-than-average 2.4-inch display provides a good canvas for Sprint’s new One-Click user interface for instant access to messaging, TV, music, and Google. We also like the external music controls, although they didn’t light up on the very early device we groped.

As a communication device, the Lotus has got you covered with a shortcut key for messaging, threaded SMS, and social networking access to MySpace, Xanga, and more. And you get a 2-MP camera, GPS navigation, and support for Sprint TV and the Sprint Music Store. The small 2.5mm headphone jack is annoying, but you can rock out to 12GB worth of music with the external microSD card slot.

Stay tuned for a full review before the Lotus blossoms in October. Sorry.