LG Nitro HD review: LG's Android firestarter?

The LG Nitro HD has just about everything you'd want in a premium smartphone, from a terrific screen and good camera to support for 4G LTE speeds.

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Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).

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Jessica Dolcourt

Dec. 6, 2011 3:28 p.m. PT

It's about time LG got really fired up about Android, and the LG Nitro HD could be just the fuse this phone maker needs to rocket through the ranks.

The Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone contains all the premium parts you'd expect in a superphone. It all starts with a brilliant 4.5-inch high-definition touch screen (1,280x720-pixel HD resolution). Then you have 4G LTE for data speed, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor for internal speed, an 8-megapixel camera for standard shots, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for self-portraits and video chatting, and support for HD (1080p) video recording. Plus, it's got a ton of storage space for photo, video, music, and games right out of the box.

So why isn't this phone scoring off the charts? There are a couple of drawbacks here and there that in my opinion fail to create a device that sweeps them all away. Still, the Nitro HD is a great smartphone, one that will hopefully jump-start LG's aspirations to build amazing, and amazingly competitive, handsets.

See the video, the photos, and the pros and cons in the full LG Nitro HD review.

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