A closer look at Sprint's Optimus F3 (pictures)

Currently available for free after users sign a two-year agreement with Sprint, the LG Optimus F3 is a compact 4G LTE handset that has NFC, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.

The 4-inch IPS touch screen has a 800x480-pixel resolution. Though it's no top-tier 1080p display, it's impressively clear and bright in its own right. Above the display is a VGA front-facing camera.

Measuring just 4.57 inches tall, 2.44 inches wide, and 0.4 inch thick, the device is compact and can easily fit in front jeans pockets. Comfortable to operate with one hand, it's also lightweight at 4 ounces.

The top houses a 3.5mm headphone jack and the bottom has a Micro-USB port for charging. On its left and right edges are a volume rocker and sleep/power button, respectively.

The handset ships with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and comes with a number of Google's services, like Chrome, Gmail, Plus, Latitude, Local, and Maps with Navigation. The Google Play stores for Books, Magazines, Movies & TV, and Music are included as well.

Powering the device is a zippy 1.2GHz dual core processor, and it has a 2,460mAh battery that gives a reported talk time of up to 16 hours.

The 5-megapixel camera offers a variety of options. Some include auto and touch focus; a flash; digital zoom; face tracking; geotagging; a timer; and five shooting modes that include panoramic and HDR.

Video-recording options consist of the same digital zoom, flash, brightness meter, geotagging, color effects, and white balances. In addition, you can choose from six video sizes (ranging from 1080p full HD to MMS), and take still photos while recording.