LG Apex (photos)

The LG Apex is the latest Android phone in U.S. Cellular's smartphone lineup. It's a mid-range Android 2.1 device with an affordable price of $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Compared to other QWERTY slides, such as the T-Mobile G2 and Samsung Epic 4G, the LG Apex is rather compact. It measures 4.57 inches high by 2.22 inches wide by 0.62 inch thick and weighs 5.39 ounces. The smartphone feels solid and also has a soft-touch finish on back.

Despite the D-pad on the right side, we found the Apex's keyboard quite easy to use. The buttons are an adequate size with decent spacing, so we didn't have too many mispresses. We also appreciated the dedicated number keys.

On the left side of the phone, you will find a volume rocker and a Micro-USB port. Meanwhile, the right spine features a microSD expansion slot and camera button.

A 3.5mm headphone jack sits atop the device. The Apex's power button is located below the display with the End key.

The LG Apex has a 3 megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus. The camera offers a number of editing options, including ISO settings, white balance controls, and color effects.

Picture quality was OK. Images taken indoors were a bit dark and grainy, but we could still make out the objects in the photo.