Looking into the LG Lucid 2 (pictures)

Available for free from Verizon when you sign a two-year contract, the LG Lucid 2 is an excellent handset for first-time Android users on a budget.

The 4.3-inch AH-IPS display has a 960x540-pixel resolution. Though text and menu icons look crisp, its resolution doesn't compare with other high-end LG handsets. But other than to pixel-nuts, the touch screen shouldn't be a problem to anyone. It's still bright, clear, and responsive to touch.

On the rear, you'll find the 5-megapixel camera with its LED flash right below it. On the bottom left corner are two slits for the audio speaker.

The 5-megapixel camera offers a variety of options, including touch and autofocus, a flash, a 15x digital zoom, four shutter sounds, face tracking, geotagging, a timer, and five image sizes (ranging from 1,536x864 to 2,560x1,920 pixels).

The Lucid 2 has wireless charging capabilities, if you buy a separate $30 battery door and a charging pad.

While its default cover is easy to remove, you're going to need a little muscle to take out the back plate that's capable of wireless charging. That's because the cover's corners curve into the edges of the handset, and there is no indent to help push your finger into.

Similar to its predecessor, the LG Lucid 2 is minimalistic and compact. It measures 4.82 inches tall, 2.51 inches wide, and 0.39 inch thick. It has an all-black design, save for a few silver-colored accents on its edges.

The handset runs on a 2,460mAh battery (a bump from the previous Lucid's 1,700mAh battery) and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.