[Android General] Artog:
My very first post!

Another user posted a YouTube video review of this phone in Russian. After almost a week of constant usage, I figured I will do a written review in English.

I currently own the LG Optimus G (which I am passing to my wife, who is on the ancient Samsung Nexus S) so that is my frame of reference throughout this review.

Summary – In the context of a $100 cell phone, I say it is good value for the money (FYI, I paid $695 for the Optimus G when it first came out and it was brand spanking new. Don’t think I can justify that kind of spending again). Fast enough for what I need to do, good reception, decent screen. But the camera is rather disappointing. And I simply cannot get Google Authenticator (or Authy) app to work (see below), any help is appreciated!

Here are the review details:

Packaging – Well packaged with screen protector pre-installed, and included a second screen protector in the box. I purchased it from DX and they threw in a clear plastic back cover for the phone, so it was nice of them.

Exterior – Decent looking. Thin. Plastic so it feels a bit light sometimes, but well made. It doesn’t have that heavy duty feel to it like my Optimus G.

Screen – Nice and bright. When outside there is no problem using it in the shade or inside the car. Haven’t tried it under the sun.

Screen Resolution – The phone’s screen resolution is low and it shows if you really look at it. When you stare down at the icons it is visibly inferior to my Optimus G. A low resolution screen also means you get less information displayed. Think of it as a 24 inch computer monitor but your graphics card can only output 1280x720.

Screen (Touch) – Responsive enough. Did not notice any problems.

CPU & Responsiveness – Quite good. I didn’t notice any lags when swiping and doing stuff. Launches apps quickly.

Games – I only played Subway Surfer. While it is very playable, it was not as responsive as my Optimus G. Without the Optimus G, however, it probably would not have occurred to me that it was slow.

Video – I loaded a 1080P MP4 into the phone and it played this file smoothly.

Wifi – No complaints. Fast connectivity to my lan.

Wifi Throughout (Ookla App) – 22Mbps down and 8Mbps up. My internet connectivity is 25Mbps down/10Mbps up.

Network – No complains. Very quick connectivity to Rogers/Fido 3G network.

Network Throughput (Ookla App) – on Rogers/Fido 3G, I get 7.8Mbps down and 1.2 Mbps up.

Call Quality – Works fine. It was clear, and the other caller can hear me fine.

GPS – I get GPS sync pretty quickly, probably the same lock time as the Optimus G, if not faster. Works well with Google Maps while travelling.

Camera – I think the biggest disappointment is the camera. Focus ‘appears’ to be quick, but I just can’t seem to get a good focus at anything I point at. Maybe it’s my high expectations? On the other hand, it scans QR code fine.

Bluetooth – Works properly when sync to our car. Bluetooth calls works fine. But the weird thing is that the Bluetooth audio volume comes across very low. I couldn’t find the setting to adjust that, but there are apps that supposedly can help. I will give it a try later. This issue seems to appear on other brands of androids phone, so it’s not unique to DG310.

Battery Life – I say it’s average. When in use the DG310 (2000mAh) seems to drain faster than my Optimus G (2100mAh). I say on average usage you can go day and a half. I do charge mine every night.

Sound – Nice and clear.

Memory Card – I put in a 32G microSD card and it works fine.

Antutu Score – 18381

Root – Rooted with Baidu Root 2.4.6 (in Chinese) app. There seems to be different versions/clones of this app floating around, and only version 2.4.6 worked. I first tried the newer 2.4.7 and that one did not work.

Google Authenticator (and Authy) – The app installed and runs fine, but it does not generate the correct 6-digit code. I spent hours searching through many forums, executed “Time correction for codes” within the Google Authenticator app many times, but it still does not generate the correct code. I rooted the phone and then used ClockSync app to sync the phone to NTP time. Still does not work. Poor clock/crystal quality inside the phone? Don't know. HELP!!!!

Other thoughts – I have now transferred all my apps and data off the Optimus G and onto the DG310. So far so good. My plan is to simply use it for a year and then upgrade to next latest and greatest $100 phone :)

Hopefully this review helped somebody.