The LG Optimus GT540 will be available in the UK from 1 May. It’s based on the design of the LG GW620 slider Android phone, but does the Optimus have enough to stand out from the crowd? Read on to find out.

The LG Optimus features a 3-megapixel camera, 3-inch screen and the now out-of-date Android 1.6 OS. Wi-Fi and high-speed HSDPA 3G are included too, but are we interested? The issue we have with the LG Optimus is that it’s much like the LG GW620, but without the slide-out Qwerty keyboard. And the keyboard was the thing we liked most about the LG GW620.

If you’re not interested in a physical Qwerty keyboard, the LG Optimus may still have enough to reel you in. Its resistive touchscreen shows that, like the LG GW620, the LG Optimus is a budget-focused handset that will likely be available on some low-cost tariffs. However, it seems a bit too much like a middle-of-the-road cookie-cutter budget Android phone to get the fires of our gadget desires stoked.

If you fancy an LG Optimus, it’ll be available from next week, although network and pricing details haven’t been released yet.

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