T-Mobile announced on its Facebook page that beginning Nov. 3 the LG Electronics Optimus T will priced at $29.99, making it possibly the most affordable Android-running phone.
The fine print is that that price comes after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year service agreement and qualifying data plan. Still, LG introduced the Optimus T along with the nearly identical Optimus S, which Sprint will begin offering Oct. 31 for $49.99, after a $100 mail-in rebate and with a two-year service contract.
Both phones run Version 2.2 of Android and feature a 3.2-inch capacitive touch screen.
The Optimus T includes Voice Actions for Android, which lets users speak commands for texting, calling, e-mailing and finding directions, among other tasks. It also has a home screen that’s expandable to up to seven panels, which users can customize with applications and widgets. Google’s full suite of services is also installed, including Gmail, Google Talk and Google Search.
The Optimus T will come with a 2GB memory card installed and be available in a choice of burgundy or titanium finishes.
In an Oct. 6 statement, T-Mobile Director of Product Management Saj Sahay called the Optimus T the “ideal device for first-time smartphone users ready to explore the Android world.” At just $30, first-timers may be likely to give it a try.
T-Mobile was the first U.S. carrier to offer an Android-running smartphone, in the HTC-made, but T-Mobile branded, G1. On Sept. 9, T-Mobile officially introduced the next evolution of that device, the G2, a smartphone capable of 4G downloads and the first to run on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. The G2 pairs Android 2.2 with an 800MHz processor, a 3.7-inch Super LCD touch display, a four-row QWERTY keypad, an optical trackpad and a 5-megapixel camera.
LG will also soon offer the Optimus 7, a Windows Phone 7-running version of the handset.