LG Optimus Elite with Google Wallet spied for Sprint, Virgin
updated 11:10 pm EDT, Thu March 29, 2012
LG Optimus Elite seen early in press renders
One of LG's entry-level Android phones should reach Sprint and Virgin Mobile with a small twist based on leaks late Thursday. Photos of the Optimus Elite, Sprint's adaptation of the Optimus Net, showed PocketNow the 3.2-inch phone adopting a more conventional but very compact look. Both versions would stand out by being some of the least expensive Android phones yet to have NFC and, through Sprint's involvement, official Google Wallet support.
The two should share 800MHz processors, 320x480 screen resolutions, and five-megapixel rear cameras with flash. Either would cling mostly to the stock Android 2.3 interface with Sprint ID. The Virgin edition's shot shows the Google Play Store app icon and could make the Optimus Elite one of the first phones to ship with the reworked app store already loaded.
Sprint as usual would be the first with LG's phone, possibly shipping it in the very near future, while Virgin Mobile would follow at the start of May. The feature set could see even the off-contract Virgin phone cost only somewhat above $100.
