Single-core smart phones? So 2010. LG’s Optimus 2X is an early arrival in the wave of handsets equipped with dual-core processors that’s rushing our way in 2011. Now two UK retailers have updated their listings for the device with SIM-free pricing, with one of them saying the device will be in stock this month.
Carphone Warehouse has the Optimus 2X pegged at £455, although its website is still claiming that the phone is out of stock and only available on back order. Expansys is selling it for £450, meanwhile, with shipment expected within nine days.
The latter site also has the device available for free if you sign up for a £30.65 monthly tariff through Vodafone — something we’ve known about since late January, when it was listed on the site as having a shipping date of 21 March.
Users on the Phandroid Forums spotted the changes, which still leave the Optimus 2X on course to be one of the first dual-core smart phones to actually go on sale.
The Optimus 2X uses Nvidia’s Tegra 2 dual-core processor, which it claims will provide Web surfing and gaming with a turbo boost, among other uses for the device. It also packs a 4-inch screen with 480×800-pixel resolution, 8GB of storage, and a microSD memory card slot if you need more space for your stuff.
The phone is also capable of 1080p HD playback when hooked up to a big-screen TV, and there’s an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front-cam for photography. The downside: judging by Carphone Warehouse’s site, the handset will ship with Android 2.2 Froyo, with no news on when it might be updated to 2.3 Gingerbread.
When we reviewed the Optimus 2X, we were impressed by its blazing fast performance in benchmarking tests, but not so keen on its bloatware apps and flaky widgets.