An image and specs of LG's unannounced Optimus F3Q QWERTY slider smartphone have leaked and it's expected to be headed to T-Mobile.
There was a time when most smartphones either featured a portrait or landscape physical QWERTY keyboard to make typing an easy chore. The iPhone ushered in exclusive use of on-screen keyboards in an effort to keep the smartphone small and only display the keyboard when needed, There are still many smartphone fans who swear by a physical keyboard, and even Ryan Seacrest showed off his company's BlackBerry inspired 'Typo' case for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, which brings the familiar physical QWERTY to Apple's smartphone.
Finding a non-BlackBerry smartphone with a physical QWERTY these days is not very common, but T-Mobile fans will soon get to kick it old school thanks to newly leaked information. The always-reliable @evleaks has posted an image and some of the specs of the upcoming LG Optimus F3Q, an entry-level smartphone headed to T-Mobile. The F3Q's specs are nearly identical to the LG Optimus F3.
The star of the LG Optimus F3Q's show is its side slide-out QWERTY keyboard, complete with a dedicated number row. The smartphone features a 4-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 and is running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (no mention of any software upgrades here). It will be powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and is expected to also include 1GB of RAM. The handset is packing a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front facing camera for video chat and selfies.
Its wireless connectivity options consist of Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. While the LG F3Q is an entry-level smartphone, it will also include a 4G LTE radio in order to access T-Mobile's high-speed 4G network. The smartphone will ship with a 2,460 mAh battery, which is quite large when compared to similar low-end Android handsets currently on the market.
The tipster hasn't revealed an exact release date or pricing, but previous reports say the LG Optimus F3Q will become available on T-Mobile on Jan. 22. It's also expected to cost $0 down and a very low monthly charge over 24 months if not purchased outright. Once we get more details on pricing and availability we'll be sure to pass it on to you, QWERTY-loving smartphone fans.
