Verizon Puts LG Optimus Zone 3 On The Prepaid Table

Long gone are the days when postpaid is the only way to go when getting phones in the US. Aside from unlocked devices, which some still have a hard time swallowing, prepaid options are getting more and more popular, especially as more and more devices are added to that prepaid list. Verizon's latest addition to that roster isn't going to blow anyone's socks off, but the LG Optimus Zone 3 could make for a perfect affordable prepaid option for those who need to always be connected but have a tight budget.

Verizon exclusive devices are nothing new. As the number suggests, the Optimus Zone 3 follows after the Optimus Zone 2, also on Verizon. The carrier suggests that if you owned and loved the older device, it might be high time to upgrade, and you might indeed want to, given how much LG's entry level smartphone has improved.

The screen is larger, for example, now at 4.5 inches compared to the previous 3.7-inch. We're expecting, or at least hoping, HD or even qHD resolutions, which would still trump the Optimus Zone 2's HVGA pixel count by a long shot. There's 32 GB of internal storage, which we will presume is paired with at least 1, if not 2, GB of RAM. There's a 5 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front shooter. And finally, it runs the somewhat latest Android Lollipop version.

It's a no frills, no nonsense budget smartphone that Verizon will appeal especially to students who need to keep in touch with family and friends even without or away from a computer. That would imply affordable prepaid plans as well, which Verizon definitely has. That said, the tier that has the most data, at 3 GB, will set that student back $60 a month. Good thing, then, that he or she can cancel anytime, without an annual contract.

SOURCE: Verizon