The main hardware inside the LG Optimus GT540 is fairly basic, but more than adequate for non-power users. It runs off a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 processor and has 130MB of internal storage. You can expand the storage space up to 32GB if you want to though, using a MicroSD card. The battery life is better than average; the LG Optimus GT540 uses a powerful lithium ion battery, meaning that you can use it for days without needing to re-charge it.If you want a smartphone for taking pictures and watching / recording videos, then you will not be disappointed with the LG Optimus GT540. Both the hardware and software make the capturing, editing and managing of files easy and fun. There is an in-built 3 megapixel camera and a clear, crisp 420x320 pixel display. The phone's camera is a cut above a standard point and click camera, with facial recognition and action detection being just a couple of the helpful features. The included software allows you to cut, edit, add voiceovers / music, etc. easily enough.There are lots of great applications pre-installed on the LG Optimus GT540 and you can also download more should you wish to do so. As the phone runs off Google's Android operating system, it links up extremely well with all of Google's apps and services, such as Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube. You can access and log into all of your Google accounts in just a few seconds. There is also a social network manager feature which is very helpful. From it you can connect to and manage your accounts at Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. So, if you are someone who spends a lot of time on social networking sites, you will certainly be pleased with the LG Optimus GT540.So, to summarize, the LG Optimus GT540 is a nice phone, designed for a specific market - newcomers to smartphones. It is an entry-level phone, but it is priced accordingly, and you will be hard pressed to find better value for money. Even if you have the money available for a more expensive phone, you might well just end up wasting it unless you actually need, and will regularly use, all the hardware upgrades and extra features that come with top-range smartphones.