The mobile technology inside smartphones is getting cheap enough to start offering NFC to prepaid clients. The LG Optmus Elite smartphone is coming with the ability to engage in contactless payments. This means that in addition to being able to use future QR code payment systems like Digimo, it will be able to be scanned by retailers who are up on the mobile payments scene.


Getting a look at the inside specifications of the LG Optmus Elite, there is not a lot to brag about. This is not a flagship smartphone nor was it meant to be. The 800 megahertz processor is reminiscent of two years ago. It seems even the slower smartphones of today are running processors of one gigahertz. This is not a dual core chip by any stretch of the imagination. The chip will be accompanied by a MicroSD card slot and four gigabytes of internal memory storage. The RAM is rated for 512 megabytes.


Taking a look at the camera we find one, on the back, with five megapixels of power behind it. There is no front camera. The good news is that the camera comes with LED flash for those inevitable night time shots. The screen has low clarity, but again, this LG smartphone is created to be light on the wallet. It comes with 320 by 480 pixels of clarity. That is spread across three and a half inches of digital real estate. For comparison, the iPhone has the same size screen as the LG Optmus Elite but has 640 by 960 pixels of resolution for crystal clear viewing. If you are a math addict, that equals out to half the clarity of a "retina display" for the LG Optimus Elite. If you are starting to think the Elite is not so "elite" as its name, you would be right.


The LG Optimus Elite runs Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" for its mobile operating system. This was proudly announced by Google at the end of 2010. Thanks to problems with the "Google Wallet" not being so secure, not much has happened since then. This NFC feature is not something just for transferring money. The acronym stands for "Near Field Communication" and can also transfer files, but at a short distance. Yes, you could do that a lot easier and faster with bluetooth. But there is no doubt that Google wants to take care of your money as well as your other personal information. Android is not as secure as many people would like. This means those who get this LG smartphone would be smart to take a look at the "Lookout Labs" security apps that are available in the Android "Google Play" market.


This handset is going to be released on the Sprint network soon. The prepaid version is going to come in characteristic black while the contract model will be decked out in white. The Elite is a downsized version in many ways to the Optimus Vu, which comes with a five inch screen and a dual core processing chip blazing inside. The price should stay at or below the $100 dollar mark for the prepaid version of this LG smartphone.


See More: The New LG Optimus Elite Gets Ready For PrePaid Customers