Marquee improvements over Optimus S

[cruiserandmax]

The Marquee looks to better the Optimus S in a bunch of ways, most notably a bigger screen, higher res rear camera, and added front camera. One of the things I loved about the Optimus was it's powerful GPU- enabling the UI to be as fast or faster than even the highest end Android phones of the time (EVO).

Two key factors in my decision to maintain interest in this phone will be GPU, and hardware camera button.

The GPU on the Optimus was what transformed the UI on what was essentially a budget phone into a buttery smooth experience surpassing even the highest end Android phone at the time (EVO).

The camera button was also a huge boon- particularly because it supported a half-way press to lock focus, before a full push to snap the picture. This massively improved the effective shutter delay- a crucial issue when dealing with these camera phones that simply aren't able to compete with dedicated point-and-shoot cameras in this regard.

 

[cruiserandmax]

Damn! No dedicated camrea button:
LG Marquee for Sprint hands-on (video) -- Engadget

 

[dmscruiser]

The G-button might be configurable to access the camera through gestures like the Black.

 

[cruiserandmax]

The G-button might be configurable to access the camera through gestures like the Black.

G-button? I'll admit I'm not sure what you're talking about. Is that a hardware button? I haven't seen anything besides volume and power buttons in any of the released videos so far...

 

[darktoy]

I'm also looking at upgrading to our version of the LG Optimus Black from the Optimus S. The Optimus S was my first taste of Android and I've learned a lot about the Android OS and of rooting with it. The Optimus S was pretty snappy when overclocked to 748 so I'd imagine that @ the stock setting of 1ghz it would do just fine. The UI seems to be exactly like that of the recent Gingerbread update to the S with the Sprint ID app icon replacing the stock Gingerbread browser icon. I don't need all the razzle dazzle of the Galaxy S II or the upcoming Droid Prime. I'm thinking that the LG Marquee might see a fast price drop just like the Nexus S 4G. I'm good with 3G since there is no 4G in my area anyways.

I sorta went off topic there but to answer your question ...

CPU: 1000 GHz > 600 MHz
GPU: POWERVR SGX530 > ADRENO 200
Ram: Both @ 512MB
Resolution: 480x800* > 320x480 **
OS: Both @ Gingerbread 2.3.3
Internal Storage: 1GB > 150MB
WiFi: N > G
Camera: 5MP back 2MP front > 3.2MP back

* The Optimus S is snappy for being the little guy on the block but it does have a small resolution 320x480 which makes it easier for the CPU/GPU.

** The Optimus Black/Marquee has a higher resolution of 480x800 so the 1GHz and faster GPU will be used to pump out those pixels.

 

[dmscruiser]

G-button? I'll admit I'm not sure what you're talking about. Is that a hardware button? I haven't seen anything besides volume and power buttons in any of the released videos so far...

Yep, hardware button, left side below the volume rocker. On the Black it is labeled G, in the Marquee pics so far just another black button.
Check out Jerry's review here. First vid @ 4:00 min mark. Gesture UI looks to be pretty cool. Camera access without unlocking, amongst other things. Hope the Sprint version keeps it.

Really looking at this phone for an upgrade. Maybe luck into a nice Black Friday discount. *fingers crossed*

 

[Jessicalt1]

I love my Optimus (way better than my Hero fo sho) and thinking of staying with LG. So far their phone has been great. I seem to have less problems with mine than my hubby does with his EVO. And the dev community for the Optimus has been great. It's pretty much between the Epic Touch or this, but I'm leaning more this way.

 

[reltm]

I had my eye on this phone too and I'm glad to see some familiar faces here. One thing I was wondering was whether any of the awesome Optimus S devs would move over to the Marquee. It's def a nice looking phone.

 

[forsignup]

Well said.

I'm also looking at upgrading to our version of the LG Optimus Black from the Optimus S. The Optimus S was my first taste of Android and I've learned a lot about the Android OS and of rooting with it. The Optimus S was pretty snappy when overclocked to 748 so I'd imagine that @ the stock setting of 1ghz it would do just fine. The UI seems to be exactly like that of the recent Gingerbread update to the S with the Sprint ID app icon replacing the stock Gingerbread browser icon. I don't need all the razzle dazzle of the Galaxy S II or the upcoming Droid Prime. I'm thinking that the LG Marquee might see a fast price drop just like the Nexus S 4G. I'm good with 3G since there is no 4G in my area anyways.

I sorta went off topic there but to answer your question ...

CPU: 1000 GHz > 600 MHz
GPU: POWERVR SGX530 > ADRENO 200
Ram: Both @ 512MB
Resolution: 480x800* > 320x480 **
OS: Both @ Gingerbread 2.3.3
Internal Storage: 1GB > 150MB
WiFi: N > G
Camera: 5MP back 2MP front > 3.2MP back

* The Optimus S is snappy for being the little guy on the block but it does have a small resolution 320x480 which makes it easier for the CPU/GPU.

** The Optimus Black/Marquee has a higher resolution of 480x800 so the 1GHz and faster GPU will be used to pump out those pixels.

 

[dishe]

at the end of the day however, it appears that many early adopters of the marquee are complaining about screen responsiveness, signal strength and battery life, 3 things the Optimus s excelled at.

Could be fixed with a firmware update, but for now I'm scared to upgrade.

 

[tcaudill01]

Not sure about the complaints. Could be some bad units made it past quality control or could be perception/expectations.
This is the 4th Android I have had and I have no complaints with mine. Screen responsivness and battery life are no better or worse than the Captivate or Epic.
Once you tweak the settings and calibrate the battery, 18-24 hour battery life is possible.
Signal strength is also comparible to my wife's Epic.

 

[nosajsam]

Not sure about the complaints. Could be some bad units made it past quality control or could be perception/expectations.
This is the 4th Android I have had and I have no complaints with mine. Screen responsivness and battery life are no better or worse than the Captivate or Epic.
Once you tweak the settings and calibrate the battery, 18-24 hour battery life is possible.
Signal strength is also comparible to my wife's Epic.

since this is my 1st Android phone would you mind sharing some of the tweaks you did? I mentioned this in a PM but the only thing I have noticed is the App Drawer does not seem smooth (jittery)...but everywhere else the screen seems to respond fine. I installed Launcher Pro hoping it would help, although its a little better is still not as smooth as my brothers Optimus S. My signal strength has been fine...no missed or dropped calls yet.

 

[dishe]

CPU: 1000 GHz > 600 MHz
GPU: POWERVR SGX530 > ADRENO 200

...

* The Optimus S is snappy for being the little guy on the block but it does have a small resolution 320x480 which makes it easier for the CPU/GPU.

** The Optimus Black/Marquee has a higher resolution of 480x800 so the 1GHz and faster GPU will be used to pump out those pixels.

Hit the nail on the head with this observation. My local stores finally had in stock when I went today to look at a demo unit, and although the GPU might be faster, the resolution is higher which appears to negate whatever advantage it would offer.
I found the experience totally underwhelming. Transitions and screen animation seemed laggy and stuttery compared to other Android devices, including the Optimus S. I could cry, I was really waiting for this phone to come out I'm pretty upset about it now.

 

[nosajsam]

Hit the nail on the head with this observation. My local stores finally had in stock when I went today to look at a demo unit, and although the GPU might be faster, the resolution is higher which appears to negate whatever advantage it would offer.
I found the experience totally underwhelming. Transitions and screen animation seemed laggy and stuttery compared to other Android devices, including the Optimus S. I could cry, I was really waiting for this phone to come out I'm pretty upset about it now.

Initially, I found the STOCK launcher to lag & stutter a bit as well....especially w/ transitioning from the home screen to the app drawer & scrolling the app drawer itself. Unfortunately, there is no customization with the stock launcher so I downloaded 2 different Launcher apps from the Market (Launcher Pro & ADW Launcher). They both work MUCH better & best of all can be fully customized. Absolutely ZERO lag with either of these launchers on my Marquee.

In keeping this thread within topic, this phone IS an improvement over the Optimus S in many ways. Now, the improvements might not be enough of an upgrade for some that already have the Optimus S, or worth it to use up your $150 credit toward a new phone...but none the less the Marquee is an improvement. The processor, dual cameras (one w/ a flash) & bigger screen are just some to name a few. I have had no problems with the two I purchased (one for me, one for my Wife) especially since I have done some of the performance tweaks & downloaded apps that have been mentioned in other threads.

On a separate (but related) note, DISHE you have posted NUMEROUS repeated negative complaints about this phone in multiple threads. Which I find really weird because up until today, I was under the impression you ALREADY owned the LG Marquee but apparently not if you just looked at a demo in store TODAY. We get it, you don't like this phone & you are not impressed. Either way, it's time for you to move on...you should start looking at a different phone &/or keep your Optimus S.

 

[dishe]

On a separate (but related) note, DISHE you have posted NUMEROUS repeated negative complaints about this phone in multiple threads. Which I find really weird because up until today, I was under the impression you ALREADY owned the LG Marquee but apparently not if you just looked at a demo in store TODAY. We get it, you don't like this phone & you are not impressed. Either way, it's time for you to move on...you should start looking at a different phone &/or keep your Optimus S.

Now that's not fair. I admitted it was a mistake to have hijacked that thread and respectfully apologized- it was not the appropriate place to discuss that and didn't help the topic at all.
However, this thread is actually exactly the place to post this information, since it is discussing what I was talking about- in what ways in the Marquee actually an improvement to the original S... and what ways it perhaps isn't. There had been mention that the display and GPU were "better" than the S, however both of those together might cancel each other out. After playing with one yesterday, I found that might be true and wanted to share with others discussing this topic. I'm not sure why that bothers you, but I apologize if it does.

Meanwhile, I'm also not sure what gave you the impression that I already owned one of these. If you had actually been following my posts since the beginning of this story, you'd see that I actually couldn't find any in local stores to try before buying (see threads here and here), and this bothered me immensely. It got me wondering- why wasn't Sprint interested in promoting this device? Is there something about it I don't know? With Sprint's current return policy making it close to impossible to just try a phone out (you get 2 weeks now, and it starts from when they ship the phone not from when you get it. Additionally, they stopped the overnight shipping, so by the time you get it you barely have more than a few days to try it and scramble to return if you don't like it), I refused to risk being stuck with it until I knew it was a good device.

That's when I started looking online for folks who got one and what they had to say about it. And honestly, for those first 2 weeks or so, no one had anything good to say about it (it wasn't until you and some other new folks showed up that seem to really like it). This made me sad. The reason I vented in that other thread was not because I'm some sort of troll who hates this phone. On the contrary, I want it to work so badly, that I got excited when it looked like someone had found a solution to one of the problems (battery life). But it turns out they were turning off arguably necessary services to preserve some juice (as well as some other tweaks which aren't really applicable to this device), and to me it was like saying "put your phone in airplane mode, then it will last forever!". So I vented. And I apologized.

Meanwhile, I finally got a chance to try one in store yesterday, so I can finally give my own assesement of it.

Signal seemed fine, can't speak for the battery because it was plugged in anyway. But it surely wasn't "draining faster than it could charge" as one early poster had said. That was good. However, what DID bother me was the lack of fluidity in the OS. It was the laggiest out of all the phones on display there.

Initially, I found the STOCK launcher to lag & stutter a bit as well....especially w/ transitioning from the home screen to the app drawer & scrolling the app drawer itself. Unfortunately, there is no customization with the stock launcher so I downloaded 2 different Launcher apps from the Market (Launcher Pro & ADW Launcher). They both work MUCH better & best of all can be fully customized. Absolutely ZERO lag with either of these launchers on my Marquee.

That's actually a good point. The first thing I do on all my Android devices is install a custom launcher. I didn't get to try that, but I know on devices like my Viewsonic G-Tablet, the stock Android launcher crawls compared to the alternatives. Once I found a good launcher for it, I was much happier with the experience.

I wish someone would do a side-by-side video comparison of these two devices after being tweaked to work properly, since the stock demo unit does not seem to be an accurate assessment. Or heck, if you can, just record some of your marquee running full speed with a custom launcher. It might just make my day!

In keeping this thread within topic, this phone IS an improvement over the Optimus S in many ways. Now, the improvements might not be enough of an upgrade for some that already have the Optimus S, or worth it to use up your $150 credit toward a new phone...but none the less the Marquee is an improvement. The processor, dual cameras (one w/ a flash) & bigger screen are just some to name a few. I have had no problems with the two I purchased (one for me, one for my Wife) especially since I have done some of the performance tweaks & downloaded apps that have been mentioned in other threads.

It is in some ways, and that is exactly why I so feverishly want this to work. There is no other 3G phone compatible with my plan that is worth upgrading to.

BTW- I contribute to a tech blog regularly and recently wrote an op/ed about my emotional saga with this phone:
The LG Marquee Disappoints | Techcitement*

That should hopefully help explain my perspective on all this. Again, apologies if I came across the wrong way.

 

[nosajsam]

Dishe,
When I am interested in a product, I normally do some research on it 1st. I go to forums expecting to read the pros & cons. Obviously, forums are filled with posts & threads (from people like yourself) that express their opinions of a specific product. I have no problem with that at all. I know how to filter through posts that are BS. I don't have any problem with differences of opinions, nor a problem with someone out there doesn't like this phone or has had a negative personal experience with it....but I do have a problem w/ false or incorrect information.

Which is why I have a problem w/ your posts. You have gone on multiple different forums/websites& repeatedly posted negative, some false & unconfirmed information about a phone a) you don't personally own & b) have not really given a fair amount of time with (messing with a store Demo imo doesn't count). Either way, there have been more people (like myself) that have posted numerous POSITIVE reviews/fixes/advice about this phone you seem to ignore. More importantly, even with these suggestions out there, you repeatedly continue to post information that is confusing & contradicting to someone that might be interested in purchasing this specific phone.

BTW, before continuing to post incorrect information about Sprint new return policy. As I have not seen ANYWHERE (except for your posts) that Sprint only will give you 14 days to return from the date the order is placed or when the phone ships. I am actually pretty sure it's from the day the phone is received in hand & gets activated on the account. Anyways, it might be worth it for you to check on that & be sure to 100% confirm your information WITH SPRINT before posting that again.

You have implied LG might have a problem w/ Gingerbread. If your opinion is based on the pulled Gingerbread release for the Optimus S & if so what does it have to do with this phone?? Gingerbread seems to be working just fine on my LG Marquee. In addition, I do not think it was released for this phone pre-maturely.

This phone has never been promoted as a "replacement for the Optimus S" (once again, except with your posts). Although with SOME carriers it shares the Optimus name....but it doesn't with Sprint. In fact, you can still purchase a brand new Optimus S today from Sprint if you wanted to. Which tells me, this is just another phone in the Sprints product line....is it an improvement from the Optimus S?? Yes, absolutely....but not a direct replacement.

As to why Sprint isn't promoting this phone?? Who knows & more importantly who cares. Stop looking for some conspiracy theory or personal vendetta....My conclusion?? I am sure over the last month the iPhone release has squashed most of the promotion for newer phones (the LG Marquee isn't the only phone suffering right now from a lack of promotion).

This phone will not perform at the same levels as 4G phones (iPhone, Evo, Epic, Nexus). If you think it will or are expecting it to, prepare to be disappointed. This phone should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as those phones. Although physically similar to the Optimus Black, this IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PHONE internally...it shouldn't be compared to the LG Esteem (Metro PCS) either. It's apples & oranges here & once again should not be compared.

This phone was never promised to be anything more than a mid level 3G Android phone. Everything I have read from either LG or Sprint has never implied otherwise. With the exception of the LED notification that is in the manual (most likely a misprint), there has not been any info printed, released or promised about this specific phone (LG MARQUEE) from either manufacturer that hasn't been delivered. If you want gorilla glass, it doesn't have it....it also doesn't have a the same dedicated camera button as the Optimus S but DOES have a dedicated hard button (set as the Camera button by default) although it does not seem to support a half-way press to lock focus. It also does not have a slide out keyboard so if you want one/or must have it, THIS PHONE IS NOT FOR YOU.

LAG/STUTTER
The only negative thing I have found is there is an initial lag, stutter, lack of "smoothness" with the STOCK launcher program of this phone. In addition, I couldn't find a way to customize it to my liking. So I downloaded Launcher Pro which for those who don't know is a different Launcher App found in the Market. There is a free & paid version. I also tried ADW Launcer as well (pretty sure there is only a paid version). I liked them both as they both have alot of customization options, but personally I like Launcher Pro a little better. I can't even tell you why. It's just the one I decided on & it works for me.

SIGNAL ISSUE
There were 1-2 people that initially posted they had a signal issue. it was also made it VERY clear in follow up posts that the signal problem MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE PHONE but most likely because they were in a low signal area. For the record, I have not experienced ANY drop outs, missed calls, or signal problems with the TWO LG Marquee phones that I personally own (since October 13th).

SCREEN RESPONSE
There was 1 person that reported a screen response issue....no one else, that I can find has been able to recreate or had the screen response problem. Again, I have not experienced ANY screen response issues or problems with the TWO LG Marquee phones that I personally own (since October 13th).

BATTERY LIFE
Yes, there are phones out there w/ better Battery life. With that said, there is a very helpful post (the one you hijacked) with really good tips on how to improve the Battery life of this phone. For the record, I applied most (not all) of the tips to my TWO LG Marquee phones that I personally own & am able to get 18-24 hours of pretty steady use without having to recharge. Your comment of "put the phone in airplane mode" doesn't really make sense & no one ever said to that btw (just you). Every tip mentioned still allows you to receive calls & texts. Here's the deal, with any phone shutting off a function that is not being used will increase your Battery life in the long run.

Brightness - If you keep the phone at 100% brightness, your battery will drop quickly. If you can adjust it & keep it lower it may help improve your Battery life.

Keeping the Data Sync, GPS, Bluetooth and Wifi are on (even they aren't being used) will drain the battery. Shutting them off when not in use will help improve Battery life. There is a free power control widget that comes with the phone but for more customization options, the EXTENDED CONTROLS App is recommended.

btw...there are more tips...search & you will find.

ROOT
This phone can be rooted....very easily. Again search & you will find.

ACCESSORIES:
Since the Marquee is a PHYSICAL clone of the Optimus Black accessories are VERY EASY TO FIND. Search Google, Amazon, eBay, etc.
Here is the screen protector & case I use:
LG Marquee / Optimus Black Anti-Glare Screen Protector + PET | eBay
USA GEAR Sleek Impact-Resistant Protective Case for Sprint LG Marquee | eBay

In closing, if you are reading this, my goal wasn't to bash Dishe as much as it was to provide a different perspective & info to help anyone interested or looking at Sprint's LG Marquee. I personally own two of these phones & coming from a Touch Pro 2, I couldn't be happier. I am looking forward to more people getting this phone so together we can make it even better.

 

[tcaudill01]

Amen nosajsam.
I wonder if the readers on his blog realize that Mr. "Dishe" has a history of writing rants, disagreemnets and misinformation about a product that until a couple of days ago he had not even held in his hand.
I think the best thing we on this forum can do is simply ignore him and anything he writesbecause he has just proven he writes what he assumes and not what he necissarily knows.

 

[dishe]

::facepalm::

You guys are too much. You even thank each other's posts... LOL.
Wow.

As far as the attack to my credibility, I've been part of this scene for quite a while now. Whenever I write something I make a point to clearly differentiate between what is "alleged" and what I personally have seen. But you guys appear to be too interested in fitting what I write into your agenda to notice.

I never claimed to have first hand knowledge of the signal problem or battery issue, however I mentioned that people have reported this to be true, and returned the phone because of it. I may have built up an opinion of my own based on that, but I share it as just that- an opinion. It doesn't change the fact that people were unhappy with the device, and you can't blame me for their actions. In fact, before you two came along posting with abandon, I had trouble finding anyone who had anything positive to say about this device.

So I mentioned that on my blog. What I did, personally notice, is that the device was extremely laggy compared to any other phone on display. Including a stock Optimus S. Which someone else here had surmised may be the case, so I was confirming that I felt it might be true. No other agenda, that was all I came back in here to say. And then you guys came in with a personal attack that had very little to do with what this topic is actually discussing.

You guys are WAY too defensive about this device, if you ask me. And you've made this section of the forum a rather hostile one.

I'm not doing any kind of psychological analysis here or anything, but someone could look at this and see certain patterns of what I call "purchasing pride", in which someone who has invested time and money into something will blindly defend their choice to the ends of the earth. You see this a lot with brand names (*cough* Apple *cough*) and the like. You like your decision, and you think others should follow in your footsteps, and that's fine. But if you will also fail to entertain another perspective, or take personal cases against folks who may not agree with you, well that's just not productive, and even harmful.
Meanwhile, I really think I may be able to help this device performance wise, and I have been involved in tweaking these kinds of things before. But if you'd rather shoo people like me away, and deny that there might actually be something to improve upon, then so be it. Have fun in your little exclusive club.

 

[dishe]

You know what, I promised myself I wasn't going to do this, but I'm itching to respond to some of your statements.

You have implied LG might have a problem w/ Gingerbread. If your opinion is based on the pulled Gingerbread release for the Optimus S & if so what does it have to do with this phone?? Gingerbread seems to be working just fine on my LG Marquee. In addition, I do not think it was released for this phone pre-maturely.

But some of the initial complaints with this phone (battery life, laggy performance) were the reasons the update for the Optimus S was pulled. And if the Optimus Black does not suffer from quite as many of these complaints, wouldn't it stand to reason?

This phone has never been promoted as a "replacement for the Optimus S" (once again, except with your posts). Although with SOME carriers it shares the Optimus name....but it doesn't with Sprint. In fact, you can still purchase a brand new Optimus S today from Sprint if you wanted to. Which tells me, this is just another phone in the Sprints product line....is it an improvement from the Optimus S?? Yes, absolutely....but not a direct replacement.

Touch Pro 2 was for sale at the same time as the Touch Pro. As was the LG Lotus and the Lotus 2. Does that make it not the successor?
No, sometimes people still prefer the predecessor (compatibility, replacements, certain features ie. one has a Dpad, the other doesn't, etc). In this case, if battery life or performance were the primary deciding factors, the Optimus might still be a better decision. But soon it will reach the EOL, and only the Marquee will remain. This is how it always has worked, a slow replacement.

This phone will not perform at the same levels as 4G phones (iPhone, Evo, Epic, Nexus). If you think it will or are expecting it to, prepare to be disappointed. This phone should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as those phones.

Why? The Optimus S actually outperformed the original EVO at 3D graphics benchmarks (in case you missed it: Optimus outperforms EVO... - SprintUsers.com ). And this was stock without any tweaks. Budget handset does not need to equal a sub-par experience, and LG proved that before. It is YOU who appear to be lowering your own standards. Don't do that, you're better than that!

This phone was never promised to be anything more than a mid level 3G Android phone. Everything I have read from either LG or Sprint has never implied otherwise.

So then excuse me for expecting to perform as well as other phones in its class. The Motorola XPRT and Admiral, as well as the upcoming Samsung Transform Ultra (which is already on Boost, and really impressed me when I tried my friends) are all in the same class and give a better initial experience than this one. Heck, even the Optimus S does.

SIGNAL ISSUE
There were 1-2 people that initially posted they had a signal issue. it was also made it VERY clear in follow up posts that the signal problem MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE PHONE but most likely because they were in a low signal area. For the record, I have not experienced ANY drop outs, missed calls, or signal problems with the TWO LG Marquee phones that I personally own (since October 13th).

Again, I'm not going on anything here other than what I read, but at least one person has returned the phone because it had dropped signal in the same area than another Sprint handset had bars. We are likely not speaking about the same person.

BATTERY LIFE
Your comment of "put the phone in airplane mode" doesn't really make sense & no one ever said to that btw (just you). Every tip mentioned still allows you to receive calls & texts. Here's the deal, with any phone shutting off a function that is not being used will increase your Battery life in the long run.

Exactly. Every phone can do that, and you shouldn't have to in order to get decent battery life. I like that my phone gets updates in the background, stays connected to chats and other push notifications and all kinds of background activities. When the iPhone 3G came out and everyone was complaining that the battery sucked, AT&T said "turn off 3G and GPS services" to save power. Which was met with "basically, make it an iPhone 2G? Then why did I upgrade to this?". It is the same thing here. In order to make it last as long as other phones, it is being suggested to turn off things that you used to have. This is a really minor point, and one that I'm not interested in fighting about. It just seemed silly to propose that as a solution any more than turning off any other part of the phone that someone might consider a "critical" feature.

ROOT
This phone can be rooted....very easily. Again search & you will find.
...
ACCESSORIES:
...
etc

Speaking of hijacking threads, why did you post all this other stuff that wasn't relevant to any of the various forums you posted this exact text in? Yes, I am guilty of hijacking one of the Marquee threads, and did that in a moment of weakness and apologized for it. So what's your deal, man?

 

[zhecht]

But some of the initial complaints with this phone (battery life, laggy performance) were the reasons the update for the Optimus S was pulled. And if the Optimus Black does not suffer from quite as many of these complaints, wouldn't it stand to reason?

The reasons the update was pulled had nothing to do with battery life or laggy performance. The officially recognized issues, according to Sprint, were:

• Device not charging when plugged into a computer via USB or the AC Wall Adapter.
• No access to data services (indicated by the lack of a 1X or 3G next to the Signal Indicator).
• SD card un-mounted or removed message while the SD card is inserted in the device.
• Device is not recognized by Windows XP, Vista, or 7 when connected to a PC via a USB connection.
• Predictive text with the Android keyboard is not working.