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The LG K10 is shaping up to be a competitive budget phone that runs Android. While Motorola has impressed us the most before, this K Series entry for 2016 has a smoother design and rocks a large, 5.3-inch display.

LG K10 is a budget phone that's trapped inside the body of the company's familiar design that's seen in high-end devices like the flagship LG G4.

At CES 2016, we're still a few months away from the almost-certain LG G5 and the rumored LG G Flex 3, so we're focused on the South Korean brand's inexpensive smartphones.

Trying out this Android 5.1 Lollipop phone, I immediately liked the large 5.3-inch display and the 2.5D arc glass, that gives it a clean, smooth feeling in the hand.

There are no distinctive seams on this K Series smartphone, and as long as you're looking for mid-range specs, this may be the edge-less budget handset with an edge over its competition.

LG K10 design

I got to try out the LG K10 in white at CES and immediately took note of LG new pebble design language. While it's aimed at a younger audience, it looks modern enough for anyone.

The all-around smooth finish is thanks to LG's buttonless frame, which sticks the volume rocker and power button on the back of the phone. The seamless edges really emphasis this now.

I've always enjoyed LG's design ethos, which lets me avoid accidentally presses of these key buttons, until of course I blindly press the wrong one or smudge the camera on back.

Whether, you go with the white or the indigo LG K10, the design won't fool anyone into thinking you've gone out and purchased a flagship Android, but it's a nice plastic alternative.

LG K10 display

LG K10 gives budget Android phone-seekers a spacious 5.3-inch display for less money, and the company settled on an adequate 720p resolution.

It's hard to find a solid 1080p budget phone, and this one looks solid enough, at least from the show floor, with its IPS in-cell LCD and capacitive touchscreen.

We'll have to put it next to the LG G4 with its quad HD resolution to see how the pixels match up in the final LG K10 review soon.

LG K10 specs

The LG K10 internals aren't as clear cut right now because the processor, memory and storage depend on which part of the world you're in. There are a bunch of configurations.

There are two 4G LTE versions of this Android phone, with 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core chips combined with two battery-saving slower 1.14GHz cores. The third 3G edition comes with a 1.3GHz quad-core System-on-a-Chip.

LG K10's specs also divide up the memory. There are LTE options for 2GB and 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, and a 3G version with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.

The camera specs are all over the place too. The fastest LG K10 comes with a higher-end sensor that's 13MP on back and 8MP on front.

The middle of the road 1.5GB RAM option subs in a 5MP selfie camera on front, while the 3G edition sticks with 8MP on both front and rear. LG features like gesture shot for photos make the cut too.

All versions of the LG K10 come with a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a 2,300mAh battery and measure 146 x 74.8 x 8.8mm.

Early Verdict

The LG K10 is a 5.2-inch Android phone with a likeable, polished design - so polished that its 2.5 arc glass and pebble design language leave it without noticeable seams.

There are three configurations, and the top-of-the-line K10 could be fast enough for most phone owners, especially in that younger audience it's being marketed to.

Of course, it's going to come down to price and carrier options. LG has been making some solid flagship options, so we'll see what it can for budget phones in 2016 in our full LG K10 review.