LG G2 review Smartphone - delivering what really matters
There are lot of smartphones in the market now and it's a tough competition. In this context, LG recently announced LG G2 Smartphone which looks to make a fight for top-place in the market. Does it have the ability? Continue reading to know.
Overview
LG has brought some good devices to the market like LG Optimus G and LG Optimus G Pro during the last year but they were unable to make a great impact like the giants – HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4. It brought a great device in Nexus 4, but still was not able to make the impression it would have liked. As the competition is getting heavier, LG needs something truly innovative to make a comeback in the market. So LG recently announced its latest flagship LG G2 Smartphone after a series of rumors and leaks. G2 is a follow-up version of Optimus G series but LG dropped the 'Optimus' labelling from its name. LG G2 comes packed with top of the line features like 5.2 inch display, unique design, fastest and powerful processor in the market, large battery and 13MP camera which looks forward to directly take on the giants in the market like HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Apple iPhone 5 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra. But does it have the ability to deliver the performance desired to take on those giants? Let's have a look.
Design
After its announcement the design is indeed the most talking point of the tech world due to its uniqueness and ability to differentiate itself from other smartphones. What's so unique about the design? Have a look. There are no keys on top, bottom or on the front panel and there are none on the sides as well. So where did the keys go? Yes, you have rightly guessed. They are placed on the back panel right below the camera lens making them effectively Rear Keys. The company's explanation for it is that many users drop their phones while reaching for the side keys on big displays. In order to avoid that LG has moved the Power on/off key and volume up and down keys to the back side where the index finger normally lands when you hold the device.
That aside, the front panel of the device is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and the bezel size on the sides has been reduced. The back panel has a textured pattern and made entirely of glossy plastic (and by the way the back panel is not removable) which almost looks similar to the back panel of one of its rivals – Galaxy S4. The glossy plastic back makes the device a magnet for fingerprints and smudges. The device has to be cleaned regularly to maintain its looks. The edges and back panel are curved making the device perfectly fit into the hands. The top of the device holds the secondary microphone and an IR emitter while the bottom houses the speaker, primary microphone, 3.5mm audio jack port and the micro-USB port. The right side of the device is completely free while the left side holds the micro-SIM card slot. The dimensions of the device are 138.5 x 70.9 x 9.1mm and weight of the device is 143 grams. The device will be launched in black and white colours.
LG has really taken a bold move to try this different design. This change got mixed reactions from the market. But the way I look at it, it is just a matter of getting used to the new placement and after that you don't have worry about stretching your fingers for reaching the keys. Now to avoid any accidental pressing of keys on the back side, they are mounted just a bit. In fact the mounted button is easier to find by the finger. When you hold the Volume Down button, it launches the Camera while holding the Volume Up button launches QuickMemo.
Display
The thinner bezels on the sides (2.65 mm) allowed LG to fit a bigger display into the normally acceptable measurements without increasing them too much. LG has equipped G2 with a 5.2 inch Full HD 1080p IPS LCD display which has 1920 x 1080 pixels amounting to 423 pixels per inch. The company says that it is the maximum display measurement that can be handled with one hand. The rich and bright display gives a great visual experience with support for more colours, sharp text, reduced over saturation and eye strain. It is bright enough to make it legible under sunlight without much reflection. The biggest advantage of G2 is its huge display which is said to support beautiful multimedia experience and will deliver a cinema-like experience by supporting high end graphics.
Processor and RAM
LG G2 comes packed with a monster, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) powered by quad core krait 400 cores clocked at 2.26GHz. The processor is very well assisted by a healthy 2 GB of RAM. It is one of the few devices that is equipped Snapdragon 800 SoC. But it is certainly the fastest out there and matches up (and beats in some areas) with Sony Xperia Z Ultra. When we look at the 3D and Graphics department, it is powered by Adreno 330 GPU which is also the latest processing unit. The fastest processor and 2 GB RAM makes a great combination and interactions with the device will a great delight. The device will ensure great HD viewing and recording without any lag. This is also the area where LG G2 will definitely have the edge over the other giants in the market.
Software and Memory
Straight out of the box, LG G2 runs on Android Jelly Bean v4.2.2 with LG's custom UI on top of it. It lacks the latest Jelly Bean v4.3, but we can expect the update to be available. It is first android device which runs on Jelly Bean v4.2.2 and over the top of it, the device comes with most customizable third party user interface to date. The OS comes with some unique software features like:
KnockON
To power on the display without picking up the device, you can use the option provided by LG. LG has added a software feature which enables you to power on the device by double tapping or knocking on it which the company calls as 'KnockON' feature and when you repeat the double tap in an empty area or on the status bar the device goes back to sleep.
Guest Mode
When you don't want to share your data or restrict access for other users then you can customize Guest Mode with the selected apps and unlock it while the device with others. There are two different lock patterns one for the private mode and one for the guest mode. If you unlock the phone with pattern set for the Guest Mode, then Guest mode appears. And if you lock it and unlock the pattern set for Private mode, you can use your device in normal mode.
Slide Aside
It is a new multitasking feature which supports up to three apps. If you swipe to the left with three fingers on any app, then the app will be added to Slide Aside UI and will be saved. You can get back any one of the three apps at any time you want by swiping to the right with 3 fingers. This is not very convenient to use due to the awkwardness of the three finger gesture and its restriction to just three apps.
Text Link
This feature automatically redirects the user to the necessary app through a link by searching the text messages. This is very helpful if you want to go to the app directly without searching the device for it.
Answer Me
When the device rings, you just have to simply pick up the phone and hold it up to your ear. Then the device will automatically pick up the call. You don't actually have to press the answer key to answer the call.
There are other features in the software like – Plug and Pop, Smart Screen, Smart Video, Quiet Mode, Q-Slide, Quick Memo, Lock Screen customization and support for one-handed operations.
The device comes in two variants - internal memory of 32 GB (out of which only 24 GB is available) and internal memory of 16 GB and there is no microSD card slot for expansion of storage. And for Korean variant the device comes with a microSD card slot.
Camera
To stay ahead of the competition, LG has also remodelled its camera and the user interface for providing a better camera shooting experience. LG G2 comes packed with lot of shooting modes (Normal mode, Panorama mode, Dual Camera Shot, Night mode, Beauty shot, HDR, Shot and Clear mode, Time catch shot mode which captures several images of what happened before you press the shutter key and some other shooting modes) which will please a lot of users.
The rear camera is a 13 megapixel shooter (with LED flash) which is protected by a sapphire glass and anti-fingerprint coating. The camera comes with the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature which reduces counteracts with any movements of camera during recording a video or taking a picture. It is a very nice inclusion to have in your camera. The main camera can shoot high resolution images and can record videos 1080p videos at 60fps or at 30fps. Other smartphones in this class can shoot only at 30 fps and it is another great feature in the camera which will record true HD videos. The secondary camera is 2.1MP shooter which can also record 1080p videos but at 30fps. The main camera is packed with features like Auto Focus, Touch to Focus, Geo-tagging, image and video recording simultaneously, face detection, stereo sound recording, Back Illuminated Sensor (BSI) and other notable features like:
Tracking Zoom
This allows you to zoom in on a particular section while recording the video. The selection section's movements will be highlighted in a separate pane overlapping the background video recording.
Dual Recording
Yes, there is that dual recording feature with picture-in-picture technology which allows you to shoot pictures or videos with both the cameras simultaneously.
Audio Zoom
This feature allows you to zoom in on specific audio source while recording video. It helps you to clear out the surrounding noise and record the audio you want.
Multimedia
The huge 5.2 inch display will provide a great video viewing experience along with 24 bit x 192 kHz Hi-Fi Sound and Pure Surround Sound Effects. The device has good audio and video support out of the box (but then again we don't have to worry about it because there are a lot of apps in the playstore). The device comes with QuadBeat 2 earphones for providing excellent audio quality.
Battery, Networks, Connectivity, GPS and Sensors
LG G2 has a huge 5.2 inch display. So to power that display, LG has equipped the device with a battery with huge capacity. G2 comes with a 3000mAh Li-Polymer battery (which is not replaceable by the way) which will ensure long playback time and battery life. Use of Snapdragon 800 also helps the battery life, as it has reduced use of battery when compared to Snapdragon 600.
Networks
It has support for 2G (GSM / EDGE), 3G (HSPA+42Mbps / HSPA+21Mbps), and LTE (SVLTE, CSFB, CA, VoLTE RCS and MIMO).
Connectivity
It comes with all the connectivity features you would expect out of a flagship smartphone. G2 has Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP support, Wi-Fi (802.11 a / b / g / n) support, Wi-Fi direct, Mobile hotspot, and DLNA. It has USB 2.0 support which features USB OTG (for external storage), USB Host, HDMI and USB charging. It has NFC and infrared support along with OTA sync.
GPS and Sensors
It has inbuilt GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS. It has Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity and Compass sensors equipped it.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
•Huge 5.2 inch FullHD display
•Fastest and latest processor
•2 GB of RAM
•Premium Software features (KnockON, Tracking Zoom, Guest Mode, Q slide Text Link and some others)
•1080p video recording at 60fps with Optical Image Stabilization
•IR emitter for remote control of appliances
•Additional microphone for active noise cancellation
•3000mAh capacity battery
Cons:
•No microSD card slot
•It takes some time to get used to Rear Keys on the backside
Accessories-Flip Covers
LG is also offering Flip Covers known as QuickWindow flip covers (comes in 7 different colours) which shows a quick window which does a lot more than showing time. Through the QuickWindow you can answer and make calls, check notifications, alarm, read messages, check time and use the music player all without having to open the cover.
Pricing and Release date
The price is not yet officially announced but going by the specs sheet we can expect it to be around Rs. 40,000. The device will be released in to the market by the end of September, 2013.
Conclusion
LG G2 is a beautiful smartphone. Added with a powerful processor and huge battery to it; it will make an absolute beast in performance alongside 5.2inch FullHD display. It packs some premium software features and unique design tweaks. Placing those keys on the back is really a nice addition subject to sometime for getting used to it. And if you are still uncomfortable with it, then there is that cool KnockON feature. One more important thing about the design is that despite increase in display size, it does not really add to the measurements thanks to those near zero bezels on sides. Coming to the camera, the device comes with always welcome OIS feature and support for 1080p video at 60fps. The only downside is the lack of microSD card storage. Having a microSD card slot inside it would have made it a killer deal. However there is support for external storage via USB on-the-go (OTG). Another aspect for LG is to release the Jelly Bean v4.3 update as soon as possible after its launch. Having said that, LG G2 is has everything in it to take on the other beasts in the market and we have to see how it will be received by the market.
Read LG G4 smartphone - A Preview
