After successfully teaming up with Google
for the Nexus 4, LG is back with the G2.
The front of the device looks similar to the
Samsung Galaxy S4, although it has no physical or
touch-sensitive buttons below the screen. However,
fl ip it over and the handset has a unique design.
We like the fi breglass-style fi nish, but
more notable is the fact buttons
are located on the rear below the
camera. It’s a strange concept,
but something to which we soon
became accustomed. KnockOn
means a double-tap on the screen
will switch it on and off .
LG has impressed us by
squeezing a large screen into a
small chassis. The G2 is smaller than
the Xperia Z1, and only marginally
larger than the S4, but it has a
bigger screen than both at 5.2in.
Matching other top Android
handsets, it’s got a full-HD
1920x1080 resolution and, although
the size means the pixel density is
a little lower than some, at 424ppi,
the di erence isn’t noticeable.
The handset is equipped with Qualcomm’s latest
smartphone chip, the powerful 2.26GHz quad-core
Snapdragon 800. Accompanied by an Adreno 330
GPU and a healthy 2GB of RAM, the LG boasts
exceptional performance. The phone comes with
either 16- or 32GB of internal storage, but there’s
no memory card slot for expansion.
The impressive specs continue with the G2’s
cameras. The 13Mp rear-facing snapper takes
high-quality photos and videos, with optical image
stabilisation a great addition. The 2Mp front-facing
camera also o ers great imagery, with up to 1080p
video at 30fps.
LG has customised the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
interface and installed its own Practical UX interface.
This has popping colours, but some areas seem very
cluttered – particularly the notifi cation bar, into which
LG has crammed everything imaginable.
Things aren’t enough of a mess to put us o the
phone, however. And we like the Guest Mode that
lets you restrict access to certain apps and content
for other users, and the Slide Aside multi-tasking
feature for keeping your favourite apps close to
hand. It’s packed with handy features, including
NFC, an infrared transmitter and the ability to play
24-bit/192kHz audio.
Verdict
LG has trumped the competition with the G2.
It o ers a great design, excellent hardware and
handy software features at a very low price.
All that’s missing is a microSD slot.
