The LG G2 Smartphone Arrives with Killer Specs

LG is finally back in the game after the launch of its latest Android smartphone, the LG G2. It is said to be the first widely available smartphone equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core chipset, which is clocked at 2.3GHz. The LG G2 is also said to be the first smartphone to sport a 13-MP camera with optical image stabilization. So what else can this flagship offer? Let's find out.

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Here are the specifications of the new LG G2, as provided by GSMArena:

General: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, quad-band UMTS/HSPA, penta-band LTE support, LTE-Advanced
Dimensions: 138.5 mm x 70.9 mm x 8.9 mm, 143 grams
Display: 5.2" 16M-color 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) power efficient capacitive touchscreen IPS LCD with Gorilla Glass 3 and 424 ppi and 450 nit brightness, extremely narrow bezels (2.65 mm)
CPU: Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400
GPU: Adreno 330
Chipset: Snapdragon 800 chipset
RAM: 2GB
OS: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Memory: 16/32GB storage, microSD card slo
Cameras: Primary 13 MP auto-focus optically-stabilized camera, 8X digital zoom, face detection, HDR mode, panorama, geo-tagging; Full HD (1080p) video recording at 60fps, Secondary 2.1 MP front-facing camera with Full HD video capture
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, standard microUSB port with MHL and USB host, GPS receiver with A-GPS, GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, wireless screen sharing (Miracast protocol)
Misc: sapphire glass camera cover, customizable system key, Hi-Fi audio, smart gestures
Battery capacity: 3,000 mAh Li-Po unit

With a design similar to other Android flagships, LG G2's body is also made of plastic. It definitely does not look as premium as the aluminum-clad HTC One but its plastic body will surely cut down its weight. While it has a bigger screen than the Samsung Galaxy S4, the LG G2 is just a tad larger, thanks to its trimmed down bezels. It comes with a 5.2-inch FullHD IPS LCD panel running at 1,920 x 1080 resolution, which takes up about 76% of the phone's front panel. Its screen is said to be bright, colorful, grain-free, and has great outdoor visibility as well.

LG's new flagship smartphone is equipped with a 13-MP rear camera paired with an LED flash. Optical image stabilization (OIS) is on board as well. As for video capture, the G2 is capable of Full HD video recording at up to 60fps, and cleverly the audio zooms along with the image if you get closer to your subject. What makes the LG G2 different from other smartphones is the positioning of its physical buttons. The touch-sensitive volume controls and the physical power button can be found at the back of the smartphone. This makes the handling of the smartphone more "designed for humans". The LG G2 is said to pack a 3,000 mAh battery.

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What could possibly be a downside to the LG G2 is the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS that comes with it. At this juncture, it is important for flagship smartphones to have the latest iteration available of any OS. In LG G2's case, it should have shipped with Android 4.3. To make up for that shortcoming, LG has implemented several software customizations to help the smartphone battle it out with other flagships. While some of the customizations seem gimmicky, it is better than not having tricks to pull off at all. It has the “Knock On” feature, where you tap on the phone to turn it on. There is also “Capture Plus” when you need to screen-grab an entire website rather than just what’s on the display. There is also “Slide Aside,” which tries to improve multi-tasking on the smartphone. Other customizations include “Text Link”, which automatically spots text related to apps. There is also “Guest Mode”, which allows you to hide certain apps from other people and set up a completely different passcode when others have to use your phone.

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The LG G2 seemed to have taken cue from its competitors as well when it came up with the QuickWindow case, which is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S4's S View Cover. It's basically a snap-on cover with a small opening in the cover-flap. It’s a bigger window than what Samsung uses – portrait, rather than landscape – and LG describes it as giving a “small phone in a phone”. With it, you can see time, date, and weather, interact with calls, messages, and alarms, and control your music playback. LG will offer the QuickWindow cases in 7 colors, and users will be able to switch background images as well as pick between analog or digital clocks.

Image by SlashGear

Overall, the LG G2 makes for one great device. With its powerful hardware and advanced software customizations, it has all the ammunition it needs to wage a war against other flagships, particularly the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. And while many of its features may seem to borrowed from other smartphone brands, LG was able to innovate on them and give us a very capable, impressive, and completely different smartphone.

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Til then...

xoxo Nash