After a number of rather average mobiles LG have finally produced an excellent phone in the LG G2. Kitted out with 2GB of RAM, a full HD 5.2″ IPS display and a large battery the G2 is a powerhouse of a mobile.
LG have taken an interesting approach with the design of the G2, instead of having the power button on the top or side of the bezel it’s round the back. This is very handy for those who don’t have giant hands and means that anyone can press the button while holding the phone single handedly. Realising that this makes it awkward to check your phone when it’s on a flat surface LG brilliantly came up with the KnockON system, just tap the screen twice and it’s as if you’ve pressed the power button.
For a mobile this size it feels nice and light, partly due to the plastic construction. While the front looks great, LG have gone the same way as Samsung and used plastic on the back, giving this a cheap feel to it and it’d be great to see LG come out with a phone that has a more premium body.
The screen is excellent, really clear and the large size makes playing games very satisfying. LG have added a number of their own apps and tweaks to get you started without having to download any apps, for example QSlid, a memo app, a notepad app, Voice Mate (voice commands like Siri/Google Now), File Manager etc. The LG G2 features an IR blaster allowing you to use it as a remote control for you TV/Stereo/Set top box, anything that has an IR remote. It’s very easy to setup and works really well. If you happen to have a recent LG TV with a smart remote it can also act as a trackpad for your on on screen cursor.
With so many additional features LG have wisely added a screen that contains links to YouTube tutorial videos to explain what each feature does and how to use it. This is especially handy for features such as Guest Mode, explaining how to setup and use a mode that allows you to lock down your phone for a guest to use without them having full access to everything.
The 13MP camera is very good and comes with a number of modes to help you take the best photo possible.
- Normal – For everyday use
- Shot & clear – Attempts to remove unwanted items from the photo
- Dynamic tone (HDR) – Combines photos which has been taken at multiple exposure to create a single photo
- Panorama – Wide photo
- CR Panorama – Wide and tall photo
- Burst shot – Hold the shutter and take up to 20 shots
- Beauty shot – Facial skin looks smoother and brighter
- Dual camera – Take a photo using both cameras at the same time
- Time catch – Captures a photo of the time before you press the shutter
- Intelligent auto – Adjusts the aperture and shutter speed settings according to what you’re taking a photo of
- Sports – Designed to take photos of fast moving sports
- Night – Optimises settings for night photos
There is no camera button on the phone so you’ve got to make use of on screen controls or you can use the ‘cheese shutter’ which allows you to activate the shutter based on a verbal command.
The LG G2 is a brilliant phone which has been packed with a lot of features that make it stand out in the Android crowd. As with Samsung phones, all that hard work is spoiled by the use of plastic, meaning it just misses out on 5 stars. It’s so close to being an amazing premium phone, lets hope the LG G3 takes note of HTCs design and not Samsungs.
Available now from Amazon: https://goo.gl/oVuoL7
