LG G2
The smartphone war is getting hotter and hotter. And the speed of innovation is such that every couple of months we have a new flagship smartphone from one company or the other. And with the launch of every flagship mobile device, the level of excellence and innovation just keeps on rising.
It’s not been many days since we saw the coming of Samsung’s Note 3. And now, LG’s new flagship phone G2 is here too. And like all other high-end smartphones, G2 (launched under LG’s new ‘G’ series of premium devices) also has the features that have become almost a norm now. That is, big and bright HD screen, super slim body, high powered processor, awesome camera and excellent user interface. But such specifications can no longer awe a power smartphone user, because we know very well that these would be won over by some other phone in a matter of months. What makes us take notice now is the level of innovation, that is, the ‘Exciting & Innovative’ that the phone has to deliver. And when it comes to G2, there surely is a lot of ‘Exciting & Innovative’ punch packed within its sleek body.
But to begin with, here’s a brief look at its important specifications:
Size *: 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9mm
Colors *: Black / White
Display: 5.2-inch Full HD IPS (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Display Brightness: 423 ppi
Processor: 2.26GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 featuring quad Krait CPU
Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
RAM: 2GB LPDDR3 800MHz
Memory *: 32GB / 16GB
Battery *: 3,000mAh
Rear Camera: 13 MP with Optical Image Stabilizer
Front Camera: 2.1MP
* Key specification may vary depending on region and operator
So those were some of the important specifications of LG G2. As you can see by the specifications, G2 is one powerful device thoroughly capable of delivering swift and smooth performance (with its 2.26GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor and 3 GB RAM), excellent picture quality (with its 13 MP camera equipped with Optical Image Stablizer technology) and amazing viewing experience on its 5.2-inch Full HD IPS (1080 x 1920 pixels) display with the display brightness of 423 ppi.
But as I said, superior specifications no longer sound exciting to smartphone users. What we want to know is what’s unique and innovative about the device. Well, here’s what’s new and innovative in LG G2.
Rear Key:
The most innovative feature of G2 has to be its unique placement of the Power Key and the Volume Rocker. According to LG, these Rear Keys were designed after an extensive research “Learnings from You” to understand the mobile needs, users’ behavior patterns, hand gestures, finger placements etc while using a mobile phone. The result of all this extensive research is G2 with its unique physical keys placement. The Rear Keys can be conveniently handled by the index finger that remains free while holding a phone. This makes it easier to use the power key and volume rocker (that also serve as shortcut keys for Camera and Quick Memo) without having to re-adjust the hand grip to use the keys. That is, Rear Keys makes it easier to use the physical keys while maintaining a secure grip on the mobile, thereby reducing the risk of accidental fall of the device. The keys are placed in the center of G2′s back, making their placement ambidextrous. That is, whether you are left handed or right handed, you can use these keys with equal ease. By placing the physical keys at the back, G2 has become the first smartphone completely free of buttons on the sides.
Display: G2 has 5.2 inch Full HD IPS display. The screen of G2 extends almost from edge to edge, thanks to G2′s thin bezel. In G2, LG has significantly reduced the bezel size to 2.65mm. Due to this thinner bezel, G2′s screen occupies 75.9% of the front area.
G2′s IPS display claims to deliver superior graphics and with more accurate colours and better image clarity. This is because IPS uses a ‘RGB striped sub-pixel arrangement’ that is supposed to produce better picture quality in comparison to the PentileTM technology used by AMOLED screens.
Graphic RAM: LG’s G2 uses the Graphic RAM (GRAM) technology which decreases the display’s energy consumption by up to 26 percent, thereby allowing the battery to run longer.
Camera: LG G2 comes equipped with high-resolution 13MP rear camera with Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) technology. G2′s OIS technology has been designed to prevent blurring even in case of taking a picture of an object in motion. For example, if you click a picture from a running car, G2′s OIS technology will ensure a clearer shot with less blurring due to motion. G2 also has dual recording capabilities in which users can shoot a picture or record a video using the 13MP back and 2.1MP front camera simultaneously.
Camera Lens of LG G2 is protected with Sapphire Crystal Glass to minimize the possibility of accidental damage of camera lens and from smudges from the fingerprints that might occur while handling the Rear Keys. The Sapphire Crystal Glass is three times stronger than the usual tempered glass.
Hi-Fi Playback Sound: G2 is the first smartphone in the market that has 24 bit/192kHz Hi-Fi playback providing superior studio-like quality sound.
Talking about sound, another thing that I personally liked in G2 was the placement of the speakers. The speakers are present at the bottom side, instead of at the back. So there would be no muffling of sound even if the device is placed on a soft cushion or bed.
Step-designed Battery: With the physical keys moved to the back, the battery space in G2 was reduced. To accommodate ample battery power within this reduced space and G2′s slim shape, LG has introduced an innovative Step-designed battery that provides increased power capacity within a smaller sized battery.
Innovative Features:
G2 doesn’t just come with innovative hardware technology, but also is loaded with several very interesting features. For example:
KnockON: Turn the screen on and off by just tapping at the display twice. Of course, the screen can also be turned on and off using the Power Key at the back.
Answer Me: When a call comes, answer it by just lifting the phone to your ear.
Text Link: When a text message is received, Text Link predicts user’s actions and recommends appropriate app. For example, any information in the text about time and date of an event can be added to the calendar directly. And any information about a location can be connected to the map. However, this feature is available in US and Korea Only
QuickRemote: Yes, LG G2 can be used as a programmable remote controller to operate several devices like TV, SetTop Box, AC and also remote controlled fans, lights etc.
QSlide: Multi-tasking ability enabling users to run two different apps by sharing the screen space. A feature similar to Samsung’s Split Screen.
Slide Aside: Allows users to put apps at quick access by flinging them to the left side using a three-finger swipe. A quick swipe towards the right will bring the previously used app back on screen. Using this feature, the user can open up another app without having to close the first. Using Slide Aside, users can keep upto three apps active simultaneously.
Capture Plus: Allows user to capture the entire web page when in the web browser. It also allows user to crop any selected area within the captured image of the web page. Capture Plus can be launched from within the browser and also allows for easy sharing of the captured image.
Guest Mode: G2 allows users to create two different unlock patterns to unlock the phone. One pattern fully unlocks the phone, the second ‘Guest Pattern’ makes available the phone in Guest Mode with restricted access.
Audio Zoom: Allows users to emphasize a particular sound among the chorus of other surrounding sounds. The ‘zoomed-up’ sound gets amplified for clearer hearing. This feature can be used during video recording, as well as during playback of any video.
Customizable Soft Keys: G2 has physical keys neither on the sides, nor at the front. With G2′s super slim bezel, almost the entire front side of the phone is the display space. But the phone does provide the users with some customizable soft keys. The users can select the order and actions of these soft keys from among the available choices. Users can also choose between a three-keys and four-keys layout, and also whether the keys should have a transparent or an opaque (four different themes) background.
G2, with its big 5.2″ display, stands in direct competition with Samsung’s Note 3. And it sure makes for one worthy competitor. With its sleek and premium looks, unique placement of physical keys, bright and clear display, impressive processing and battery power and 13 MP camera with Image Stabilization feature, G2 comes up as really an impressive device. Some users might find it disappointing to note that G2 runs on Jelly Bean 4.2.2, and has only 2 GB RAM (whereas Note 3 runs on Jelly Bean 4.3 and has 3 GB RAM, but it’s also more expensive). G2 also does not support expandable storage. However, let’s hope that the Android version would receive a quick upgrade. And 2 GB RAM isn’t exactly poor either. As for the storage, G2 will be available in two variants with 16 GB and 32 GB of internal storage. This should really be enough for most users.
In terms of accessories, LG has made available Smart Cover with QuickWindowTM that has been designed to enable the users to access some frequently used features of the phone without opening the flap of the cover.
Now we come to the final, and all important question. What’s the price? Well, the 16 GB version of this sleek, powerful and innovative phablet device is priced at Rs. 41,500 MRP. It’s 32 GB version is available for around 43,000 in the market.
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How far can a person go to fulfill the dreams of someone else?
Find out in the pages of Dream’s Sake, a general fiction novel by Jyoti Arora. For more information and free preview of first chapter click visit: www,jyotiarora.com
Dream’s Sake
A Novel by Jyoti Arora
