Watch out Galaxy S4 – the LG G2 packs one hell of a punch
LG launches the sequel to a flagship you've probably never seen, and the rumours were right – this 5.2in, Snapdragon 800-packing phone is specced up to its eyeballs
Since it proved itself with the Nexus 4, we’ve known that LG can make a killer smartphone. Now LG has announced its flagship smartphone, the G2 – and we’ve been happily crossing specs and features off our launch-day bingo cards for this Samsung Galaxy S4-botherer.
Its 5.2in 1080p screen brings the G2 into the realms of the Sony’s Xperia Z (and incoming Z Ultra), the HTC One and the S4. It packs 423 pixels per inch, and uses IPS LCD technology similar to that found in Apple products.
But that 1920×1080 full HD display is far from the only draw here. You can also check the turbocharged 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip off your bingo sheet, a processor that we reckon could signal the beginning of the end for computers and consoles thanks to promises of always-on voice controls, 4K video streaming and reportedly better battery performance. There’s also 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM on board which, despite breathless rumours of 3GB, is competitive with all current rivals.
Despite its extra 0.2in in diagonal screen estate compared to the Galaxy S4, the handset isn’t any wider than Samsung’s device, so should be just about manageable one-handed. We’ll judge how “edge-to-edge” it looks in our hands-on review shortly.
LG’s also pretty excited about those buttons on the back of the handset. The Rear Keys for volume, power/lock, QuickMemo and camera functions are placed exactly where your index finger rests on the back of the device and is designed to stop you dropping it so frequently – a nice touch, in theory at least. Again, we’ll report back on what it’s actually like to use in our hands-on shortly. It’s certainly going to be different using a phone with no buttons on its sides.
G Shock
The other specs aren’t shocking, but they are similarly impressive. A 13MP rear camera with optical image stabilisation isn’t surprising: there’s no protruding lens, which is an impressive feat, and it’s made from the fingerprint-resistant sapphire crystal glass you’ll find on an iPhone 5’s. A 2.1MP front-facer rounds out the camera set-up.
There’s a nice surprise in the audio department, though. It sports a 24-bit, 192kHz DAC, which should mean that it supports high-definition audio files. As it runs Android 4.2.2, format support shouldn’t be an issue, either.
A humongous 3,000mAh (non-swappable) battery combined with the battery saving capabilities of the Snapdragon 800 mean that the G2 could be one of the first superphones to not disappoint in the stamina stakes. Even the Galaxy S4 flags by the end of the day with its 5in 1080p screen, so and we’re looking forward to pitting them head-to-head.
The aforementioned Android 4.2.2 OS will be skinned with LG’s own Optimus UI. Fingers crossed it’s not hideous; who knows, it might be as nice as HTC’s Sense 5.
The G2 will land in 16GB and 32GB models. As for availability, the it’ll hit South Korea then North America then Europe over the next eight weeks; no pricing to report yet, but it’s unlikely to be cheap.
We’re elbowing sweaty-palmed tech bloggers out of the way to get hands on time with the G2 as we speak, here at the launch event in New York. So stay tuned for first impressions, photos and video.
Sophie Charara
Stuff contributor 
