The LG G2 launched at just £399, so not quite as cheap as Google's subsidised phone, but a significant amount cheaper than rivals such as Samsung's Galaxy S4. Now we've updated this review a few months on, a quick search on the internet reveals that the G2 can be obtained for under £300 which is astonishing.
Unfortunately, most smartphones are still purchased on long and expensive contracts but there's never been a better time to buy your phone outright and choose a SIM-only plan. Ok, you still need to outlay a fair amount to being with but if you can manage it, you'll find yourself saving money in the long run.
SIM-only plans offer good value for money and when a newer and better deal comes along you can switch quickly and easily because you're not tied down to a contract. The other thing is that new smartphones come along so darn fast, that if you're stuck in a two-year contract then you're phone is going to be out-of-date long before you're due and 'upgrade'. And we use inverted commas here because you're unlikely to be offered a brand new device anyway. Buying outright means you can sell your phone at a good price when something new takes your fancy. You only need to pay the difference rather than the full price.
This is exactly what the LG G2 provides and when you look at the spec sheet, it's simply amazing what you get for your money. A gorgeous 5.2in screen is squeezed into a body which is about the same size as the Galaxy S4. The front of the device has a higher screen to bezel ratio than any other device and the super-slim bezels on the side give an edge-to-edge look which oozes class.
Moving on from the screen, there is a blisteringly fast quad-core processor and a 13Mp rear camera which has optical image stabilisation. Storage is a small downside since there's only 16- or 32GB on offer and there is no microSD card slot for adding more. It's about the only thing which the G2 doesn't have. The G2's hardware is up there with the best devices around but the price is much lower.
Put off by the buttons on the back? Well they work really well. The power button isn't really a bother because you can double tap the screen to turn it on and off and the volume buttons are perfectly placed to make adjustments during a phone call. The only way they don't really make sense is using the volume keys as a camera shutter button – your finger just gets in the way of the lens.
PHONE SPECIFICATIONS:
| GENERAL | 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|---|
| CDMA 800 / 1900 - CDMA version |
| 3G Network | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - CDMA version |
| 4G Network | LTE 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 / 850 |
| LTE - CDMA version |
| SIM | Micro-SIM |
| Announced | 2013, August |
| Status | Available. Released 2013, September |
| BODY | Dimensions | 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm (5.45 x 2.79 x 0.35 in) |
|---|
| Weight | 143 g (5.04 oz) |
| DISPLAY | Type | True HD-IPS + LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
|---|
| Size | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.2 inches (~424 ppi pixel density) |
| Multitouch | Yes |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 2 |
| DATA | GPRS | Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
|---|
| EDGE | Class 12 |
| Speed | HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSUPA, 21 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps UL, 150 Mbps DL/ EV-DO Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes |
| Infrared port | Yes |
| USB | Yes, microUSB v2.0 (SlimPort), USB On-the-go, USB Host |
| CAMERA | Primary | 13 MP, 4160 x 3120 pixels, autofocus, optical image stabilization, LED flash, check quality |
|---|
| Features | Simultaneous video and image recording, geo-tagging, face detection, HDR |
| Video | Yes, 1080p@60fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., video stabilization, check quality |
| Secondary | Yes, 2.1 MP, 1080p@30fps |
| FEATURES | OS | Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.4.2 (KitKat) |
|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 |
| CPU | Quad-core 2.26 GHz Krait 400 |
| GPU | Adreno 330 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Messaging | SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS |
| Browser | HTML5 |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio with RDS |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS |
| Java | Yes, via Java MIDP emulator |
| Colors | Black, White, Red, Gold |
| - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- SNS applications
- MP4/DviX/XviD/H.264/H.263/WMV player
- MP3/WAV/FLAC/eAAC+/WMA player
- Photo viewer/editor
- Document viewer
- Organizer
- Voice memo/dial/commands
- Predictive text input |
| BATTERY | | Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery |
|---|
| Stand-by | Up to 790 h (2G) / Up to 900 h (3G) |
| Talk time | Up to 16 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 17 h 30 min (3G) |
