Functional elements and ergonomics. Brief technical specifications

Despite the success of the Korean company LG Electronics in the segment household appliances, its mobile division found itself practically an outsider, playing mainly the role of catching up and releasing insufficiently balanced and ill-conceived devices, some of which were either ahead of their time - which is why they were not popular, or simply suffered from flaws in assembly, quality of work, support, etc.

Nevertheless, LG still managed from time to time to find that important thread necessary to create truly interesting models that were in good demand and support both from the manufacturer and from the Internet community that released alternative versions of firmware based on CyanogenMod. The turning point in the manufacturer’s activities was 2012, which brought with it a popular series of inexpensive models of the LG L line, which had already been updated to the second generation, and ensured the emergence of an unprecedented model of the year - LG Nexus 4, created in collaboration with Google, and after - re-released in the form of its own, no less good flagship model LG Optimus G.

In fact, it was the G-series models, which lost the “Optimus” prefix this year, that became the main calling card of LG. This year, this line has been replenished with several more interesting devices, including the innovative hit of the season - LG G2, the features of which we will deal with in the continuation of the material.

Specifications

Manufacturer
Type, form factor	Smartphone, monoblock
Communication standards		GSM / GPRS / EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
		WCDMA / HSPA+ (42 Mbps) 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
		LTE cat.4 (150 Mbps) 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 MHz (bands 20, 8, 7, 3, 1)
SIM card type
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974): 4 cores Krait 400 (ARMv7), up to 2.26 GHz, L2 cache - 2 MB, 28 nm HPm process technology
Graphics adapter	Qualcomm Adreno 330: up to 550 MHz, supports DirectX 9.0c and OpenGL ES 3.0
	5.2", 1920 x 1080 pixels (423 ppi), True HD IPS, touch, capacitive, multi-touch up to 10 touches, protective Corning glass Gorilla Glass 2
RAM	LPDDR3: 2 GB, 800 MHz, 32-bit dual channel GRAM (Graphics Random Access Memory)
Card reader
Interfaces	1 x micro-USB (OTG, Host) 1 x 3.5mm mini-jack audio jack
Multimedia	Audio chip		Wolfson WM5110 (24 bit/192 kHz)
	Microphone
	Main		Sony Exmor RS (1/2.3"): 13 MP, back-illuminated matrix, aperture f/2.4, optical image stabilization, 9-point autofocus, LED flash, video recording in 1080p (60 fps), sapphire glass protective lens
	Frontal		2.1 MP, video recording in 1080p format (30 fps)
Communication capabilities			802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz) (Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot)
	Navigation		GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, LED indicator, digital compass
Battery	Lithium polymer, non-removable: 3000 mAh, 11.4 Wh, 3.8 V
Charger	Input: 100~240V AC eg at 50/60 Hz Output: 5 VDC e.g. 1.5 A
	138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm
operating system	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (update to Android 4.4 KitKat expected)
User interface	LG Optimus UI 3.0
Official guarantee	12 months
Products webpage

All prices for LG+G2

Delivery and configuration

The smartphone is packaged in a small box made of very thick cardboard, which quite well protects the device located inside during transportation. It is painted in White color, and the visual design, which, in general, is not there, can only offer a couple of logos: “LG” and “G2”. In addition, on its back there is quite extensive information about the main characteristics and supported functions, as well as certification marks, among which is UA UCRF. Technical delivery information, including: a list of supported frequencies in 2G, 3G and 4G networks, model name, case color, production date and IMEI number, is located on the front side.

We received a pre-sale version of the LG G2 for testing, the delivery package of which included only a user manual, a special paperclip in the shape of the letter “G” for accessing the SIM card tray and two protective films on the front and back sides. In the retail version you will also find a small charger with a removable USB ↔ micro-USB cable. Headphones and other accessories will have to be purchased separately.

Appearance, design

In general, the design of the LG G2 is not much different from many touch monoblocks both LG itself and almost any other manufacturers who like to use black in combination with the ubiquitous gloss, and general outline do with palpability rounded corners and edges. Be that as it may, the smartphone looks nice, and it would be stupid to deny this, especially since upon closer acquaintance with the model, several interesting and sometimes insignificant details are revealed, doing their best to distinguish the device from the crowd.

For example, along the perimeter of the case there is a thin chrome strip, which, although it is just decorated plastic, gives the impression of the presence of metal in the structure. Moreover, this is partly true, because a durable magnesium frame is used inside the smartphone. By the way, chrome, only in an even thinner version, is also present on the rim along the contour of the front panel.

In addition, the back side of the LG G2 also looks interesting, which in this model is not just glossy. Under the coating there is a slightly diagonal pattern that “sparkles” in the light, very much reminiscent of fabric. The plastic itself is slightly textured and allows you to feel the structure of the material (this is especially noticeable if you run it with your fingernail).

The front side of the smartphone with rounded edges in the manner of the fourth “nexus” is covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and boasts a huge 5.2-inch display and record-breaking small frames, which is doubly impressive. Of course, it is still not possible to completely get rid of them, but, apparently, the wait for completely frameless smartphones will not be long. In the LG G2, the distance from the display to the side edge is only 2.65 mm, but in real conditions it seems much smaller. The thickness of the upper and lower frames is also small - 9 and 12 mm, respectively.

As the manufacturer emphasizes, such results were achieved thanks to the Dual Routing technology, innovative for mobile devices, which involves the use of two connectors at once to connect the touch substrate, and not one, as in all other smartphones.

The overall dimensions of the LG G2 are quite small and only slightly larger than those of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One (138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm versus 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm and 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm respectively). At the same time, these smartphones are equipped with noticeably smaller displays - 5 and 4.7 inches, respectively. Operating a smartphone is quite convenient with one hand, but it takes some getting used to. As for the weight, it is 143 grams, which, in our opinion, is optimal value for a device of this class.

As already mentioned, the outer part of the smartphone is made of plastic and glass, while the inner part is complemented by a magnesium frame. The build quality is definitely very good, but there is still one complaint. It concerns the presence of an extremely small gap between the protective glass and the side frame, where dust begins to clog over time. The case of the LG G2 is non-separable, which is why you can only get to the battery through service center. But it is tactilely perceived as a tightly knit monolith and is distinguished by enviable rigidity: when trying to press and twist, characteristic sounds appear only with a very strong impact, which is difficult to achieve in real conditions. The only thing that can raise doubts about the strength of the new product is the slightly rattling focusing lens of the main camera, which, however, is just a structural feature of the module.

The LG G2 is only available in two color options: black, which is actually more like dark blue with a gray tint, and snow white. However, for those who like bright colors, the branded LG G2 QuickWindow cases, available in black, white, red-pink, blue, purple, yellow and turquoise, are perfect.

Arrangement of elements

The upper part of the front side contains a fairly wide slot for the earpiece, decorated with a corrugated metal plate and a fine-grained mesh above the speaker itself. It looks nice, but the practicality is somewhat disappointing, since you constantly need to blow out accumulated dust. To the left of the slot are: light and proximity sensors, a notification indicator that glows in several colors depending on the situation, as well as a front camera.

At the bottom there is only a chrome-plated manufacturer's logo, which is a little distracting. There are no touch buttons that were in the LG Optimus G. They are presented on screen.

The back side from above is occupied by: the main camera module, covered with sapphire glass, an LED flash and three control buttons, which we will discuss in more detail below. In addition, there is another chrome-plated LG logo, and below it are the name of the device model, country of manufacture and certification marks.

On the left side there is only a tray for installing a SIM card and a hole for removing it using the included G-clip (or any other sharp and thin object). The right side remained completely empty.

The bottom edge contains: a micro-USB 2.0 connector, a headphone jack (mini-jack 3.5 mm) and two perforated grilles, under which, it would seem, stereo speakers should be located. But no, there is only one speaker and it is hidden under the right grille, while the main microphone is located under the left one. On top there is a second microphone and an infrared port, with which you can easily control any modern technology with a remote control.

Rear Key

The most unusual and, at first glance, extremely inconvenient feature of the LG G2 is the abandonment of any side controls and their transfer to the central part of the “back”, right under the camera module, which, in turn, caused a lot of controversy. However, in reality, this arrangement, which received the brand name Rear Key, turns out to be inconvenient, or rather unusual, only during the first hours of using the smartphone. Oddly enough, it is on this or the place adjacent to it that the index finger rests during a conversation, allowing you to quickly adjust the volume. The use of such a design, as the manufacturer notes, made it possible to fit a more capacious battery into the device, which is quite controversial, because it mainly occupies the lower part of the internal volume. But, thanks to the resulting symmetry of the body, the LG G2 fits equally comfortably in both the right and left hands.

In total, there are three familiar buttons here, namely: a wide volume rocker with a power/lock button inscribed in the center (slightly convex). The latter is chrome-plated and equipped with contour LED indicator notifications, and on both sides of it there are small protrusions for more convenient finding of buttons, for example, when the smartphone is in your pocket. In addition, this protrusion slightly raises top part housing, thereby ensuring less contact between the protective glass of the camera and surfaces.

The rocker, in addition to the basic function, has several additional ones. So, long pressing the volume up button brings up the Quick Memo application, which allows you to create quick handwritten notes. Holding the volume down button launches the camera, in which these buttons can be used to take pictures or zoom (the operating mode is changed in the application itself). But you cannot assign any other function, but such an opportunity, in all likelihood, should appear in a future update of the operating system.

As for the process of unlocking a smartphone using the back button, there are several nuances here, because searching for this very button is not convenient in all cases and can lead to irreversible consequences. For example, in the case when the LG G2 is mounted on a car dashboard and is used as a navigator. Therefore, in order not to reach for the unlock button every time and not tempt fate, the smartphone provides an alternative, faster and more convenient method - KnockON - double tap anywhere on the screen to unlock and double tap on an empty space on the desktop or on the notification panel to return blocking. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about accidental unlocking, because... this process is directly related to the proximity sensor. In other words, if the sensor detects any obstacle in front of it, then unlocking will not occur even by pressing the corresponding button.

By the way, the G2 is at least the second device in LG’s lineup with rear-mounted controls. The first was the LG KE/KU 990 Viewty camera phone, which went on sale back in 2007, i.e. at the dawn of its formation touch phones. In this model, a special ring was used around the camera module, turning it in one direction or the other allowed you to decrease or increase the sound volume, and in the camera application it was used for zooming.

The LG G2 has a 5.2-inch display, which is based on a very high-quality IPS matrix, more broadly called “True HD IPS” in the LG nomenclature, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, i.e. Full HD, which is standard for this year's flagships. The pixel density in this model reaches 423 ppi, which is significantly higher than the threshold when you can see individual pixels without improvised means. Thanks to this, the image displayed on the screen is as detailed as possible and you can see even almost invisible details. The viewing angles are excellent and amount to almost 180°, however, in extreme positions the contrast begins to drop noticeably, and the white color becomes gray shades. In addition, there is also a minor manifestation of the pedigree of the disease of IPS displays - a shift into warm and cold shades when viewed from a sharp diagonal angle. Although in real conditions of using a smartphone this is almost unnoticeable.

The contrast level is quite high. Although the black color display is quite deep, it is still very far from the level of AMOLED matrices. But color rendition, on the contrary, is one of the best among flagship smartphones and is more different correct display colors and their shades, which, by the way, is difficult for organics to cope with (in most cases). In addition, we are pleased with the wide range of brightness adjustments, but this process, especially in automatic mode work, has its own characteristics, unique only to LG devices. So, from 0% to 39% the brightness level does not change at all, from 39% to 99% it smoothly increases, and from 99% to 100% it instantly switches to maximum. Perhaps this is a flaw in the firmware used and in the next versions the operation of the automation will be corrected, because with manual adjustment there is no such thing, and everything works like a clock. And maybe that's how it should be. The brightness itself is adjusted based on the selected level and degree of external lighting - you have to get used to this. In general, at the minimum level it is quite comfortable for working in the dark, while maximum level more than enough for trouble-free reading of information on a bright sunny day. This is also due to a good anti-glare filter.

The touch substrate, connected via two connectors, is capable of processing up to 10 simultaneous touches and boasts excellent click clarity and high sensitivity, due to which there are practically no erroneous actions, and accidental touches at the very edges of the display are properly filtered. However, the sensitivity is not as high as that of some competitors, which is why it is not possible to work with gloves. Finger glide is excellent, and remaining fingerprints are easily wiped off even reverse side palms, thanks to high-quality oleophobic coating.

Sound

One of the most important advantages of a smartphone, which music lovers will especially appreciate, is sound subsystem, represented by the Wolfson WM5110 progressive audio chip. Its special feature is the ability to reproduce 24-bit audio at a sampling frequency of 192 kHz, which corresponds to the Hi-Fi standard. True, to appreciate all the delights of such sound you will have to be generous with quality headphones. LG, apparently, understood this by removing standard headphones from the LG G2 package, which probably would not have been able to reveal the full potential of the device.

The external speaker, despite the fact that there is only one, has loud and fairly good sound quality. Of course, you shouldn’t expect anything special, but it copes with its tasks, namely calls and notifications, sound for videos and games, and, in fact, nothing more is required. The location of the speaker on the bottom edge is very correct, because it is not muted when the smartphone is on the table. Yes, and you can cover it while watching videos and games only if you tightly grasp the device.

The earpiece did not show any shortcomings during testing: the quality of speech transmission is pleasant and clear, but nothing more. In addition, it has a fairly large volume reserve, which will definitely come in handy when you are in a noisy environment.

Unlike the front camera, which is represented by a completely ordinary 2.1-megapixel module, the main one is based on a more advanced Sony Exmor RS with a resolution of 13 megapixels, a 1/2.3" matrix format, and an aperture f/2.4 and a wide range of capabilities, which are innovative for the mobile market segment. Why, the LG G2 is the first smartphone from a Korean manufacturer that can at least compete on an equal footing with flagship models from Samsung, Sony, Apple, Nokia, etc., and in some respects even surpass them.

LG G2 is the first smartphone on the market with a 13 megapixel module and the presence of an optical image stabilization system, which, by the way, does a good job of its task, i.e. eliminating minor hand shake when taking photographs. Of course, a small-sized system is unable to provide the level of stabilization that, for example, is found in point-and-shoot cameras, but even it can add noticeable smoothness to video, and that’s worth a lot. Besides, flagship model LG boasts an excellent 9-point focusing system, borrowed from full-fledged cameras. Thanks to this, as well as the presence of the focus tracking function, objects captured by the camera are kept in focus, despite their movement in the frame. If the automation fails and does not want to focus on the desired object, you can simply tap on the screen to point to it or even perform even more reliable manual focusing, which is currently present only in a few smartphones from LG and Nokia.

Another feature of the camera is the ability to record video in 1080p format at 60 frames per second, as well as the use of Super Resolution technology - a software algorithm that can significantly improve the quality of photos taken using digital zoom by combining several simultaneously acquired images. We also note that to protect the camera module, durable sapphire glass is used, which is also edged with a slightly protruding edge.

As for the camera application, it has a very rich set of functions that can be accessed in a couple of taps. Thus, the user has access to: the option of a voice shutter release and shooting with a time delay, adjusting exposure, white balance and ISO, as well as changing the resolution, overlay color effects and activating the Audio Zoom function when shooting video (increases sensitivity to sound in the zoom area and reduces noise when recording). There is also a number of shooting modes, among which we highlight: HDR for shooting with extended dynamic range; Shot & Clear, which allows you to remove unnecessary objects from the finished photo; regular and circular panoramas; sports and night modes. However, there are also disadvantages, which are mainly associated with shooting in low light, when there are problems with color rendering and a significant drop in fps when taking photographs and shooting videos. We hope that LG will correct these shortcomings in next updates, and if not, and you are not happy with it, then you should pay attention to the modification from xda-developers users. In other cases, the LG G2 camera shows its best side and allows you to get very high-quality results.

Examples of photography

Examples of video shooting

Daytime shooting, 1080p 30 fps.

Daytime shooting, 1080p 60 fps.

Evening shooting, 1080p 30 fps.

Evening shooting, 1080p 60 fps.

User interface

The LG G2 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system, which is rumored to be updated to soon latest Android 4.4 KitKat, and that would be very cool. As user interface the proprietary LG Optimus UI 3.0 shell is used, which is distinguished by a very rich set of functions and solid capabilities for transforming its appearance, which, by the way, original version does not look very harmonious and general structure It pretty much copies the ideas of Samsung's TouchWiz.

The interesting features of the software begin to appear already from the lock screen, on the main screen of which (there may be several of them, and additional widgets can be placed on them) a clock widget is displayed, which has beautiful animation simulating weather conditions. Up to five applications can be located at the bottom of the display. quick launch, and they can be completely different. Lock screens are switched by swiping left, while swiping right always launches the camera.

The customizable unlocking effect, accompanied by the corresponding sound design, looks very nice. There are five such effects in total: ripples with leaves, a dew drop, particles, a crystal and, the least beautiful - a white hole.

The desktop, of which there can be a maximum of seven, is a 5 x 5 matrix, and each of the icons can be doubled in size. Moreover, the official application icon can be replaced with some other one or even a fragment of the picture can be used for this. A long tap on a free space on the desktop provides quick access to applications and widgets (there is also a standard full-screen menu, from where you can search for the required application and completely remove them from memory), as well as to select wallpapers. By swiping from the Home button, you can launch the QuickMemo application and the Google Now service.

Given the presence of a large display in the LG G2, the manufacturer has provided one-handed control functions, when activated, the dialer, which has the ability to search for contacts by the first letters or numbers, and the keyboard can be moved to the left or right edge of the screen.

The notification shade has very rich functionality and, in addition to the standard ability to turn various interfaces on and off, provides the ability to display QSlide applications and a compact remote control. Here you can adjust the brightness of the display backlight, the speaker volume level and, in fact, view notifications. Holding the Home button launches the manager open applications, from where you can not only close applications completely, but also go to the task manager. It indicates the quantity running applications with the ability to stop any of them, as well as the occupied and free amount of RAM.

The smartphone settings are divided into four tabs. The first three group all kinds of settings for wireless networks and wired connections, sound and display, and the last one contains general settings.

Since the branded shell actually contains great amount functions and capabilities, the description of which would take at least another review, here we will focus only on the most interesting of them, as well as on some applications.

Interesting and very useful function are pop-up windows for incoming events, which display SMS text or information about the caller.

A very impressive feature is the Clip Tray - a full-fledged clipboard that can store up to 20 text or graphic elements. An indispensable thing when working with office applications.

Thanks to the Plug & Pop function, when you connect headphones, a list of applications is displayed at the bottom of the screen (their set can be edited), prompting you to select what you need, for example, a player. When you connect a USB cable, you are prompted to select one of the suggested actions associated with this type of connection.

QSlide is a limited set basic applications, a feature of which is the ability to work in multitasking windows in the manner of desktop OSes. These programs can be moved around the screen, their transparency and size can be changed (only some), as well as expanded to full screen and minimized back.

Slide Aside is an alternative running application manager. In this case, their number can vary from one to three. Switching between them is done by using a three-finger gesture by swiping left (to save the program in memory) or right (to open it back).

A very useful function, or rather application, is Quick Remote - a kind of constructor for turning a smartphone into Universal remote A remote control that has a large number of pre-configured remote controls. If the LG G2 was unable to automatically detect the model of, for example, a TV or music center, then you can create the required remote control with the required “buttons” yourself.

Surely many will like the ability to customize the position of the touch buttons, as well as display additional ones for quick access to QuickMemo and open the notification shade without having to reach for it.

We also suggest that you familiarize yourself with the appearance of some applications.

Hardware platform and performance

LG G2, among other things, is also one of the first smartphones that are equipped with the most powerful processor at the moment - Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 modified MSM8974. It is produced using a 28-nanometer technological process and includes four proprietary Krait 400 cores, based on the ARMv7 microarchitecture and operating at nominal clock frequency 2.26 GHz. The L2 cache size is 2 MB. The graphics subsystem uses the integrated CPU solution Qualcomm Adreno 330, which has support for API DirectX 9.0c and OpenGL ES 3.0. The graphics adapter operates at a clock frequency of up to 550 MHz. This set is complemented by 2 GB of 32-bit dual-channel LPDDR3-800 RAM and a 32 GB drive (there is also a more affordable model with 16 GB of internal memory) without the possibility of expansion via microSD cards. The user has access to 24.8 GB.

A separate point worth noting is the one used for the first time in mobile devices graphic memory GRAM (Graphic RAM), which in the LG G2 is a kind of cache located in the chain between the graphics adapter and the display. According to the manufacturer, this memory can reduce the power consumption of the graphics adapter by 26% when displaying a static image that does not require constant updating at a frequency of about sixty times per second, as happens when displaying a dynamic image, for example, in videos and games. In general, the presence of GRAM adds up to 10% to the autonomy of the device, which is a pretty good indicator.

It is not surprising that with such characteristics, the LG G2 shows one of the best results in almost all synthetic tests. The smartphone does not cope well enough only with tasks that require an even more productive graphics subsystem, but all of them relate to benchmarks, for example, Basemark X and GFXBench (T-Rex HD scene), which, in fact, are created in order to get the most out of the platform all possible juices.

Even in the most demanding games at the moment, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 has more than enough resources. Dead Trigger 2, Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8: Airborn, Plants vs. Zombies 2 easily confirms this. There is much more here important role plays by the degree of optimization of the game itself for a particular hardware and software platform, as well as a productive cooling system that does not allow the processor to warm up to the level at which throttling begins, i.e. reduction of operating clock frequencies. And with the latter, not everything is so smooth in the LG G2 - the automation “cuts” the frequencies quite a lot, which is especially noticeable after several successive passes of AnTuTu Benchmark. But the body of the smartphone remains pleasantly warm even under prolonged loads. At the same time, the quality of game display does not deteriorate.

The operating system itself works as smoothly and very quickly as possible, although many of its functions, which are directly related to the proprietary LG Optimus UI 3.0 shell, which requires more serious optimization, lag from time to time. However, this phenomenon is observed only in the first seconds after launching a particular function, for example, when opening the notification curtain, when scrolling quick settings or when opening some applications. And this is quite annoying if you know about this problem and constantly try to figure it out. Otherwise, you may not even notice that something is not working as well as it should.

Communications

The smartphone is capable of working in all modern mobile networks: GSM, WCDMA/ HSPA+ and LTE. The quality of 2G communication is excellent in both directions: there are no interruptions or independent resets, and voice transmission is clear, but depends on the user’s location.

The range of communication capabilities of the LG G2 is very rich and includes almost all modern data transfer standards. Thus, there is Bluetooth V4.0 with support for A2DP, dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) Wi-Fi with support for 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Wi-Fi functions Direct and Wi-Fi Hotspot, as well as NFC, IrLED (IR), DLNA and Miracast interfaces. In addition, there is support for USB-OTG and USB-Host standards, thanks to which you can connect external drives to your smartphone.

As for the direct operation of the Wi-Fi module, everything is fine here. Searching for points and connecting to them occurs almost instantly, and the established connection has good stability and does not try to “fall off” when strong interference appears. Data transfer rate in home network quite high. In the heavily clogged 2.4 GHz band it reaches 40-50 Mbit/s (with a total wire line of 100 Mbit/s).

GPS systems with A-GPS and GLONASS support provide location determination on the global world map. Searching for satellites, provided the user is in an open area, takes a matter of seconds, during which about 15-25 are located. Connecting to them takes a little longer, and in most cases connection is established with only half of them.

Autonomous operation

The last, but almost the most main feature smartphone is the use of an innovative lithium-polymer battery, characterized by a special “stepped” shape and the use of silicon oxide as an anode, rather than graphite (SIO+ technology). As a result, this made it possible to make the most of the internal space of the LG G2 case and accommodate a 3000 mAh (11.4 Wh) battery, which is noticeably larger than many competitors.

In total, such a charge easily lasts up to two days. battery life with fairly active use of the smartphone's capabilities: 5-7 hours of display operation, always-on Wi-Fi module, several hours of Internet browsing, about one hour of calls, 2-3 hours of listening to music, one hour of games, etc. on little things, but subject to the use of automatic adjustment of the backlight brightness, set at a level of no more than 70%.

However, when performing resource-intensive tasks (for example, games) and the display brightness is set to maximum, the battery can be discharged in a few hours, which is confirmed by AnTuTu Tester, in which, by the way, the LG G2 received a pretty good score of 503 points, discharged to 19% in 2 hours 48 minutes. Much more interesting is the result of cyclic playback of HD video using the MX Player with half the brightness of the display backlight and the Wi-Fi module turned on - more than 14 hours. In this case, the time to fully charge the battery from the supplied charger is about 3-4 hours.

“Live” photos of a smartphone

Results

Over the past year, LG's position in the global smartphone market has strengthened significantly, and this is definitely due to its cooperation with Google within the Nexus project. In addition, the quality level of its own products has also risen, as evidenced by the latest models of devices, among which are rightfully best flagship this year - LG G2.

This model boasts not only interesting and largely innovative hardware and software solutions, such as: really convenient buttons on the back of the case, a wonderful display with incredibly narrow side frames, a capacious “double-layer” battery, a very powerful processor, a wide range of wireless interfaces, good camera with optical stabilization images, high-quality audio chip, the ability to unlock with a double tap on the screen, etc., but also a very attractive price for official version with a 32 GB drive, dropped to 5,777 hryvnia ($692).

Of course there is LG G2 and disadvantages. The most significant of them is the easily soiled glossy casing, which becomes covered with fingerprints at an incredible rate and is susceptible to scuffs, as well as the not very well-thought-out cut of the earpiece, which constantly collects dust. The remaining shortcomings are not so significant, and almost all of them are software, which means that in the next updates they may sink into oblivion.

Advantages:

• the best dimensions of the case in relation to the diagonal of the display;
• wonderful 5.2-inch display with Full HD resolution and extremely narrow side frames;
• productive hardware platform;
• excellent sound subsystem;
• good camera with optical image stabilization;
• implementation of a block of rear buttons and the KnockOn function (unlock with double tap);
• excellent battery life;
• support for all types of mobile networks (2G, 3G, 4G);
• support for all popular data transfer standards, including Wi-Fi 802.11ac and infrared;
• systems support global positioning GPS (A-GPS) and GLONASS;
• USB-OTG and USB-Host support;
• functional proprietary shell LG Optimus UI 3.0;
• the ability to control almost any household appliance;
• low heating of the case under active load.

The LG G2 smartphone has a number of unique features, runs on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 hardware platform, has a 13 MP camera with optical stabilization and the ability to record Full HD video at 60 frames per second, while its cost is lower than that of its closest competitors. Is this enough to become the best and win user sympathy? We have been looking for the answer to this question for a long time.

Equipment

Hardware platform

To date, the LG G2 is the first publicly available smartphone based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 system-on-chip is manufactured using a 28 nm process technology and includes four processor cores Krait 400 running at 2.26 GHz, Adreno 330 graphics core at 450 MHz with OpenGL support ES 3.0 as well as 2 GB dual channel memory LP-DDR3 (800 MHz). The presence of Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 also implies support for LTE networks. The capabilities of the system-on-chip allow you to record 1080p video at 60 frames/s or 2160p (4K video) at 30 frames/s. LG decided to limit itself to the first option, despite the fact that at the annual IFA 2013 exhibition the company presented many TVs with 4K resolution.

Since the LG G2 copes with playing a standard set of video files effortlessly, we made the task somewhat more difficult for it by replacing SD videos with files with Full HD resolution with a high bitrate and increased frame rate. In the future, this particular set of files will be used in all test devices. By the way, all the videos were also absorbed by the smartphone without the slightest effort. This suggests that when downloading video to a smartphone, the user does not have to worry about video and audio formats, video resolution, bitrate and frame rate; the LG G2 can handle anything. Playback can be accompanied by titles (size, style, background, its transparency and text color are adjustable). The video is played in full screen or in a separate window (QSlide), and simultaneously with viewing Full HD video at 60 fps, you can launch an HD video on YouTube; this will not slow down the device at all, and sound will be output from two sources simultaneously .

Playing video files

Codec/Name	FinalDestination5.mp4	Neudergimie.2.mkv	Gran Turismo 6.mp4	Spartacus.mkv	Battlefield 4.mp4
Video	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×798 29.99fps	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×816 23.98fps	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×1080 60fps, 19.7Mbit/s	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×720 29.97fps	MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×1080 60fps, 19Mbit/s
Audio	AAC 48000Hz stereo 96kbps	MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo	AAC 48000Hz stereo 48kbps	Dolby AC3 44100Hz stereo	AAC 48000Hz stereo 48kbps

The sound volume in the headphones is above average, but the volume of the multimedia speaker is not enough in all situations. Perhaps this is a consequence of the reluctance of the developers to make the speaker rattle when listening to music at high volumes.

According to the results of popular benchmarks, the LG G2 smartphone ranks first among all devices available today. Let us remind you that by default all LG smartphones have a performance limitation associated with processor overheating.

The search for GPS satellites occurs in a matter of seconds, during which the smartphone manages to detect about 20 satellites. The data transfer speed in the WiFi network is as close as possible (the test router supports b/g/n standards). The data transfer speed on the mobile network is also high.

The music player remained virtually unchanged; we added the ability to play music from external devices connected to the same wireless network or from cloud services. Another addition is to search for the song you are playing on YouTube. That is, in one click the user can find a video for the melody that interests him.

One of the most important questions about the LG G2 is its autonomy. To find out these parameters, we used the Antutu Tester application and conducted two-hour tests. Antutu's results unexpectedly turned out to be among the lowest. Perhaps this is due to the fact that an engineering sample was being tested, a commercial one was not yet available at that time, or the fact is that the device had to travel around the city in a bag, therefore, remain for some time without WiFi and not be able to cool. Once we run a similar test on a commercial sample, we will update the Antutu Tester results. As for the two-hour tests, with the exception of two of them, watching YouTube videos and playing music, the LG G2 showed record results. The smartphone owes these results partly to the new processor, but there is another trick - GRAM - graphic memory, which allows you to save 26% of battery power when displaying static images.

Operating time indicators
Mode\Device	LG G2	LG Optimus G Pro	Lenovo IP K900	Sony Xperia Z1	ALCATEL OT Idol X
Music	4%	5%	5%	1%	3%
Reading	11%	24%	38%	15%	29%
Navigation	18%	27%	37%	21%	31%
Watch HD video	15%	31%	48%	13%	23%
Watching HD videos from Youtube	27%	26%	28%	18%	31%
Antutu Tester (points)	419	577	318	500

To listen to music, we used a standard player, volume at 12 out of 15 possible, MP3 files with a bitrate of 320 Kbps. In reading mode, all wireless communications are disabled, including data transmission on the mobile network, and the display brightness is set to 50%. Navigation includes plotting a route in Google app Navigation. The brightness is set to 50%, all data communication modules are disabled. When playing a video, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at level 12 out of a possible 15. The video file format is MKV, resolution 1024x432 pixels, frame rate 24. When playing a video from Youtube, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at 12 out of 15 possible levels.

The table shows that the LG G2 is not just slightly better than its closest opponents with Full HD screens, some results are twice as good. For example, in two hours of reading, the LG Optimus G Pro consumes 24% of the battery charge. LG G2 for the same time, in exactly the same conditions, is content with 11%. Theoretically, the operating time of a smartphone when used as a reader is 18 hours.

Say how long a smartphone will last under typical usage patterns - several hours of reading social networks a day, automatic synchronization two Google accounts, test messages, A couple of minutes telephone conversations, it’s still difficult. But what is known for sure is that with exactly the same scenario, plus several dozen photographs and performance tests, the smartphone was discharged from 100% to 35% (this includes 2 hours of navigation in Google Maps and 2 hours of reading in FBReader) in one day. At the same time, the screen operating time was 6 hours and 32 minutes - this is a very good indicator. The battery charges from 15% to 100% in exactly two hours.

Display

LG has several factories that produce matrices for TVs, monitors and mobile phones. Therefore, it is not surprising that even inexpensive smartphone models are equipped with IPS matrices. It is also not surprising that the LG G2 received one of the best developments in this area. The smartphone display has a diagonal of 5.2 inches, a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (424 PPI) and is made using ZeroGap technology - that is, there is no air gap between the sensor and the matrix. To create minimal frames on the sides of the screen, we had to develop new type sensor, it received two controllers, while other devices use one. The display is covered with tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 2 with oleophobic coating. In addition, an anti-reflective layer is used, the operation of which is clearly visible when exposed to direct sunlight. Without it, the LG G2 display would be of little use for outdoor use, since maximum brightness is a modest 349.5 cd/m². The minimum is 6.3 cd/m², and the average is 44.5 cd/m². Automatic brightness adjustment works on the same principle as in other LG smartphones. By setting the slider to the extreme left or right, the brightness will always remain at minimum or maximum, while moving it to the middle allows you to change its intensity to a relatively comfortable level in dim and office lighting. To make it comfortable to use your smartphone on the street, the slider has to be moved to a value of 70% or higher.

The factory calibration of the display is commendable. The temperature throughout almost the entire segment is 7000K, the gamma curve is also relatively linear and close to the value of 2.22 - this means that dark and light tones are displayed correctly. As for the naturalness of color rendering, everything is fine here too, and only green is slightly oversaturated, which, however, does not go beyond the acceptable range.

Camera

The LG G2 smartphone was the first device equipped with a 13 MP camera with an optical stabilization system. The front camera has a 2 MP sensor. Both cameras shoot Full HD video, the only difference being that the main one does it at a frequency of 30 or 60 frames/s. The difference between 30 and 60 fps is noticeable to the naked eye. Another feature of the LG G2 is nine-point focusing, which is used for the first time in smartphones. To wake up the camera from sleep mode, just press and hold the volume down key. When you exit the camera, all selected settings are saved.

The viewfinder remained almost the same as in previous models; changes affected the settings and selection of shooting modes. As before, to record a video or photo, you need to move the slider in the desired direction, while most manufacturers have long added separate keys for shooting and recording video. On the left side of the screen there are shortcuts for selecting the flash mode, switching to the front camera, shooting mode and calling up settings. The shooting modes contain 12 preset settings. To find out which mode is intended for what conditions, just switch to the vertical display of the list. In this case, a detailed explanation will be displayed to the left of the modes.

Another unusual feature is the ability to manually focus. Useful in cases where you need to take several shots from the same distance, for example, photographs of the same object from different meaning ISO.

"Smart auto mode"
Manual focus ISO200

Despite all the improvements and changes, there are two complaints about the camera. The first concerns not the fastest focusing. The second is the blurriness of photographs when shooting in insufficient lighting. It will be possible to make a verdict after a comparative test of the cameras. In the near future we will compare the LG G2 and Samsung camera Galaxy Note 3. For now, one thing can be said, LG G2 received good camera, it allows you to compete on equal terms with the best of the current year.

Video review of the LG G2 smartphone

Results

LG G2 turned out to be unique in many ways. For example, this is the first smartphone equipped with a 13 MP camera with optical stabilization. It is also the first in which mechanical control keys are combined into one block located on the back of the case, and this was done not so much to stand out, but because of research results that showed that this placement of keys is the most optimal. Indeed, in order to reach the power/lock key or volume control, the user does not have to grab the smartphone; in most cases, your index finger is already on them. Moreover, the very presence of the lock button is quite symbolic, since to unlock and lock the smartphone you can use double tapping on the screen, and the absence of a dedicated camera key is compensated by the ability to launch it by holding the mechanical key responsible for decreasing the volume. All this is done in order to minimize the inconvenience associated with the transition to a smartphone with a large diagonal screen.

Among the pleasant features of the LG G2, which make it one of the most interesting new products of the fall, we note the thin frames around the screen, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 hardware platform, excellent battery life, support for all currently available wireless communication modules and high quality sound in headphones.

The closest competitor to the LG G2 is the Samsung Galaxy S4. It is also equipped with a Full HD screen of a comparable diagonal, a 13 MP camera, a current hardware platform, has many additional accessories and is sold at a comparable price. On the side there is a slot for memory cards. Another smartphone that can compete with the LG G2 is. It is equipped with stereo speakers that produce loud and high-quality sound, a Full HD screen, albeit with a noticeably smaller diagonal, a camera with optical stabilization, but again, with a significantly lower resolution and, for some, this is an important advantage, it has a metal body. The price of these three smartphones is comparable, but the LG G2, despite the fact that it is just appearing on store shelves, turned out to be the most affordable of them.

Click on the image to open it in a new window

Liked
+ Dimensions relative to other models with a 4.7-5 inch screen
+ Operating room Android system 4.2 and proprietary interface Optimus UI 3.0
+ Autonomy
+ Display
+ Camera
+ Optical image stabilization system (OIS)
+ Implementation of Rear Keys
+ Knock-On function
+ The presence of two event indicators, on the front and back of the case
+ Sound quality in headphones
+ Hardware platform
+ Supports all common video and audio formats
+ QSlide applications
+ Productivity
+ Browser speed
+ Supports all available wireless data transmission media
+ USB OTG support

Did not like
— Lack of memory card slot

	LG G2 32GB (Black) 3,499 - 3,799 UAH Compare prices
Type	Smartphone
Type of shell	monoblock
Standard	GSM 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS 850/900/7900/2100, LTE 850/900/1800/2100/2600
Dimensions (mm)	138.5×70.9×9.1
Weight (g)	143
Processor (for smartphones)	Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 (Krait 400), 2.26 GHz (4 cores) + GPU Adreno 330
Memory	2 GB RAM + 32 GB internal memory (up to 24.8 GB available to the user)
Expansion slot	No
Main screen	True HD IPS, 5.2″, 1920×1080 pixels (424 ppi), 16.7 million colors, touchscreen, capacitive, multi-touch support, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Keyboard type	screen input
Accumulator battery	Li-Ion, 3000 mAh
	no data
Communications	USB 3.0 (micro-USB, MHL, USB OTG), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC, IrDA
SIM card type	Micro-SIM
Photography	13 MP, BSI sensor, auto focus, optical stabilization, digital zoom, 2.1 MP front camera
Video shooting	1920x1080 pixels, 60 fps, HDR
Flash	LED
operating system	Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
FM radio	yes (with RDS support)
Additional features

Pros: Small dimensions compared to other models with a 4.7-5 inch screen, proprietary Optimus UI 3.0 interface, good battery life, display and camera

Minuses: Lack of memory card slot

Conclusion: LG G2 turned out to be unique in many ways. For example, this is the first smartphone equipped with a 13 MP camera with optical stabilization. It is also the first in which mechanical control keys are combined into one block located on the back side of the case, and this was done not so much to stand out, but because of research results that showed that this placement of keys is the most optimal

Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) RAM, GB2 Built-in memory, GB32 Expansion slot- SIM card typeMicro-SIM Number of SIM cards1 CPUQualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 + GPU Adreno 330 Number of Cores4 Frequency, GHz2,3 Accumulator batteryLi-Ion, 3000 mAh Operating time (manufacturer's data)no data Diagonal, inches5,2 Permission1920x1080 Matrix typeTrue HD IPS PPI424 Dimming sensor+ OtherProtective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 2 Main camera, MP13 Video shooting1920x1080 pixels, 60 fps, HDR FlashLED Front camera, MP2,1 High speed data transferGPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (up to 42 Mb/s), HSUPA (up to 5.76 Mb/s), LTE WiFi802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth4.0 (A2DP) GPS+ IrDA+ FM radioyes (with RDS support) Audio jack3.5 mm NFC+ Interface connectorUSB 2.0 (micro-USB, SlimPort, USB Host, USB OTG) Dimensions, mm138.5x70.9x8.9 Weight, g143 Protection from dust and moisture- Type of shellmonoblock Housing materialplastic Keyboard typescreen input Moremedia player, a-GPS receiver, video telephony, gyroscope, electronic compass, accelerometer, integration with social networks and Google services, light and proximity sensors

G2, which brings many innovative solutions. The gadget comes with an almost frameless 5.2-inch FullHD display, as well as a 13-megapixel camera with optical stabilization and high shooting speed. But now, first things first.

So, let's start with the appearance of the LG G2. The smartphone turned out to be much lighter than we expected, only 143 grams. It looks great, although it's made of glossy plastic and is impressively thin for such a battery.

Its IPS screen occupies almost the entire front panel; the frame around it has been reduced to only 2.65 mm.

Although the owner of a 5.2-inch display is the largest phone from the company, at the same time it is quite convenient to operate with one hand. The new solution is that the gadget does not have control buttons on the ends and front panel. The only mechanical control button is located on the rear panel under the camera and flash.

Above the display are a speaker, a front camera and a proximity sensor.

On right side there is nothing, and on the left there is a slot for a microSIM card. At the top end there is a secondary microphone and an infrared sensor.

At the bottom you can see the main microphone, loudspeaker, 3.5 mm headphone jack and microUSB port.

Front and back panels separated by a very thin silver frame.

The dimensions of the device are 138.5x70.9x8.9 mm.

Performance and Software

LG G2 is based on a 4-core Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 Krait 400 processor with a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz, Adreno 330 graphics accelerator and 2 GB of RAM. There are 16 or 32 GB (only 24 GB will be available to users) of permanent memory. Slots for microSD cards is not provided, although company representatives stated that smartphones with memory card support will be supplied to some countries (it is still known for sure that such versions will be sold in South Korea). Operating system – Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

These features allow you to show excellent performance both when working with conventional and graphical applications.

The device supports operation in GSM networks 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100, LTE 900/1800/2100/2600/850, GPRS, EDGE. There are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio and GPS/A-GPS modules.

The gadget has pre-installed software: browser, audio player, video player, mail client and other applications.

Screen

The image quality is good, just like in the LG Optimus G Pro. Due to its smaller size, the device has a density of 424 ppi, so everything looks absolutely clear. The colors are bright and rich, the contrast and viewing angles are excellent. The LG G2 has a 5.2-inch True HD-IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 and a color rendition of 16 million shades. LG Dual Routing technology has made it possible to reduce the frame on the sides of the smartphone to 2.65 mm.

To protect the screen, special Cornin Gorilla Glass 3 is used.

Camera

LG G2 is equipped with a 13-megapixel camera capable of taking photos with a maximum resolution of 4128x3096 pixels, with optical image stabilization, autofocus and LED flash. The photographs are of good quality.

The camera is capable of shooting video with Full HD resolution and a frame rate of 60 frames per second.

The camera allows you to take HDR photos and has numerous other capabilities.

The phone also has a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera for video conferencing. It is capable of capturing video with Full HD resolution and frame rates up to 30 per second.

Battery

The smartphone is equipped with a non-removable lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh, which will allow you to safely operate the device in intensive mode throughout the day.

At the same time, the company announced that in some countries the new product will be sold with a removable battery.

Price

LG G2 video review:

The list of standard applications consists of as many as 52 icons, but they are really useful in daily use not so much. In addition to the standard Android set, QuickRemote (remote control for household appliances via infrared port) is worthy of attention, convenient file manager, Polaris Office and translator - Quick Translator. Another notable feature is Safety Care, a program that can automatically notify selected contacts that you are in trouble or that you haven’t answered the phone in a while. The message will contain GPS coordinates and a request for help. Very touching, of course, but it’s hard to imagine a grandfather with poor health and an Android flagship in his hands. The rest of the standard software either does not shine with functionality, or is completely an attempt by the manufacturer to lobby for its clone of Google Play.

The smartphone offers suitable applications when connecting accessories: for example, when connecting headphones, a pop-up line will suggest audio and video players with browsers and automatically mute the volume if it was at maximum. It's nice and you can feel the developers' attention to detail. The only thing we can complain about is the impractical on-screen keyboard- typing messages on a 5.2-inch giant is just as troublesome as on 4-inch budget phones.

I would especially like to mention the fact that standard browser supports Flash technology. Just download and install flash player for Ice Cream Sandwich and you can conveniently play online games and watch videos on sites that are not adapted for mobile devices.

Enthusiast's Corner

A little more than a month has passed since the global announcement on August 7, but we can already say that the G2 will be a friendly smartphone for enthusiasts. For example, you can get root rights without any special perversions. To do this you need to: download and install proprietary LG drivers called LG United Mobile Driver version 3.8.1 and higher, activate developer mode in your smartphone (settings - about phone - software information - click on the build number 10 times), activate USB debugging (settings - developer options - USB debugging), download the script to get root (easily found by searching for “ioroot6.zip G2 xda”), run root.bat and then do whatever the script asks. Superuser will be installed, root rights will work even without a reboot.

Once again, I would like to warn inexperienced users: by getting root, you will lose the warranty. Root rights allow you to change the device's firmware files from the device itself. With this you can either improve its performance and convenience, or kill your smartphone into the state of a hopeless glossy brick for 25 thousand rubles. If you don't know why you need root, don't activate it. Everyone else can happily go into Titanium Backup and “cut out” all the annoying pre-installed applications from the firmware, adapting the device to suit themselves.

But there are no custom firmwares yet. There is only recovery TWRP 2.6.3.1, which is already nice, but opponents of the Optimus UI design cannot yet get rid of it completely. The entire set of non-standard firmware is only edited versions of foreign “operator” LG G2 like Verizon with removed apk for fashionable ringtones, etc.

Nothing is known about processor overclocking. Most likely, MSM8974 does not support it in principle, since it is a “stuffed” Snapdragon 600 with factory overclocking and a modified GPU.

In general, it is worth mentioning the fact that Qualcomm really does not like users of third-party firmware and maliciously prevents developers of free firmware from distributing drivers. Because of this, one of the most influential developers Android Open-Source Project recently slammed the door and caused a bit of panic among Android programmers. However, let's hope for the best, because the Snapdragon 600-based Optimus G Pro, introduced in January, has already received the unofficial Cyanogenmod 10.1 and is quite open to further manipulations with the software.

Competitors

Samsung Galaxy S4

The all-time leader in sales, the locomotive of sales in the Android ecosystem, a devourer of user attention and Samsung advertising budgets. SGS4 It is slightly inferior in display quality, approximately equal in camera and sound quality, and has an equally unsightly body.