14:25
Viraltoptrends
Debuting at Mobile World Congress, the LG Optimus G Pro is a 5.5-inch device that will launch in Korea this month, followed by a North American release in Q2. The handset is actually LG's third crack at the phone/tablet hybrid niche, after its Optimus Vu and Vu II (the U.S. carrier, Verizon, released the former as the LG Intuition, which received a lukewarm response).
But this phone is more than just another attempt; it shows how the third time can indeed be a charm. Not only does it boast powerful quad-core specs, it also features the more common 16:9 aspect ratio (as opposed to the wonky 4:3 ratio its predecessor had) on a vivid touch screen. In both looks and performance, it's the closest any handset comes to rivaling the reigning king of phablets, the Galaxy Note 2.
Unfortunately, the G Pro lacks a stylus. Even the Vu had one, and Samsung developed its S Pen stylus specifically for the Note, which tucks into the handset and has its own tech to enhance productivity. The G Pro doesn't even have a simple analog stylus, and while this doesn't render the phone completely useless, it prevents the G Pro from usurping the Note 2 altogether.
Design
One of the first things I noticed about the LG Optimus G Pro was how thin it was. Though this keeps it lightweight for its size (at 6.2 ounces) and sleek, the slim 0.25-inch profile also made it feel too fragile and slightly cumbersome to navigate with one hand.
There were a lot of times when I used my thumb to tap something on one side of the screen only to have the bottom part of my thumb accidentally select and open something on the opposite side. To help with one-handed operation, LG did include some additional settings, like letting you adjust the keyboard or number pad to the left or right side.
Of course , what's most noticeable about the G pro is that 5.5-inch full HD IPS screen. it has a 1920x1,080- pixel resolution and 400ppi. It sports a 16:9 aspect ratio which is more standard on mobile phones than the Intuition "s 4:3 ratio..
Like most high-end LG handsets, its screen is bright and extremely responsive. I like how the display edges are similar to the Nexus 4's, in that it contours down toward the bezel. It has a wide viewing angle, and you can see images clearly in both indoor and outdoor lighting. Colors are vibrant, icons are sharp, and text looks crisp.
I also have to say that watching videos on this was really enjoyable, more so than on the Intuition. Having that much more real estate is a relief to the eyes, and it gave me a more encompassing and engrossing experience than those offered on smaller handsets.
I did see, however, that the whites on the screen had a slightly cold, blue-grayish tint to them. It's too subtle to notice at first, but when I compared it side by side with an iPhone, the tint was more apparent.
In addition, though the screen size is great for entertainment, other things had to take some getting used to. For example, texting became much more cumbersome, especially in landscape mode. Taking into account that I have small hands, it was hard reaching letters that were in the middle of the keyboard. Also, the unit doesn't ship with a stylus, which would be beneficial for tasks such as these.
Above the display is a 2-megapixel camera and below it are two hot keys that light up when in use (back and menu), and a physical home button. This home key is a flush, narrow oval that can also light up with several different LED colors that I found to be a nice deliberate touch.
The back of the device houses a 13-megapixel camera with flash. A small strip of chrome encircles the lens, which bubbles up ever so slightly out of the back plate. To the left is a small audio speaker. Using a small indentation on the left edge, you can pop off the backing and access the 3,140mAh battery and both the Micro-SIM and microSD card slots. Underneath the plate is an NFC chip. Lastly, the handset is capable of wireless charging, but you'll need to buy a special back plate from LG to make use of it.
Software features and UI
The phone includes 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. You'll find a bunch of standard Google apps like Messenger, Maps with Navigation, Local, Voice Search, Talk, Chrome, Gmail, Search, Plus, YouTube, and access to Play Movies and TV, Books, and Store. Because it's running Jelly Bean, you'll also get Google Now, which is search-based digital "assistant" tied into Google Search and Voice Search. To access Google Now, hold down the home key and press the Google logo that pops up at the bottom of the screen.
Other task management apps include a native browser and e-mail client, music and video players, a calculator, a weather app, two video editors, a notebook, a memo pad, a to-do list, an alarm clock, a voice recorder, a dictionary, and a calendar. There's also the mobile office suite, Polaris Office 4, LG's app and game portal called SmartWorld, and SmartShare, which lets you share multimedia between DLNA-certified devices.
Because we got our hands on a Korean handset, there's also a slew of Korean apps. I won't go over these, but if and when the G Pro comes to a U.S. carrier, you can bet that the handset will include carrier specific apps that I'll note.
You'll also get the note-taking feature, QuickMemo, which lets you jot down notes and doodles either directly onto whatever your screen is displaying at the moment, or a memo pad. This is one productivity app for which a stylus would be especially handy. There's also QSlide, LG's multitasking window that was introduced with the last Optimus G. Back then, QSlide only let you overlay a video while you browsed through your phone and accessed other apps. Now however, you can view other apps, like the browser, simultaneously, and you can resize your QSlide window, too.
Camera and video
The 13-megapixel camera comes with loads of options, such as: four photo sizes (from 1,280x960 to 4,160x3,120 pixels); a 15x digital zoom; a flash; geotagging; a timer; four color effects; five white balances; five ISO options (from 100 to 800); six scene modes; three focuses; a brightness meter; a voice-activated shutter; and a time-machine option that enables the camera to take shots even before you press the shutter.
There are also six shooting modes, including HDR, beauty shot, panorama, and VR panorama. The last one is similar to the Nexus 4's "Photo Sphere" feature, which patches together several pictures from one viewing angle. However, instead of rendering it into a 360-degree spherical image like the Nexus does, a VR panorama photo ends up resembling what a 360-degree photo would look like if someone laid it out flat. Meaning, it looks like several long panoramic photos stitched together to make one wavy, wonky super-panoramic photo.
The front-facing 2.1-megapixel camera includes three photo sizes (from 1,280x960 to 1,920x1,088); two scene modes; and the same white balances and color effects. You'll also get geo-tagging, a timer, the option to save a picture's mirror image, voice shutter, and beauty shot.
Video recording options with the rear camera include five video sizes (from 176x144 to 1,920x1,080 pixels); antishaking; a brightness meter; the same white balances and color effects; and geotagging. There are four shooting modes, one of which is dual recording. This lets you record with both cameras simultaneously. The front-facing camera has all of the same video options except for the ability to record video at different exposure levels called WDR recording (think of it like HDR photos, but for video).
Photo quality was excellent, but it didn't blow me away. Shutter speed was fast, there was little to no lag between my moving of the camera and the feedback I saw, and taking panoramic shots was quick and smooth. With ample lighting, photos came out crisp and sharp, and objects were in focus. There were some incidents when auto white balance was off and colors came out inaccurate, however. For instance, a car that was a deep orange in real life came out distinctly red from the camera. Understandably, photos taken in dimmer lighting showed a lot more digital noise and blurriness. Colors also appeared more muted or colder than in real life. For the most part, however, photos were impressively detailed. For more photos from the G Pro, check out the slideshow below.
It's important to remember that while the G Pro is 4G LTE-capable, I had to test this unit on AT&T's 3G network. However, data speeds were still respectable, at times being much faster than midtier 4G phones. On average, the handset loaded CNET's mobile site in 12 seconds and our desktop site in 24 seconds. The New York Times' mobile site took about 33 seconds, while its desktop version took 51 seconds. ESPN's mobile site took 11 seconds, and its full site loaded in 52 seconds. Ookla's Speedtest app showed me an average of 2.71Mbps down and 1.0Mbps up. It took an average of 2 minutes and 51 seconds to download the 32.41MB game Temple Run 2.
LG Optimus G Pro Performance testing
Average 3G download speed 2.71Mpbs
Average 3G upload speed 1.0Mbps
App download (Temple Run 2) 32.41MB in 2 minutes and 51 seconds
mobile site load 12 seconds
desktop site load 24 seconds
Restart time 37 seconds
Camera boot time 1.78 seconds
The device is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, and it's one of the first to run a Snapdragon 600 processor. I can attest that it's incredibly fast -- small tasks like quitting to the home screen, browsing through the app drawer, pinch zooming, and scrolling through text were all executed without hesitation. And more complicated tasks were done just as smoothly. On average, it took just 1.78 seconds to launch the camera and 37 seconds to restart the phone altogether. During my time playing the graphics-intensive game Riptide GP, there was no stuttering or unexpected shutdowns with the app. Graphics ran swiftly, with a high frame rate, and the phone was responsive to my slight movements.
During our battery drain test for the 3,140mAh battery, the handset lasted 7.15 hours for video playback and a whopping 22.37 hours for talk-time. Needless to say that anecdotally, it had a solid battery life. Standby time lasted for a couple of days, and the phone can survive a whole day, or at least a good portion of it, with high use.
Conclusion
Although the Optimus G Pro is a blatant manifestation of LG knocking on Samsung's Note door, the handset is still an excellent standalone device. Its 1.7GHz quad-core CPU keeps it running smoothly and swiftly, and the 1080p screen is nothing short of impressive.
But while I'm a fan of the handset, I remain cautious of its potential if and when it comes to the U.S. What's the point of giving consumers a great 5.5-inch display if you also don't give them a stylus as well? LG provided one with its Optimus Vu, so it makes it that much more odd that the Optimus G Pro doesn't get similar treatment.
True, lacking a stylus isn't a deal breaker. Not everybody uses one, and the phone doesn't come packed with a bunch of productivity apps that take full advantage of a stylus, save for QuickMemo. But considering the fact that its obvious rival, the Note 2, has one, I find it difficult to imagine a user choosing the Pro in lieu of the Note 2 given this notable oversight..
Design
One of the first things I noticed about the LG Optimus G Pro was how thin it was. Though this keeps it lightweight for its size (at 6.2 ounces) and sleek, the slim 0.25-inch profile also made it feel too fragile and slightly cumbersome to navigate with one hand.
There were a lot of times when I used my thumb to tap something on one side of the screen only to have the bottom part of my thumb accidentally select and open something on the opposite side. To help with one-handed operation, LG did include some additional settings, like letting you adjust the keyboard or number pad to the left or right side.
Of course , what's most noticeable about the G pro is that 5.5-inch full HD IPS screen. it has a 1920x1,080- pixel resolution and 400ppi. It sports a 16:9 aspect ratio which is more standard on mobile phones than the Intuition "s 4:3 ratio..
Like most high-end LG handsets, its screen is bright and extremely responsive. I like how the display edges are similar to the Nexus 4's, in that it contours down toward the bezel. It has a wide viewing angle, and you can see images clearly in both indoor and outdoor lighting. Colors are vibrant, icons are sharp, and text looks crisp.
I also have to say that watching videos on this was really enjoyable, more so than on the Intuition. Having that much more real estate is a relief to the eyes, and it gave me a more encompassing and engrossing experience than those offered on smaller handsets.
I did see, however, that the whites on the screen had a slightly cold, blue-grayish tint to them. It's too subtle to notice at first, but when I compared it side by side with an iPhone, the tint was more apparent.
In addition, though the screen size is great for entertainment, other things had to take some getting used to. For example, texting became much more cumbersome, especially in landscape mode. Taking into account that I have small hands, it was hard reaching letters that were in the middle of the keyboard. Also, the unit doesn't ship with a stylus, which would be beneficial for tasks such as these.
Above the display is a 2-megapixel camera and below it are two hot keys that light up when in use (back and menu), and a physical home button. This home key is a flush, narrow oval that can also light up with several different LED colors that I found to be a nice deliberate touch.
The back of the device houses a 13-megapixel camera with flash. A small strip of chrome encircles the lens, which bubbles up ever so slightly out of the back plate. To the left is a small audio speaker. Using a small indentation on the left edge, you can pop off the backing and access the 3,140mAh battery and both the Micro-SIM and microSD card slots. Underneath the plate is an NFC chip. Lastly, the handset is capable of wireless charging, but you'll need to buy a special back plate from LG to make use of it.
Software features and UI
The phone includes 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. You'll find a bunch of standard Google apps like Messenger, Maps with Navigation, Local, Voice Search, Talk, Chrome, Gmail, Search, Plus, YouTube, and access to Play Movies and TV, Books, and Store. Because it's running Jelly Bean, you'll also get Google Now, which is search-based digital "assistant" tied into Google Search and Voice Search. To access Google Now, hold down the home key and press the Google logo that pops up at the bottom of the screen.
Other task management apps include a native browser and e-mail client, music and video players, a calculator, a weather app, two video editors, a notebook, a memo pad, a to-do list, an alarm clock, a voice recorder, a dictionary, and a calendar. There's also the mobile office suite, Polaris Office 4, LG's app and game portal called SmartWorld, and SmartShare, which lets you share multimedia between DLNA-certified devices.
Because we got our hands on a Korean handset, there's also a slew of Korean apps. I won't go over these, but if and when the G Pro comes to a U.S. carrier, you can bet that the handset will include carrier specific apps that I'll note.
You'll also get the note-taking feature, QuickMemo, which lets you jot down notes and doodles either directly onto whatever your screen is displaying at the moment, or a memo pad. This is one productivity app for which a stylus would be especially handy. There's also QSlide, LG's multitasking window that was introduced with the last Optimus G. Back then, QSlide only let you overlay a video while you browsed through your phone and accessed other apps. Now however, you can view other apps, like the browser, simultaneously, and you can resize your QSlide window, too.
Camera and video
The 13-megapixel camera comes with loads of options, such as: four photo sizes (from 1,280x960 to 4,160x3,120 pixels); a 15x digital zoom; a flash; geotagging; a timer; four color effects; five white balances; five ISO options (from 100 to 800); six scene modes; three focuses; a brightness meter; a voice-activated shutter; and a time-machine option that enables the camera to take shots even before you press the shutter.
There are also six shooting modes, including HDR, beauty shot, panorama, and VR panorama. The last one is similar to the Nexus 4's "Photo Sphere" feature, which patches together several pictures from one viewing angle. However, instead of rendering it into a 360-degree spherical image like the Nexus does, a VR panorama photo ends up resembling what a 360-degree photo would look like if someone laid it out flat. Meaning, it looks like several long panoramic photos stitched together to make one wavy, wonky super-panoramic photo.
The front-facing 2.1-megapixel camera includes three photo sizes (from 1,280x960 to 1,920x1,088); two scene modes; and the same white balances and color effects. You'll also get geo-tagging, a timer, the option to save a picture's mirror image, voice shutter, and beauty shot.
Video recording options with the rear camera include five video sizes (from 176x144 to 1,920x1,080 pixels); antishaking; a brightness meter; the same white balances and color effects; and geotagging. There are four shooting modes, one of which is dual recording. This lets you record with both cameras simultaneously. The front-facing camera has all of the same video options except for the ability to record video at different exposure levels called WDR recording (think of it like HDR photos, but for video).
Photo quality was excellent, but it didn't blow me away. Shutter speed was fast, there was little to no lag between my moving of the camera and the feedback I saw, and taking panoramic shots was quick and smooth. With ample lighting, photos came out crisp and sharp, and objects were in focus. There were some incidents when auto white balance was off and colors came out inaccurate, however. For instance, a car that was a deep orange in real life came out distinctly red from the camera. Understandably, photos taken in dimmer lighting showed a lot more digital noise and blurriness. Colors also appeared more muted or colder than in real life. For the most part, however, photos were impressively detailed. For more photos from the G Pro, check out the slideshow below.
It's important to remember that while the G Pro is 4G LTE-capable, I had to test this unit on AT&T's 3G network. However, data speeds were still respectable, at times being much faster than midtier 4G phones. On average, the handset loaded CNET's mobile site in 12 seconds and our desktop site in 24 seconds. The New York Times' mobile site took about 33 seconds, while its desktop version took 51 seconds. ESPN's mobile site took 11 seconds, and its full site loaded in 52 seconds. Ookla's Speedtest app showed me an average of 2.71Mbps down and 1.0Mbps up. It took an average of 2 minutes and 51 seconds to download the 32.41MB game Temple Run 2.
LG Optimus G Pro Performance testing
Average 3G download speed 2.71Mpbs
Average 3G upload speed 1.0Mbps
App download (Temple Run 2) 32.41MB in 2 minutes and 51 seconds
mobile site load 12 seconds
desktop site load 24 seconds
Restart time 37 seconds
Camera boot time 1.78 seconds
The device is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, and it's one of the first to run a Snapdragon 600 processor. I can attest that it's incredibly fast -- small tasks like quitting to the home screen, browsing through the app drawer, pinch zooming, and scrolling through text were all executed without hesitation. And more complicated tasks were done just as smoothly. On average, it took just 1.78 seconds to launch the camera and 37 seconds to restart the phone altogether. During my time playing the graphics-intensive game Riptide GP, there was no stuttering or unexpected shutdowns with the app. Graphics ran swiftly, with a high frame rate, and the phone was responsive to my slight movements.
During our battery drain test for the 3,140mAh battery, the handset lasted 7.15 hours for video playback and a whopping 22.37 hours for talk-time. Needless to say that anecdotally, it had a solid battery life. Standby time lasted for a couple of days, and the phone can survive a whole day, or at least a good portion of it, with high use.
Conclusion
Although the Optimus G Pro is a blatant manifestation of LG knocking on Samsung's Note door, the handset is still an excellent standalone device. Its 1.7GHz quad-core CPU keeps it running smoothly and swiftly, and the 1080p screen is nothing short of impressive.
But while I'm a fan of the handset, I remain cautious of its potential if and when it comes to the U.S. What's the point of giving consumers a great 5.5-inch display if you also don't give them a stylus as well? LG provided one with its Optimus Vu, so it makes it that much more odd that the Optimus G Pro doesn't get similar treatment.
True, lacking a stylus isn't a deal breaker. Not everybody uses one, and the phone doesn't come packed with a bunch of productivity apps that take full advantage of a stylus, save for QuickMemo. But considering the fact that its obvious rival, the Note 2, has one, I find it difficult to imagine a user choosing the Pro in lieu of the Note 2 given this notable oversight..
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