LG Optimus G Pro review
Almost five months after launching the phone globally, LG has finally brought the Optimus G Pro to the Indian shores. Successor to the LG Optimus G, the phone is not just an incremental upgrade and brings with it a new design, a large 5.5-inch screen and upgraded hardware.
While there are a number of phones that feature 5.5-inch or plus screens, the Optimus G Pro is among the first to feature a full-HD display. We try to find out if the phone meets all the expectations.
Build/ Design
With a 5.5-inch screen, the LG Optimus G Pro enters the phablet territory. However, when compared to a phone like the Samsung Galaxy Note II, it looks and feels more like a big smartphone, predominantly due to its less wider frame. Still, it's not a phone that would fit comfortably in your pocket. The phone is available in White and Black colour variants and we received the Black one as our review unit.
The front of the phone, made of glass, is mainly dominated by its 5.5-inch HD display. The bezel on the sides of the screen is extremely narrow, though if you notice carefully it still has a small black border surrounding it. The front glass doesn't meet the edges directly but curves and bevels before it reaches there.
There's a physical Home button and two capacitive touch buttons for Back and Menu functions just below the display. The Home button does't protrude out much, unlike Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Note II phones, and is almost flush with the phone. We had a hard time using the button as it's too small in height. It does light up in different colours to alert you whenever there's a notification, though.
The 2.1-megapixel front facing camera and the sensor array sit a hove the display along with an earpiece grill.
The Power/ Screen-lock button is located at the right hand side of the phone, while a customisable 'Quick' key and the Volume rocker key are placed at the left hand side. We found the placement of the keys a bit awkward. For a phone this big, we wish the Power button could have been placed a little lower. Also, we ended up pressing the Quick shortcut button instead of the Volume rocker on several occasions.
The 3.5mm headset jack, Infrared Blaster and a secondary microphone sit at the top. The Micro-USB port and the microphone are located at the bottom.
An aluminium frame runs through the phone separating the back and front panels. The frame is visible as a thin line at the left and right sides, but widens at the top and bottom.
Unlike the LG Optimus G, the Optimus G Pro has a removable back panel which covers the back of the phone and is not boxy, but curved along the edges. Made of plastic, it can be easily removed through a small gap at the right side of the phone. The back has a glossy finish but features a glass weave checkered pattern similar to the one seen in the Nexus 4. However, the cover is prone to smudges and is a little slippery and doesn't provide a good grip.
The 13-megapixel camera lens, the LED flash and a tiny round speaker outlet are located towards the upper part of the back. The lens is surrounded by a raised, almost circular, enclosure which is also visible.
Removing the back cover, you'd see the battery compartment, with the Micro-SIM and microSD card slots located just below it. While you can replace the microSD card on the fly, you'll need to remove the battery if you want to insert or remove the Micro-SIM.
Overall, the phone feels solid without giving an impression of being bulky but we wish it could offer a better grip, especially when it's as big as it is.
Display
The LG Optimus G Pro features a 5.5-inch IPS Plus LCD screen with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. It is one of the few full-HD 5.5-inch phones available in the market (the other one being Lenovo K900), at this point in time. It comes with Corning 's Gorilla Glass 2 protection making it resistant to scratches.
The Optimus G pro's screen looks gorgeous with text and images looking crisp and sharp. Colours look vibrant and brightness was optimum. Viewing angles were also good, though we found the screen to be pretty reflective especially when used outdoors in bright sunlight. Having said that, we didn't experience problems reading text under sunlight.
Since the phone's screen is large, the pixel density is a little less compared to phones like the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4, even though the Optimus G Pro has a full-HD display. This means there are less pixels per inch but you are unlikely to notice the difference.
Software/ User Interface
The LG Optimus G Pro runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, which is a disappointment as even some budget phones are now shipping with Android 4.2. LG has added its own Optimus UI layer on top, majorly changing the look and feel of the interface and enabling users to customise the phone according to their liking.
LG also adds several tweaks including Smart Screen that keeps the screen on if the phone detects the user's eyes looking at it - a feature we first saw in the Samsung Galaxy S III. It also adds Smart Video, automatically pausing videos when you look away.
LG also allows users to choose the phone's default font and font size, change how long the capacitive keys backlight stays on, choose the LED light on the Home button to glow with different alerts and correct the aspect ratio of downloaded apps.
You can select from 4 different visual themes, each with a different icon set, home screen wallpaper and app drawer background. You can have up to 7 screens that can be populated with widgets and app shortcuts. LG even allows you to choose between various animation effects when you swipe from one home screen to another or when you unlock the phone.
We're glad that LG has placed the Back button on the left side in line with the Nexus phones. The Home button doubles up as the task switcher on long press. The contextual Menu button offers various settings when pressed in the home screen mode.
LG has also skinned the notification tray including toggles for various settings including for sound, data, NFC, Quick remote, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Hotspot among others. It also features shortcuts for invoking QSlide apps, and a control for changing screen brightness.
As we mentioned, the phone comes with a 5.5-inch display, and LG has included some additional features to make use of the screen real estate. There are special apps that LG likes to call QSlide apps. These include a web browser, Memo pad, Calendar, Calculator and a Video player. Users can run two of these QSlide apps simultaneously and there's a slider that allows you to focus on one of them. This is similar to what Samsung introduced with some of its devices including the Galaxy Note II.
LG also offers a QuickMemo app that lets users scribble notes on a blank page or on top of a screen shot. The app also has an overlay mode allowing you to take notes while running another app. We're not sure if people with big hands will find it useful as LG doesn't offer a Stylus with the phone.
The phone includes additional ones for Backup, File Manager, File sharing, a Dictionary, a Memo app, a Notebook app, Polaris Office 4, a Quick Translator app, LG's service related apps, LG's own app store (SmartWorld), a Task Manager, and apps for video editing. The phone also allows streaming content to other devices via the DLNA protocol in addition to offering wireless screen mirroring via Miracast to compatible devices.
LG has customised nearly all stock-apps including the Gallery and Music apps, adding more functionality in addition to just bringing eye candy. Even the system settings menus have been skinned and are pleasant to look at.
Price: Rs. 42,500
Pros
Cons
Ratings (Out of 5)
Almost five months after launching the phone globally, LG has finally brought the Optimus G Pro to the Indian shores. Successor to the LG Optimus G, the phone is not just an incremental upgrade and brings with it a new design, a large 5.5-inch screen and upgraded hardware.
While there are a number of phones that feature 5.5-inch or plus screens, the Optimus G Pro is among the first to feature a full-HD display. We try to find out if the phone meets all the expectations.
Build/ Design
With a 5.5-inch screen, the LG Optimus G Pro enters the phablet territory. However, when compared to a phone like the Samsung Galaxy Note II, it looks and feels more like a big smartphone, predominantly due to its less wider frame. Still, it's not a phone that would fit comfortably in your pocket. The phone is available in White and Black colour variants and we received the Black one as our review unit.
The front of the phone, made of glass, is mainly dominated by its 5.5-inch HD display. The bezel on the sides of the screen is extremely narrow, though if you notice carefully it still has a small black border surrounding it. The front glass doesn't meet the edges directly but curves and bevels before it reaches there.
There's a physical Home button and two capacitive touch buttons for Back and Menu functions just below the display. The Home button does't protrude out much, unlike Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Note II phones, and is almost flush with the phone. We had a hard time using the button as it's too small in height. It does light up in different colours to alert you whenever there's a notification, though.
The 2.1-megapixel front facing camera and the sensor array sit a hove the display along with an earpiece grill.
The Power/ Screen-lock button is located at the right hand side of the phone, while a customisable 'Quick' key and the Volume rocker key are placed at the left hand side. We found the placement of the keys a bit awkward. For a phone this big, we wish the Power button could have been placed a little lower. Also, we ended up pressing the Quick shortcut button instead of the Volume rocker on several occasions.
The 3.5mm headset jack, Infrared Blaster and a secondary microphone sit at the top. The Micro-USB port and the microphone are located at the bottom.
An aluminium frame runs through the phone separating the back and front panels. The frame is visible as a thin line at the left and right sides, but widens at the top and bottom.
Unlike the LG Optimus G, the Optimus G Pro has a removable back panel which covers the back of the phone and is not boxy, but curved along the edges. Made of plastic, it can be easily removed through a small gap at the right side of the phone. The back has a glossy finish but features a glass weave checkered pattern similar to the one seen in the Nexus 4. However, the cover is prone to smudges and is a little slippery and doesn't provide a good grip.
The 13-megapixel camera lens, the LED flash and a tiny round speaker outlet are located towards the upper part of the back. The lens is surrounded by a raised, almost circular, enclosure which is also visible.
Removing the back cover, you'd see the battery compartment, with the Micro-SIM and microSD card slots located just below it. While you can replace the microSD card on the fly, you'll need to remove the battery if you want to insert or remove the Micro-SIM.
Overall, the phone feels solid without giving an impression of being bulky but we wish it could offer a better grip, especially when it's as big as it is.
Display
The LG Optimus G Pro features a 5.5-inch IPS Plus LCD screen with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. It is one of the few full-HD 5.5-inch phones available in the market (the other one being Lenovo K900), at this point in time. It comes with Corning 's Gorilla Glass 2 protection making it resistant to scratches.
The Optimus G pro's screen looks gorgeous with text and images looking crisp and sharp. Colours look vibrant and brightness was optimum. Viewing angles were also good, though we found the screen to be pretty reflective especially when used outdoors in bright sunlight. Having said that, we didn't experience problems reading text under sunlight.
Since the phone's screen is large, the pixel density is a little less compared to phones like the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4, even though the Optimus G Pro has a full-HD display. This means there are less pixels per inch but you are unlikely to notice the difference.
Software/ User Interface
The LG Optimus G Pro runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, which is a disappointment as even some budget phones are now shipping with Android 4.2. LG has added its own Optimus UI layer on top, majorly changing the look and feel of the interface and enabling users to customise the phone according to their liking.
LG also adds several tweaks including Smart Screen that keeps the screen on if the phone detects the user's eyes looking at it - a feature we first saw in the Samsung Galaxy S III. It also adds Smart Video, automatically pausing videos when you look away.
LG also allows users to choose the phone's default font and font size, change how long the capacitive keys backlight stays on, choose the LED light on the Home button to glow with different alerts and correct the aspect ratio of downloaded apps.
You can select from 4 different visual themes, each with a different icon set, home screen wallpaper and app drawer background. You can have up to 7 screens that can be populated with widgets and app shortcuts. LG even allows you to choose between various animation effects when you swipe from one home screen to another or when you unlock the phone.
We're glad that LG has placed the Back button on the left side in line with the Nexus phones. The Home button doubles up as the task switcher on long press. The contextual Menu button offers various settings when pressed in the home screen mode.
LG has also skinned the notification tray including toggles for various settings including for sound, data, NFC, Quick remote, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Hotspot among others. It also features shortcuts for invoking QSlide apps, and a control for changing screen brightness.
As we mentioned, the phone comes with a 5.5-inch display, and LG has included some additional features to make use of the screen real estate. There are special apps that LG likes to call QSlide apps. These include a web browser, Memo pad, Calendar, Calculator and a Video player. Users can run two of these QSlide apps simultaneously and there's a slider that allows you to focus on one of them. This is similar to what Samsung introduced with some of its devices including the Galaxy Note II.
LG also offers a QuickMemo app that lets users scribble notes on a blank page or on top of a screen shot. The app also has an overlay mode allowing you to take notes while running another app. We're not sure if people with big hands will find it useful as LG doesn't offer a Stylus with the phone.
The phone includes additional ones for Backup, File Manager, File sharing, a Dictionary, a Memo app, a Notebook app, Polaris Office 4, a Quick Translator app, LG's service related apps, LG's own app store (SmartWorld), a Task Manager, and apps for video editing. The phone also allows streaming content to other devices via the DLNA protocol in addition to offering wireless screen mirroring via Miracast to compatible devices.
LG has customised nearly all stock-apps including the Gallery and Music apps, adding more functionality in addition to just bringing eye candy. Even the system settings menus have been skinned and are pleasant to look at.
Price: Rs. 42,500
Pros
- Good build quality
- Good performance
- Decent battery back-up
Cons
- Camera could have been better
- Price
Ratings (Out of 5)
- Design: 3.5
- Display: 4
- Performance: 4
- Software: 3.5
- Battery Life: 3.5
- Value for Money: 3
- Camera: 3
- Overall: 3.5
No comments:
Post a Comment