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LG G2: Can it beat the Moto X and Galaxy S4?

August 20, 2013 08:37 IST
LG G2

Recently, South Korean mobile company LG unveiled its latest smartphone G2. A sneak peek into how it stacks up against the competition from Samsung, Apple and Nokia.

1. Design and UI

Before joining the smartphone race LG took special care to make its product extra slim and light which is one of the deciding factors consumer these days look at before buying a smartphone.

LG G2's main cosmetic change is that it hosts the volume and the power button at its rear, just below the camera lens. This change allowed the company to bring the screen closer to the chassis, thus giving it a wider, smarter look.

This can be an applaudable feature for many while some may take a little time adapting to this design change.

Home and Menu buttons are placed on the screen in digital form rather than providing physical buttons on the body. Further, the details in the UI are also very much appreciated. The LG G2 comes with smart covers in seven different colours that offer many small phone modes to control music, photos, clock, etc., on the go.

The only downside of its design is that the headphone port is embedded at the bottom of the phone which may create a little fuss while handling.

LG G2: Can it beat the Moto X and Galaxy S4?

August 20, 2013 08:37 IST
LG G2

2. Display

It features a 5.2-inch, 1080p IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 423 pixels per inch.

Such a screen provides a crystal clear on screen view and fills you with an immense satisfaction when you are watching videos, playing games or reading text.

Best part is that you can use the display with your gloves on and in addition, it also implements the dual-routing touch-sensor technology which makes it it stand apart from competing models from Samsung, Apple and Nokia.

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LG G2: Can it beat the Moto X and Galaxy S4?

August 20, 2013 08:37 IST
LG G2

3. Features and software

Like Moto X and Galaxy S4, it also features Android 4.2.2 and you can find some very interesting UI and gesture controls in your Google apps.

Slide Aside allows you to access the three most recently checked applications; Clip Tray saves blocks of text for you so that you can use them later; if you want to get out of the sleep mode, just double-tap the touch screen; to lock the screen and go back to sleep mode, just tap the screen; to launch the camera, press the volume-down button for long; and if you want to open the LG's note-taking app hold the volume-up button.

G2's Answer Me functions lowers the volume of the incoming call when it senses that the mobile has been picked up and it automatically answers the call once you hold it against your face; it also hosts a remote via an IR blaster to control devices like TVs and the Quick Remote app, further, helps you control any gadget, provided its associated remote is in reach and the last major feature introduced is the Guest Mode, a privacy protection setting which locks down all the sensitive apps and other areas of phone so that your software and other crucial data are safe when a guest unlocks the phone by drawing some different pattern.

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LG G2: Can it beat the Moto X and Galaxy S4?

August 20, 2013 08:37 IST
LG G2

4. Camera

The LG G2 features 13-megapixel camera debuted with Sprint's G Pro and allows you to take sharp, crisp, colourful and life-like pictures.

Some camera functions provided are OIS (optical image stabilisation), a digital zoom up to 8x, dual front and back camera modes for videos and stills, and some of the very commonly used shooting modes like panorama, beauty-shot mode, burst mode, etc.

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LG G2: Can it beat the Moto X and Galaxy S4?

August 20, 2013 08:37 IST
LG G2

5. Storage

LG will release this model in two variants, one with 16GB of memory and other with 32GB of memory. There is no microSD card slot provided, this means that you cannot increase the storage capacity and if you are a memory hound then that could put you in a fix.

This may be another disappointing fact for the buyers. So, choose your variant carefully.

Both the variants are packed with 2GB of RAM and a dedicated memory for handling graphics chores. This is the best figure provided by LG for their gaming fans.

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LG G2: Can it beat the Moto X and Galaxy S4?

August 20, 2013 08:37 IST

6. Performance

Certainly, this mobile performs like a beast with its QualComm's lightning-quick Snapdragon 800 processor which clocks 2.26GHz. With so much speed, you will see the home screen opening in a blink of an eye and the menus shifting with extra smoothness.

Once you experience this, you will come back again to re-experience it.

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LG G2: Can it beat the Moto X and Galaxy S4?

August 20, 2013 08:37 IST
LG G2

7. Comparison with Moto X and Samsung Galaxy S4

LG G2 looks wider and slimmer than the other two.

With its Snapdragon 800 processor, LG G2 gives a CPU speed of 2.26GHz whereas Moto X and Samsung S4 provide a CPU speed of 1.7GHz and 1.9GHz, respectively.

In fact, Moto X is dual-core as opposed to LG G2 and Samsung S4. The screen resolution provided by LG G2 is higher than Moto X but is comparable with that of Samsung Galaxy S4.

The LG G2 even promises to offer a higher and powerful battery of 3000mAh in comparison to 2200mAh of Moto X and 2600mAh of Samsung Galaxy S4.

Moto X offers a 10MP camera which is lesser than the other two, that is, 13MP but the camera functions launched are unique in the smartphone market. Samsung Galaxy S4 also gets a little edge as it provides microSD to expand the memory storage.

Now, if you think 'Which model to pick?', we would suggest you go with your needs. Each phone has one or two unique features and it all depends on the features you are looking for.

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Are you a gadget/gaming wizard/afficianado? Would you like to write on gadgets, gaming, the Internet, software technologies, OSs and the works for us? Send us a sample of your writing to gadgetsandgaming@rediffmail.com with the subject as 'I'm a tech wizard/afficianado' and we will get in touch with you.