Yes, LG still makes smartphones, and not just of the cheap and cheerful variety. Its latest device, the Optimus G, shows the company has its sights set on the luxury end of the market, and on paper at least, it looks like a strong rival to the Samsung Galaxy S III 4G and Apple iPhone 5.
Specs-wise, the Optimus G is more about keeping up with the Joneses. It sports a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 4.7” WXGA (1280 x 768 pixels) True HD IPS+ display. It also boasts LTE 4G compatibility, but LG has yet to confirm whether this will work on any of the Australian 4G networks.
LG seems to have poured more effort into making its software stand out. The Optimus G offers a few unique ‘user experience’ features that set it apart from the rest of the Android throng, such as a ‘QSlide’ function that lets you view two different apps side-by-side, and a ‘Dual Screen Dual Play’ feature that lets you view different screens on your smartphone and TV when the two devices are connected.
We’ll reserve final judgment on the Optimus G’s looks until we get our hands on a review unit, but the clean lines, ‘sparkly’ back (using a polarised pattern that changes under different viewing angles and lighting) and laser-cut metallic highlights look to be a big improvement over the usual bland LG offerings. It’s slightly more compact than its nearest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S III 4G, with a shorter, thinner and narrower footprint that should make it marginally easier to squeeze into your pocket, although it’s also 8g heaver at 145g.
Sadly, you’ll have to wait awhile before you can get your hands on one in Australia. The LG Optimus G goes on sale in Korea from next week, but it isn’t planned for release in Australia until ‘early 2013’.
