LG G2 - Conquering the Galaxy

I finally got a good look at the LG G2 tonight, and my first thought was "I hope they made nice cases for these things." The LG G2 did not impress me when I saw pictures posted online, and meeting it face to face, did not change my impression of it. The back buttons will take some getting used to.

But priced at Php27,490, it is a really good deal. It undercuts the price of the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and the iPhone 5 by a fair margin and is equipped with a more powerful processor. Yes, technology moves on that fast, and the Qualcomm S600's in the Galaxy S4 and HTC One are no match for the Qualcomm S800 in the LG G2. Comparing it to the other Qualcomm S800 equipped handset in the country, the Php27,490 retail price of the LG G2 is much more inviting than the Php36,990 asking price for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

The LG G2 has a massive 5.2-inch display and at 70.9 mm wide, it is one big handset. Still, if an Xperia Z fits comfortably enough in your hand, the LG G2 will suit you just fine. The Full HD display is amazing to look at and the thin bezel surrounding it is almost non-existent. I did not get to keep camera samples and it is hard to gauge picture quality in how they look on a 5-inch screen, but by all accounts it is good. What is really nice about the 13 MP shooter on the LG G2 is that is has Optical Image Stabilization. I suspect in 2014, all flagship handsets will have OIS, but for now it is a select few, being limited to the HTC One and several Nokia Lumia handsets.

We lucked out with the version we got here. It comes with 32 GB storage, of which around 25 GB is available to the user. The phone does not have a MicroSD card slot, but it does support USB on-the-go, which might make up for that to some extent.

The LG G2 also come with a sizable 3000 mAh battery. In GSMArena's tests, the LG G2, overall beats the Samsung Galaxy S4 in terms of battery life, and is far ahead of the HTC One and iPhone 5. It is not the prettiest phone around, but in terms of specifications and value for money it looks like the top handset now available in the Philippines.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 5.2-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) IPS display
• 32 GB internal storage, not expandable 
• 2 GB RAM
• 2.3 GHz quad core Qualcomm S800 processor
• Adreno 330 graphics
• 13 MP autofocus primary camera with OIS and LED Flash
• 2,1 MP front camera
• LTE/HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• USB on-the-go
• A-GPS
• 3000 mAh battery