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Score: 10/10 (Outstanding)
Pros:Beautiful design, strong build quality, incredible processing power, 13MP camera captures downright gorgeous pictures. | Cons:Glass on back of the phone is a fingerprint magnet, still runs Android 4.0 (update to 4.1 soon though), not everyone will like LG's Optimus 3.0 UI. |
Design/Build Quality
The LG Optimus G is easily has the best design of a smartphone I have tested to date. The Optimus G looks and feels like the premium device it is with it's 4.7-inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and glass backing. The Optimus G is also very slim and lightweight with a width of 2.71" and weighing in at only 5.11 oz. The Optimus G feels downright fantastic in the hand and is one of the most premium feeling handsets I have ever tested. The Optimus G also has a very strong build quality. Corning Gorilla Glass 2 is one of the strongest displays available for smartphones out there. After my 2 weeks with the device, there was little to no visual signs of wear and tare. My only real complaint with the build quality of the Optimus G is the glass backing. While it is extremely durable, it attracts a ton of fingerprints. After cleaning the device with an alcohol wipe, the back was loaded with fingerprint marks within a matter of minutes. Aside from that though, I could not find anything wrong with the design or build quality of the device. The Optimus G is already off to a fantastic start.
Hardware
One of the many highpoints of the Optimus G is it's processing power. Under the hood is a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm SnapDragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM. What does that mean? It means that this thing is a processing beast. The Optimus G will be able to keep up with everything you throw at it, and then some more after that. The Optimus G was able to keep up beautifully with everything I ran on it and, no matter how hard I tried, I could not make the phone slip under pressure.
The Optimus G has a great looking screen
Along with it's incredible processing power, the Optimus G also packs in an equally impressive display. The Optimus G has a True HD IPS screen with a resolution of 1280 x 768 with 318ppi (pixels-per-inch). While it is true that there are smartphones out there with higher resolution displays, the Optimus G still has a gorgeous looking screen. Colors are extremely vibrant, text is easy to read no matter how far your are zoomed in, and everything on it just looks plain great.
When reviewing a phone, it can be hard to overlook how the actual "phone" part of the phone operates. Thankfully, the Optimus G has fantastic call quality. Everyone I talked to said that I sounded great and the same goes for the individuals that I talked to on my end. Sprint does not have the best coverage in the area that I live in, but when I tested the device out in a couple different locations, I received excellent coverage. While the Optimus G is an LTE capable handset, I was only able to receive 3G data speeds. Again, this is due to my location and will vary by the destination of which you live.
There are two version of the Optimus G. The model on AT&T has an 8MP rear-facing camera and the Sprint version has a 13MP rear-facing camera. Wanting to review the absolute best of the two versions, I reviewed the Sprint model. Boy am I glad that I did. The 13MP camera takes downright breathtaking photos. Images are extremely detailed and look great even when zoomed in all the way. The flash also does a great job at providing a good deal of light when needed, but not being too harsh and overpowering. The 13MP shooter is also capable of capturing 1080p full HD video. The videos I recorded with the device turned out great as well and looked just as clear as the still images. Unfortunately, I had to ship out the Optmus G before I was able to upload the photo samples to the written review. Thankfully, you can still view the sample pictures that I took in my video review of the product on our YouTube channel.
The LG Optimus G has a 2,100 mAh battery inside of it's beautifully designed body. With moderate to heavy usage of texting, video streaming, playing games, etc., I was able to get around 11 hours of usage time. By today's smartphone standards, 11 hours of usage is a huge amount of time. During my time of testing the devices, I was actually able to get through two entire days without having to charge the handset. Very impressive if I do say so myself.
Software
One of my very few issues with the Optimus G have to do with it's software. The Optimus G is currently running Android 4.0 ICS. Even though Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is scheduled to hit the Optimus G within the coming months, the handset is still running on the outdated Ice Cream Sandwich. Although features such as Google Now and "Project Butter" are currently not present on the deice, LG's Optimus 3.0 UI provides plenty of additional features to keep you happy with an outdated version of Android.
Optimus 3.0 brings tons of new features
One of my favorite parts of the Optimus 3.0 UI is the ton of customization options that LG makes available to you. From quick access to apps straight from your lock screen, to changing the transition effect when swiping through home screens, to viewing your home screen in a landscape view, and more, LG puts a very strong focus on customization with the Optimus 3.0 UI. While I personally loved all of these added features, many users may feel that LG's UI looks and feels a bit cartoony and childish when compared to stock Android. This is completely true, but it does not affect the overall user experience.
Final Verdict
As you can see, the LG Optimus G is a truly outstanding product. From a beautifully crafted design, unprecedented processing power, long lasting battery life, high quality cameras, and more, the Optimus G packs everything you've ever wanted in an Android handset into one awesome device. If you're looking for a new Android phone and want the best that money can buy, look no further than the Optimus G. While not everyone will be a fan of LG's cartoony Optimus 3.0 UI, you will learn to love it with such a powerful and beautiful device as the LG Optimus G.
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