LG G Pro 2: The dark horse

LG's latest smartphone has all the right ingredients to give a tough challenge to its peers

We belong to that age when major mobile-makers are bringing out their big guns every season. Samsung and HTC have already launched their biggies and Apple is ready to announce the release of the iPhone 6. Not the one to stay away from the race of flagship models, LG has gone all out with its best smartphone till date, the LG G Pro 2. With a superb camera and superfast processor, the device can throw an open challenge to the S5 and One M8. But, is it really worth dishing out a little over fifty grand? Let's find out.

Design & display

At 5.9 inches, the device comes across as a little too big for single-handed operation. However, a big screen means sharper resolution and rich colour pallet. The minimalistic design has no buttons on the side, top or bottom. The power/lock button and the volume rocker is placed below the rear view camera, which makes up for much easier handling of the device.

The glass display dons a sturdy Corning Gorilla Glass, which gives the phone a solid feel. However, at this age of full metal bodies, the gritty plastic back cover does dampen the spirit.

Smart specs
LG G Pro 2 is powered by the industry-best Qualcomm snapdragon processor. Throw in a 2.26-Ghz quad core processor, 3 GB LPDDR3 RAM, 16/32 GB of inbuilt storage and you have a smartphone that puts up a performance at par with HTC One M8 and better than many other phones in the market at present. The phone runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Special features
The quick launch feature is fast, simple and practical. Simply press and hold the 'back' button (on the left of the home button) and a quick launch tray would appear on the screen. You can drag your desired app out on to the screen and voila, the app is launched. If you press on the 'back' button and drag your finger upwards, you will activate the assistance wheel, through which you can access Voice Mate, Google or Quick Memo.

Voice Mate is LG's version of Siri. It's a virtual assistant that would do whatever you ask for, from setting alarms to making phone calls. The Quick Memo turns your phone screen into a giant note pad. The Quick Memo backgrounds look beautiful and the virtual handwriting responds fast.

Pull down the notification window and you will come across the QSlide panel. It helps you multitask while viewing an app in a small window on your screen.

LG G Pro 2 is fitted with an Infrared emitter on the top, which turns your phone into a universal remote. With the inbuilt Quick Remote app, you can control your television, set top box, air conditioner, DVD or Blu-ray players and more. The interface is kept simple and easy to use.

Knock to unlock
LG has put in its premium knock code facility into the G Pro 2. It allows the user to lock his phone by any desired knocking pattern.

Multimedia
The device comes bundled with a pair of Quadbeat 2 headphones, which provides clear acoustics at 192 KHz. The headphones fit snugly into your ears and might remind you of HTC Beats headphones, in terms of design and performance. Quadbeat 2 delivers crystal clear sound at the lowest bass and the highest treble.

G Pro 2 boasts of inbuilt 1 watt speakers, but, they fall flat as the sound starts getting distorted at high pitches.

HD videos play seamlessly. Games show no sign of lags and run smoothly.

Camera
As mentioned earlier, the G Pro 2 has a 13 MP rear camera and a 2.1 MP front camera. The camera user interface is simple, perfect for first time shutterbugs. The fun dual camera that turns on both the front and rear camera at the same time could provide a lot of fun memories to capture. Video can be recorded on full HD, at 30 fps.

Verdict
Overall, LG G Pro 2 is here to give solid competition to other premier smartphones this year. With just the right specs and apps, this phone is clearly a winner. However, it must be mentioned that G Pro 2's features marginally outshine other phones in the same range, with the Samsung S5 and HTC One M8 offering a similar experience. But if you are looking for a powerful and big-screen phone with multiple fun features, I would definitely place my bets on the LG G Pro 2, the dark horse.