G2: Good, Bad and Ugly

[blazin247]

The ugly seems to be the software side of this phone. The in depth hands on review I read made it sound like the software kills any hardware advantage. I wish there was a way to get stock on this with Verizon, otherwise I'm scared away. Judge for yourself below:

LG G2 Hands On: Killer Hardware, Software Dead on Arrival

Compare the Gizmodo video to the G2 hands-on video that Phil Nickelson did. I feel like Gizmodo is staffed by a bunch of 8th grade writers who aspire to be tech journalists once they hit puberty, which is probably why I get my reviews from Phil, Jerry, and company here. Even if I don't always agree with them, they well written, researched, objective, and they don't try to mash icons while clearly on a demo unit. The part of the Gizmodo video where he knocks on it like it's a door was pretty funny, though.

 

[Snareman]

I was set on the Maxx until I saw this today. However I am still 'concerned' about the battery life. Not sure if concerned is really the right word there, but coming from my RMHD with its 3300mAh battery that Moto rates at 32h. LG is only rating the G2 at 28.8h (1.2 days they say) and the Maxx is rated at a whopping 48h. It looks like a super sexy phone and I love the white. I just want to see how long that battery lasts in real life compared to my RMHD as I told myself I'd never go with a smaller battery after this and was looking forward to the supercharged 48h Maxx battery.

The G2 is even larger than the Maxx though, which is larger enough than my current RMHD. At some point they are just too big. I'll have to see this first hand in the hand so to speak. I love the edge to edge screen along with its resolution and the rear buttons are intriguing.

I just hope it doesn't take forever to come out as I was planning on having a new phone on August 20th with the Maxx.

 

[JHBThree]

Compare the Gizmodo video to the G2 hands-on video that Phil Nickelson did. I feel like Gizmodo is staffed by a bunch of 8th grade writers who aspire to be tech journalists once they hit puberty, which is probably why I get my reviews from Phil, Jerry, and company here. Even if I don't always agree with them, they well written, researched, objective, and they don't try to mash icons while clearly on a demo unit. The part of the Gizmodo video where he knocks on it like it's a door was pretty funny, though.

I agree. I don't find LG's software nearly as objectionable as Samsung's, because they allow much more customization. (Like the soft keys, and individual app icons)

Plus, gizmodos hands on just has some flat out wrong information in it that is hard to ignore. (Like display brightness) Its pretty much impossible to take anything gizmodo posts seriously these days. I stopped reading them regularly about a year ago.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dirty-Bird]

Correct me if I'm wrong. NOVA (or any launcher) will solve the problem of a UI that is visually unappealing. Won't the actual software still bog down the system since it is technically being used, even if it's in the background? A GP edition might make me pull the trigger, but I am already impressed. Will try GP Music to get over the music thing. By the way music on device vs streaming in High Quality. Big difference in SQ? Also anybody have experience with putting any downloaded music on GP Music and having it rejected?

 

[Marcin Wojcik]

NFC?? Is it there, can find any info about it....

 

[RenoD2010]

NFC?? Is it there, can find any info about it....

I'm pretty sure it is. My LGOG has NFC. I can't see why its follow up would not have it as well.

From my LG Optimus G E970 using AC Forums mobile app.

 

[benhmadison]

True. Apparently their research is telling them that 16GB (10 usable) is plenty for the average person. I think it's self fulfilling for the reason you stated, + they tend to release the 16GB 1st and follow up later (maybe) with larger versions... but even the iPhone sells tons of 16GB devices relative to the 32GB and 64GB versions. Like it or no, people are going to either start figuring out a way to proactively use the cloud to their benefit or to be much more intensional about their syncing habits in an offline/wired capacity. That or start convincing friends/family to hold out for the devices that play to their wants, rather than jumping on the first thing offered and to communicate those reasons to OEMs and carriers.

I think you hit the nail on the head. For 90 percent of non tech enthusiasts (which whether us tech enthusiasts like to admit it or not is why these devices are even made), 16GB of internal storage with no sd slot is more than enough space. I just wiped my wife's iPhone 4 to sell (finally got her to join the dark side) and it still had over 8 out of the 16GB of memory available. She is what I would consider to be a normal user. Pictures, a couple of hundred songs, and some apps. Unfortunately as stated, those that need more storage just have to condense what they carry on their device because for most users 16GB is more than enough.

 

[dreivolution]

-I really like the screen!
-The thin bezel is awesome.
-Button placement, I don't really mind. but as pointed out, it might be a bit awkward for some (including myself perhaps.)
-No SD card is okay so long as the OS doesn't take up like half the on-board storage.
I am really hoping that this would be the new Nexus 5 (or maybe a google edition phone, unfortunately we can't get em in New Zealand)

I've been wanting to upgrade my phone for at least 2 years now, so I will be waiting for upcoming reviews on this badboy!

 

[RoachForLife]

Im sure Im the minority here but I really wanted Qi Wireless Charging. I want this to take off so all devices have it. I have my S3 using a Palm Touchstone now and for $20 it was one of the best investments Ive made. Especially when I jump into bed with the lights off and dont have to wake my gf. Happy wife, happy life...

 

[Robbzilla]

Sorry anyone who writes off an entire phone's feature set just because of SD cards should write link bait articles for sites like Forbes. SMH.

Yeah... because not having enough storage is such a non-issue.

 

[ChuckG73]

Watching the hands on with Phil, the screen UI I thought was very atrocious and the phone looks too big to be useful with one hand operation. The specs win the spec war for the most par, but the more I see this phone and its ugly UI and buttons on the rear the more I want the Moto X.

 

[Paul627g]

Watching the hands on with Phil, the screen UI I thought was very atrocious and the phone looks too big to be useful with one hand operation. The specs win the spec war for the most par, but the more I see this phone and its ugly UI and buttons on the rear the more I want the Moto X.

I agree with your comments here concerning the UI being too busy or cluttered. As Phil mentioned when he pulled down the notifications it was WAY busy with options/settings. That is cool for some but I can see where moving your finger a little in the wrong direction can cause a mess of changes. Maybe there will be some ways to clean it up/eliminate some of those options that Phil didn't go into detail on in that initial teaser hands on.

 

[srkmagnus]

Correct me if I'm wrong. NOVA (or any launcher) will solve the problem of a UI that is visually unappealing. Won't the actual software still bog down the system since it is technically being used, even if it's in the background?

Not necessarily. In fact, the UI could appear to be more fluid with NOVA (or any other launcher) as opposed to the stock launcher.

 

[Haalcyon]

I agree with your comments here concerning the UI being too busy or cluttered. As Phil mentioned when he pulled down the notifications it was WAY busy with options/settings. That is cool for some but I can see where moving your finger a little in the wrong direction can cause a mess of changes. Maybe there will be some ways to clean it up/eliminate some of those options that Phil didn't go into detail on in that initial teaser hands on.

Isn't the UI replaceable with a different launcher since it's Android? For those with smallish hands, can't they use thier other hand, as well, if they feel that the phone is too big for one-handed operation? Choices...this phone is just another one.

Sent from my Eclipsed S4

 

[Paul627g]

I'm still thinking one of the 4 US carriers is going to get some sort of exclusive on a 64 GB model or it will become a later date release.

Among the staff @ AC we all agree 16 gb shouldn't even be on the radar for ANY high end device today. 32 gb should be the minimum standard with 64 gb as your optional bump in specs.

 

[Paul627g]

Isn't the UI replaceable with a different launcher since it's Android? For those with smallish hands, can't they use thier other hand, as well, if they feel that the phone is too big for one-handed operation? Choices...this phone is just another one.

Sent from my Eclipsed S4

Yes using a 3rd party launcher will clean up some of the UI but its still nested in there even if its not on screen. I think the biggest scare is what Phil showed in the notifications pulldown seeing all those settings/toggles. I'm HOPING that LG put in some options to clean that area up.

I know if LG didn't the custom ROM devs will be all over cleaning that up. Strange part is its really not a big deal to code in there to literally switch on and off certain pieces of that area but OEM's don't always look at things the same way as the custom ROM devs do

 

[ChuckG73]

Isn't the UI replaceable with a different launcher since it's Android? For those with smallish hands, can't they use thier other hand, as well, if they feel that the phone is too big for one-handed operation? Choices...this phone is just another one.

Sent from my Eclipsed S4

I keep reading this. Just swap out using Nova. Why do I want to pay for a phone that I have to change the UI to make it less ugly. Also when you use NOVA doesn't the original UI still run in the backround?

 

[Paul627g]

I keep reading this. Just swap out using Nova. Why do I want to pay for a phone that I have to change the UI to make it less ugly. Also when you use NOVA doesn't the original UI still run in the backround?

Again I agree with you on the replacing the ugly part. Same time too, many folks have moved to using a 3rd party launcher simply for the reason that they offer much more customization that even the best of OEM UI's don't.. Sense 5, TW, etc...

Really I don't see any 3rd party launcher doing too much house cleaning on the setup. Launchers only affect the homescreen/dock/app drawer and the associated features.

 

[The_Engine]

My question here is how good is LG for Rooting and ROMing?

To me the specs are solid for "Future proofing". I love that they dropped a 3000 mah battery here. That's the key to make this more competitive to the Moto X or Droid Maxx for me. My concerns for the X are the lesser powerful specs. I get what Moto is doing there, and actually like their mindset about UX and not Specs. But Moto is locked down so tight. While I would like to not bother about Rooting, I know that a year or more into owning the device, I will want to update to something and not wait for OEM/Carrier.

 

[fightcrazy]

So it's now officially announced what do you feel are the Goog, Bad and Ugly aspects of the phone.

Good: Processor, internal storage 16/32GB options (I would get no less than 32GB), nearly zero bezel, super bright display and battery drain reduced by over 26% with new display tech
Bad: No microSDXC slot, (WTF 16/32GB is NOT enough) and no removable battery. (Although they did give us 3000mAh battery inside)
Ugly: It really is a sexy phone, the buttons are not something everyone is going to like so they could fall under ugly but I think they will do just fine.

Question is will this be the Nexus 5 and if so why not just wait for that to arrive or will it not arrive with LTE again?

Was hoping this came with the sd-card support. I like to keep certain files, movies and music on my sd-card. The 32gb version after the 8+gb OS is on it you are left with a little over 23mb of internal memory. The 16 gb model over 8gb is sucked up by the OS. I say it all the time. A 32gb model needs sd-card support, if you are lucky enough to have a 64gb model then sd-card is not needed. Anything less sd-card support is a must have. As far as we know the LG G2 doesn't have a 64gb version, that just sucks. I just don't understand the thinking of the manufacturers, maybe it will take the websites to start voicing this opinion to the manufacturers instead of just smiling at them and going along with it. I would blast them for the total lack of int storage space. So sick of hearing the writers talk about the cloud. Nexus brainwashed knuckleheads IMO. Start selling these new phones like Apple does, all storage models to all Carriers at once.