Hi, I'm a former Nexus 4 owner who recently upgraded to the LG G2. My phone history includes the Razr Maxx, GS3/4/Note2, and as aforementioned the N4.
So as everyone who's coming from or is used to using pure stock android, I was somewhat reluctant to buy this phone because of the reviews regarding the user interface being ugly, bloated, or cartoony (aka TouchWiz like). Well I'm here to say that as a former user and lover of the minimalist stock android experience on the Nexus 4, this is in no way hard to stomach, or even tolerate. In fact, the experience on the LG UI is somewhat pleasant. Let me explain why:
1. Although some of the features of the user experience seems somewhat dated and "heavy," these are more often than not avoidable or hidden for the most part. For example, there are some skeuomorphistic elements to the UI, but mostly just in the menus and stock LG apps. You don't have to view the menu except for the first initial setup (at least for me), and then only occasionally after that.
2. As with any android phone, you can download an alternative launcher (In my case Nova), and try to imitate a vanilla experience from the homescreens. I have this set up and use Jellybean stock icons as a theme set. it's like using a bigger-screened N4.
3. On screen buttons are very reminiscent of stock vanilla experience, albeit the controversial addition of the menu button in place of a tasks option. To be completely honest I was dumbfounded at first but after using the phone (glued to the phone!) for a day i was used to it. In comparison to something like the GS4, or any phone with a physical home button, where you have to long press it in order to launch the recent apps list in which the process is extremely cumbersome, on the G2 we have on screen buttons so it is a more pleasurable experience to hold down for a mere second on the screen for recent apps. In other words, it just feels better than holding down a physical button, and it's not such a bad alternative to having a dedicated recent apps button (although the latter is superior).
4. THE SCREEN. Ok, I want to elaborate on this point a bit. So I'm coming from a generation and then some of Galaxy products, all of which I have tried to imitate a stock android experience by installing Nova launcher, using Google apps, and in the case of a GS4 i owned previous to this actually flashed a 4.2.2 Jellybean AOSP ROM. All the while, it just didn't feel right, and then I came to the realization that it's because it's an amoled screen. I know the Galaxy Nexus was using one as well, but after a year of using the N4, I feel like it really embodies stock vanilla experience better than amoled. Well, what I'm saying is that even though the G2 doesn't run stock android, it's TOLERABLE experience using the stock G2 ROM. Using the ghosting blacks, yellowish whites, and extremely cartoonish colors (exacerbated by TouchWiz!) on Galaxy products, this screen is a breath of fresh air and is basically an upgrage to the N4 screen, which also had a very respectable screen.
Basically, coming from pure vanilla android, there isn't much difference or disparity between this and the G2. At least, I find that it's a pleasant experience.
Also, the battery life on this phone is simply incredible. That is enough to say, but to elaborate a bit: on the first day I owned the G2, right out of the box I got 6 hours of screen on time with 8 hours of use. Today, I'm at 13 hours of usage with 4 hours of screen on time. Coming from a N4, this is exponentially better. I feel like this in itself is worth a compromise, if you consider it a compromise, to buy the G2 instead of the N5, which is all but confirmed to have an inferior 2300 mAh battery.
The camera is exceptionally amazing. On par with every high end smartphone camera, and then some.
If anyone has any questions feel free to ask, I highly recommend the G2 to anyone interested in upgrading to a new phone and not interested in the next Nexus.
(As a side note, I don't see what exactly is so similar between this phone and the N5, other than the 1080 P screen [which every phone basically has nowadays], and the processor [which I assume many future phones may adopt]).
So as everyone who's coming from or is used to using pure stock android, I was somewhat reluctant to buy this phone because of the reviews regarding the user interface being ugly, bloated, or cartoony (aka TouchWiz like). Well I'm here to say that as a former user and lover of the minimalist stock android experience on the Nexus 4, this is in no way hard to stomach, or even tolerate. In fact, the experience on the LG UI is somewhat pleasant. Let me explain why:
1. Although some of the features of the user experience seems somewhat dated and "heavy," these are more often than not avoidable or hidden for the most part. For example, there are some skeuomorphistic elements to the UI, but mostly just in the menus and stock LG apps. You don't have to view the menu except for the first initial setup (at least for me), and then only occasionally after that.
2. As with any android phone, you can download an alternative launcher (In my case Nova), and try to imitate a vanilla experience from the homescreens. I have this set up and use Jellybean stock icons as a theme set. it's like using a bigger-screened N4.
3. On screen buttons are very reminiscent of stock vanilla experience, albeit the controversial addition of the menu button in place of a tasks option. To be completely honest I was dumbfounded at first but after using the phone (glued to the phone!) for a day i was used to it. In comparison to something like the GS4, or any phone with a physical home button, where you have to long press it in order to launch the recent apps list in which the process is extremely cumbersome, on the G2 we have on screen buttons so it is a more pleasurable experience to hold down for a mere second on the screen for recent apps. In other words, it just feels better than holding down a physical button, and it's not such a bad alternative to having a dedicated recent apps button (although the latter is superior).
4. THE SCREEN. Ok, I want to elaborate on this point a bit. So I'm coming from a generation and then some of Galaxy products, all of which I have tried to imitate a stock android experience by installing Nova launcher, using Google apps, and in the case of a GS4 i owned previous to this actually flashed a 4.2.2 Jellybean AOSP ROM. All the while, it just didn't feel right, and then I came to the realization that it's because it's an amoled screen. I know the Galaxy Nexus was using one as well, but after a year of using the N4, I feel like it really embodies stock vanilla experience better than amoled. Well, what I'm saying is that even though the G2 doesn't run stock android, it's TOLERABLE experience using the stock G2 ROM. Using the ghosting blacks, yellowish whites, and extremely cartoonish colors (exacerbated by TouchWiz!) on Galaxy products, this screen is a breath of fresh air and is basically an upgrage to the N4 screen, which also had a very respectable screen.
Basically, coming from pure vanilla android, there isn't much difference or disparity between this and the G2. At least, I find that it's a pleasant experience.
Also, the battery life on this phone is simply incredible. That is enough to say, but to elaborate a bit: on the first day I owned the G2, right out of the box I got 6 hours of screen on time with 8 hours of use. Today, I'm at 13 hours of usage with 4 hours of screen on time. Coming from a N4, this is exponentially better. I feel like this in itself is worth a compromise, if you consider it a compromise, to buy the G2 instead of the N5, which is all but confirmed to have an inferior 2300 mAh battery.
The camera is exceptionally amazing. On par with every high end smartphone camera, and then some.
If anyone has any questions feel free to ask, I highly recommend the G2 to anyone interested in upgrading to a new phone and not interested in the next Nexus.
(As a side note, I don't see what exactly is so similar between this phone and the N5, other than the 1080 P screen [which every phone basically has nowadays], and the processor [which I assume many future phones may adopt]).
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