The morning of Friday, February 27th saw LG Electronics launch two new handsets in Cape Town, South Africa: The high-end G Flex 2, and the budget-conscious C50.
Hosted at the One & Only, in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, LG punted the G Flex 2 under the auspices of the device’s newer form factor. Harking from both the design language inaugurated with the flagship G3 handset and the original G Flex, the G Flex 2 is an impressive specimen of a smartphone.
The event began with a short ferry-ride around the waterfront canals, with some camera practice. The G Flex 2’s 13 megapixel camera was highly impressive, managing to capture bokeh (a photographic term for blurred-out background light) at the lowest aperture.
Journalists proceeded onwards to a helicopter tour over the Cape Peninsula, where they were encouraged to use the G Flex 2 to capture the city’s curvaceous coast, as well as the sweeping skylines. The G Flex 2 didn’t disappoint over the 20 minute journey across many of Cape Town’s most iconic locales – capturing rich detail and accurate colour even through the emerald-tinted windows of the aircraft.
Following the flight, media teams reconvened at the One & Only conference room to go over the G Flex 2’s key specifications. The G Flex 2 is a massive step above its predecessor -sporting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, alongside 2GBs of RAMM with native 16/32MB expandable storage, which can be extended up to a whopping 2TBs.
Unlike the flagship G3, which carries a quad-HD display, the G Flex 2 bears a Full HD curved p-OLED display at 403ppi – nearly 120 pixels per inch away from LG’s favoured son. The handset is also impressively light for a 5.5 inch device – weighing in at 152g.
While the specifications of the G Flex 2 are indeed impressive, the user experience the device offers is stellar. Colours are crisp and accurate, with little to no lag prevalent in LG’s skinned version of Android 5.0 Lollipop. In fact, the G Flex 2 is one of the few devices I’ve encountered that feels as if it were tailor-made for Google’s updated mobile OS, rather than simply sporting a new set of trousers.
While a curved phone might seem at first the worst gimmick imaginable – harking back to the curved forms of telephones from yesteryear – the G Flex 2 is a genuine pleasure to hold which sits comfortably – and unobtrusively – in hand. The device’s lengthwise curve – a 650 radius – is prevalent enough to be noticed, yet subtle enough that it does not necessarily hamper one’s use of the device. Switching between my own personal G3 and the G Flex 2 made me wish LG had been so bold as to incorporate a curve on their flagship device.
The G Flex 2 is available in two colours – silver, and flamenco red. All the journalists at the event were given silver models to experiment with – a colour which looks greatly ubiquitous against LG’S current lineup of brushed faux-aluminium (plastic) shells. The flamenco red model is indeed an eye-catcher, if using a curved phone wasn’t enough of a call for attention in the first instance.
LG was intent on claiming territory at the G Flex 2 launch, stating – verbatim – their desire to “own the curve”. With other smartphone manufacturers, like Samsung, incorporating new and interesting dimensions to their devices, such as the Galaxy Note Edge’s secondary screen, it’s clear that LG is focussed on carving out a design niche of their own – one they likely uncovered with the introduction of the G2 and the original G Flex in 2013.
The curve on the G Flex 2 – as claimed by LG – has two benefits. Firstly, LG stipulates that the drop impact is spread over a greater distance over a curved phone, leaving less chance for a shattered screen. Secondly, due to the device’s ergonomic curve around a human face during a call, microphone quality is greatly increased, with background noise at a significant reduction.
LG Mobile Director Eric Woo showcased an ergonomic focus in regards to the G Flex’s design – with the intent of borrowing comfortable characteristics from older designs, such as the curve present in the handset piece of old rotary dial telephones. Against the backdrop of increasingly flat and thin electronic devices, LG does present a novel approach, which only time and sales figures will be able to judge successful.
Woo was also quick to point out that LG continue to build upon their own ‘legacy of innovation’ – the G Flex 2 borrows unique features from it’s predecessor brethren, such as a self-healing body, as well as laser autofocus. Additionally, Gesture shot and Gesture view make a return in the G Flex 2′ camera app.
New features introduced in the G Flex 2 includes Glance View, which allows a user to swipe down a sleeping device’s screen to see pending notifications and the current time. The feature is novel, but requires a lengthy and firm swipe down the length of the screen to activate – hardly subtle for a user trying to quietly check the time.
The G Flex 2 also brings with it Fast Charge – which, as the name implies – allows the device’s 3,000mAH battery to be charged to 50% within 38 minutes. With smartphones rapidly using more and more power for internet-related tasks, and the G Flex 2 limited to a 3,000mAH battery due to its scalloped shell, Fast Charge is a welcome addition.
While I personally didn’t get the chance to charge the device, the G Flex 2’s battery drain was slightly concerning. Following roughly 45 minutes spent largely taking pictures and downloading three apps, the battery percentage had dropped to nearly 65%.
Following a morning spent with the G Flex 2 at the launch function, I was genuinely relecutant to return the review device and revert to my own G3. The G Flex 2, to me, represents an exciting handset that I’d much rather employ in my day-to-day workflow. I was left deeply impressed by LG’s commitment to improving their handset following the initial G Flex, and I genuinely hope the G Flex 2 succeeds. It’s a wonderful phone, second only in power (in the LG family) to the G3, and it sports a great design and aesthetic.
Let’s hope LG can keep ahead of the curve.
Follow Bryan on Twitter: @bryansmith1138
