Lg G PRO Review:Right phone,wrong time

Right phone, wrong time.

  May 7, 2013 In the world of smartphones, especially in the ever-changing arms race that is the Android market, it's all about being at the right place at the right time. LG's much-awaited Optimus G Pro finally hits stores this week, and it's clear that its keen on clawing the premier megaphone title away from the current King of the Hill, the super successful Samsung Galaxy Note II.
And in the fight for super-sized smartphone supremacy, the Optimus G Pro has the design, muscle, and features to blow the Note II out of the water. But every must-have smartphone needs a little bit of sizzle to the steak — has LG created a device that not only meets the competition, but offers enough innovation of its own?

The Optimus G Pro is a big phone. Roughly six inches long, LG's thin bezel leaves enough for a whopping 5.5-inch display and mimics the size of the Galaxy Note II, without the extra bulk that makes phones of this size a pain to handle. That's not to say that it's escaping the "phablet" stereotype — while tools for one-handed use are available within the phone's settings, you'll find yourself bracing the phone with two hands even when holding the phone vertically. The plastic backing and hard aluminum shell are standard Android fare, but the look is becoming increasingly unattractive when grouped with the likes of the sleek HTC One. It's worth noting that LG has released a proprietary Quick Cover for the phone that replaces the back acts a lot like Apple's Smart Cover, though it's not available in the U.S. just yet.

The screen of the Optimus G Pro is far and away one of the most beautiful on the market right now, with a True Full HD IPS Plus LCD touchscreen that boasts 1080x1920 resolution. The pixel density of the screen is roughly 40 pixels-per-inch (ppi) less than the Samsung Galaxy S4 (401ppi versus 441ppi), but the crisp colors of the IPS make this screen more pleasing to the eye — perhaps only outmatched by the HTC One. The contrast is crisp and clean, making reading a joy, even on the smallest text, and the wide array of colors make even gray text amidst a gray background clearly discernable.
The big, beautiful screen is a showstopper, and it's clear that LG really put a lot of time and effort into making the Optimus G Pro catch customers' eyes on store shelves.
Luckily, once that beautiful display is tapped, the Optimus G Pro is pleasantly responsive. With a quad-core 1.7 Ghz Snapdragon 600-series processor and 2GB of RAM, the phone has absolutely no trouble running its Android 4.1.2 Jellybean software, remaining speedy when toggling through apps (even the resource-heavy camera) and has a surprisingly long battery life for such a big phone. I was able to make it through the whole day without running out, even with rigorous gameplay and data use. The phone's QSlide feature was one of the battery and processor-taxing features, involving many widgets running simultaneously, but I was able to do calculations while running HD video and browsing on the Internet without a significant drop in overall charge or slowdown. Battery performance is clearly a cut above most of the Android herd, and during processor benchmark testing, it even blew away the Galaxy S III, Note II and LG's own Nexus 4.

However, it still trails behind both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One in performance. Although it's not the strongest performer out there, it's the best in the phablet class. It also has a base storage of 32GB (plus expandable storage capacity to double that) provides a value over other devices.
There's no doubt that the Optimus G Pro has good bones, but it lacks any standout features. LG has baked-in features include a screen-sharing function (which, unfortunately, only works with other Optimus G Pros), the aforementioned QSlide, and a suite of camera tools. While great bullet points for marketing materials, in practice the only feature that felt useful was the phone's infrared sensor — changing my TV channels with the phone was a gleeful experience, but it's a bummer that there's no channel guide or interactive features, like those found on the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4.
Even worse, the much-touted "centerpiece" feature of the phone, QuickMemo, is frustrating and unintutive to use. Not only does it show up when you don't want it to (usually by tapping the button on the side of the phone that's programmed to the feature), but it's difficult to truly get rid of. QuickMemo is meant to help multitasking and take advantage of the note-taking features that are commonly associated with the Galaxy Note II, but without a stylus there isn't much use for it.
The 13 MP rear-facing camera is fast and responsive, quick to take snapshots even with the flash on. Unfortunately, the pictures don't look as clear as they should, and the phone doesn't perform very well in low-light scenarios. The camera's Intelligent Auto feature does take some of the guesswork out of shooting and provide a little richer contrast, but those looking for the cream of the mobile camera crop will be disappointed.

The LG Optimus G Pro could have knocked it out of the park — its display and snappy UI are commendable, but trouble lies under the surface. LG's ill-conceived software doesn't bring anything new to the table or make the device a "must-have." It makes significant improvements over the Note II, but it doesn't transcend enough to maintain the spotlight. And unfortunately, with the Samsung Galaxy Note III likely just around the corner, its narrow lead is sure to be short-lived.
That said, if you're looking for a faster, sleeker take on the Note II and can't wait for the next big leap, the Optimus G Pro might be for you. It just may convert you to the big phone lifestyle.