#LG #GFlex2 - First you have to prove you're not a gimmick. Then it's just a matter of proving you're better. LG turned heads with the G Flex
last year, an Android smartphone with a banana-like bend to it, only to
be stung with criticism that its big idea was actually just too big for
the hand. Now, 2015 brings a new curved flagship, the LG G Flex 2,
distilling the best of the concept into something altogether more
usable. As the SlashGear Smartphone of CES 2015 our expectations of the G
Flex 2 were undoubtedly high, but does the reality live up to the
promise?
The review phones LG has provided are for South Korean carrier SK
Telecom, as US-spec devices are not currently available. LG requested
the following disclaimer:
"The devices sampled are representative of final industrial
design and user experience but are continuing to undergo additional
optimizations to enhance benchmark performance. We expect our upcoming
software releases to provide further improvements in this area. We
remain confident that the G Flex 2 will deliver great experiences to our
customers with a tremendous blend of multimedia, performance and
industry-leading design."
Hardware and Design
Like many, we had two key criticisms of the first G Flex.
First off, it was simply too big: its 6-inch display left it unwieldy
and, despite LG's suggestions that the screen arc meant reaching the
corners one-handed would be easier, in practice it was still a
two-handed device. We'd have been more forgiving if the display itself had been
market-leading, but in reality the resolution wasn't as impressive as
the shape. LG had opted for a 720p screen, lacking in detail in
comparison to the commonplace 1080p found on rival (albeit flat)
handsets.
Thankfully, both of those issues are addressed with the G Flex 2. Now
fronted with a 5.5-inch display, the new phone measures in at 149.1 x
75.3 x 7.1-9.4 mm, versus the 160.5 x 81.6 x 7.9-8.7 mm of the old
model. It's easier to hold, easier to reach across the display, and
feels less ridiculous held against your face for calls. The bezels are
slimmer all around, too, which removes some of the visual heft. The display may be a little smaller, but it's higher resolution,
stepping up to 1080p. Now, 1920 x 1080 isn't the highest out there for a
flagship Android phone - LG's own G3 from 2014 comes in at 2560 x 1440,
for instance - but at 403 ppi it's certainly detailed enough for all
but the most discriminating of eyes.
LG maintains that there's more than just gimmickry to its flexed
P-OLED. Primarily you have to buy into the idea that a curved TV is more
engrossing than its flat counterpart, and indeed the G Flex 2 has a
700mm radius curvature just like LG's 55-inch curved TVs. Whether you're
sitting 3m away from the TV, or watching the phone from 30 cm away, the
viewing experience will be more engrossing. At least, that's the theory. I'm still not wholly convinced that my
enjoyment of YouTube videos or maybe a movie downloaded through Google
Play and watched with the G Flex 2 propped up on an airplane tray table
are made more dramatic or engaging thanks to the curve, but it's a
beautiful display all the same, with the rich blacks and vivid colors
we've come to expect from OLED panels.
On top there's a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3, with which LG's engineers
couldn't resist having an experiment. The result is Dura Guard Glass, a
combination of chemical and heat treatment which LG says add up to
20-percent more resilience than Corning's best efforts alone. The rough & tumble temperament doesn't stop there, either. LG's
self-healing casing treatment has been upgraded since the original G
Flex, too, still promising scratch recovery but now promising that mild
grazes will disappear in as little as ten seconds.
It helps if you're not expecting miracles: put the G Flex 2 in a
pocket with a few sharp keys and you’re asking for trouble. Nonetheless,
it shed very casual scuffs and scrapes with no issues, leaving LG’s
“Spin Hairline Pattern” - effectively a radial brushed-metal effect -
unmarred.