Our friends over at LG have sent us the Verizon Spectrum 2 for us to review. This is LG’s latest device to hit Verizon and is the successor to the original Spectrum. While other carriers like Sprint and AT&T received the awesome Optimus G, Verizon was chosen to get the Spectrum 2. LG is saying this is a super wireless device with the latest Bluetooth technology, wireless charging, and more. Like the original Spectrum, this updated version keeps the great True HD IPS display. Of course it runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE network as well. Verizon’s lineup is getting packed with Windows Phone and other Android devices, so let’s if there is room for the Spectrum 2 in this fast-moving lineup!

Software

The Verizon Spectrum 2 By LG is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a LG User Interface. LG’s user interface has great features and applications. For instance you get LG QuickMemo, this great and easy way to take screenshots. QuickMemo will let you take it to the next level, you can write a memo on the image, draw on it, and much more! You can share the image directly from the application and it automatically gets saved into your gallery. Let’s say you are meeting a friends for lunch and you want to show them on a map where to meet you, well with LG QuickMemo simply pull up the location in maps and then take a screenshot. From there write a quick message and send it your friend via a text message! It is a simple way to let them know and is much more creative than just a simple text message. LG Tag+ will let you take advantage of the wireless capabilities on the Spectrum 2. The Spectrum 2 feature NFC or Near Field Communications, this gives you a world of new options. LG Tag+ let’s you customize NFC(Near Field Communications) tags which you can then use to make tasks easier. For instance you can put one at your desk at work and have it set to connect to a WiFi network when you tap the tag with your Spectrum 2. Or you can make a tag to put your phone on silent or to turn Bluetooth off. This application  makes it super easy to create Near Field Communications tags. 2(two) LG Tag+ NFC Stickers come in the box of the device. The Android experience on the Spectrum 2 is great, the pre-loaded user interface gives you a great weather widget and a more organized device. It does not slow down the device at all either, this is thanks to the Snapdragon S4 Krait 1.5 GHz Dual-Core Processor! I did not experience any lag and the device is very fast!

Hardware

As I mentioned earlier the original Spectrum had a great HD display, and luckily they have kept this on the successor. The Spectrum 2 has a 4.7″ True HD AH-IPS Display with a resolution of 1280 X 720. As you may have guessed this is a 720pHD display and images look very vibrant on it! Colors both have depth and correct lighting, it really immerses you into image. LG did a great job with the display on the Spectrum 2! LG has given the Spectrum 2 a great camera as well, it has a 8 megapixel back camera with a LED flash. Images are filled with color and look very vibrant, LG will let you take a photo by simply saying “Cheese” as well. This is a very cool feature and it works very well. The 8 megapixel camera records in full 1080pHD as well. On the front you get a 1.3 megapixel camera that is great for video chatting while on the go or for taking selfies. LG has added some great new camera features as well. With HDR(High Dynamic Range) Shot it will take a great looking images. Well it is actually 3 (three) images combined and it takes them all in just 3(three) seconds. You can take a great panorama with the greatest of ease on the Spectrum 2. If you like to action shots, this device will be your best friend as you can take 6(photos) with press of the shutter button. Lastly, with Time Catch Shot it will help you get the perfect shot by taking a photo before and after you hit the shutter button. The Spectrum has a 2150mAh battery that will last the entire day. I mentioned before that this a super connected device. For instance this 2150mAh battery is wireless charging capable. LG sells a Wireless Charging Pad (WCP-700) and as long as you have the included wireless charging back, you need to get the Pad and you will be ready to go. In terms of on board storage you get 16GB and micro SD card slot. As I mentioned before you get access to Verizon’s super fast 4G LTE network and you can share that connection with up to 10 other devices via the mobile hotspot application. The Verizon Spectrum 2 By LG has some awesome hardware inside.

Design

The Verizon Wireless Spectrum 2 By LG is a very stylish and elegant device. However, it does have some added thickness to it. This is due to the Wireless Charging back that comes pre-installed on the device. The thickness of the Spectrum 2 is 0.36-inches thick. It does have some weight as well at 5.16-ounces, I would have like to see a smaller bezel and a lighter design.  The Spectrum 2 has a of width of 2.69-inches and a of height of 5.31-inches. It certainly does fit in your pocket but, it you can feel it in your hand as well. The back has nice grip to it as well, this way it wont slip out of your hand. The back cover is not a flimsy plastic, and I do like this. Although it does add some weight and some thickness, it feels like it wont break. It feels like it was built better. You do have to be careful with the back as it does have the NFC(Near Field Communications) chip built into it. Under the back cover you will find the SIM card slot, a micro SD card slot, and a 2150mAh battery. After you put the back cover back on the device you will find the 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, a LG logo, a speaker, and a 4G LTE logo. On the left and right sides of the device you have an aluminum siding, but this does not go on the top or the bottom. This pretty much the only pop of color you will find on the Spectrum 2. The rest of the device is a nice black color. Above the display you will find a Verizon logo, a earpiece, and the 1.3 megapixel front facing camera. Below the screen you will find the LG logo and 4 touch buttons. Those buttons are the back, home, multitasking , and menu buttons. The bottom of the device is home your main microphone. The top of the device is home to the headphone jack, a secondary microphone, and a circular power/sleep button. Your volume rocker and micro USB port can be found on the left hand side. Even though the design is a little thick and heavy, I think most consumers can look past this and see what the Spectrum 2 has to offer.

Bottom Line

The Verizon Wireless Spectrum 2 By LG is an awesome device. It has a great software experience that features LG Tag+, LG QuickMemo, Android 4.0, and a LG User Interface. The software runs super fast thanks to the Snapdragon S4 Krait 1.5 GHz Dual-Core Processor. You get 16GB of on board storage and you can expand thanks to a micro SD card slot. A gorgeous 4.7″ True HD AH-IPS Display, that looks amazing. A fantastic 8 megapixel back camera that has some amazing features for photographers. It is a super connected device that is wireless charging capable, features Near Field Communications, latest BlueTooth version, and more! While it may be a little thick and a little heavy, I think you can look past that on to the many great features that it offers. The Verizon Wireless Spectrum 2 retails for just $79.99 with a 2-year contract or $499.99 with no contract. For More Information On The Verizon Wireless Spectrum 2 By LG, Please Click Here. We would like to thank LG Mobile USA for providing us with a copy of the “Verizon LG Spectrum 2 By LG”.