Our friends over at Verizon Wireless have sent us the LG G2 for us to review. Verizon has many new devices in its lineup, from the Galaxy Note 3 to the much-anticipated HTC One. The LG G2 will be a welcome addition to the lineup, but will it be your next device? We have already reviewed the T-Mobile variant of this device and it did ear some high ranks. Let’s dive in to your full review of the Verizon LG G2.
Design
There is one distinct difference between the Verizon LG G2 and the T-Mobile variant, the buttons on the back are significantly thinner. They are also a nice silver tone, instead of the black tone. The rim around the 13 megapixel camera is silver as well and I have to say I like the silver color better. Although the thinness may not be the best, but you will get used to it eventually. It seems the Verizon variant got a more unique paint job as well, there is a honeycomb pattern on the back. It seems to be that the black variant, is almost a deep blue color. There are some more logos on the device as well, you have a Verizon, 4G LTE, and LG logo on the back. Above the display is a Verizon logo that looks very squished, along with the 2.0 megapixel camera, and an ear piece. Below the display you will find the LG Logo and on the left hand side is your SIM card. On the bottom of the device you have a headphone jack, micro USB port, and a speaker grille. There is only one speaker port on the bottom and they are three large holes instead of tiny small ones. You still have the silver pinstripe going around the sides of the device. The Verizon variant has a good amount of design changes, but for the most part it has the same feel. I do have to say I do like the color of the Verizon variant and the silver coloring of the buttons.
Software
The LG G2 is running Android 4.1.2. with an LG user interface. The interface is very similar to that of the T-Mobile variant, but you will notice some extra applications, widgets, and a few notification bar changes. Out of the box QuickRemote is disabled, so alot of your notification bar is more open. The QSlide apps are different or at least the ones that are being featured. On the Verizon varaint you see Richnote, Videos, Email, Phone, Voicemate, File Manager, Calendar, and Calculator. Of course you can edit these as well as the settings shortcut above these.
Let’s dive into some of the big features of the LG G2, there are a lot of software features. My favorite feature is KnockOn and this will allow you turn the device on by knocking on the display. It works very well and if you’re not the biggest fan of the buttons on the back, this will help you out. Of course QuickMemo is back and this is a super easy way to take a screenshot. You can hold down the home button or access it via the notification bar, it will snap a screenshot. From there you can customize it to your liking and then share it via many different ways. QuickRemote can come in very handy if you have a LG Air Conditioner, Blu-Ray player, DVD player, TV, Audio Box, or Set-top box. You can use the built-in inferred sensor in the LG G2 to control these device. With a 3-Ringer Swipe you can use SlideAside to save your most used applications. This is LG’s spin on multitasking and it will come in very handy. Another quick feature would be AnswerMe and this will let you pick up an incoming call by bringing the phone to your head.
In terms of pre-loaded applications, Verizon is known to put a lot on these devices. The LG G2 is not an exception of this rule, pre-loaded on this device from Verizon you will find Accessories, Mobile Hotspot, My Verizon Mobile, NFL Mobile, Verizon Tones, Voicemail, VZ Navigator, Viewdini and VZ Security. Verizon has a content deal with Amazon, so pre-loaded on the device from this deal is Amazon, Kindle, Amazon MP3, Appstore, and Audible. Some of these applications will come in handy, like NFL Mobile and My Verizon Mobile, other applications many not. In terms of other pre-loaded applications you get the Google App Suite, Google Play Suite, Caller Name ID, Google Chrome, Games, File Manager, IMDb, Life Square, Music, Notebook, QuickTranslator, Quick Remote, Polaris Office 5, Richnote, Slacker, Tasks, Video Editor, Videos, Voice mate, Voice Recorder, Voice Search, Weather, and YouTube.
Hardware
A 5.2-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display is on board and this screen is gorgeous. LG has perfected their technology for there displays and the LG G2 is amazing. Colors are vibrant and the images look very life-like. 16:9 HD display and you get a large 423 pixels per inch. If you are using the LG G2 in direct sunlight, as long as your brightness is high you can see it very nicely. LG did a great job with the display on the G2.
The LG G2 is the first device to feature the 2.26-Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor with 2GB of RAM. The Verizon LG G2 is a super fast device, I did not experience any lag with the device. Even with LG’s user interface this processor makes the experience super fast. It is on par if not faster at times than a Galaxy S 4. Switching between applications is very smooth and quick, the animations do not slow the device down. When you want to take a screenshot, simply tap QuickMemo and within a second you are ready to customize and share your screenshot. Downloading applications is quick and as soon as it is on the G2, you can open it within a few seconds. To say the least I am very impressed with the speed of the LG G2.
The Verizon Wireless LG G2 a 2.4 megapixel camera is on the front and the photos are pretty nice. It works great for taking selfies or making some video calls. As you may remember the LG Optimus G Pro had a 13 megapixel camera and this camera is back on the LG G2. Photos and video were really nice, every once in a while you make get a shot that is over compensated for. This is back on the LG G2 but, most of the time the images come out nice. The LG G2 came sometimes over compensate in the low light photos and when taking video auto focus may not work 100%. There are many different settings options like Voice Shutter, Brightness, Focus, Image Size, ISO, White Balance, Color Effect, Timer, Geotagging, Shutter Sound, and Volume Key. In terms of different modes you get Normal, Shot & Clear, Dynamic Tone(HDR), Panorama, VR Panorama, Burst Shot, Portrait +, Dual Camera, Time Catch Shot, Intelligent Auto, Sports, and Night. You can use the volume rocker on the back of the device to capture the photo or use the on-screen shutter button.
The LG G2 has a beast of a battery, in fact during my testing I got around a day and half of usage from the 3,000mAh battery. It was a busy day and a half filled with email, streaming music, streaming video, playing games, texting, and making phone calls. I was very impressed with the battery and with the LG G2 battery life is not something you should be worried about.
With an LG G2 or most smartphones on Verizon Wireless, you get access to their insanely fast 4G LTE network! They cover most of America with this network! I was very impressed with quality connection that I had on the LG G2. From streaming movies to visiting sites, this 4G LTE network will get the job done.
Bottom Line
The LG G2 is one of the best devices on Verizon’s network and will be a big part of their lineup. This device pars very nicely with the speed of the 4G LTE network it is running on, as you get a super fast 2.26-Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor inside. A nice 13 megapixel on the back is their to let you capture moments throughout the day and on the front you can take a selfie or two. A battery that will let you either work or play for longer than a day. Plus, a gorgeous 5.2-inch display is on board. I highly recommend you visit your local store just to check out this device and if you are on the market for a new phone, the LG G2 may be you best bet. The LG G2 is available on Verizon for $199.99 with a 2-year contract, on Verizon Edge for a monthly payment of $25.22 a month, or $599.99 with no contract. For More Information On The Verizon Wireless LG G2, Please Click Here. We would like to thank Verizon Wireless for providing us with a copy of the “Verizon Wireless LG G2″.
