User Interface
Unfortunately, the LG G2 is not a Google smartphone (made
by Google like the Nexus series) so we can't except to have the latest version of
Android when the smartphone appears in the market and that is why the LG G2 is
still stuck at Android 4.2.2 version. We were waiting for the official update so
when this review was published and it means we will not see some of the new features. One that stands
out, is the move away from Dalvik to the new ART runtime. This is a fundamental
change in the way that Android handles and executes apps. This basically means a more efficient use of
RAM, faster app startup times and a
smoother overall experience. One of the best features LG added to G2 is the Smart
Screen and turning it on will let the device detect
your eyes and screen stays on, the second one is Knock-On which allows you to knock
twice on the screen to unlock the phone and knock twice to to lock it again.
Another one is a
shortcut to camera and quick memo when screen is off, hold the volume for
3 seconds and it opens the camera, you press the volume down again to take a picture while
holding the volume up for 3 seconds will open the Quick Memo. One of the
very first things we wanted to do after arming the device with a SIM card was
sending a text message. When looking for the text messaging app, we were quite
surprised to only find “Hangouts”. Text messaging has basically been integrated
into Hangouts and the application has a more modern look and feel to
it. LG also included 50 GB lifetime Box for free with any new Box account.
Battery life
We have
already seen that the biggest
positive for the
LG G2 should be its 3000mAh battery, which, on a side note, is also not removable. What we found, was actually a rather impressive power management system. We
have set the screen brightness to its maximum setting, turned WiFi on and kept the screen on mainly with the web browser, and some idle time.
This was done until the smartphone shut itself down and a total recorded 'Screen on Time' was
7 hours and 32 minutes, which is quite impressive. We also tested battery life in calls and found out that the phone will go for 8 hours and
56 minutes until it decides to power off (please don't ask us about our phone bills). Recharging was swift, and done after only 2 hours and
25 minutes.
Roccat Power-Grid Review 