LG’s
second generation curved phone, the G Flex 2 is shaped like a banana – which
makes it an attractive curio and it’s interesting to use, but should people
actually buy it?
The
idea behind the concave screen is that it is a more natural shape for a device
designed to fit against the body, be that the face or the backside.
The Banana Phone
The G Flex 2 is has a
5.5in full HD screen with a gentle concave curve that rather looks like someone
has sat on it and bent it. The body is all plastic but ironically, given the
name, has little flex or give. When placed screen-side down on a flat table, it
is possible to flatten the phone out, but it takes quite a lot of pressure. LGassures
me that it can take the full weight of an adult standing on it without issue.
In
the hand the gentle curve of the phone feels really nice, despite the smooth
plastic texture not feeling as premium as glass or metal. On the face, the
curve feels more like the flip phones of old, and is supposed to pick up more
of the person’s voice although I didn’t notice any difference during phone
calls.
There
are no buttons on the side ; the power button and volume buttons are relegated
to the back of the device under the camera, which naturally line up with an
index finger when placing a call.
The
back is covered in a self-healing coating, that seals up and removes small
scratches within around 15 minutes. In testing a slightly heavier scratch
couldn’t be healed, but over the space of about 20 minutes it did diminish in
visibility but could still be felt. The G Flex 2 is more
average-Joe-on-the-street than Wolverine powers of healing.
The
screen is bright with solid blacks and is relatively crisp and detailed. It
isn’t quite in the same class as LG’s higher pixel density screens such as the
5.5in quad HD screen on the G3 or the curved edged screen of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, but is higher quality
than most flat full HD screens.
Specifications
- Screen: 5.5in full HD (401 ppi)
- Processor: octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit
- RAM: 2GB of RAM
- Storage: 16GB, micro SD card
- Operating system: Android 5.0.2 “Lollipop” with TouchWiz
- Camera: 13MP rear camera with OIS, 2.1MP front-facing
camera
- Connectivity: LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS
- Dimensions: 149.1 x 75.3 x 8.9mm
- Weight: 152g
Almost too hot to handle
The G Flex 2 is one of the first smartphones available using
Qualcomm’s new octo-core Snapdragon 810 processor. Similar to Samsung’s Exynos
7420 chip used in the Galaxy S6 Edge, the 810 is split into two parts – a lower
power 1.6GHz quad-core chip for light duties and a more powerful and power
hungry 2GHz quad-core chip.
In my testing, everything was snappy and
fast (although not quite as fast as theGalaxy
S6 Edge), but the G Flex 2 gets very hot under heavy use, almost
uncomfortably so near the rear buttons.
That could be forgiven when playing a
graphically intensive game or using a demanding app, but it also happened when
installing apps when setting up the smartphone – not a particularly strenuous
exercise.
The G Flex 2 lasted around two days
normal usage with push email, multiple notifications and streaming music and
video for a couple of hours. Playing games such as Asphalt 8 will reduce
battery life considerably, however.
Knocking on
glass
LG customises the standard Android 5 Lollipop experience with a
fairly simple skin that allows more customisation than would be possible on a
Nexus device with stock Android,
for instance. Some health and information widgets sit on the left-most
homescreen pane, but can be turned off and ignored by most.
The Android home, back and app switch
buttons can be customised, changing their order, colour and adding extra
buttons such as access to the notification shade and dual-window button that
enables certain apps to run side-by-side on one screen.
LG’s Knock Code is arguably the best
addition, which acts as a version of a pin code for unlocking the phone by
simply tapping the screen in a set sequence. The code can be tapped in with the
screen off to unlock it, while a double tap on the screen turns it on and off.
The Curve
The curve is meant to be more immersive for video and photos. I
didn’t notice any difference. But the screen was easier to use than a flat
5.5in screen, bring elements slightly closer to your thumb. Typing felt
especially nice on the curved screen and I didn’t find any negatives of having
a curved screen in use.
Camera
The camera is the same 13-megapixel laser autofocus camera with
optical image stabilisation as the LG G3, which was a decent performer. Good
lightly shots were excellent, low-light photos were improved compared to the G3
and the camera app was easy to use.
It also has some nice features like
“Gesture shot” which triggers the camera for a selfie when closing a hand into
a fist. Users can also shout “LG” and a few other commands at the phone to
trigger the camera.
Overall the camera is solid if not quite
as good as units on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge or iPhone 6 Plus.
Price
The LG G Flex 2 costs £500 without a
mobile phone contract, which is £260 less than the £760 Samsung
Galaxy S6 Edge but
£100 more than the £400 Google
Nexus 6.
Verdict
The LG G Flex 2 is certainly a curio. It
looks like nothing else currently available and is strangely pleasing to use.
The curve is gentle and doesn’t get in the way, but also doesn’t really add
anything to usability.
It fits in a pocket just fine, and is
highly unlikely to bend, even if sat on, which is actually a cause for concern
with some of the thinner large-screened smartphones such as the iPhone 6 Plus.
So whether you should buy a G Flex 2
comes down to aesthetics. It’s unlikely to sell in high volumes, which will
make it more unique than competing phones and it is a solid, if slightly
unremarkable performer.
I like it. And I didn’t think I would.
But I’m not sure I’d buy one. There’s no reason not to, but there’s also little
reason to buy one – apart from being curious.
Pros: fast processor, microSD card slot,
two-day battery, interesting curve, self-healing back
Cons: gets quite hot in use, plastic shell
doesn’t feel premium, battery not removable, no wireless charging
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