LG Optimus G: Pros and cons to consider before you buy

LG has quietly launched the Optimus G in India,  and the smartphone is available through retail outlets as well as stores across the country.

The Optimus G is an Android Jelly Bean based smartphone with a 4.7-inch IPS display with a 1280×768 pixels resolution. The Optimus G is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Krait processor, 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 GPU. The Optimus G comes with 32GB of built-in storage but doesn't support external memory cards. In terms of connectivity options, the smartphone supports 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA and Bluetooth 4.0. The rear of the device has a 13MP camera with an LED flash and with 1080p@30 fps videos recording. The device is powered by a 2100mAh battery.

The Optimus G was launched in September in Korea and has just seen the light of day in India. It is quite similar to the Nexus 4 not only because both the devices are made by LG but also the Optimus G was used as a reference design for the Nexus 4. The specifications of the two devices are exactly the same except for the built-in storage and the resolution of the camera.

The Optimus G also has the ability to hold its own in front of the current leading Android smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC Butterfly, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and more. You can take a look at our specifications comparison of the Optimus G vs the competition here.

If you are in the market to pick up your next premium Android smartphone, we suggest you take a look at some of the pros and cons of the Optimus G before making your purchase decision.

Pros of the LG Optimus G

LG has made the Nexus 4. That should say something about not only the company but also the brand and its ability to make great products as well. The Nexus 4 is a very well received device and the first Nexus phone to receive the traction that it did. The Optimus G was used as a reference design to make the Nexus 4 so it can be considered as the father of the Nexus in a way.

The hardware under the hood of the Optimus G is at par if not better than what the competition has to offer. On paper it has a better camera, an IPS Plus display and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean straight out of the box. Not to mention the 2100mAh battery that has the ability to last users for the entire day.

LG Optimus G and Nexus 4

The LG Optimus G is a bang for your buck as it gives users the premium hardware at a cheaper price than the competition. The Optimus G is available for a street price of Rs. 30,990 making it one of the cheaper premium smartphones. The Galaxy S III is priced at Rs. 29,990, which is relatively close. Other devices are priced quite high such as the HTC One X+ at Rs. 38,500, the HTC Butterfly at Rs. 43,000 and the Xperia Z at 43,000. The price and the features along with the specifications on offer make this device a bang for the users buck.

The LG Optimus G is a tried and tested smartphone. It has launched in Korea and global reviews of the device suggest that it has the ability to stand tall when compared to other flagship smartphones.

Cons of the LG Optimus G:

The biggest disadvantage of any Android powered LG smartphone is that it is notorious when it comes to Android updates. The LG Optimus 4X HD was launched in mid-2012, running Android 4.0 ICS. Only recently has the device received the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. The update came much later when compared to other smartphones in its price bracket, namely the S III and the HTC One X+. If you are one who is finicky about receiving Android updates on time, you may want to look elsewhere.

The 13MP camera though impressive on paper may not be the best there is in real world usage. At best, its performance can be compared to the 8MP shooters housed on the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC Butterfly and the HTC One X+ and the Optimus G wouldn’t rise as a winner. If having the best camera on you smartphone is a requirement, you may want to consider your options.

No matter what brand you choose, one of the important distinguishing factors of an Android smartphone is the skin overlaying the OS. Samsung’s TouchWiz and HTC’s Sense UI have established themselves not only as some of the best skins to be preloaded on a smartphone, but come with a bunch of features, both aesthetic and utility that distinguished them from the plethora of other smartphones out there. The skin overlaying LG smartphones hasn’t been well received because of the bloatware it brings with it. The skin overlaying the 4X HD was considered one of LG’s better skins over Android as it not only removed the bloat ware but also kept the skin to a minimalistic level. You may want to take a close look at the UI of the smartphone before making your purchase decision.

Every smartphone has its own share of pros and cons and the utility derived from a device is very subjective. As always, we suggest you get some hands on time with the smartphone before you make your final purchase decision.