LG Unveils G Pro 2 Phablet Alongside G2 Mini Smartphone

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Image: Adario Strange, Mashable

By Adario Strange2014-02-24 01:29:02 UTC

BARCELONA — Kicking off this year's Mobile World Congress ahead of the pack, LG introduced the new G Pro 2 and the G2 mini on Sunday. Although the company offered a sneak peek at the G Pro 2 earlier this month in Korea, this time we got to take the device for a hands-on spin in-person at the site of the event in Barcelona, Spain.

Running Android 4.4 (Kit Kat), the G Pro 2 is the follow-up the LG's G Pro, is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and comes in Silver, White and Titan. With a 5.9-inch full HD IPS display, a 3,200mAh battery, 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera with OIS+ (Optical Image Stabilizer Plus), the device is designed to give phablet lovers a significant performance upgrade.

See also: Watch the LG G Flex Magically Heal Itself Before Your Eyes

The company also emphasized the improved quality of the handset's sound system, made possible by a 1W speaker that, according to LG, delivers a 30% sound improvement. Overall, the new handset feels like a solid upgrade with a quality build and sleek design.

LG also used the event to unveil its new G2 mini, a device the company is calling its first "compact smartphone." With a screen measuring just 4.7 inches, the G2 mini comes with either a 1.7GHz or 1.2GHz quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel or 8-megapixel camera. In addition to its ability to record 120 frame per second HD video, the device can also shoot 4K video. LG showed off some of the 4K footage shot on the phone on several of its television displays and the results were impressive.

And while the G2 mini will definitely appeal to those who have been looking for a more portable solution without sacrificing the features of a smartphone, when handing the G2 mini that same quality-of-build feel present in the G Pro 2 just isn't there. It could be the unorthodox size of the smartphone, or the materials used, but the G2 mini felt like a downgrade from the G Pro 2, not just in size but in overall build quality. Nevertheless, it is likely to be a popular choice for the phablet-phobic.

Both phones employ LG's new tool called Knock Code, a feature that allows the user wake the phone from sleep and enter a security unlock code in one motion. At launch, the feature has up to 80,000 possible knock patterns.

We tried the function using the G Pro 2, and while it will definitely speed up the overall process of using your handset, sometimes the phone's ability to recognize the Knock Code seemed a bit sluggish.

LG did not reveal pricing or the release date for the new devices, but given the major push as the Mobile World Congress, it seems likely that they'll make the new handsets available later this year.

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Topics: Apps and Software, Gadgets, LG, Mobile, Mobile World Congress, mwc2014, phablets, smartphone, Tech