Finally, a worthy phablet challenger

LG Optimus G Pro

Price Rs 42,000

Specs: 5.5 inch display; 13MP camera; 1.7GHz quad core processor; 2GB RA M; 16GB internal storage, expandable memory card slot; GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth; Android v4.1; 172 grams; 3140mAh battery

LG might not be among India's favourite mobile brands, but that does not mean the company isn't good at manufacturing smartphones. It is now trying to recreate the success of its Nexus 4 with the Optimus G Pro, a Samsung Galaxy Note II competitor.

The LG Optimus G Pro stands out with the 5.5-inch housed inside a 9.4mm chassis. This makes it easier to grip then the Galaxy Note II or other 5inch+ phablets. There is a hint of metallic silver on the sides, while the shiny plastic back panel doesn't feel flimsy.

The True Full HD IPS Plus LCD capacitive touchscreen has a bright, life-like display with wide viewing angle. But the screen is hard to see in bright sunlight.

The Optimus UI in the G Pro shows a small circle displaying the contents of the homescreen appears that enlarges to cover the display. The homescreen looks standard with five app icons accessible on the homescreens. But these disappear when in the app tray.

Apart from the regular apps on board, LG has added an app that backs up and restores all information such as home screen, settings, applications, contacts, etc. to be used in the future in case the data is lost. There is also a Notebook app that works well with the finger or any capacitive touch stylus. We have spotted a remote control app in almost all the latest flagship smartphones and there is one on this one too. Launching the Quick remote (a universal remote) app allowed us to choose the devices from various categories such as TV, set top box, DVD, Blu-ray, air conditioner and projector.

The LG Optimus G Pro is powered by a 1.7GHz quad core processor with 2GB RAM. Although the Quadrant score at 12120 was slightly lower than the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, there wasn't any lag while browsing or multitasking. The 13 MP camera on board does a decent job by producing natural looking colours with less noise. The 3140 mAh battery gave us a day with heavy usage.

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