LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III series hands-on

LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III price , LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III info ,LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III spec, LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III review , LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III news, LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III updrage,LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III compare,LG G Pro 2, G2 mini and L III cheap LG had a handful of devices announced ahead of the MWC, which we got to handle. More announcement have yet to be made though. We’re at the event right now and we’ll be bringing more stuff as it becomes available.

So far, LG is making a big deal of its new knock codes – a unique way to unlock smartphones with a level of security similar to pattern unlock. The only new announcement so far is the entry-level F70, which is very similar to the L70. The LG L III series, the G Pro 2 and the LG G2 mini had all been announced before the MWC began. Even the LG G Flex is here, with its large, curved screen.

While the LG G Pro 2 isn’t new, it’s the first time we’ve seen it in person – we even took it out to snap a few camera samples, including 4K videos. It’s the first time we’ve handled the LG G2 mini too and its lightweight design impressed us, but the phone has a lot to live up to with that flagship name.

• LG G Pro 2 hands-on (update: new UI video)
• LG G2 mini hands-on (update: video demo)
• LG F70 hands-on
• LG L90 hands-on
• LG L70 hands-on
• LG L40 hands-on

We didn’t get a chance to touch the L70 and L40, but this is barely the first day of the MWC (officially, it starts tomorrow), so if we get a chance we’ll give those two a spin too. The L70 is fairly similar to the F70 and you can read our first impressions on page 4, followed by the L90.

LG G Pro 2 hands-on

The LG G Pro 2 went official 10 days prior to the MWC. It’s already selling in Korea, with US and Europe getting it in March and April.

The G Pro 2 is the successor of the Optimus G Pro phablet and upgrades all major specs. It comes with a larger 5.9″ 1080p IPS display, runs on the Snapdragon 800 chipset with 3GB of RAM, and comes with a 13MP camera with enhanced optical image stabilization (OIS+).

LG G Pro 2 next to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The G Pro 2’s display looks great, colors are punchy, the viewing angles are OK too, though the performance under direct sunlight is rather unimpressive. Still the display occupies 77.2% of the entire front, the bezels are impressively slim.

The other key features of the LG G Pro 2 are expandable 16 or 32GB of internal storage, 4K video recording @30 fps, 1080p videos @ 60fps and 720p@120fps. The phablet is powered by a 3,200mAh battery.

   
LG G Pro 2

LG G Pro 2 is running Android 4.4.2 KitKat skinned with LG’s proprietary Emotional UX. The phablet also introduces the so-called Knock Code – allowing device unlock by a combination of taps on the screen. We tried this feature and liked it, though it takes some time to get used to.

   
LG G Pro 2: a closer look

Here’s a quick video demo of LG’s latest software:

The LG G Pro 2 is made entirely of plastic. Its back has barely visible pattern, and is glossy and very slippery. We expected to find fingerprints and smudges all over the G Pro 2 after handling the phablet for a while, but as it turns out it is not affected too badly, never mind the glossy finish.

The back of the G Pro 2 has the already familiar control deck just below the camera – a Power/Lock key squeezed between the volume keys. Those can be configured to launch different apps (such as the camera) upon a long press.

   
A peek under the battery cover

We’ve taken the LG G Pro 2 out for a quick spin. We were eager to test its OIS camera, so we snapped e few photos.

  
LG G Pro 2 10MP 16:9 camera samples

And here is a full 13MP 4:3 photo.

LG G Pro 2 13MP camera sample.

We’ve also shot two short 4K videos with the LG G Pro 2. The first we uploaded to YouTube for convenience, the second is available for download untouched. Enjoy!

4K video sample

We’ll keep our comments on the quality for the retail review unit, but the G Pro 2 camera indeed looks promising.