LG G Pro 2

Available now
13th February 2014

The LG G Pro 2 follows on from the powerful Optimus G Pro and LG G2 smartphones that impressed observers with their large HD displays and powerful internals. Initially heading to South Korea, LG's past track record indicates that the G Pro 2 will probably be launched worldwide in the not too distant future.

The most obvious thing to notice is the large 5.9" full HD display with a tiny 3.3mm bezel. LG says that the screen takes up 77.2% of the front of the phone, which is an "industry leading" statistic. Flip the phone around and there's an LG G2 style control button underneath the 13 megapixel primary camera.

The camera is worth a closer look as it features Optical Image Stabilisation, something that is still pretty rare, but it can also take 4K Ultra HD video as well as full HD video at 120 frames per second. Other camera trickery is available, including "Magic Focus" which allows users to set the focal depth after taking the photograph (including putting everything in focus).. and just how this is possible using a standard camera sensor is a mystery to us. There's a 2.1 megapixel secondary camera on the front as well.

Inside is a quad-core 2.26GHz CPU plus a dedicated GPU with 3GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of onboard flash with a microSD slot. This is supported by a 3200 mAh removable battery, and the whole package measures 158 x 82 x 8.3mm and weighs 172 grams. Available colours are "Titan", white and red.

This is an LTE and HSPA+ capable device with all the usual features you'd expect in a high-end Android smartphone, plus a SlimPort to enable TV output to a compatible HD device with an optional cable, and the G Pro 2 also supports NFC.

Some novel LG features include "Knock ON" which allows the handset to be powered on and unlocked by a series of pre-programmed taps, and there is an unusual feature called "Mini View" that effectively shrinks the screen size to between 3.4" to 4.7" to help with one-handed operations. There are a number of other user interface enhancements too, making this LG a bit different from other Android devices on the market.

We don't know when the LG G Pro 2 will be available or how much it will cost, although we guess it will be around the €500 mark. However, this is likely to remain one of the handsets to beat during 2014 and it's a promising start to the year for this Korean manufacturer.