Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

LG G2 officially enters the super phone ring, headed to all major U.S. carriers

By
lg g2 features 2 announcement
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Check out our review of the LG G2 smart phone.

We’ve been discussing the rumors for months, but LG has finally unveiled its flagship phone for 2013 and it’s called the “G2.” All of its previous phones have had the name “Optimus” in them, but LG is going for simplicity this time around. The G2 will be the first premium LG smartphone to launch on every U.S. wireless carrier – AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon. It joins the ranks of the Apple iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One (almost), and Motorola Moto X. It will hit shelves in the next few weeks. LG will follow this up by launching in 130 countries in eight weeks.

The first thing you’ll notice about the G2 is that the Power and Volume buttons have moved from their shifting positions on the edges of the phone to the back. Right under the camera, completely centered, are the Volume up, Power button, then Volume down, stacked vertically. LG says this is a more comfortable design and allows the user to always know where the buttons are located.

Related

The G2 will come with a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS screen with a very thin bezel, 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8974 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera (covered in sapphire glass), 2.1-megapixel front camera, 32GB of internal file storage (24GB are usable), 3000mAh battery (1.2 days of life), and all the standard bells and whistles (sadly, no MicroSD).

But LG doesn’t want you to focus on the specs.

Here are the new software features of the G2:

  • Instant Access to QuickMemo and Camera: Hold the Volume Up button for 3 seconds and you can launch the QuickMemo app, which lets you doodle with your finger or a stylus. Hold the Volume Down button for 3 seconds and the Camera will launch. Upon launch, the Volume Down button can also act as a Shutter button.
  • Knock Knock (Double tap to unlock): You can “knock knock” or tap the phone screen twice to wake up your phone or put it to sleep.
  • 9 Multi-point Auto-Focus: When you are taking a picture, the G2 can focus on nine separate objects or people at once, like a DSLR, representatives say.
  • Audio Zoom: When you zoom in on someone in a video, the audio recording will zoom in and listen to them more accurately, blocking out other sound.
  • Hi-Fi Music and Audio: The G2 is the first smartphone that can play 24bit, 192kHz FLAC and WAV files. International models of the phone will come with special headphones for hearing advanced audio.
  • Guest Mode: Like new versions of standard Android, the G2 supports a guest profile, allowing you to share your phone with a kid or friend without fearing they will mess with your stuff. 
  • Answer Me: If you get a call, just put the phone up to your ear and it will automatically answer. We’ve seen this feature on other phones.
  • Quick Remote: LG is refining its infrared remote control abilities. Now you can teach your LG phone how to control your TV by aiming the TV remote at the G2’s infrared port.
  • Quick Window Case: Like the Galaxy S4 (though LG had a version of this in one of the Spectrum phones), the G2 will have cases that allow 

We’ll have full hands-on impressions later today.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Jeffrey Van Camp
Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Moto G Power (2022) finally meanders its way into the U.S.
The Moto G Power (2022) in the Ice Blue color option shown with a blank, while background.

After being available for pre-order for the past couple of days, Motorola's new budget smartphone -- the Moto G Power (2022) --is on sale in the U.S. via Motorola's retail channels. The phone, originally announced in November, was until now, was only available for purchase through Metro by T-Mobile, Verizon, Boost Mobile, and Xfinity Mobile. Before making it to the U.S., this budget smartphone was already on sale in select overseas markets. As evident from the (2022) suffix, this is the latest edition of the Moto G Power lineup and logically succeeds last year's model -- the Moto G Power (2021).

Motorola's G series smartphones are positioned as affordable, feature-loaded devices that usually have a value for money tag attached to them. And by the looks of it, the Moto G Power (2022) is no exception. If you're wondering what the "Power" tag signifies, it's Motorola's way of branding smartphones with larger than average battery capacity. In the case of the Moto G Power, it's a 5,000 mAh cell.

Read more
5G apocalypse is here as major airlines suspend U.S. flights
An aircraft landing at an airport at dusk.

UPDATE: AT&T and Verizon have announced a delay to Wednesday's planned activation of 5G towers around certain airports in response to safety concerns raised by airline chiefs, and to avert major disruption to flight schedules. But for some airlines -- mainly those flying to the U.S. from other countries -- the announcement came a little late.

Fears of "catastrophic disruption" to flight schedules in the U.S. seem to be coming true after a number of airlines suspended their flights to the U.S. following AT&T and Verizon's plans to switch on their new C-Band 5G networks starting Wednesday, January 19. The suspension, at the moment, seems to only affect routes serviced by the Boeing 777 aircraft, with four major international carriers issuing statements confirming the same.

Read more
Nokia’s new G300 may be the most affordable 5G phone in the U.S.
Image of the Nokia G300 filming.

HMD Global is releasing the Nokia G300, its most affordable 5G phone yet, and possibly one of the cheapest ones to ever launch in North America. Releasing on October 19, the phone will cost $199 and come in a charcoal color. However, it can only be purchased from the sellers Tracfone Wireless and Straight Talk Wireless. Nokia's already announced and released six other phones across three series in 2021.

“We take pride in creating life-proof phones that you can keep for longer thanks to the durability of our devices inside and out," said Cristian Capelli, vice president, North America, HDM Global. "What we have achieved with the Nokia G300 is an elevated yet affordable 5G smartphone with a two-day battery life, meaning you and your family don't need to be chained to a charging cord, and you’ll have more time for the things that matter."

Read more