A wave of positive reviews overseas for LG Electronics’ newest smartphone, the G2, is fanning the company’s hopes for better luck in the market this year.

CNET called it a “speed demon,” noting that the “menus flew by with almost blinding swiftness.”

Trusted Reviews claimed it was not just LG’s best phone so far, but is “shaping up to be one of the best phones ever made.”

<YONHAP PHOTO-0697> LG G2 전국판매 개시 (서울=연합뉴스) 14일 서울 강남구 청담동 LG베스트샵 강남본점에서 고객들이 'LG G2'를 시연해 보고 있다. LG G2는 후면키(Rear Key)를 적용해 눈으로 버튼을 찾는 번거로움 없이 손가락만으로 전원과 볼륨을 조작할 수 있는 것이 특징이다. 2013.8.14 << LG전자 제공 >> photo@yna.co.kr/2013-08-14 11:39:09/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2013 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.>
Models pose with LG Electronics’ newest smartphone the G2.   Yonhap News
LG G2 전국판매 개시 (서울=연합뉴스) 14일 서울 강남구 청담동 LG베스트샵 강남본점에서 고객들이 'LG G2'를 시연해 보고 있다. LG G2는 후면키(Rear Key)를 적용해 눈으로 버튼을 찾는 번거로움 없이 손가락만으로 전원과 볼륨을 조작할 수 있는 것이 특징이다. 2013.8.14 << LG전자 제공 >> photo@yna.co.kr/2013-08-14 11:39:09/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2013 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.> Models pose with LG Electronics’ newest smartphone the G2. Yonhap News

Ubergizmo raved about the decision to install power control buttons on the back of the device, saying they have become “believers in the rear-button layout.” It predicted that LG was “on to something” with its latest phone.

In an online survey conducted by Phone Arena, almost 40 percent of the 3,197 respondents chose the G2 over HTC’s One and Samsung’s Galaxy S4.

The G2 was introduced in New York last week amid much fanfare. LG had built up wide anticipation with promises that the new gadget would be the best in its smartphone lineup so far.

The G2 comes with a 5.2-inch full HD screen, trimmed around the sides with a tiny 2.65-mm bezel. It runs on Qualcomm’s 800 Snapdragon processor and LG Chem’s 3000-mAH batteries.

More noticeable was the innovative software and interface, including the “rear key,” a first for any smartphone in the market.

Other features include the screen coming to life with just a quick tap, and call answering by simply putting the phone to the ear. The phone also carries a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization for blur-free photos.

More than 100 carriers around the world including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile will start carrying the device over the next couple of months. LG is the world’s third-largest smartphone maker following Samsung and Apple.

By Kim Ji-hyun ()


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com