MWC 2013 Hands-On: LG Optimus G Pro & Optimus G

Update: The LG Optimus G Pro is now available in Malaysia. Details here.

Over at LG, we managed to get a hands-on with their new LG Optimus G Pro and Optimus G. The LG Optimus G Pro is a 5.5″ Full HD device which seems to go head on with the Galaxy Note II while the Optimus G is their earlier flagship device that shares the same underpinnings with the Nexus 4.

Head after the break for our hands-on including sample videos and photos.

The Optimus G Pro is a step up from its previous Optimus G flagship device and it comes powered with a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Quad-Core processor at 1.7GHz, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The front features a 5.5″ Full HD 1920×1080 resolution display that gives a pixel density of 400ppi (pixels per inch).

In terms of design, it resembles very closely with their Korean rival, the Galaxy Note II especially the shape and the layout of the home and capacitive buttons below. While the back is made of plastic, it has a nice pixelated pattern and a subtle textured back for a more upmarket feel. While the thickness is the same as the Note II at 9.4mm, the LG Optimus G Pro is actually narrower at 76mm, which is about 5mm less. Powering the device is a 3,140mAh battery (merely 40mAh more than the Galaxy Note II) and it runs on Android 4.1.2 with the usual LG interface. It is also worth pointing out that the Optimus G pro comes with a discreet infrared port that’s located at the top of the device. This can be used as a universal remote control in the living room.

It comes with a 13MP camera and it has something unique called Dual-Recording which lets you capture video from both front and rear cameras. The result, is a FaceTime like recording and you can actually drag the Picture-in-picture box around the screen. You can watch the sample dual recording video below:

Sample Photos from the Optimus G Pro (Click to enlarge)

LG Optimus G

The LG Optimus G is like the non-identical twin of the Nexus 4. It comes with a similar 4.7″ display that pushes 1280×768 resolution, a Quad-Core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

The Optimus G however offers a couple of extras such as 4G LTE and expandable microSD slot. In terms of design, it has glass on both sides and shares the same reflective glitter design as the Nexus 4. With both devices compared, the Optimus G is more squarish and if this was beauty contest, we would prefer the Nexus 4 instead. Being a native LG model, it runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with their own enhancement such as Q-Slide. This is basically a series of pop-up overlay apps that’s similar to Pop-Up play from Samsung.