Product Listing

LG Optimus 2X - Twice the Horse Power

By Wong Casandra - 22 Mar 2011
Launch SRP: S$888

Conclusion

Our Verdict

We must say, the Optimus line has gotten a big boost from their newest Optimus 2X. Prior to this, LG Android smartphones have been concentrated on the mid and entry-level segment. With the 2X, it brings the possibility for LG to take a piece of the high-end smartphone pie as it ushers in the new age of multi-core smartphone devices.

For the Optimus 2X, we must say that despite its conventional build and design,  the phone is well-constructed and detailed. Overall, the physical handling is a pleasant experience, with responsive physical keys and nicely spaced-out capacitive control buttons for comfortable toggling. Ports are unobtrusively placed, in accordance with its streamlined design. Nice indeed. Also very impressive is its large 4-inch LCD screen (which is fast becoming the next standard), boasting of colors that are vibrant and viewing angles that allow one to easily discern what's happening on the screen under sunlight. Audio performance is somewhat decent too with a suite of equalizer modes at your disposal. The only disappointment here is its lackluster 8-megapixel camera that is most likely bogged down by aggressive noise reduction and whitewashed colors.

The new UI spotted on the 2X is nothing out of the ordinary but it gets the job done as we had an easy time handling and navigating through various aspects of the phone. Both iPhone and Android users will find no trouble in adapting to it given their similar design aspects. LG has made a commendable effort of including some exclusive apps for their smartphones, but we say more could be done judging by how the other major players have more significant offerings - be it apps or extensive web services. The Tegra 2 processor allowed for smooth and swift interaction/gameplay, without any visible lapse in performance even with many apps loaded in the background.

Your main concern should lie with its 5 hours of battery life under non-stop intensive usage, a number that's significantly less than other competing phones like Nexus S or Samsung Galaxy S. It didn't even last a whole day for casual usage, so we're kind of disappointed that long battery life isn't one of its aces. While its true that even popular phones like the iPhone don't last long enough, the difference is that NVIDIA had been publicizing the Tegra 2's lifespan and yet we have the Optimus 2X not living up to those credentials. Definitely room for improvement on LG's part.

What's next for LG after the Optimus 2X?

Is a dual-core smartphone really that necessary? We might have appreciated it more if the phone lasted longer. But for what it's worth, the LG Optimus 2X will attract gamers who are interested in a capable device that can handle intensive graphical rendering without losing frame rates. Given that Sony is looking to bring Playstation Suite to Tegra 2 phones and smartphones (which inadvertently means that users can relive PS1 originals) on Android 2.3 and newer devices, the Optimus 2X is a timely release (the phone itself comes with the Android 2.2 OS, but a 2.3 update is well on its way). For the rest of us who don't require that extra processing power and would rather have our phones last longer, there are plenty of other options to choose from - for now.

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8.5
  • Design 8.5
  • Features 8.5
  • User-Friendliness 8.5
  • Performance 8
  • Value 8
The Good
Simplified UI
Brilliant 4.0-inch LCD touchscreen
Well-constructed build
Snappy performance
The Bad
Lackluster camera performance
Small selection of LG exclusive apps
Short battery life
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