LG Optimus G launches with Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 Pro, 4G LTE and 13 MP Camera

Today, the long rumored LG Optimus G was officially presented at a press conference in Korea which we attended. With this flagship 4G LTE smartphone and its powerful hardware, LG is also pushing what they call a “unique user experience” with a number of interesting user interface custom features.

The most impressive addition to the software is the QSlide Function, a feature that allows to display two application screens simultaneously, thus enabling multitasking. For example, users can search the web or send messages while watching a video. To date, the only mobile devices featuring this type of split-screen capability are the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. I cannot wait to test QSlide in a real-world situation.+

It is possible to see another application thanks to transparency. Called QSlide, the transparency is controlled by the slidebar on the upper-left. It is also possible to switch apps. Only the app on the “top” layer can be interacted with

Another screen with the QSlide transparency

Other custom software features include Live Zooming, for zooming up to 5X in a video while it is being streamed, Dual Screen Dual Play for mirroring the smartphone and the TV with different content, QuickMemo, for writing or drawing a note with the finger directly on a captured screen and sharing it as an URL or attachment, ApplicationLink for launching preset applications when the alarm is turned off and Icon Personalizer for customizing app icons.

LiveZooming in action. In the lower-right, the blue square shows the sub-region being zoomed-on

Quickmemo (Q Memo in Korea) lets you write a number with your finger, and that layer stays as long as you need it. Handy!

On the hardware side, the spec sheet is impressive, and we could not expect any less from a flagship product. The LG Optimus G is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor clocked at 1.5 Ghz with 2GB DDR RAM and we can expect excellent performances especially for 3D gaming (we played with the Snapdragon S4 Pro SDK recently). Entertainment should be a delight on this device, thanks to its 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPSPlus display (1280 x 768 pixels- 320 ppi) that feature a 15:9 ratio.

We know that 4G is a challenge for battery life and the 2100mAh capacity of the LG Optimus G is fairly standard for high end smartphones. LG claims that it has improved the battery technology with a longer life of 800 cycles which is a “significant improvement over existing mobile phone batteries”, according to the company. In theory this should prolong the total lifespan of the battery. It’s typically hard to put this to the test because but it’s true that any rechaegeable battery eventually dies completely and needs to be replaced. Typically most people do “OK” during the normal lifetime of their smartphone.

LG pushed the envelope on the camera side by building a 13 MP rear camera and a few software additions such as Time Catch Shot for choosing the best photo among various shots taken *before* pressing on the shutter, Cheese Shutter for triggering the shutter by saying cheese, LG, kimchi or smile, Smart Shutter detects device vibrations or the motion of the subject and adjust the shutter speed accordingly, Low Light Shot Noise Reduction for better performance in low light conditions.

The LG Optimus G will be available in Korea starting next week and in key global markets in October.

Specification highlights:

• ŸSoC (System on a Chip): 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor Quad-Core
• 4G LTE (will vary depending on country/carrier)
• RAM: 2GB DDR
• Operating System: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Network: 2G / 3G / LTE
• Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPSPlus (1280 x 768 pixels) / 15:9 ratio / 320 ppi
• Storage: 32GB
• Camera: 13.0MP or 8.0MP (probably for the US version) rear / 1.3MP front
• Battery: 2,100mAh (570Wh/L) / Talk time: 15 hours / Standby: 335 hours
• Size: 131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45mm
• Weight: 145g
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, USB2.0 HS, A-GPS, MHL and DLNA, NFC