LG G Pro 2 coming to Singapore in end-March

SINGAPORE - LG Electronics Singapore announced on Thursday that the G Pro2 will be available in end March for a retail price of S$828 (inclusive of GST and without line contract). Consumers can purchase the phablet with a two-year contract at all three telcos.

The G Pro 2 was officially announced on February 13 and made its global debut at Mobile World Congress 2014 two weeks ago. The G Pro 2 is equipped with a 5.9-inch Full-HD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.26GHz processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, a microSD memory card slot, a 13-megapixel rear camera and a removable 3,200mAh battery.

It will come in three colors: titan, white and red.

LG G Pro 2 vs LG Optimus G Pro:

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Review: LG G Pro 2

The G Pro series has always been LG's answer to Samsung's Galaxy Note phablets, and the G Pro 2 is no different; it takes the fight to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 this time with a bigger display, 4K video recording and a new design.

Compared to its predecessor, the G Pro 2 has a bigger display at 5.9-inch. This is an increase of 0.4-inch and puts the G Pro 2 directly in the league of the HTC One Max. As the display resolution remains the same at 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, the pixel density drops from over 400ppi to 373ppi. Nonetheless, the 5.9-inch IPS display still looks great.

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Like the G2, the G Pro 2 comes with very slim bezels. It boasts extra slim bezel of 3.3mm, which is 0.65mm thicker than the G2. Besides making the display look edge-to-edge, the slim bezel keeps the form factor of the G Pro 2 manageable in the hands. It is only slightly larger than its predecessor, and is less chunky compared to the One Max.

One of our complaints about the Optimus G Pro is its slippery rear cover. LG addressed this issue in the G Pro 2 by using a dimpled, textured rear that provides some grip in the hands. This direction is somewhat similar to what Samsung is doing for its recent Galaxy mobile devices, where the plastic rear of the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note tablets are replaced with a leather-like material for better feel and look.

The G Pro 2 is the third G-branded device to come with the rear-button setup. This setup was first introduced on the G2 and we are glad to see it appear on the G Pro 2 as it makes handling the device much easier compared to other phablets.

LG developed a new software feature, Mini view which allows you to shrink the normal window into different sizes according to your needs. This may help some users use the device more comfortably in one hand. All you need to do is to swipe right at the bottom of the screen to resize the screen. Once again, this is similar to what Samsung has implemented on the Galaxy Note 3.

Another key feature of the G Pro 2 is the addition of optical image stabilization plus (OIS+) to the 13-megapixel rear camera. OIS+ adds software anti-shake functionality to the hardware-based feature in the camera module for better, clearer photos when in motion or under low light conditions. In this aspect, LG one-ups Samsung as the Galaxy Note 3 only comes with digital image stabilization. The G Pro 2 also matches the Galaxy Note 3 in video recording capabilities as it is able to record 4K videos.

The G Pro 2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.26GHz processor, 3GB RAM and Android 4.4KitKat. It comes in 16GB and 32GB model, both of which have microSD card slots that support cards up to 64GB.

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Here is the official press release from LG Electronics:

LG LAUNCHES G PRO2 IN SINGAPORE

Learning from you always, LG's latest award-winning G Pro2 comes equipped with larger screen and improved UX features

SINGAPORE, March 13, 2014 - LG Electronics Singapore today announced the availability of the LG G Pro2, the successor of the award winning LG G2 and LG G Pro. The LG G Pro2 is LG's latest flagship smartphone that is packed with the most innovative and advanced technology that features a large 5.9" state-of-the-art display and enhanced User Experience (UX) features. Staying true to LG's design heritage, LG has continuously pushed its design limits and produced award winning phones such as LG G2, G Pro and G Flex. With no exception, the LG G Pro2 was recently lauded with the "Best of MWC 2014" by various reputed industry tech publications during the Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona.

With a stunning 5.9-inch Full HD IPS display and extra slim bezel of 3.3mm, the LG G Pro2 offers an industry-leading screen-to-frame ratio of 77.2 per cent. A richer, high-power 1W Hi-Fi sound that is 30 per cent louder than the G Pro delivers clearer sound with a more powerful bass. To simplify the powering on and unlocking process, LG engineers developed a completely unique feature called KNOCKcode™ which makes unlocking and using the LG G Pro2 easier and more convenient than ever before.

"The KnockOn function is one example of a feature from the LG G2 that was well-received with our consumers. Learning from you, we have enhanced and improved this feature, now known as KNOCKcode™, bringing simpler and more convenient solutions to our consumers' daily lives," said Mr Scott Jung, Managing Director of LG Electronics Singapore. "We consistently strive to improve our products to give our consumers that added touch of convenience, without the complexities."

An evolution of the popular KnockOn feature that was first unveiled last year in the LG G2, KNOCKcode™ allows owners to power on and unlock their LG G Pro2 smartphones in one easy step by tapping their screens using one of 86,367 "knock" combinations. Thanks to LG's intelligent algorithm and advanced hardware, the knock pattern can be entered on any area of the screen - whether the display is turned on or off - using anywhere from two to eight taps.

The LG G Pro2 is the first LG smartphone to benefit from an enhanced 13MP camera with OIS+ (Optical Image Stabilizer Plus) and advanced functions, ideal for creating and sharing content. LG's proprietary OIS+ technology adds an anti-shake functionality software to the acclaimed hardware-based feature already built into the slim camera module for the best photos and videos possible when in motion or in low light situations. The sensors and lens of the rear and front camera on the LG G Pro2 have also increased in both size and sensitivity, for images that rival many standalone point-and-shoot cameras. Some of the other advanced image capturing features built into the LG G Pro2 are:

- 120FPS HD Video Recording and Slow-Motion Editing: Records in 120fps HD and allows editing of video in three different speeds - one-half slow motion, one-fourth slow motion and original

- 4K ULTRA HD Recording: Records video footage in ultra-high definition mode for playback on 4K TV sets

- Magic Focus: After the shot is taken, users have the option to select the preferred depth of focus before saving. Users can also press the all-in-focus icon to make every object in the frame look their sharpest

- Natural Flash: Offers more balanced colour temperature and exposure for the most natural-looking photos compared to images taken with a normal flash

- Flash for Selfie: Reduces the size of the preview screen and adds a bright white background for more "soft" lighting in self-portrait mode

- Burst Shot: Takes up to 20 continuous shots and automatically edits them to create a video of the captured images

- Gallery Collage: Allows users to select photos from their gallery to create a collage for easy uploading to favourite social network sites

In addition to the latest components, the LG G Pro2 also boasts a collection of upgraded features that complements today's mobile lifestyle where much of the information we need is in the palm of our hands or in our back pockets. Some of these new UX features include:

- Content Lock: Provides users more security with the ability to lock files, photos, videos and memos with a unique password

- Mini View: Enables users to comfortably use the LG G Pro2 with one hand by shrinking the display to a size ranging from 3.4 inches to 4.7 inches, depending on the user's preference

- Dual Browser: Divides the expansive screen into two separate browser windows for more convenient surfing

The LG G Pro2 will be available at all M1, Singtel, Starhub and other authorised LG mobile retailers at the end of March this year at a recommended retail price of S$828.

G Pro 2 Key Specifications:

- Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 (2.26 GHz Quad-Core)
- GPU: Qualcomm Technologies Adreno™ 330
- Display: 5.9-inch Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080), Slim Bezel
- Memory: 3GB DDR3 RAM / 32GB eMMC ROM / microSD slot
- Camera: Rear 13.0MP OIS+ / Front 2.1MP
- Battery: 3,200mAh (removable)
- Operating System: Android 4.4 KitKat
- Size: 157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3mm
- Weight: 172g
- Network: LTE / HSPA+
- Connectivity: Bluetooth Smart Ready (BT 4.0) / USB / WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) / NFC / SlimPort
- Colors: Titan, White, Red
- Other: KNOCKcode™, 1W Hi-Fi Sound, Content Lock