LG Optimus G Pro Is Big, But Uninspiring

LG is hoping to take on the U.S. market with its massive 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro — does it have the goods to take on the Samsung juggernaut?

If the Optimus G was LG's attempt to take on the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Optimus G Pro is LG's take on the uber-successful Galaxy Note II.

Now, this isn't LG's first attempt at the phone/tablet space (I hate the word phablet, but it does apply), the company previously tried its hand at the large-phone space with the LG Optimus Vu (released as the Intuition in the U.S.). Unlike the Optimus Vu, the Optimus G Pro has a much more streamlined design and aesthetic.

Big Screen. Really Big

Compared to the Galaxy Note II, the Optimus G Pro has a slimmer profile. Both devices have a 5.5-inch display, but the Optimus G Pro has a smaller bezel on the sides, which makes the device slimmer and easier to hold.

Still, make no mistake, the Optimus G Pro is a big phone. Even for large-palmed individuals, I could see the Optimus G Pro — and any smartphone of its size — being hard or impossible to use with one hand. I'm probably the last person who should use a 5.5-inch phone because my hands (and fingers) are so small.

LG has modes for the phone that are supposed to make one-handed use easier, including better access to a keyboard and dial pad, but it made little difference in my experience.

The 5.5-inch screen is a full 1920x1080 IPS display. That's higher resolution than the 1280x720 on the Galaxy Note II and in line with the full HD displays we've seen from HTC and on the Galaxy S4. It gives the Optimus G Pro a pixel density of 400 ppi, meaning that text and graphical elements are crisp and clear.

The display is bright and vivid, but while I normally prefer IPS panels to Super AMOLED and PenTile displays, I wasn't in love with the viewing angles on the Optimus G Pro. Colors are bright and vivid and video playback and text is super sharp — but the phone doesn't have great viewing angles from the side, which is a shame. Part of the appeal of a phone of this size is that you can easily share it with someone else.

Like the Galaxy line of smartphones, the LG Optimus G Pro has a home button. Unfortunately, because of the way LG designed its bezel (to make the footprint of the phone smaller), the button's shape and positioning is almost hard to press. It just doesn't feel good or comfortable to press.

That wouldn't be a problem if the home button didn't become an important part of navigating the phone itself. In this case, I wish LG had followed its steps with the Optimus G and the Nexus 4 and just gone for all soft buttons.

There is a volume button on the side and a button at the top that toggles LG's Quick Memo feature. QuickNote allows users to quickly draw or write on top of the screen. You do this with your finger — no stylus for the Optimus G Pro.

The phone is made of plastic and the back is removable. This means that the back can be replaced with a Quick Cover to add wireless charging and provides easy access to the huge 3140 mAh battery, the microSD card slot and the SIM.

The phone comes with 32GB of storage and an additional 64 can be added via a microSD card.

The phone also has NFC support, LTE and Bluetooth 4.0.  Read more…