LG G2 mini review

LG has joined the "mini" clan. The company's flagship LG G2 got its down sized version. This is LG G2 mini and it has two tasks to do. Firstly, it has to enrich the LG's offer. Secondly, LG G2 is at the begging of its life and any kind of support is welcome. Maybe there is something under the number three. Almost all of other manufacturers already have released their "minis", so it would be hard thing for LG to miss this kind of competition. All started with Samsung and Galaxy S3 mini and Galaxy S4 mini. HTC didn't want to step aside, so they introduced One mini. So, let's see if LG managed to do decent job here and to attracts all the potential buyers who wanted LG G2, but they are lacking of money.

LG G2 mini design

When you look LG G2 mini you probably realize it's almost identical to G2. Yup, but if you look closer, some differences are there. The device is more chubby and with more bezels around the screen. LG definitely wanted to show this is a cheaper version so it done its best to show that to everybody. The soft casing plastic is a low quality comparing to the one from G2. Still, the back panel is removable. Under it, there's a also removable battery and microSD slot.

The smaller display caused the less weight in the scale. Since it has more compact dimensions (129.6 x 66 x 9.8 mm) it's easy to hold and to handle it. Rear surface has a texture and reduces the possibility of slipping out of hand. The main button is still sitting on the back, between volume rockers. If some of you didn’t have experience with G2, this may sound odd to you, but that's the way LG does nowadays. Buy the way, the buttons respond very good, so there's nothing to worry about.

LG G2 mini display and software

The IPS LCD 4.7-inch display comes with a surprisingly poor 540x90 pixel resolution. Beside that, it has 234ppi. It can't be worse, right? We understand the manufacturer wanted to cut the costs, but this is too much. If you want to sell the phone by this price, you gotta offer more. Even some mid range handsets have better displays. Speaking about them, don't you think LG G2 mini is actually mid range device?

The image quality isn't something to be proud of. With a lot visible pixel it could be hard to reach buyers who are used on 720p and even 1080p displays. Also, the outdoor visibility is very bad. There's a lot of light reflection, so it's more a mirror than smartphone screen. When the sunlight disappears, the screen looks better, and the viewing angles are very good.

LG G2 mini work on fresh and sweet KitKat Android combined with new Optimus UI. That's not a bad solution, especially cause the phone is blessed by some cool LG's features, like KnockON and Knock Code, for those who don't believe on double tap to unlock the phone.

LG G2 mini specs and performance

The display isn't the only part that has been part of austerity measures. Just take a look at processor. LG installed 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400, with Adreno 305 GPU. You don't have to test this phone to be sure this is under the average processor. Luckily, with 1GB of RAM it's possible to open several apps simultaneously. That's enough for average user. The initial 8GB of memory is definitely not enormous (user have only 4GB available), so you should buy microSD anyway.

The 2,440mAh battery is respectively large, so the user can expect a full day of work on a single charge. Of course, if you transform LG G2 mini into gaming or navigation tool, the battery life will be shorter.

LG G2 mini camera

The main 8Mp camera is using standard Optimus camera app, which is very simple and user friendly. As some other newer LG phones, LG G2 mini allows you to activate the camera by saying predefined words. The cam offers standard shooting modes (Panorama, Time Catch, HDR, Night, etc). The shooting speed is good, except the HDR when it takes some 4-5 second to finish the shoot. The resulting photos are rich of colors, but they aren't natural as they should be. Also, the photos are darker than they actually are. The LED flash is around average. The 1080p video are ok, but nothing special. They lack smoothness, but generally useable.

LG G2 mini conclusion

LG wanted to join Samsung, HTC and Sony. We think it didn't succeeded. Why? Because the Koreans made a mid range phone with a price which is reserved for premium models. LG G2 mini lacks the good screen and decent camera. There's even more thing LG G2 mini should worry about. The similar models are much better and they cost about the same. For the same money you can look for great Nexus 5. Also, you can think of Moto X and Moto G, as also as Galaxy S4 mini and One mini. If you want premium design and waterproof pick a Xperia Z1 Compact.

Photos: lg.com