LG Optimus 4X HD Review
The LG Optimus 4X HD is a new level of phone from the company, A target at Galaxy S3, One X and others that claim to be the superior rank. LG has added a mix of looks, features and hardware. But does it truly stand at par with competition?
Build Quality
The Optimus 4x HD is built, lets say differently, framed and designed on a plastic chassis, it appears to be weak and breakable. But don’t be fooled by the looks, the phone is extremely sturdy. Well built across all divisions, the phone does not squeak or rattle and has the ability to withstand drops, as long as they are not on pointed surfaces.
The smartphones is also capable of handling major tension in your tight pockets (while you sit) thanks to the strength of the construction. While its no polycarbonate shell, its almost at par with the likes of Galaxy S3, if not better. The textured back is really grippy and feels wonderful in the hand, while adding excellent grip.
Hardware An Interface
The 4X HD runs a custom Optimus UI 3.0 on top of Android ICS and will get Jelly Bean shortly. The interface is quite fast and responsive and extremely customisable using themes and icon replacements using own images, even images clicked from the camera. The added themes also allow for a totally different UI for a different mood.
Camera and Multimedia
The camera is an impressive 8 MP shooter with lots of option to boot. Allowing you different shooting modes and full HD video Capture. the video from the camera of the phone is really impressive and you can see a sample down below. The front facing camera also captures smooth 720p video which is an actual usable quality. The images are crisp, even in low lighting and we thoroughly enjoyed the use of the camera on this smartphone.
In terms of multimedia you can do no wrong with the overly vivid display on the 4X HD, the video playback is crisp and well managed, audio from the loud speaker could have been better and it seems it sometimes struggles. watching movies without headphones will be a true challenge on the 4X HD. Audio from headphones otherwise is impressive and we had no complaints with it.
The media player has unique features that allow you to skip forward and preview before actually playing a video, the new media list makes it easy to interact with available content on the device. You can also capture images/ screens while watching a video.
Online and Gaming
The Internet experience on the 4X HD is absolutely stellar, the touch responsiveness and the crisp resolution of the screen make reading and browsing eye pleasing and interactive. The phone is truly impressive and shuns the competition simply because it is good at what it claims to do. The phones is truly connected with high speed data access and multiple connection options. A flurry of social apps let you update your statuses and see what your friends are upto. Of course you still have the usual Android apps from the Play store. Download them and let the online experience loose on this mammoth device.
Gaming couldn’t have been more spectacular , the screen regenerates colour wonderfully, and the high frame rate ensures gaming is smooth. The Tegra chipset ensures maimum compatibility with todays games, and also ensures a great gaming experience.
Battery Life
Impressive is the word when it comes to battery life on the 4x HD , the best in class battery management.
- Talk Time 3G network(data off): 7 Hours
- Talk Time 2g (data off) : 8 hours
- Internet : N/A
- Music : 10 Hours
- Video : 7 hours
- Talk Time 3G network(data on): 5 Hours
- Talk Time 2g (data on) : 6.5 hours
- Internet : 7 Hours
- Music : 9 Hours
- Video : 6 hours
- Talk Time 3G network(data off): 5.5 Hours
- Talk Time 2g (data off) : 7.5 hours
- Internet : 8 Hours
- Music : 9 Hours
- Video : 5.5 hours
Conclusion
The LG Optimus 4X HD is a big leap for LG and gives what the company was missing for a long time. The phone demonstrates how LG can make really good phones, the design is refreshing, build sturdy and the display stunning, the performance is great and battery life is longer than competition. Sick of hearing a battle b/w the S3 and One X , get the cheaper LG 4X HD , somehow seems like an easy going yet powerful alternative without the “nagging wife” symptoms
