[LG Optimus G Pro] AKA_Rizzo:
All credit for the images and typed report go to Consumer Reports and it's writers.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/.../models/ratings/lg-optimus-g-pro-99049129.htm

The LG Optimus G Pro's is an appealing alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Note II. It allows you to perform many of the Note II's fancy tricks, including jotting down memos and annotating photos, with your finger instead of a stylus that can be easily lost. Its high-scoring, richly featured camera is another plus.

Highs

• Superb 5.5-inch, high-definition display with excellent quality

• Display and keypad are easy to see in bright light

• Many tools help you access and share content you create and capture on your phone

• Top-notch ease of use, messaging, Web browsing, and battery life

• Excellent e-mail readability and attachment capabilities, including document editing

• Supports both types of AT&T's "4G" network (LTE and HSPA+)

• Camera produced very good quality pictures

• Allows you to launch apps such as a camera, messages, or phone directly from a locked screen

• Can snap a still image while recording a video

• Front-facing camera facilitates video chats and self-portraits

• Supports wireless technology that allows you to pay at store registers with your phone

• Uses versatile Android operating system, with access to many apps and services

Lows

• Larger and heavier than many of the smart phones we've tested

• Holding this large phone up to your face for a phone conversation may be awkward

• Accessing apps and features is easy, but often requires two hands

• Fair voice quality when listening

• Lacks a physical button for quick phone access, and its virtual keypad makes it hard to enter a number without looking

• Lacks Flash video

• Memory card is hard to access

Detailed test results

The LG Optimus G Pro is essentially a supersized version of the Optimus G, packing an excellent-quality 5.5-inch, high-definition (1080p), touch-screen display in a relatively thin case. In addition, the display is easy to see in bright light. The phone's giant screen invites comparisons to the popular Samsung Galaxy Note II. While it lacks the Note II's stylus and the floating-preview options that come with it, it compensates with other capabilities. These include Quick Memo, a pull-down menu option app that lets you use your finger to scribble notes on anything you see on the phone's screen, from photos, e-mails, and calendar appointments to the home screen itself. The finished "memo" actually becomes a picture that you can easily e-mail or text to others, as well as share on social networks. In Smart screen mode, the front-facing camera monitors your eyes while you're reading a Web page or other document to prevent the screen from timing out. Also onboard is Video Wiz, an app that can quickly turn a tossed salad of video clips, photos, and sound clips into a polished multimedia presentation. The QSlide feature makes videos float transparently behind other apps on the screen so that you can perform other tasks, such as send a text or browse the Web. The Optimus G Pro has an IR blaster and its QuickRemote app, like a universal remote, can be programmed to control compatible TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and more. The camera has some intriguing features as well. For example, when you use the main camcorder's digital zoom to zero in on one or two subjects in a group, the camera's microphone subltly increases the volume of the voices of those subjects while diminishing the sounds made outside the frame. Also, you can capture video simultaneously on the front and rear cameras, allowing you to appear, as an inset, within the video image recorded by the phone's main, rear-facing camera. The idea is to allow the shooter to be part of the video. You can easily move the inset anywhere on the phone's display, as well as resize it. Its Live Effects feature lets you select from a variety of visual effects when recording video, such as silly faces including big mouth, big eyes, small eyes, and more. Additionally, you can take a picture by just saying "cheese," and the Time catch feature takes a group of photos just before you press the shutter. Another feature is VuTalk, which lets you collaborate on hand-written messages and drawings real-time between Optimus G Pro users while on a call. But holding the phone while on a call or performing other one-handed operations is difficult on this slab, which measures a seam-busting 5.9 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches and weighs a hefty 6 ounces. But you can shrink the dial pad and keyboard and slide them to either side of the phone's screen to bring them closer to your thumbs in portrait mode.

The Optimus G Pro provides easy access to all main functions via a highly responsive touch screen that supports three home screens of apps, programmable shortcuts, and a home button flanked by menu and back keys. Pressing and holding the home key launches a stack of screen shots of your most recently used apps, search, and the task manager. Tap any one of them, and you can jump to that app. For convenient visual cues, the Home Button LED shows different colors and patterns for events such as new messages, missed calls, and calendar reminders. The Quick Button on the left side of the phone gives you direct access to QuickMemo, though you can program it to other apps. The Optimus G Pro provides a straightforward way to add apps, widgets, or change wallpaper. You simply press and hold a blank spot on the screen to summon a Lazy Susan-style buffet of home screens, apps, widgets and other customization options. You can also launch the phone, messaging, browser, email, or camera app directly from a locked screen without the need to first unlock the screen. You do this by swiping upward on any one of app icons that are visible on the locked screen.

The Optimus G Pro lets you perform Google searches by voice command, and lets you download applications, services, and games, and more from the Google Play Store. Its multi-touch screen lets you zoom in and out of photos or Web pages using two fingers (for instance, your thumb and index finger). It also has a handy on-screen drop-down status bar that alerts you to and takes you to new messages, upcoming appointments, and other items that need your attention, even when your screen is locked. Its Android OS offers better text editing tools and controls for managing data usage, and enhanced voice-activated navigation and dictation. The Optimus G Pro supports both types of AT&T's "4G" network (LTE and HSPA+), allowing faster streaming, downloading, and uploading of high-definition videos and other large files. The faster network also facilitates better Web browsing experiences. The Optimus G Pro supports Near Field Communication (NFC), a short-range wireless communication technology that allows the phone to read "smart" tags, or other items that have NFC capability in them. Though the technology is not yet widely deployed for mobile phone users, it could ultimately allow you to pay by phone at the register. The Wi-Fi connection provides another way to access the Web, e-mail, and other Internet-based content, without using your data plan allowance. But this model lacks Flash video.

MESSAGING: The virtual keyboard was excellent to use. It features five rows (a rarity among phones) with dedicated keys for numbers across the top row. It supports a method that allows users to type words without lifting a finger--literally. You enter a word by dragging your finger across the screen from letter to letter. Though it's initially awkward to use, we eventually had a lot of success "typing" quickly and accurately. This phone comes with common preset text messages, and also allows you to create custom preset text messages for your individual special situations or frequent use. Excellent e-mail readability and attachment capabilities. If you tilt the phone on its side while viewing e-mail (wide-screen mode), you see a split-view mode. The window on the left shows the e-mail list, and the window on the right shows the selected e-mail. You can adjust the size of the windows, and you can turn off the split-view mode to see the e-mail full-screen. This phone allows you to edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets out of the box, which can come in handy when working on the go. The Optimus G Pro also supports Microsoft Exchange and Outlook for work e-mail. When connected to Windows or Macintosh computers, this phone can appear on the computer as another drive. You can then transfer data to and from your phone as you could on a regular drive.

PHONE: We tested this phone under a variety of conditions to simulate environments ranging from the quiet indoors to noisy roadsides. We found very good voice quality when talking, though only fair when listening. Talk time was an ample 13.25 hours. This phone has a very good mixture of controls and features for making and taking calls. Excellent keypad readability under most lighting conditions, even in bright light. Its voice command allows you to conveniently dial numbers from your phone book by speaking the name, without the usual training. You can also dial numbers by pronouncing the digits. It has Bluetooth for wireless hands-free voice communication. This model can simultaneously be on a phone call and an Internet-based connection over the cellular network. Can be used internationally. But this model lacks a physical button for quick phone access, and its virtual keypad makes dialing difficult without looking. Auto answer doesn't work with headset.

MULTIMEDIA: The 13-megapixel camera has a very short shutter lag, and produced very good-quality pictures at ISO settings up to 400. Camera has a flash, autofocus, manual ISO settings, face detection, and can record HD video. Its touch focus feature lets you override the autofocus by tapping on any subject on the screen. You can even take a picture by just saying "cheese." And its Time catch feature takes a group of photos just before you press the shutter. The camera's flash and ISO-setting controls help improve your chances of taking better pictures under low-light conditions. Its face detection comes in handy when you're snapping pics of babies, toddlers, or other fussy subjects. You can also snap a still picture at any moment while shooting a video. The camera took decent 1080p video, probably adequate for casual use such as uploading to the Web. The front-facing 2.1-megapixel camera allows easy self-portraits, and can support video chats. It can also record at 1080p.

The music player has the capabilities and controls of a typical stand-alone MP3 player, including an equalizer, music shuffle and repeat controls and options for sorting music by album, artist, etc. This model also supports Bluetooth stereo headsets, and can download music over the phone network. Its Bluetooth data support enables the phone to wirelessly share pictures, contacts, and other files with compatible printers, computers, and mobile devices.

GPS navigation capability provides spoken turn-by-turn directions and automatic re-routing. The Optimus G Pro supports the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard and Miracast protocol. This lets the phone connect via Wi-Fi to share content with other compatible certified devices such as a TV, printer, and computer. The Optimus G Pro can act as a mobile hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices. It has 32GB of built-in memory, and supports memory cards of up to 64GB. Its memory capacity is beneficial for storing music, videos, pictures, and other types of files. But the memory card is hard to access.

About This Brand

LG has recently introduced several promising new devices, including the Optimus G series. The Optimus G has a brilliant 4.7 inch display, long-lasting battery, and offers an impressive blend of top-notch hardware and intriguing Apps for work and play--including Quick Memo, a pulldown-menu option that let's you use your finger to scribble notes on anything you see on the phone's screen, from photos, email, and calendar appointments to the home screen. Other notable phones include the Nitro HD, Spectrum II, Viper, and Intuition.

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