LG’s not giving up the fight for curved phone-supremacy easily, outing a second version of its bendy G-Flex at this year’s CES. We’ve had a chance to play with it, and the difference between the old one and the new one is night and day.
Announced at CES 2015 yesterday, the G-Flex 2 is packing a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor at its heart, and 64-bit Android Lollipop 5.0.
It still self heals like the last model (which we’ll have to test when we get a review unit closer to launch), and includes an improved camera too.
LG says that the G-Flex 2 features four curves, rather than just one. It packs in subtle curves around the edges to contour it better to your hand and face.
The G-Flex 2 feels more durable than its predecessor, and for good reason. With what looks to be a more pronounced curve and a smaller screen, LG has made it 30 per cent more durable, and the curved design reportedly spreads impact forces when you drop it. That bend strength has also been increased by 20 per cent in case you sit on the damn thing.
The G Flex is getting a beautiful 1080p screen, up from the laughable 720p panel it previously shipped, and on top if it is the new LG UI we loved so much on the LG G3. Clapping your eyes on this gorgeous P-OLED display is wonderful, with deep blacks and crisp colours doing that clean LG UI justice.
The UI has also been beefed up for power users with a glance view that allows you to take a look at your new notifications without unlocking the whole device. The only problem with that is it’s a bit of a pain to trigger. Normally you swipe down from the very top bezel onto the screen. We tried a few times on a couple of different devices to mixed results. Glance came up when it wanted to, but we’re happy to blame beta software for that.
The device also feels much faster. The animations are snappy and fresh. There’s little to no lag in the device which we love. It feels better thought out this time around.
The G-Flex 2’s camera is getting better, with a new laser auto-focus module and better Optical Image Stabilisation features. LG’s G3 allowed you to make a gesture to take a selfie, so you didn’t have to fumble for your shutter button. With the G Flex 2, that gesture recognition distance.
And finally, a new fast-charge feature allows you to charge the G Flex 2 from almost zero per cent battery up to 50 per cent charge in an LG-quoted time frame of 38 minutes.
LG’s got some great ideas for the next-gen G-Flex 2. Here’s hoping they all come out in the wash.
No word on pricing or release date just yet. We’ll keep you updated.