LG G Flex - Specifications. LG Curved Screen Monitors - Prices

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RUB 49,200

Monitor LG 34UC89G-B 34, black (34uc89g-b.aruz) 34UC89G-B.ARUZ

LED backlight. Anti-glare coating. With a contrast ratio of 1000:1. Height adjustment. With a vertical viewing angle of 178°. Headphone output. HDMI interface. Curved screen. DisplayPort input. Resolution - 2560x1080. USB ports. Screen format - widescreen 16:9. With a response time of 5ms. LCD matrix type - IPS. With a horizontal viewing angle of 178°. With a diagonal of 34 inches (86 cm). With height: 445 mm. With depth: 280 mm. With width: 820 mm. With weight: 8.3 kg.

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RUB 34,499

Monitor LG 34UC79G-B Black

Diagonal 34 inches. Contrast - 1000. LCD matrix type - IPS. Resolution - 2560x1080. With HDMI interface. With built-in speakers. Response time 5 ms. With curved screen. With LED backlight. With DisplayPort input. With anti-glare coating. With USB ports. Horizontal viewing angle 178 degrees. Screen format - widescreen 21:9. Vertical viewing angle 178 degrees. With depth: 279 mm. With width: 813 mm. With height: 432 mm. With weight: 8.2 kg.

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RUB 48,540

Height adjustment. LCD matrix type - IPS. USB ports. Resolution - 2560x1080. Anti-glare coating. Screen format - widescreen 16:9. Curved screen. HDMI interface. With a horizontal viewing angle of 178°. With a diagonal of 34 inches (86 cm). With a response time of 5ms. LED backlight. Headphone output. With a contrast ratio of 1000:1. DisplayPort input. With a vertical viewing angle of 178°. Depth: 280 mm. Width: 820 mm. Height: 445 mm. Weight: 8.3 kg.

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RUB 48,540

Monitor 34 LG 34UC89G-B IPS LED 2560x1080 5ms HDMI DisplayPort (black)

Contrast - 1000. LCD matrix type - IPS. With HDMI interface. With height adjustment. With curved screen. With DisplayPort input. With anti-glare coating. Horizontal viewing angle 178 degrees. Vertical viewing angle 178 degrees. Diagonal 34 inches. Response time 5 ms. Resolution - 2560x1080. With headphone output. With LED backlight. With USB ports. Screen format - widescreen 16:9. With height: 445 mm. With width: 820 mm. With depth: 280 mm. With weight: 8.3 kg.

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RUB 48,780

LCD monitor LG 34UC89G-B 34 IPS HDMI DisplayPort

Curved screen. Resolution - 2560x1080. LCD matrix type - IPS. Headphone output. USB ports. Screen format - widescreen 16:9. DisplayPort input. With a horizontal viewing angle of 178°. With a vertical viewing angle of 178°. Anti-glare coating. HDMI interface. With a contrast ratio of 1000:1. LED backlight. Height adjustment. With a response time of 5ms. With a diagonal of 34 inches (86 cm). With height: 445 mm. With depth: 280 mm. With width: 820 mm. With weight: 8.3 kg.

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RUB 38,113

8% 41,355 rub.

Monitor 34 LG 34UC79G

With USB ports. With built-in speakers. Horizontal viewing angle 178 degrees. Response time 5 ms. Screen format - widescreen 21:9. With DisplayPort input. With curved screen. With LED backlight. Vertical viewing angle 178 degrees. LCD matrix type - IPS. With anti-glare coating. Resolution - 2560x1080. Diagonal 34 inches. Contrast - 1000. With HDMI interface. Weight: 8.2 kg. Dimensions 813x432x279 mm.

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RUB 47,530

5% 49,790 rub.

Monitor LG 34UC89G-B, black 34UC89G-B.ARUZ (black)

With a response time of 5ms. DisplayPort input. Anti-glare coating. Curved screen. With a contrast ratio of 1000:1. Screen format - widescreen 16:9. With a horizontal viewing angle of 178°. LED backlight. With a diagonal of 34 inches (86 cm). With a vertical viewing angle of 178°. LCD matrix type - IPS. HDMI interface. Headphone output. USB ports. Resolution - 2560x1080. Height adjustment. With height: 445 mm. With depth: 280 mm. With width: 820 mm. With weight: 8.3 kg.

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RUB 46,114

Monitor LG 34UC89G-B

Contrast - 1000. Horizontal viewing angle 178 degrees. With USB ports. Screen format - widescreen 16:9. With anti-glare coating. Vertical viewing angle 178 degrees. With curved screen. Resolution - 2560x1080. With LED backlight. With height adjustment. Diagonal 34 inches. With DisplayPort input. With headphone output. LCD matrix type - IPS. Response time 5 ms. With HDMI interface. With height: 445 mm. With width: 820 mm. With depth: 280 mm. With weight: 8.3 kg.

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RUB 38,900

Anti-glare coating. With a horizontal viewing angle of 178°. Resolution - 2560x1080. Built-in speakers. With a diagonal of 34 inches (86 cm). LCD matrix type - IPS. Curved screen. With a vertical viewing angle of 178°. With a response time of 5ms. LED backlight. Screen format - widescreen 21:9. HDMI interface. USB ports. With a contrast ratio of 1000:1. DisplayPort input. Width: 813 mm. Height: 432 mm. Depth: 279 mm. Weight: 8.2 kg.

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RUB 38,900

Monitor 34 LG 34UC79G-B IPS LED 2560 x 1080 5ms HDMI DisplayPort 34UC79G-B.ARUZ (black)

Diagonal 34 inches. Screen format - widescreen 21:9. Contrast - 1000. With curved screen. With DisplayPort input. LCD matrix type - IPS. Response time 5 ms. With LED backlight. Horizontal viewing angle 178 degrees. With USB ports. With anti-glare coating. Vertical viewing angle 178 degrees. Resolution - 2560x1080. With HDMI interface. With built-in speakers. With depth: 279 mm. With width: 813 mm. With height: 432 mm. With weight: 8.2 kg.

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RUB 39,090

LCD monitor LG 34UC79G-B 34 black HDMI DisplayPort 34UC79G-B.ARUZ

With a response time of 5ms. Curved screen. Anti-glare coating. LCD matrix type - IPS. HDMI interface. USB ports. With a horizontal viewing angle of 178°. With a contrast ratio of 1000:1. LED backlight. DisplayPort input. With a diagonal of 34 inches (86 cm). Resolution - 2560x1080. Built-in speakers. With a vertical viewing angle of 178°. Screen format - widescreen 21:9. With depth: 279 mm. With width: 813 mm. With height: 432 mm. With weight: 8.2 kg.

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RUB 49,714

Monitor 34 LG 34UC88

Contrast - 1000. With curved screen. With DisplayPort input. LCD matrix type - IPS. With headphone output. Response time 5 ms. With LED backlight. Horizontal viewing angle 178 degrees. With USB ports. With height adjustment. With anti-glare coating. Vertical viewing angle 178 degrees. With HDMI interface. With built-in speakers. Resolution - 3440x1440. With Russian menu. Screen format - widescreen 21:9. Diagonal 34 inches. Weight: 8.3 kg. Dimensions 818x448x252 mm.

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RUB 43,181

LG 34UC88-B, Silver monitor Discounted item (N2) (black)

With a response time of 5ms. Curved screen. Anti-glare coating. LCD matrix type - IPS. HDMI interface. Headphone output. USB ports. With a horizontal viewing angle of 178°. With a contrast ratio of 1000:1. LED backlight. Russian menu. DisplayPort input. With a diagonal of 34 inches (86 cm). Height adjustment. Built-in speakers. Resolution - 3440x1440. With a vertical viewing angle of 178°. Screen format - widescreen 21:9. With width: 818 mm. With height: 448 mm. With depth: 252 mm. With weight: 8.3 kg.

Specifications:

• Class: smartphone
• Form factor: monoblock
• Case materials: plastic
• Operating system: Google Android 5.0
• Network: one microSIM card, GSM/HSPA/LTE
• Processor: 8 cores, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
• RAM: 2 GB
• Data storage memory: 16/32 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
• Screen: capacitive, P-OLED 5.5"" with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels
• Camera: 13 MP OIS+ Laser AF, 2.1 MP, flash
• Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
• Additionally: proximity and lighting sensors, FM radio, NFC, IR transmitter
• Battery: non-removable, lithium-ion (Li-Ion) capacity 3000 mAh
• Dimensions: 149x75x8.9 mm
• Weight: 154 g

Scope of delivery:

• Smartphone
• Wired headset
• Micro-USB cable
• USB adapter for 220V network

Introduction

Last year, LG Electronics introduced a serial smartphone with a curved screen (more precisely, concave). The name given to the new device is quite logical - Flex - flexible. Of course, the display was not literally flexible, but it had a slight movement. I can’t say that the first Flex was popular, because it had mediocre characteristics and considerable cost. The only original feature is not flat screen, like most phones. Nevertheless, it produced a Wow effect.

At the beginning of 2015, another version of the bent device was shown at CES. Let me remind you that at the time of announcement the world had already been shown Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. However, it was curved only on one side of the screen - also a kind of move to prove to everyone that Samsung also has similar technologies.

The new G Flex 2 turned out to be much more interesting than its predecessor. Judge for yourself: the new model uses a higher resolution display and has a powerful eight core processor. In addition, Flex 2 has built in one of best cameras with image stabilization and laser focusing, like the LG G3 and G4.

This time, in my personal opinion, LG is no longer demonstrating technology for the sake of technology, but is simply bringing to the market a pumped-up serial gadget with a curved screen. Samsung is doing the same with its Galaxy S6 Edge.

Design, dimensions, control elements

If you do not take into account the curvature of the case, then you have a gadget with a fairly modern appearance: minimal frames around the screen, a large display that occupies almost the entire area of ​​the front panel, high-quality materials, and so on. Comparing the first Flex and the second, you give preference, of course, to the latter: it looks more interesting, prettier and looks complete, without any unnecessary elements.



As for the bend, it's not too noticeable, probably because the body isn't as big as the old Flex. You can notice the feature only if you place the gadget on a flat horizontal surface and look from the side. The angle of curvature is only a few degrees. The difference between the center point of the screen and the ends is approximately 3 mm. The effect is best felt during use, when scrolling the menu up and down. It’s quite difficult to describe in words, it’s better, as they say, to try it once. In any case, it is unusual: it seems as if the image first slides down from top to bottom, and then rises again towards the bottom edge. Naturally, it fits in the hand a little better than any other similar device with a flat back - this is a significant positive point.

The materials haven't changed much, it's still plastic, no metal. However, they beat him somewhat more effectively than in G Flex. The thin frame is chrome-plated, the sides are glossy, dark gray, the lid is also glossy and also dark gray. The socket has an unusual pattern - radial waves to the sides, similar to Asus devices. The pattern is noticeable only in the light; in the shadows, it seems as if the lid has a gradient from gray to dark gray. As far as I know, there is a device in red. I haven’t seen it live, but it looks cool on video and photos.

They say that here, too, a “self-healing” surface is used on the plastic of the rear panel. In practice, even small scratches are noticeable. And it was the same in the old Flex. I don’t know why they came up with this marketing thing: just “tales from the crypt.” However, I am more than sure that people will write in the comments and prove the opposite, saying that their devices “heal wounds” even from being hit by grenade fragments.

I got the impression that there was a film stuck on my sample, but I could not remove it.

The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. There is an oleophobic coating, but even after removing fingerprints, the light coating is not completely erased. The finger glides over the surface easily and is a pleasure to use.

At the top center there is a slot where the speech speaker is located. Its volume is very high, the timbre is pleasant: there is also low frequencies, and well-listened mids with high frequencies.

To the left of the speaker are sensors, a front camera and an indicator of missed events. Below the display is the logo and the inscription “LG”.

At the bottom there is a microUSB, a microphone and a 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones or a headset. On top is the second microphone and infrared transmitter(I don’t know why it is needed, but let it be “to the heap”).

There are, as always, missing elements on the right and left.

On the back: laser focus, dual LED flash with warm and cool glow, camera, speaker and volume keys with a power button in the center.

I don’t like this arrangement of buttons at all: I couldn’t get used to it on the LG G2, LG G3 and the first Flex. This is a purely personal opinion.

Comparative dimensions:

LG G Flex 2 and LG G3

LG G Flex 2 and Meizu M1 Note

Display

This device uses a screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. Physical size – 68x121 mm, frame on top – 12 mm, bottom – 16 mm, on the right and left – approximately 3.5 mm. There is an anti-reflective coating, which is quite effective.

The LG G Flex 2 display resolution is FullHD, that is, 1920x1080 pixels, aspect ratio is 16:9, density is 400 pixels per inch. P-OLED matrix without an air gap. Despite the high density of dots, if you look closely, you can see the characteristic “pattern” of Pentile.

Maximum brightness white– 200 cd/m2.

The white line is the goal we are trying to achieve. The yellow line is the actual data on this screen. You can see that we are directly below the target curve, which means that for every value between 0 and 100 the image is not bright enough. The yellow line is actually the average amount of red, green and blue.

The average gamma value is 2.40. When brightness increases by more than 30%, gamma deteriorates sharply. Setting the gamma too high, as in our case, means that the maximum brightness will be higher and we will have deep black tones, but at the cost of losing detail in dark scenes.

Judging by the level graph, there is a clear excess of blue, and a deficiency of red.

The temperature changes sharply depending on the brightness level: at minimum brightness, all colors will have warm tints, at maximum, they will take on a cooler tint.

Judging by the diagram, the data obtained exceeds the sRGB triangle. It is quite strongly shifted upward to the right.

The viewing angles are maximum; at certain angles you can notice that the picture takes on a greenish-blue tint. The black color on this matrix looks cool.

Viewing Angles

Spots are visible on the gray background. “In life” they are not visible.

Settings

Battery

This model uses non-removable battery capacity 3000 mAh.

When working with the device, the battery lasted for about 20-23 hours: about 20-30 minutes of calls per day, about 3-4 hours of 3G use, about 15 hours of Wi-Fi (constant synchronization of mail, Twitter, WhatsApp, Skype, and so on) , several dozen photos, 2 hours of listening to music.

In a more gentle mode (without 3G, music, a little less talk), the gadget works for a day and a half. If you leave only data synchronization (Wi-Fi), you can count on 3 days. Up to 13 hours of continuous talk time.

When the screen backlight brightness is automatically adjusted, the display operates from 3.5 to 5 hours.

Communication capabilities

In this section, in order not to inflate the review, it is worth describing the most important thing: Flex 2 works with LTE networks CAT 6 with integrated LTE 3x20 MHz channel aggregation technology, it has dual-band dual-stream Qualcomm VIVE 2-stream Wi-Fi 802.11n/ac with MU-MIMO (dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot), Bluetooth version 4.1 (A2DP, EDR, LE), NFC chip.

It is easy to connect Flash devices to USB (OTG mode).

LG has GPS (Qualcomm IZat Gen8C) and GLONASS. It functions stably, the speed is very high: even near the window up to 10 satellites are “visible”.

Memory and memory card

LG made a little fuss about the amount of RAM: some sources claim that the 32 GB version has 3 GB of RAM, others claim that it is still 2 GB of RAM. We had a 16 GB sample on hand Flash memory and 2 GB of RAM.

The official website says that there is only a version with 32 GB Flash and 3 GB RAM. As soon as I find out the exact information from LG representatives, I will add it to the review.

Of the two gigabytes of RAM, less than a gigabyte is usually free. Apparently, the shell “eats” a lot.

Cameras

This model uses two camera modules: a main 13 MP (F2.4 aperture) with optical stabilization images and a 2.1 MP front module (F2.0) without stub and autofocus. There is laser focusing, there is a double flash with different glow temperatures (this way accurate reproduction of skin tones is achieved).

I won’t go into detail about the cameras, since the Flex 2 borrowed modules from the LG G3.

However, I did compare the LG G Flex 2 camera and the LG G3 camera. The result is interesting: the Flex 2 shoots much sharper than the G3. The only thing that sometimes “breaks” is the white balance. On the other hand, mistakes often happen in G3.

Below are pictures of the Flex 2 (on the right) and G3 (on the left):

Originals with LG G Flex 2:

Originals with LG G3:

If you compare the videos, there is not much difference. Both cameras are good, I am especially pleased with the accurate and very fast focusing even when shooting in low lighting conditions.

Settings

Examples of photos:

Examples of photos taken with the front camera:

Performance

The LG G Flex 2 has the latest chipset from Qualcomm - Snapdragon 810. Eight cores work here: 4 ARM Cortex A57 cores and 4 ARM Cortex A53 cores with support for the 64-bit platform, 20 nm technological process. Adreno 430 is responsible for graphics.

The first thing mobile device manufacturers encountered was chipset overheating. This may be why many vendors refused to use the 810 chip. However, in new firmware the situation has changed. I tested the LG G Flex 2 and realized that nothing bad was happening: the maximum temperature under processor load reaches 45-50 degrees, which, in general, is quite typical for almost any processor.

Unlike the all-metal HTC One M9, the Flex 2's body barely heats up, so users won't have any problems.

In general, heating, decreased performance and other unpleasant things can only be seen on various sites, in real life none of this happens. At least on this device with the firmware that is installed in Flex.

The interface works smoothly, all games launch and run, including GTA SA.

Screenshots from games

Today it is no longer surprising to hear the loud title “flagship”, since equipment manufacturers too often abuse this concept. And so that a potential buyer pays attention to new product, it’s not a sin to apply various innovations. At the end of 2013, one of these was the curved screen in the rather large LG G Flex model, and in 2015 its continuation was released in a more compact body, confirming that the curved smartphone is still a novelty.

Review curved smartphone LG G Flex 2: a successful continuation

Appearance

As we have already noticed, a curved smartphone causes surprise and open interest even among technically advanced users. Anyone who sees the Flex 2 will definitely pick it up to take a closer look. The device will never go unnoticed. And probably not without reason. Let's start with the fact that Flex 2 fits comfortably in the hand, and especially when pressed to the ear, thanks to its curved shape. Also, the device bends and does not break, and, when placed in the back pocket, will withstand the weight of the owner who decides to sit down. Like its predecessor, this model has a back cover with a self-healing coating. Indeed, in half a minute very small scratches disappear from the surface, but you should not count on more.

Therefore, to maintain perfect condition, you still cannot do without a cover. Fans of glossy plastic will probably forgive the smartphone for its easily soiled body, but it doesn’t look very neat. Under the back cover there is a non-removable curved battery and slots for SIM cards and memory cards, located one above the other.

Traditionally for LG, the power button and volume keys are located on the back side. It's easy to get used to, but it will definitely take a day or two. At the top end there is a noticeable slot for the second microphone and an IR port for controlling household appliances. The charging connector (for communication with a PC) and the headphone input are located at the bottom end. The location of the latter is typical for some models, but daily use with wired headphones is not particularly convenient.

We liked the gadget due to its lack of attraction to overly rounded shapes, so it has a completely solid, unplayful appearance, and the weight of 152 grams feels comfortable.

Display

Of course, the curved shape of the smartphone is eye-catching, but the screen is also worthy of attention. If the curved pioneer had a 6-inch screen, the smaller Flex 2 received a 5.5-inch display, albeit with more advanced characteristics. If the matrix type remains the same P-OLED (only modified), then in the new product we see Full-HD with greater image clarity (403 ppi versus 245 ppi) and more advanced Gorilla Glass 3 with additional coating from LG. The image detail is high; you will have to use a magnifying glass to see minor artifacts. The anti-reflective coating works effectively and it is comfortable to work with a smartphone both outdoors and indoors with bright overhead lighting. Color reproduction is as accurate as possible for OLED technology. The black color is very deep and noble, the green is defiantly bright. Very usefully, color correction is provided using three (“bright”, “standard”, “natural”) preset profiles.

It is not surprising that “natural” turned out to be the most pleasing to the eye, since the other two are only suitable for watching some colorful videos. The brightness reserve is huge, and comfortable work is possible at 55-60% brightness.

What's inside

LG G Flex 2 is based on powerful processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 with clock frequency 2.0 GHz with support for the Adreno 430 video accelerator. Depending on the modification, 2 or 3 GB of RAM on board, without third-party running applications About 1 GB of RAM remains free. In synthetic tests, the gadget receives high scores, which is confirmed by the absence of brakes in flight simulators and various races with “heavy” graphics.

Since the gadget supports GPS and GLONASS, there are no problems with navigation. The first satellites are detected a few seconds after launch navigation application, and determining the location takes 35-45 seconds. Among dense urban areas, the gadget does not lose the signal, and the detection accuracy is high.

There are also no problems with data transmission in LTE networks big three speed reaches 40 Mbit/s. The battery lasts for one and a half to two days of not the most active work, given the included 3G. When watching a movie in HD quality and lasting 1.5 hours at 100% screen brightness and 50% volume, the battery lost 10% of its charge. The AnTuTu battery life test gave a result of 5871 points, which is not bad. Thanks to Quick functions Charge the battery gains the first 50% of its charge in 45 minutes.

OS

The curved gadget runs on the latest Android 5.0.1 Lollipop OS with all the not very numerous innovations. For example, notifications are displayed in the form of tiles, which some will like, although in our opinion it doesn’t look so great. The proprietary Optimus UI shell is the same as in the LG G3 and G3 Dual models. Note that it is quite convenient and not overloaded with unnecessary pre-installed applications, as is common with another large Korean company.

The simplicity and simplicity (which is good) of the shell is confirmed at least by icons without shadows and a graphically simple list of settings. The list of pre-installed applications is also there, for example, a utility for controlling household appliances via infrared, a cool drawing reminder QuickMemo+, or a proprietary smartphone lock KnockCode. Gesture controls won't really surprise anyone these days, but the fact that they exist is still a plus.

Camera

The shooting is in complete order, since the main 13 megapixel camera produces high quality pictures in most cases. Yes, this, of course, is not a replacement for a DSLR, but a very worthy option. At least there is nothing to criticize for daytime shots indoors with normal lighting.

Laser autofocus works quickly, rarely missing, and it is possible to focus on a point selected on the display. The 2 MP front selfie camera, in addition to photos, also shoots video in Full-HD, and also has a dual shooting mode - an image from the main camera is added to the selfie photo. The settings menu is simple, stylish and convenient, although it could have been designed better.

Clicking on a thumbnail will open a full-size image.

Examples of pictures when different conditions lighting.

Entertainment

Although the pre-installed player is not an example of such applications, there is no desire to replace it with another application. In terms of sound quality (we tried different headphones), Flex 2 is not excellent, but rather good. The sound is loud and clear, but this is definitely not a “musical flagship”. The player has five ready-made equalizer presets, plus a manual setting with seven bands.

Everything is fine with watching videos: the gadget has built-in support for popular codecs, so you don’t need to “dance with a tambourine” to install third party applications and codecs for them. Of course, watching videos on a gorgeous screen is a pleasure. FM radio, although not the most popular application today, is nice that it exists and is well designed. In the center of the Russian capital, the auto-search receiver found 38 stations.

Bottom line

Unlike its predecessor, the LG G Flex 2 is not only interesting, but also a successful smartphone in all respects. The model is fast, convenient, has a lot of advantages, but also, of course, the disadvantage of the not yet officially announced, but expected high price of 45-50 thousand rubles.

LG G Flex 2 is, oddly enough, the most affordable way to get technical specifications that are current for 2015. Here is the top filling and interesting design, but also many nuances that it is better for potential owners to know about in advance. In today's review I will talk about the key features and actual operation of the device.

What? Where? For what?

It was 2015, a difficult time for the consumer device market. The crisis of ideas has led to some manufacturers actively starting to experiment with design and materials. Glass and metal have not surprised anyone for a long time, so a variety of inventions were used. The Koreans, for example, distinguished themselves in their new flagship G4 by covering the back cover with leather. Samsung is turning corners, and Chinese companies are trying to completely get rid of the frames around the display.

I wouldn’t be surprised that in the next round one of the leading market players will release a phone with a body made of real carbon fiber or, who knows, Kevlar. This will be the number!

As a result, each manufacturer is ostracized as best he can. Some come up with new design solutions and later try to justify their use. Other companies throw an entire class of devices onto the market and pretend nothing is happening. If anyone doesn’t understand, we are talking about Apple’s branded Watch. Users have allegedly been ready for this for a long time and really want to pay at least $350 for an incomprehensible contraption. And there is nothing wrong with the fact that dozens of videos are being released along the way explaining what it is and what it is eaten with.

In general, the situation is interesting, including the example of one manufacturer and its specific product, namely. The smartphone was released in 2014 as a symmetrical response to the Galaxy Round - something similar, but from Samsung.

Both devices were prototypes, but subsequently each manufacturer went their own way. Samsung creates special, curved versions of its flagships and positions them as premium versions of its main models. Another Korean company decided to bring a curved screen to most of its new devices: this is the G4, and even the budget line, including and. Everything is clear. We tried it, liked it, and implemented it wherever possible.

However, there is logical question: Why did LG release a sequel in the form of G Flex 2, if new flagship is it also curved?

Frankly speaking, after using the device for a week, I did not find an answer to this question. They let me out and that's fine. The main thing is that there is a cool filling and nice price. But first things first.

Design

The second “flex” didn’t offer anything radically new in terms of appearance. It has the same dark gray plastic, a noticeably curved body and a large screen. The diagonal of the latter, however, decreased from 6 to 5.5 inches, which led to a more comfortable grip. The previous model is just a shovel, but our hero is... just a shovel. This is roughly how you can describe ease of use.

I have long been accustomed to different-sized phones, tablets and lampshades, so the G Flex 2 did not cause me any rejection, but rather the opposite. The device is really convenient to use, especially when surfing the web or watching movies.

Above the screen, in addition to the standard set of elements from various sensors and a front camera, there is also LED indicator. The latter lights up in sleep mode and signals the receipt of any notification or missed event. The thing is convenient, but if desired, it can be disabled from the menu. Some users find such indicators annoying.

Both dark and bright red models will be available for sale. Both are very glossy and play well in the sun. I suspect that the scarlet variation will look more impressive than the usual one. Fashionistas will love it.

The back cover is covered with a special, self-healing coating, which the Koreans mentioned back in the winter at the presentation. The point is that even if you rub the back of your smartphone with the sharp end of a key, after a while all the resulting scratches will magically disappear.

Of course, this is all just a marketing ploy.

I will not pretend to have an expert opinion, I will only tell you what I saw myself. My phone was already scratched when I tested it. back cover. Moreover, the damage was not deep at all, but the most ordinary ones that occur during normal operation and are visible for the most part only in the light. Nothing has disappeared, so it is inappropriate to talk about any super protective layer here.

Let's return to ergonomics. These are the real advantages of a curved body that I was able to identify. Due to the concave design, the smartphone fits more ergonomically in the front pockets of trousers or jeans. There is clearly nothing sticking out or protruding as is the case with regular, straight phones, as if you had a brick in your pocket. The next advantage is that it is convenient to pick up the phone with your fingers if it lies face down on a flat surface. The back protrudes noticeably and is easy to grab.

I guess that's all. I no longer found anything useful in the “crooked” design. During the conversation, I personally was not able to feel how cool the smartphone curves around my cheek. Maybe they are too sunken and it’s time for me to switch to flour?

In general, for some categories of citizens there will be another plus - this is the wow effect that the smartphone causes in others. “What is he? Curved?", "Wow! Cool!” - this is approximately where the audience around you will be limited. And by the way, you still have to live with a telephone. Moreover, you can live quite well with the G Flex 2. Well, it's curved, great. Let's move on.

Display

Compared to its predecessor, the screen diagonal has decreased and the resolution has increased to full Full HD. It would have been like this a long time ago! As a result, the pixel density has increased to 403 ppi, which means that the fonts now look great, the icons are not pixelated, and everything else is fine.

However, I was lying. Not everything here is as great as it might seem at first glance. As in the first version of the smartphone, it uses a display with a P-OLED matrix, that is, it is a truly curved LED substrate, touch glass etc. In reality, this had a negative impact on the uniformity of the picture, which is especially noticeable on monochromatic background images.

The entire screen area is dotted with small vertical stripes and this can be compared with the image produced by e-books built on the basis of electronic ink.

The matrix has memory and for some time can even retain the remnants of the previous picture. It doesn't look very good.

In the new product under review, due to the smaller pixels, this is not as noticeable as it was in last year’s model, but still the banding of the display is visible and there is no escape from it. This is the peculiarity.

I must apologize to the readers for not giving an example of a photograph with such screen behavior. The thing is that for inexplicable reasons the smartphone’s display burned out and we only managed to take basic photos of the device, but there was no time left to capture the critical moment discussed above.

Secondly, the second negative point is the following. In direct sunlight, a distinct and very unpleasant yellowness of the entire screen appears. Perhaps this is how the anti-reflective layer or oleophobic coating manifests itself. In the shade or indoors, under normal lighting, this behavior does not appear. There is no example for the same reasons.

The display itself is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It has an oleophobic coating that does an excellent job of protecting the surface from fingerprints.

However, another unpleasant moment emerged. On one of the sides it is noticeable that the glass of the screen sticks out slightly and seems to be not glued to the end - there is a weakly noticeable, but still play and gap. Most likely, this is a defect of a specific sample that came to us for testing, but for peace of mind, I still recommend that you carefully check this point before purchasing.

Viewing angles are good, but with a number of caveats. At right angles the display is slightly yellow. This is noticeable even without comparison with the screen of any competitor. When deviated, the yellowness goes away, but a slightly bluish tint appears. Everything can be seen in the photo below, where our hero is located on top, and below or on the right in the pictures Asus Zenfone 2.

Of course, in the settings you can try to select other color palette settings, but big picture it has no effect.

If you swipe down on the sleeping screen, it’s as if you are pulling a dark curtain behind you, from behind which information with the date and time peeks out. For some reason, the background of this screensaver is boring and gray, but on the same LG Spirit it looked much more impressive, as if you were peeking through a crack where the sun was shining brightly. Just wow!

LG Spirit: Show time and date in standby mode

Specifications LG G Flex 2 (H955)

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 processor with a frequency of 2 GHz (64 bit, 8 cores: Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53)
• Adreno 430 video chip
• RAM 2 or 3 GB (about 850 MB free)
• built-in storage 16 (7.23 GB actually available) or 32 GB
• map support Micro memory SD up to 128 GB
• P-OLED 5.5" display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (403 ppi)
• main camera 13 MP
• front camera 2.1 MP
• battery 3000 mAh
• Connectors: Micro USB 2.0 (OTG supported)
• Android OS version 5.1.1
• sensors: light and proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetic compass
• Dimensions 149.1 x 75.3 x 9.4 mm
• weight 152 g

Wireless interfaces:

• 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE Cat 4)
• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• GPS, GLONASS
• FM radio, IR sensor

As it became clear from the specifications, two versions of the smartphone will be available: with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory or 3 and 32 GB, respectively. It is not known for certain which model will be sold here. I think that, according to tradition, our market will not be marked in any special way and we will have a modification with lower characteristics.

In addition, it is unclear where as many as 8 gigabytes of the built-in storage went.

Performance

What can you expect from a device with top-end hardware and a well-optimized shell? That's right - maximum performance.

And for the most part, this is true of the G Flex 2. However, sometimes, rarely, it still happens that the device freezes when launching some applications. Moreover, this could even be a transition to an incoming SMS from a locked screen. The background image of the SMS chat hangs for a couple of seconds and only then the rest of the utility interface is loaded. In a good way, this should not happen, since the smartphone has a truly powerful hardware installed.

Everything about toys is great. Any, even the heaviest 3D games are initially launched at maximum graphics settings (except for Dead Trigger 2), and already in the game there are no drops in frame rate. Tested on Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8 and Dead Trigger 2.

Does a curved screen add any flair to the gameplay? Probably not. The uneven front side is only noticeable at an angle, and virtual battles are completely addictive. It becomes somehow not up to the shape of the display.

Front camera

There is a 2 megapixel module here, so the photo resolution does not exceed 1920 x 1080 pixels. This is quite a bit by modern standards, when even mid-priced devices have cameras of 5 or even higher megapixels.

However, there is advanced functionality for selfie lovers. When an open palm enters the frame, the system automatically and, by the way, recognizes it quite well. To release the shutter, just clench your palm into a fist. From now on you will have 3 seconds to prepare for the photo. It's simple.

Main camera

At the back is a 13-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization and laser autofocus. We have already become acquainted with the set of these components in, so I will not repeat it.

The picture quality is good, but far from maximum. In my opinion, the camera lacks clarity and more correct exposure recognition. In some places the photos turn out to be overexposed, and in some areas, on the contrary, darkened. In short, the quality of the images is at the level of top-end devices of the past, but not this year, where the bar has been raised very high.

The originals of the presented photographs can be downloaded in one archive from here.

From additional modes There is shooting from two cameras at once, creating panoramas and activating the HDR mode. Moreover, the latter function can be configured in such a way that the system will independently use this algorithm according to its mood. In general, it’s convenient - I activated it once and my head doesn’t hurt.

Video shooting

I have allocated a separate section for this function, because there is something to talk about in detail. The smartphone can shoot both Full HD and Ultra HD video. The resolution of the latest videos is 3840 x 2160 pixels at a theoretical 30 frames per second. However, in practice, videos are recorded with some noticeable stutters or, to make it more clear, frame drops. Everything is clearly visible in the example of such a large video below. On average, a video contains up to 27 frames per second and no more.

Additionally, the device can record slow-motion videos at a speed of 120 fps. The resolution in this case is already 1280 x 720 pixels and again, all this is only on paper. In fact, the quality of the videos is simply terrible and the real resolution stopped somewhere at the VGA level, although it was stretched to the HD level. An example video is again below the link in our Youtube channel. Unfortunately, the service does not allow you to play truly slow-motion videos. To do this, you need to open the file directly on your smartphone or in some special player. In my case it turned out to be QuickTime.

Perhaps in future firmware versions all these shortcomings will be eliminated, but now everything is presented only in this slightly crude form.

Battery life

I’m already pretty tired of including this item in reviews, because no matter how technically sophisticated a smartphone is, it has a built-in battery that lasts up to two days at most battery life. All this is true for the G Flex 2. Under a heavy load, the device will last a day, under an average load it will last about 35 hours and no more. Nothing criminal, but nothing outstanding either.

All this suggests the need to purchase portable battery. Reviews of these accessories can be followed here or via this link.

Conclusion

At the moment, it is impossible to buy the LG G Flex 2 in official retail. In the gray channel of the market, a phone can be purchased for a price of 27,500 rubles - this is on average. This offer makes the smartphone very competitive despite the existing shortcomings and nuances in operation. Judge for yourself. Is it possible now to buy any of the modern flagships with Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 810 is cheaper than 30 thousand rubles? I think not.

When a new product enters our market, it is unlikely that it will cost less than 40,000 rubles. It just so happens that prices in Russia are traditionally slightly higher than, for example, in European countries. In addition, the device should in no way compete with the current flagship. And from this point of view, the price even at 40 thousand looks underestimated.

The second generation of a truly curved smartphone essentially does not offer anything new, except for an increased display resolution and powerful hardware inside. The design is very close to its predecessor, as is the functionality.

Unfortunately, the hero of today's review cannot boast of a screen and is equipped with a weak front camera, and, in addition, has problems with recording videos. If the last drawback will most likely be eliminated in new firmware versions, then the first two nuances will have to be faced in any case.

Despite the pleasant price tag, I bet that the device will not become a noticeable player on the market. Yet most people are suspiciously cold towards this kind of experiment. It was so with the first generation, and it will be so with the G Flex under the symbol “2”. One gets the impression that the manufacturer himself does not have high hopes for the device. Otherwise, the second “flex” would have been on store shelves long before the release of G4.

Release date unknown Price: 27,500 rubles (gray market)