LG G Flex review

Daring design, but plays it safe with features 

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The good: The LG G Flex's contoured display renders media watching more immersive, it features a scratch-resistant coating, and its sizable battery provides an adequate amount of juice.

The bad: The G Flex's massive size can be unwieldy, its camera quality is mediocre, and its 720p display can't outpace its competitors.

The bottom line: Despite a novel construction and scuff-proof exterior, the LG G Flex's doesn't flex enough muscle against the Samsung Galaxy Round or the Note 3.

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From the start you'll notice that the LG G Flex is like few other phones before it. Its 6-inch display is slightly curved, giving the handset a striking, even ambitious, profile. But whether you think this bowed construction is a pointless gimmick (remember 3D phones?) or, along with the Samsung Galaxy Round, a welcomed resurgence in a unique and useful smartphone design, the device has plenty of other things going for it as well.
For one thing, it's pretty tough. It can withstand a good amount of flattening, and has a scratch-resistant coating that "heals itself." It also has one of the sharpest processors -- a Snapdragon 800 -- on the market, and a battery that rivals the Motorola Droid Maxx.

The G Flex does have its share of drawbacks though. Its 720p screen isn't as crisp as its competitors, its camera is mediocre, and the device's large size can prove unwieldy. And while it performs respectably, it doesn't quite have what it takes to surpass both the Galaxy Round or the current reigning king of phablet productivity, the Galaxy Note 3.

Still, the phone remains unique, and it's a memorable device with plenty of potential. The curved shape is more than a party trick, it greatly improves the media experience and feels more comfortable to hold. Although I wish LG had put more effort into the finer details like the display resolution, the G Flex is the right step in a new direction.

Pricing and availability

The phone is already available in Korea and will launch in other parts of Asia. However, it's not yet available on the US market, and there are rumors that it'll head to AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. When asked, LG didn't deny it'd come to the US, but did keep mum about it. In the meantime, our review is of the unlocked Korean model, and we will update this piece if the handset ever finds its way to our shores. But, if you're really itching to get it now, you can buy it online for between $900 and $1,000 unsubsidized.
 

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Design

Caution: Curves Ahead

LG reported that it went through hundreds of mock-ups and trials before finally deciding that the 700mm radius curvature was the "ideal curve" for the G Flex. Though the arc is visually noticeable (especially when the device is resting on its back), the actual physical feel of it is much subtler.

Still, its contoured shape does make the 6-inch OLED display a bit more comfortable in the hand. Don't get me wrong, the device's massive shape can still be unwieldy at times. In fact, there were a few times when I nearly dropped the handset. In addition, I didn't notice much of a difference in terms of comfort when I held the phone up to my face. However, the curve makes the phone more manageable when I'm swiping through it.

The Flex flaunts an uncommon contour that's subtle and comfortable.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

 

Moreover, the bend also helps minimizes glare. When I took the Flex outdoors, the display was already easy on the eyes in the sunlight. But the arc also helped cut down the amount of direct light coming at it. In conjunction with the display's massive size, watching videos and playing games also felt more engrossing because of the curve. The slight inward slope at the ends brings the screen closer on its sides, shortening one's field of vision. Even small tasks, like scrolling up and down Web sites or browsing through my photos seemed to draw me in more.

LG also says the curvature helps amplify audio in and out when making calls. I didn't notice much of a difference here, but when placed on a flat surface, the phone's curve raised the audio speaker above the table, making the volume louder than if placed flat on the surface.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Round, the curve goes top-to-bottom. That may not hug a leg as well, but it actually matches the shape of a wallet held in your back pocket for a while. It's a good thing too, because it's meant to survive being sat on. In that vein, the Flex does indeed flex. It can reportedly withstand up to 88 pounds of pressure. I pressed the device down dozens and dozens of times, and I stepped on it as well. You can also place it facing upward and press down on the ends. It held up finely against the pressure, and no visible damage occurred.

Breathe man, breathe! CPR might not work on this phone, but it can hold up against the pressure at least.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

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Self-healing powers?

The rear finish, which LG says is "self-healing," is derived from paint finishes in the automotive industry. Hydrogen in the finish is involved in the surface expanding over time after being scratched, sealing up any damage. Keep in mind that it's not impenetrable. An X-Acto knife will damage the surface easily, and I managed to put one permanent scar on the back of the device with a key.

That occurred, however, after several attempts. Prior, the Flex would show some scuffs here and there, but those would disappear after a few minutes or so (increasing the surface's temperature with simple rubbing will also help the healing process). This was all pretty impressive given that the handset is supposed to fend off everyday scuffs and scratches, which it indeed does.

After dozens of attempts with a set of keys, I managed to leave just one permanent scratch on the handset's surface.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

The general design

The handset measures 6.32 inches tall, 3.21 inches wide, and 0.34 inches thick. It weighs a hefty 6.2 ounces and, like I said before, its lofty size can be cumbersome for users with small hands. Similar to the G2, the G Flex's power and volume buttons are located in the rear. To wake up the handset from sleep mode, simply double-tap its touch screen (this is called KnockOn). To lock it and put it back to sleep, tap the display again.

The OLED display has a 1,280x720-pixel resolution. Though colors are vivid and images are clear, images and videos looked noticeably coarse or "crunchy." True, the display won't be as crisp compared to 1080p screens, but even keeping that in mind, I saw a notable amount of graininess in simple wallpaper images and color banding -- and color banding was common.

On the bottom of our review unit is a collapsible antenna for the phone's built-in TV feature. This is similar to the international version of the LG Intuition, known as the Vu. If the Flex comes to the US, this antenna feature would most likely be excluded.

Hardware and key components

The handset's 3,500mAh curved battery uses patented technology that takes advantage of its unique shape to perform more reliably.

Powering the device is a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor (the same blazing fast CPU that's seen in the Nexus 5 and the LG G2 flagship) and a 450MHz Adreno 330 GPU. Other features include 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (with no microSD card), Bluetooth, and near-field communication.

Inside the Flex is a hefty 3,500mAh battery that's curved as well.

(Credit: Lynn La/CNET)

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Software features

Running Android 4.2.2, our unlocked Flex features your usual lineup of Google apps including Chrome, Gmail, Search, Plus, Hangouts, Maps with Navigation and Local, Photos, YouTube, and access to the Play Store's Books, Games, Movies and TV, Music, and Newsstand portals. And, as with practically all devices these days, you get basic management apps like a calculator, a calendar, a voice recorder, etc. Since our review unit is from Korea, the handset also had a number of Korean apps. I won't list them here since I'd be very surprised if any showed up on a US carrier model.

As a new LG device, you can expect many of the same software goodies as the G2 or the G Pad tablet. This includes a tool called Clip Tray, which can save chunks of text for use at a later time. The Answer Me function automatically lowers the ringer volume of an incoming call if it senses the handset is being picked up, and it'll also answer the call when you hold the phone against your face. Guest Mode is a privacy protection setting that launches when a guest unlocks your home screen by drawing a different pattern than your own. There's also LG's version of Samsung's S-Voice or Apple's Siri. Known as Voice Mate, you can launch this function by either tapping on the Voice Mate app, or swiping from the bottom edge of the screen.

What's new from LG

In addition to a few cosmetic tweaks with the user interface (like a fresh new set of customizable icons and a more elegant weather widget), the smartphone includes three multi-tasking features that let you simultaneously access several apps quickly. Though we've already seen Slide Aside and QSlide in previous LG devices like the G2 and the G Pad, one new addition is Dual Window. To launch this, tap and then long-press the "back" hotkey twice. A small menu of apps will appear, wherein you can choose the two apps you want to "split screen" by dragging their icons either to the top or bottom of the display.

Choosing which apps to open in Dual Window (left), and the final split screen that results.

(Credit: Lynn La/CNET)

 

There's swing lock screen, which changes the perspective of the lock screen image depending on how you hold the phone. It's similar to a parallax effect, and it only works when you either move or tilt the Flex vertically. When I tried it out, the motion was less "swingy" and more "choppy," and it took a few moments after you moved the phone for it to shift the image.

There's also an urgent call alert, which flashes the LED notification light when you miss several calls in a row from the same number. Other new UI features I've noticed include the ability to auto-crop the status bar when taking a screenshot, and three different screen modes (standard, vivid, and natural) which adjust the vibrancy of the display's colors.

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You can also change the orientation of the hotkeys to lean either on the left or right side (useful for one-handed operation), and if you want to adjust the brightness of your screen while watching a video, you can do so directly by sliding your finger across the player.

Open sesame! Users can open QTheater from the lock screen.

(Credit: Lynn La/CNET)

 

Lastly, there's QTheater. This lets you access your photos, videos, and YouTube directly from the lock screen. To launch QTheater, hold the phone in landscape mode. Use two fingers and slide outward from the center, in both directions.

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