Text and photos by Corey Herscu
The coolest feature of this phone, the head-turner itself, is the fact that the hardware and screen are in fact curved - a first of its kind to be released in market. Aside from that, and despite the fact that LG felt it ok to load the device with two-year-old software (Android 4.2 out of box) the LG G Flex is just the current flagship G2 in a bigger housing.
Negatives aside, it’s still a cool phone, so let’s take a quick hands-on look:
As the Android kernal evolves, manufacturers find themselves taking slack for loading erroneaous features into their devices that the average user will never make use of. So, in an effort to show physical change, said device makers are forced to push the limits of hardware design to stand-out above their peers.
As is the case with the G Flex, a head-turner only because of its physical appearance. Under the hood, it's already out-dated pre-launch and, to remain completely objective, we can't find an actual reason to encourage the purchase.
Rocking a 6-inch curved P-OLED capacitive touchscreen with a meager 720 x 1280 pixel density, it doesn't come close to touching anything else on the market.
Akin to its predecessor, the G2, the G Flex keeps the tradition alive having the power and volume buttons on the back of the device. It also feels identical, with the hard-plastic unibody design.
In an industry where devices are pushing the limits of screen size, the G Flex is the first that feels clunky. I mean 6-inches is big, .3-inches bigger than the Note 3 (which is huge in its own right), but because of the curve in the screen, there is an awkward depth added to the size, making it feel un-natural during use.
Overall:
For someone looking for something different, and doesn't care about having the latest and greatest, the G Flex is the device for you, without a shadow of a doubt. But for the rest of us, the ones who are Android 4.4 or bust, have 14 filter apps on their phones to compliment their exceptional camera, and take pride in their device(s) having holier-than-thou screen resolutions, this device is a hard-pass.
I got love for LG, especially their G2 (that batter does not die), but unfortunately they missed the boat with the G Flex.