LG Optimus 4X HD

“The LG Optimus 4X HD couldn't repeat the feat of its dual-core predecessor, which had the spotlight all to itself for a good few months last year. Yet, it may turn out more fortunate than the Optimus 2X. The first dual-core phone made a reasonably big splash but failed to capitalize on its head start. The Optimus 2X had its flaws, but its main problem was being unable to live up to expectations - which in hindsight weren't very realistic to be honest. The LG Optimus 4X HD on the other hand comes to a more mature market, which already knows what to expect from quad-core powerhouses. It doesn't feel as rushed as its predecessor either - this time it was clearly LG's goal to finesse the experience, rather than put another first on their resume.”

“The LG Optimus 4X HD is a wonderful, powerful phone for an appropriate price. It would be a great addition to any US wireless carrier’s docket and is a good choice for anyone in Europe, where it has officially launched. Its largest weakness is simply its forgetability. It mostly matches the standards set by competing devices by Samsung and HTC, but fails to excel ahead of them in any meaningful way. There is no reason to tell your friends to buy a 4X instead of a competing phone. So while we definitely don’t recommend you avoid the 4X HD, we can’t recommend it over devices like the One X or Galaxy S3. A poor camera hurts its status as well. If you can find a good price on the Optimus 4X, we don’t think you’ll dislike it, and in a vacuum, it’s an awesome smartphone. But the market is full of good choices right now, and while the LG Optimus 4X HD is one of them, it’s not the best of the bunch.”

“The performance of the Optimus 4X HD is good. For everyday tasks, we've enjoyed the speed and power that comes with the hardware and up-to-date software that LG has in its flagship handset. There are a few niggles, some more significant than others. The design isn't quite for us, but this is purely subjective. The software quirks aren't critical, there's nothing we dislike and can't fix, but we think there is space for LG to develop. The connection problems are a bit more difficult to pin down. We've dropped some calls and occasionally been left in the dark, but it hasn't been critical to the point we've felt we had to leave the LG at home. As such, and taking all things into consideration, we're relatively impressed with what LG has done with the Optimus 4X HD. That said, in a line-up with big name rivals, LG just doesn't quite have wow factor offered by Samsung or HTC.”

“The LG Optimus 4X HD is undoubtedly the best Android smartphone that the company has produced to date. It covers the geeky ground with a quad-core Tegra 3 chip, large and vivid HD display and the latest Android 4.0 out of the box. The design is simple and pleasant, with a few welcome twists that make the phone a looker from the prism-shaped sides and easier to grip. The handset is more compact than its main rivals this Android season, despite being crammed with the same high-end innards, making it easier to operate with one hand. The only complaints are its preset screen brightness management and the funky camera focus, so hopefully these will be addressed with the first software update. The new LG Optimus 3.0 UI is an improvement over its predecessor with a number of new features like Quick Memo and a very functional lock screen. Video playback is vastly improved with the new Media Plex features like live video zoom, and the camera module has been given new abilities like the Time Machine precapture. Nothing groundbreaking, but coupled with the light and quick ICS, the UI overlay feels sufficiently enhanced.”