Gadgetory

so the same thing always happens when a new device launches the media gets review units ahead of the official launch and we get to use them while we write our review then the press embargo lifts every outlet posts their reviews and videos at the same time writers and commenters go back and forth and it's a huge frenzy of opinion and buzz for about a day and then it all goes away I'm sure there's some follow-up coverage but after that initial blast almost no one revisits the device to see how well it's aged because we're all on to the next big thing already so let's do something about it let's take another look at a device that's taken a backseat to the new smartphone goliaths I'm Michael Fisher this is PocketNow this is the lg optimus G and this is episode 19 of after the buzz in our October review of the lg optimus G 480 we called the device an excellent modern Android smartphone with the proper balance of aesthetics performance and utility and then we promptly forgot about it not because those high points were invalid but because the flagship smartphone landscape got much more crowded in the months that followed the story of the AT&T Optimus G so far is the story of a good device stymied by timing and inconsistent post launch support the Optimus G is build is beautiful from some angles unremarkable from others and it can be downright self-destructive in terms of long-term use the zero gap IPS display is just as gorgeous as the day we unboxed at but even with Gorilla Glass 2 protecting it from the elements we fear for its continued intactness we're not always the biggest advocates of smartphone cases at PocketNow but with the device like this carrying it naked is just asking for trouble it's the slipperiest phone we've ever encountered it'll slide off surfaces that are even remotely angled and it slides out of pockets so readily it sometimes seems to defy gravity in fact we lost an optimist G in the back of a taxicab once and it's all glass construction means that in terms of durability there are more horror stories than miracle reports out there the Optimus G isn't the only phone to suffer these issues but it is a hazard nonetheless another slight hit the G takes in the long term is it low profile design there are nice touches here but you have to look for them the LED ring light around the lock button and the totally flush camera lens are good examples while it's beautiful back cover detailing pops under the right light the device's front side is so unremarkable that it has a hard time standing out in the crowd from its contemporaries not every smartphone needs to be a standout showboat in terms of build of course but the Optimus G is LG's halo flagship device outside the phablet space as such it's a shame how quickly its industrial design has been eclipsed by the competition and that gradual obsolescence is carrying over to features as well the 8 megapixel camera is quite good in normal lighting but only average in the increasingly buzz worthy low-light space a problem shared by some other manufacturers more damning is the G's tiny tinny speakerphone which is an embarrassment next to Samsung's Galaxy s4 or Nokia's Lumia 920 to say nothing of the HTC One and its Android skin while aging a bit more gracefully than Samsung's TouchWiz definitely doesn't pack the kind of feature set that gets you addicted to using this phone and this phone only that takes us into software a curious tale on our AT&T version here our initial review criticized the Optimus G for shipping with Ice Cream Sandwich instead of the newer jellybean and cautioned that updates from LG aren't always guaranteed in a timely fashion or at all while the Sprint version of the G received its jellybean update in March 18 t customers had to wait until April then even in that area the rollout hasn't gone terribly smoothly a long thread on a T's customer forum details the problems users have had when trying to update and indeed our own unit remains stubbornly stuck on 4.4 informing us that we have the latest version that means not only that we're stuck with an older build of Android but that were stuck with a few bugs we've grown to hate bugs like scrolling lag in the browser and total crashing of the browser when viewing large pages and text messages arriving from the wrong contacts in our phone book waiting forever for a software update to fix these issues is exactly what we were worried about in our initial review and while LG isn't the own offender in this regard it's especially egregious when there's a large Gulf and features and performance as there is between Ice Cream Sandwich and jelly bean we reached out to AT&T for comment but it wasn't available by press time we'll update the post at pocketnow.com 4.0.4 the optimus cheese skin is incredibly responsive and packs some really compelling visuals many of which retained their novelty even after repeated use and even if you get tired of the unlock animations or home screen transitions there are many stock options to choose from and then there are the really nice touches like the pinch to zoom in messaging and the video player along with the less useful but sort of flashy qslide multitasking in these regards LG deserves credit the Optimus UI continues to impress those pluses mean that if you already own an optimist G you should still feel pretty good about your purchase especially if you snagged the jellybean update even at 4.4 it's still a solid Android smartphone with some nice special features but if you haven't bought one yet you'll probably want to give this one a pass if you need to buy right now other manufacturers flagships are just more compelling with more modern chipsets and features and if you're willing to wait LG's rumored Optimus g2 is starting to look very impressive indeed if the leaks are to be believed so while the Optimus G has aged fairly gracefully overall it's probably not the Android smartphone to invest in right now rather it's an encouraging reminder to keep an eye on LG's next generation which will hopefully bring enough pizazz to retain its novelty a little longer than the previous one if you'd like to read our full review of the lg optimus g or check out the other 17 episodes of after the buzz visit us at pocketnow.com but before you go make sure to follow us on our social networks like this video if you did enjoy it don't forget to subscribe to our channel here on youtube so you don't miss future videos and leave a comment below if you have something to say until next time thank you very much for watching and we'll see you again soon got shine can I get a bird please oh oh yeah there we go take that shiner off there Thank You Yellow Bird and this is episode 18 of after the buzz featuring the lg optimus G wait go X up visit us at pocketnow.com and be sure to follow us on our social feeds where we do a lot of conversing with readers and each other