LG Optimus G Pro review

Final words

The LG Optimus G Pro is the most advanced phablet on the market at the moment. It's also one of the few devices with a 1080p screen that's bigger than 5". The new Snapdragon 600 chipset is still rare enough too.

The updated version of QSlide is there to make full use of the hardware - you can have up to two floating apps running alongside a full screen app, the big screen and fast quad-core Krait 300 CPU wouldn't be giving their 100% otherwise.

LG did well to focus on another two important areas - multimedia connectivity and the camera. The multiple TV-Out functions and IR remote are great for any home theater but will also come in handy during a business presentation. And the camera is the only one outside the Nexus family to have the Photo Sphere-like feature. The dual-recording feature will make videos more personal too.

So, is there anything that can challenge the LG Optimus G Pro? Well, the Samsung Galaxy Note II has a 5.5" screen, which may be only 720p, but of the Super AMOLED variety. And the S Pen has advanced functionality that is used in multiple apps. The chipset isn't as powerful but it does have Multi-Window multitasking.

Still at this point it's clear that the LG is coming to the market six months after its main rival and has had the luxury to use technology that wasn't developed when the Note II came around. So unless you really need the S Pen or you simply can't afford the Optimus G Pro, than the LG flagship is the way to go now.

Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100

The Asus Padfone Infinity takes a different approach to increasing screen size - the 1080p five-incher plugs into a 10.1" 1080p tablet (which also packs an extra battery and loudspeaker). Plus, it will launch with Android 4.2 and its Snapdragon 600 chipset is clocked higher than the one in the Optimus G Pro. At €999 it's certainly quite expensive, though, so you will have to be really certain that you need a hybrid device like it.

Asus PadFone Infinity

Then there are the "regular" 5" 1080p flagships. The Sony Xperia Z and ZL brothers are the main ones in the running. The Xperia Z is only 7.9mm thick and is waterproof, while the ZL is more compact than a Galaxy S III despite the bigger screen. It has an IR emitter too.

The HTC Butterfly drops the camera to 8MP and the 2,030mAh battery might not be to everyone's liking. It will be updated with Sense 5 that debuted on the HTC One, but will probably miss on the cool Zoe camera functionality.

The Oppo Find 5 is the dark horse in this race, but it turned out to have one of the best displays, while matching the performance of its rivals. Finding one of those outside China is still next to impossible, though.

Sony Xperia Z • Sony Xperia ZL • HTC Butterfly • Oppo Find 5

The LG Optimus G Pro would be the favorite in a job interview - it's got a great resume and it answered all the questions correctly. We wouldn't have minded a slightly more exciting design, but it still blows the Optimus Vu out of the water.

It's an excellent addition to the higher echelons of the Optimus family and we have no doubt it will outsell the Vu (which did 1M sales in South Korea alone). We are sure that, aware of its own strengths, the Optimus G Pro is setting much higher goals for itself. Pressure's now on you, Samsung!