For the past few months, my biggest technology dilemma was whether I will get the LG G2 or lose time waiting for the Nexus 5 being released. I had previously acquired an LG Optimus 4X and I wasn’t in any respect averse to LG’s Optimus URINARY INCONTINENCE, but I had likewise tried the Nexus 4 and Recently i purchased a Nexus 7 so I knew what's so great about a pure Android expertise.
As fate would get it, I won the LG G2 at the launch event in my own country, and I are using it for over fourteen days as my main system. The screen, the digital camera, the battery life, your processor and speed, … everything about the unit is mightily impressive along with the best of Android at the moment — and probably for months to come. But I’m not the first person to say which.
The opinion discordance is when you mention LG’s Operating system skin, with some evaluations calling it the G2′s Achilles heel. For as many cellular enthusiasts who appreciate that skin, there is an similar amount who dislike it and I've got seen it described with a great deal of colorful adjectives from “a weak man’s Touch wiz” to “cartoony”, “rainbow-like”, “tacky”… Therefore for once, I want to dispel the misconceptions relating to this topic. Join me following the break as I show you why you shouldn’t disregard LG’s Android skin and so quickly.
1. Home screen Creating to order
The first thing you observe at phone announcements and demonstrations may be the launcher and the principal home screen. While LG hasn’t done a dreadful job of picking your G2′s wallpapers, widgets, in addition to notification bar indicators, the icon choice may be the biggest culprit in their default introduction on the device. It is flamboyant, slightly reminiscent of Samsung’s Touch wiz, and doesn’t do the company any favors with regard to differentiation.
However, thankfully, LG means that you can pick different themes because of its launcher. Over twenty themes or templates are downloadable from LG Smart World, with most being quite cartoonist, nevertheless Biz, Simple Thin and Marine Look should work well should you prefer a more sober look on your phone. These themes also bring using them new wallpapers, new docks in addition to app drawer backgrounds. Pushing the customization further, LG has another rare feature amongst out-of-the-box launchers: you can pick any kind of image file and assign it as a possible icon, allowing you a amount of personalization that you commonly only expect from the kind of Nova Launcher and Pinnacle Launcher.
Downloading themes coming from LG Smart World (left) in addition to 3 different theme icons (right)
Another neat addition is to be able to remove and add home screens, if you only need to have several home screens, you can take away the others and keep the ones you want, for swifter scrolling between them.
2. Drawer Customization
The second most important thing in an Android device may be the app drawer as it should provide the simplest way to access all ones apps. Aside from adding a handy search substitute for filter your apps, LG’s default drawer is usually chock-full of options to help you tailor it to your requirements. You can switch concerning 4×5 and 5×5 grids, arrange the apps by alphabetical buy, download date or manually organize them. You can hide app icons if you'd like to cluttered your list.
Most importantly, you can pick a new transparent background or a couple of white options or a new black one. I personally prefer the “Darkness” wallpaper the way it provides the most contrast while using icons and makes it easier to find the app I want.
The opinion discordance is when you mention LG’s Operating system skin, with some evaluations calling it the G2′s Achilles heel. For as many cellular enthusiasts who appreciate that skin, there is an similar amount who dislike it and I've got seen it described with a great deal of colorful adjectives from “a weak man’s Touch wiz” to “cartoony”, “rainbow-like”, “tacky”… Therefore for once, I want to dispel the misconceptions relating to this topic. Join me following the break as I show you why you shouldn’t disregard LG’s Android skin and so quickly.
1. Home screen Creating to order
The first thing you observe at phone announcements and demonstrations may be the launcher and the principal home screen. While LG hasn’t done a dreadful job of picking your G2′s wallpapers, widgets, in addition to notification bar indicators, the icon choice may be the biggest culprit in their default introduction on the device. It is flamboyant, slightly reminiscent of Samsung’s Touch wiz, and doesn’t do the company any favors with regard to differentiation.
However, thankfully, LG means that you can pick different themes because of its launcher. Over twenty themes or templates are downloadable from LG Smart World, with most being quite cartoonist, nevertheless Biz, Simple Thin and Marine Look should work well should you prefer a more sober look on your phone. These themes also bring using them new wallpapers, new docks in addition to app drawer backgrounds. Pushing the customization further, LG has another rare feature amongst out-of-the-box launchers: you can pick any kind of image file and assign it as a possible icon, allowing you a amount of personalization that you commonly only expect from the kind of Nova Launcher and Pinnacle Launcher.
Downloading themes coming from LG Smart World (left) in addition to 3 different theme icons (right)
Downloading themes coming from LG Smart World (left) in addition to 3 different theme icons (right)
Another neat addition is to be able to remove and add home screens, if you only need to have several home screens, you can take away the others and keep the ones you want, for swifter scrolling between them.
2. Drawer Customization
The second most important thing in an Android device may be the app drawer as it should provide the simplest way to access all ones apps. Aside from adding a handy search substitute for filter your apps, LG’s default drawer is usually chock-full of options to help you tailor it to your requirements. You can switch concerning 4×5 and 5×5 grids, arrange the apps by alphabetical buy, download date or manually organize them. You can hide app icons if you'd like to cluttered your list.
Most importantly, you can pick a new transparent background or a couple of white options or a new black one. I personally prefer the “Darkness” wallpaper the way it provides the most contrast while using icons and makes it easier to find the app I want.
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| The app drawer background can be set to transparent (left) or a few other wallpapers, like this black one (right) |
3. Keyboard Themes
Continuing using the customization features of LG’s skin, the default keyboard is included with four different themes. Additional ones can be downloaded from LG Smart World so you can pick the one that you like best.
Continuing using the customization features of LG’s skin, the default keyboard is included with four different themes. Additional ones can be downloaded from LG Smart World so you can pick the one that you like best.
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| Picking up a theme for the LG keyboard (left) or downloading more from LG SmartWorld (right) |
4. Emoji Input
Emoji support on Android is a hit-and-miss and its implementation on the default Google keyboard can be clumsy at best. I had to spend several hours ever before researching the different ways to insert emojis, and given having less available information on the subject, I ended up refined all my findings within The best way to Work with Emojis on your own Android os Gadget.
LG simplifies this process by offering visual emoji feedback on their keyboard out from the box. Click the designs and smiley face key, and you have usage of pages upon pages of emojis ready for just a quick insert. These have received a graphical lifting from LG, and they look better than the WhatsApp/iPhone emojis as well as the monochromatic black vanilla Android os emojis.
Emoji support on Android is a hit-and-miss and its implementation on the default Google keyboard can be clumsy at best. I had to spend several hours ever before researching the different ways to insert emojis, and given having less available information on the subject, I ended up refined all my findings within The best way to Work with Emojis on your own Android os Gadget.
LG simplifies this process by offering visual emoji feedback on their keyboard out from the box. Click the designs and smiley face key, and you have usage of pages upon pages of emojis ready for just a quick insert. These have received a graphical lifting from LG, and they look better than the WhatsApp/iPhone emojis as well as the monochromatic black vanilla Android os emojis.
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| Emojis on the LG keyboard are extensive and well designed. |
5. Font Changing
One of the first stuffs that irritated me about the G2 when i first turned it in was the font the unit was using. SmartGothic is acceptable for the quick glance, but it isn’t really made for continuous usage over a long time. Also, it looks just a little dated. That’s why I ended up being glad to see you can pick a different font, especially since Roboto was between the pre-installed options. LG SmartWorld also provides a few additional fonts, but they’re all very Comic Sans-like at this time.
One of the first stuffs that irritated me about the G2 when i first turned it in was the font the unit was using. SmartGothic is acceptable for the quick glance, but it isn’t really made for continuous usage over a long time. Also, it looks just a little dated. That’s why I ended up being glad to see you can pick a different font, especially since Roboto was between the pre-installed options. LG SmartWorld also provides a few additional fonts, but they’re all very Comic Sans-like at this time.
6. Customizable Software Switches
I used to like hardware buttons, like in my Galaxy S3, but the Nexus 4 changed my personal mind about onscreen switches. While vanilla Android currently is sold with unmodifiable — unless you root your device — computer software buttons, LG chose to offer a few options to be able to its users. You can pick amongst 6 designs, all including Back, Property, Menu, with or without a fourth Notification drop-down or perhaps a QuickMemo button. The background may also be chosen between Black as well as White, with or without gradients.
I used to like hardware buttons, like in my Galaxy S3, but the Nexus 4 changed my personal mind about onscreen switches. While vanilla Android currently is sold with unmodifiable — unless you root your device — computer software buttons, LG chose to offer a few options to be able to its users. You can pick amongst 6 designs, all including Back, Property, Menu, with or without a fourth Notification drop-down or perhaps a QuickMemo button. The background may also be chosen between Black as well as White, with or without gradients.
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| Setting up the software buttons layout and background. |
I'm sure that LG missed the mark here by taking the Menu button instead of Multitasking, but I personally don’t utilize the Multitasking screen all much, and it is even now accessible from any app by long-pressing on Property.
7. Customizable Toggles
From the time that 4. 2, Android has offered a simple Settings panel on the notification drop-down with a few toggles to permit and disable some connectivity and also other features on the equipment. LG decided to sidestep that and keep their own toggles along with the main notification drop-down. We can easily argue about which approach 's best — I prefer everything for being on one drop-down — but the important fact is that LG helps you customize the toggles for this list.
You can add, remove and reorder pretty much every feature you might want instant access to on your phone, including ones that aren’t on vanilla Android, like Miracast, the LED notification light, and much more.
7. Customizable Toggles
From the time that 4. 2, Android has offered a simple Settings panel on the notification drop-down with a few toggles to permit and disable some connectivity and also other features on the equipment. LG decided to sidestep that and keep their own toggles along with the main notification drop-down. We can easily argue about which approach 's best — I prefer everything for being on one drop-down — but the important fact is that LG helps you customize the toggles for this list.
You can add, remove and reorder pretty much every feature you might want instant access to on your phone, including ones that aren’t on vanilla Android, like Miracast, the LED notification light, and much more.
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| These are the available quick toggles you can enable and re-arrange. |
8. Improved Gallery
The G2 is one of the first phones that made me believe that I don’t need to put in a third-party Gallery a great optimal access to my own photos. First, it divides the Albums regarding the on-device pictures, network-shared photographs, Picasa and other Foriegn accounts (Dropbox), so you don’t have to endure hoops to remove dozens of Picasa/Google+ photos from much of your view. Second, it allows you to Show/Hide any folders, in addition to copy and move items between them, as easily as you can.
The G2 is one of the first phones that made me believe that I don’t need to put in a third-party Gallery a great optimal access to my own photos. First, it divides the Albums regarding the on-device pictures, network-shared photographs, Picasa and other Foriegn accounts (Dropbox), so you don’t have to endure hoops to remove dozens of Picasa/Google+ photos from much of your view. Second, it allows you to Show/Hide any folders, in addition to copy and move items between them, as easily as you can.
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| The LG Gallery separates your local photos from Picasa and the cloud (left), and lets you hide specific albums (right). |
9. Clip Tray
I've got previously used Clipper to help keep a history of the copied items, and even discovered a similar option around the Galaxy Tab range. That’s why I was super stoked to find out a clipboard manager around the G2. Whenever you copy a service, be it a piece of text or an picture, it gets added to the Clip Tray, which can house up to twenty items. When it is advisable to paste, you can easily paste the final item or access the Clip Tray to take previously copied ones.
I've got previously used Clipper to help keep a history of the copied items, and even discovered a similar option around the Galaxy Tab range. That’s why I was super stoked to find out a clipboard manager around the G2. Whenever you copy a service, be it a piece of text or an picture, it gets added to the Clip Tray, which can house up to twenty items. When it is advisable to paste, you can easily paste the final item or access the Clip Tray to take previously copied ones.
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| The Clip Tray holds a history of up to twenty text or image items that can be removed at any time. |
The truth that this option is built-in and always available gives me some peace of mind when I’m hopping involving apps, copying and pasting back links and text, and using my phone being a productivity tool.
10. QuickMemo
Apart from the Clip Tray, one of the most used functions on my own G2 is QuickMemo. This feature had been present on the Optimus 4X HARLEY-DAVIDSON, but has been made more awesome on the G2. You possibly can launch QuickMemo from this notification toggles or, more desirable now, by sliding your finger from the software buttons to the center of the screen.
QuickMemo permits you to annotate anything on this screen, with different sign types and colors, and even crop a specific part of the screen, then save it or even directly share it to a different app, without ever being forced to take a screenshot very first. It’s fast and as soon as you use it a few times, you simply get hooked to saving and annotating many screens.
10. QuickMemo
Apart from the Clip Tray, one of the most used functions on my own G2 is QuickMemo. This feature had been present on the Optimus 4X HARLEY-DAVIDSON, but has been made more awesome on the G2. You possibly can launch QuickMemo from this notification toggles or, more desirable now, by sliding your finger from the software buttons to the center of the screen.
QuickMemo permits you to annotate anything on this screen, with different sign types and colors, and even crop a specific part of the screen, then save it or even directly share it to a different app, without ever being forced to take a screenshot very first. It’s fast and as soon as you use it a few times, you simply get hooked to saving and annotating many screens.
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| QuickMemo can be launched with a swipe (left) and lets you crop and annotate anything on your screen (right). |
11. Enable and Disable QSlide
The reason behind everyone’s hatred involving LG’s skin, and the culprit behind it being termed “bloated” is QSlide. It’s an option in which launches apps as pop-up windows over other apps. Although QSlide can be useful when for you to do a little calculation as well as browse something while keeping much of your app in the backdrop, its presence in the notification drop-down helps it be honestly very clunky.
Thank goodness, you can add any toggle for QSlide while using the other ones, for a quick way to disable and also enable the Qslide reel of apps. I usually keep it off on mine, to have much more room for notifications, but quickly enable it when I would like to launch the calculator, generally.
The reason behind everyone’s hatred involving LG’s skin, and the culprit behind it being termed “bloated” is QSlide. It’s an option in which launches apps as pop-up windows over other apps. Although QSlide can be useful when for you to do a little calculation as well as browse something while keeping much of your app in the backdrop, its presence in the notification drop-down helps it be honestly very clunky.
Thank goodness, you can add any toggle for QSlide while using the other ones, for a quick way to disable and also enable the Qslide reel of apps. I usually keep it off on mine, to have much more room for notifications, but quickly enable it when I would like to launch the calculator, generally.
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| QSlide apps can be toggled on or off to clean up the notification drop-down. |
12. WCDMA-Only Function
Vanilla Android — and a lot other Android skins — offer you 2 different data processes: Dual Mode (where the product connects preferably to 3G nevertheless hops to 2G when it can’t keep a signal) and 2G-only (which helps you to save some battery in areas without having 3G connection). However, LG also have allowed for a 3G-only function, where you force your phone to keep onto 3G even if your signal is a tad weak. This saves you from being forced to wait for the device to switch to 2G and then back to 3G, it also guarantees you’re receiving the speediest connection available.
Vanilla Android — and a lot other Android skins — offer you 2 different data processes: Dual Mode (where the product connects preferably to 3G nevertheless hops to 2G when it can’t keep a signal) and 2G-only (which helps you to save some battery in areas without having 3G connection). However, LG also have allowed for a 3G-only function, where you force your phone to keep onto 3G even if your signal is a tad weak. This saves you from being forced to wait for the device to switch to 2G and then back to 3G, it also guarantees you’re receiving the speediest connection available.
13. Level Bluetooth Devices as Honest
I use Bluetooth in many cases to transfer photos between my phones or having my computers, but being forced to manually approve each exchange gets tiring. LG allows you to set some bluetooth gadgets as trusted, so whenever a file is being sent from one too, it is always accepted as well as the transfer begins immediately.
I use Bluetooth in many cases to transfer photos between my phones or having my computers, but being forced to manually approve each exchange gets tiring. LG allows you to set some bluetooth gadgets as trusted, so whenever a file is being sent from one too, it is always accepted as well as the transfer begins immediately.
14. Spam Management in SMS
A recent discovery of mine is the G2′s Spam Inbox and its particular settings. SMS can be automatically sent to the Spam Inbox based with keywords, phone numbers, and you will even direct any unknown number with it. Goodbye useless ads!
A recent discovery of mine is the G2′s Spam Inbox and its particular settings. SMS can be automatically sent to the Spam Inbox based with keywords, phone numbers, and you will even direct any unknown number with it. Goodbye useless ads!
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| Spam message settings. |
15. LED Controls for Individual Contacts
The G2 comes with a LED notification light having support for different shades. In the phone’s options, you can enable and disable a number of the actions that trigger the particular LED, but one hidden functionality is a chance to dedicate a specific color to some contact. That way you can certainly tell if you’ve missed a call or received a message from this special person before you even turn your display on.
The G2 comes with a LED notification light having support for different shades. In the phone’s options, you can enable and disable a number of the actions that trigger the particular LED, but one hidden functionality is a chance to dedicate a specific color to some contact. That way you can certainly tell if you’ve missed a call or received a message from this special person before you even turn your display on.
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| LED notifications can be set by function (left) but you can also assign specific colors to your contacts, like you would a ringtone (right). |
16. Charge Only as a Default USB Connection Technique
One of the characteristics I hate about vanilla Android is the point that it only offers MTP and PTP modes if you connect your phone towards the computer. Given that I personally use a Mac with Android File Transfer, every time I just want to charge my own phones, I plug them in to the Mac’s USB port and also Android File Transfer starts automatically. It really annoys me personally. But LG has included a Charge Phone alternative which doesn’t trigger any kind of software and lets your phone be aware that you only want for you to top the battery up.
One of the characteristics I hate about vanilla Android is the point that it only offers MTP and PTP modes if you connect your phone towards the computer. Given that I personally use a Mac with Android File Transfer, every time I just want to charge my own phones, I plug them in to the Mac’s USB port and also Android File Transfer starts automatically. It really annoys me personally. But LG has included a Charge Phone alternative which doesn’t trigger any kind of software and lets your phone be aware that you only want for you to top the battery up.
17. USB Storage and also Earphone App Panel
When you connect a USB safe-keeping device or earphones towards the G2, the phone will show a smaller panel of apps that you are most likely going for you to launch now. You can certainly enable/disable this panel, and set up the apps as well as the order in which they appear for each one of the accessory types — practical!
When you connect a USB safe-keeping device or earphones towards the G2, the phone will show a smaller panel of apps that you are most likely going for you to launch now. You can certainly enable/disable this panel, and set up the apps as well as the order in which they appear for each one of the accessory types — practical!
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| Enabling the app panel upon the connection of a USB Storage device (left) and picking the default apps that show up in it (right). |
18. Camera Enhancements
The Camera interface upon vanilla Android is considered one of its weakest links, and LG have inked well by changing that. The flash, front/back digital camera toggle, and Mode are always present about the screen for quick admittance. But, most importantly, the camera app allows you to set which shutter sound you desire (including silent) and what the amount keys would serve pertaining to (capture or zoom).
19. Guest Mode
Guest Mode is amongst the newly introduced LG features about the G2. Basically, it enables you to set two different patterns to unlock for your phone. One of them accesses your device because it is, with all the actual apps and settings available. The other is a guest mode where an individual control which apps are shown. Settings and the notification bar and drop-downs aren’t easily obtainable in Guest Mode, so you can hand the device to your kids or friends without allowing them to lurk around your personal content.
The Camera interface upon vanilla Android is considered one of its weakest links, and LG have inked well by changing that. The flash, front/back digital camera toggle, and Mode are always present about the screen for quick admittance. But, most importantly, the camera app allows you to set which shutter sound you desire (including silent) and what the amount keys would serve pertaining to (capture or zoom).
19. Guest Mode
Guest Mode is amongst the newly introduced LG features about the G2. Basically, it enables you to set two different patterns to unlock for your phone. One of them accesses your device because it is, with all the actual apps and settings available. The other is a guest mode where an individual control which apps are shown. Settings and the notification bar and drop-downs aren’t easily obtainable in Guest Mode, so you can hand the device to your kids or friends without allowing them to lurk around your personal content.
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| Setting up the accessible apps on Guest Mode (left) and how it shows up for your guest (right). |
20. Pop-Up Messages and Calls
Whenever you've got any app open and you receive a phone telephone or an SMS, the G2 automatically shows these kind of as pop-up windows, with all the option to answer or decline the phone call, or to reply to the SMS there without needing to open the Phone as well as the Messaging apps.
Previous Words
LG has amassed some bad rep for Android skin, and rather the criticism is justified. The default settings — symbols, font, keyboard color, Qslide apps in the notification drop-down — are a bit too much. But once you understand that every option in these kind of is customizable, and that they almost gave you entire freedom to personalize many issues with the experience, you can forgive them because of it.
Also, many of the options combined with the LG skin are quite useful i think. The Clip Tray and QuickMemo for example have become an inclusive element of my smartphone usage and allow it to be worth “putting up” with a few of the other quirks. Yes, you will discover obviously quirks that We haven’t mentioned here, but they pale in comparison to the amount of handy options interspersed in the software.
I’ve said this before, and I may say it again: if I've got to use an Android device mainly because it is, without rooting this and installing a tailor made ROM, I would select an LG phone. And this is exactly what I’m doing with the G2: I haven’t fitted any custom ROM yet, despite my love for those things modding and tweaking, because I’m not wanting to lose what LG have added in their own skin.
And that says a lot, coming from someone that has so far run tailor made ROMs for 32 out of 34 months that she’s been using Android devices.
Whenever you've got any app open and you receive a phone telephone or an SMS, the G2 automatically shows these kind of as pop-up windows, with all the option to answer or decline the phone call, or to reply to the SMS there without needing to open the Phone as well as the Messaging apps.
Previous Words
LG has amassed some bad rep for Android skin, and rather the criticism is justified. The default settings — symbols, font, keyboard color, Qslide apps in the notification drop-down — are a bit too much. But once you understand that every option in these kind of is customizable, and that they almost gave you entire freedom to personalize many issues with the experience, you can forgive them because of it.
Also, many of the options combined with the LG skin are quite useful i think. The Clip Tray and QuickMemo for example have become an inclusive element of my smartphone usage and allow it to be worth “putting up” with a few of the other quirks. Yes, you will discover obviously quirks that We haven’t mentioned here, but they pale in comparison to the amount of handy options interspersed in the software.
I’ve said this before, and I may say it again: if I've got to use an Android device mainly because it is, without rooting this and installing a tailor made ROM, I would select an LG phone. And this is exactly what I’m doing with the G2: I haven’t fitted any custom ROM yet, despite my love for those things modding and tweaking, because I’m not wanting to lose what LG have added in their own skin.
And that says a lot, coming from someone that has so far run tailor made ROMs for 32 out of 34 months that she’s been using Android devices.
