LG G2 review

The G2’s camera is a corker. It’s a 13-megapixel model with optical image stabilisation, and produces excellent photos in daylight. It blows the Sony Xperia Z1 away for detail and exposures are accurate. Photos were on a par with those from the Samsung Galaxy S4, and almost up there with the Nokia Lumia 1020’s images. The G2 also produced excellent shots in low-light conditions, with less noise than the S4’s photos. Its optical image stabilisation even helped it to produce relatively blur-free handheld photos, but it couldn’t match the Lumia 1020’s talent for producing consistently sharp handheld shots in dark conditions. Overall, it’s one of the best smartphone cameras we’ve seen.

Vibrant colours, accurate exposure and plenty of detail – what more could you want? (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Excellent shots in low light are also possible (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

The LG G2 is an extremely impressive handset in many ways. The screen is superb, the phone feels compact despite its large display, and its camera and battery life are astounding. We’re not keen on the rear-mounted buttons, but like LG’s software modifications. The only thing keeping it from an award is the lack of a microSD card slot – not a problem if you don’t load your phone with films and games, but not having expandable storage will be a deal-breaker for some.

Should you buy the LG G2 in 2015?

It’s been two years since we awarded the LG G2 its five-star award, and lots of phones have since arrived on the scene since then. These include the various Samsung phones including the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, the HTC One M9 and the LG G4. These handsets are significantly more expensive of course, but will have a much longer lifespan thanks to their newer tech, longer battery life and better cameras.

With that said, you can grab a G2 for £30 a month on Vodafone with 2GB of 4G data and no upfront cost, which seems like a pretty good deal. Bear in mind, though, that you’ll be buying a two-year-old phone, so the device will appear to age faster than brand-new handsets released this year. You can pick one up for around £245 SIM-free, which, again, is a good deal for a very competent phone.

However, when you consider that the newer Samsung Galaxy S5 is only around £20 more expensive SIM-free and around £4 a month more on contract, we’d have to pick that phone instead of the G2 if we were buying new. If you see a refurbished or second-hand G2 in a second-hand store, it’s well worth a punt as long as there aren’t newer phones on sale nearby for only a little more money.

If you’re willing to look at a non-Android phone, the Microsoft Lumia 930 is a similarly priced Windows Phone-powered smartphone, and should get a Windows 10 update at some point in the near future, making it an excellent companion for a Windows laptop or PC.