Review of LG G2 mini and its main characteristics. Appearance and ease of use

General characteristics

Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to select the phone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.

Screen

Multimedia capabilities

Connection

Memory and processor

Before purchasing, check the specifications and equipment with the seller.

LG is one of those companies that are fighting for the title of the most the best manufacturer smartphones on the planet. In 2014, the Korean electronics giant household appliances presented to buyers and experts a very interesting LG model about which they were very positive and which is a smaller version of the flagship LG G2. The phone turned out to be very interesting, so it’s impossible not to make a review dedicated to it.

Specifications

Manufacturing company from South Korea I tried to do everything to make this smartphone the best, at least among the “small copies” of flagships. Therefore, the developers have equipped the phone with very strong characteristics. The processor consists of four cores, each of which has a clock speed of 1.2 GHz. It was decided to install 1 gigabyte as RAM, and 8 gigabytes as internal built-in memory. If this volume is not enough, then this smartphone supports MicroSD flash cards up to 32 gigabytes. The device itself has a screen diagonal of 4.7 inches, but its resolution is not very high, only 540 x 960. In addition, the operating system uses the latest version of Android - 4.4.

This smartphone has several names. One of them is the LG Optimus G2 mini, as a tribute to the corporation's previous line of smartphones - Optimus. The 8-megapixel camera of this smartphone adorns its back side, while the quality of the images is maintained at a sufficiently high level. good level.

Ergonomics

Many people liked the design of the LG G2 mini. The appearance characteristics of the smartphone are very attractive. The entire phone is made of plastic. At first glance, everything is done at a fairly high level. The material itself is of very high quality, the phone fits very comfortably in your hands. On the front of the smartphone there are touch control buttons, as well as a speaker, and by turning the device over, you can find a rather interesting panel of the phone along with the main camera. The panel attracts Special attention. The fact is that this is not just an ordinary piece of plastic, but slightly corrugated. This was probably done in order to avoid unnecessary soiling of the phone and to improve the grip of the LG d618 G2 mini white smartphone with the hand. If you look at the bottom end of the smartphone, you can find several holes. Two of them are speakers for talking, and one is a connector designed both for charging the phone and for connecting a smartphone to personal computer. At the top end of the device there is a headset jack. It’s also worth noting that the phone’s power button (and is also located in an innovative way, namely on the back panel, right under the camera. This may seem a little unusual, but at the same time it’s quite convenient.

Display

LG G2 mini (technical characteristics of the display and its size) surprised everyone even at its announcement, because the screen diagonal is not the standard 4 or 4.3 inches, like other “younger brothers” of flagships, but 4.7. However, despite this big size, the developers skimped on making its resolution 1280 x 960. Instead, we get an unaffordable 960 x 540. The screen glass coating itself is very pleasant tactilely and does not scratch too much, which is a definite plus. The screen brightness is at a very good level, and the colors displayed on the smartphone's display look very realistic. The problem occurs in bright sunlight. In this case, the image becomes faded and detail decreases. But this is a problem with many smartphones, so this fact should not be considered a particular disadvantage.

Software

The mini, which has quite good reviews from both buyers and respected experts, has the latest version of Android installed, namely Android 4.4. In addition, the company has developed several interesting programs, which will facilitate not only the use of a smartphone, but also the use of various household and electronic devices, which are turned on using the control panel. The program can control almost every electronic item in your home via infrared. Another feature of the developers from South Korea is the KnockOn program, which allows you to turn on and off the screen of your smartphone with a few taps on the screen. This moment is very convenient and does not require large quantity effort.

LG G2 mini, characteristics: battery and operating time

This is where the real plus and advantage of this model is in its battery. The battery capacity of the device is large enough for those smartphones that currently exist on the market. It is 2440 mAh. This suggests that you can use your smartphone for almost a whole working day for various purposes, and it will not require immediate charging. If you use your smartphone adequately, the battery charge can easily last for two working days.

Audio and video

The sound quality of this device is good, but still inferior to the clear leaders in these characteristics, which are NTS and Samsung. As for video, thanks to a fairly strong processor and a gigabyte of RAM, videos are played quickly and without stuttering. But there are problems related to screen resolution. Due to the fact that it is only 960 x 540, there are sometimes slight ripples in the frames.

Camera and photo quality

LG G2 mini, the technical characteristics of which do not raise any questions, has two cameras: the main one and the front one. The main camera has eight million pixels, which is quite normal for a small copy of a flagship. The quality of photographs taken by this camera is kept at a fairly high level. It should be noted that the detail and clarity of the image when shooting with a smartphone from LG is better than with similar smartphones from other companies. This cannot but please the first owners of this device, especially if for them the camera and the quality of photos in a smartphone are the most important factor.

Communications and Internet

Let's look at such an important factor for a phone as communication on the LG G2 mini smartphone. Reviews from many owners say that this is one of the best devices for accessing the Internet and chatting with friends. And perhaps they are right. The fact is that when you access the Internet, the connection occurs almost immediately, and the initial connection speed is always at a very high level. As for the Wi-Fi network, the situation is similar. When you find the required access point, the connection occurs instantly.

As for conversational communication, which is the main function of any phone, there are no problems here either. The interlocutor can be heard perfectly even at a speaker volume level of fifty percent. If you are on a busy street, an 80 percent volume level is enough to hear a friend located on the other side of the connection.

Equipment and prices for this gadget

After purchasing a smartphone from a South Korean company, you will receive a box with all the necessary components for the LG G2 mini. The paper instructions are the first thing you will see when you open the box. It may be useful for those people who are faced with the issue of using a smartphone for the first time. In this manual you can find all the necessary information regarding the device, its functions and capabilities. In addition to the documentation, you will also receive a headset in the form of headphones. Moreover, this accessory is of very good quality. Of course, if you are a music lover, then it is preferable to buy something better, but for the average listener these headphones are a pretty decent option. Another component in the box is a USB adapter designed to connect your smartphone to a computer. Well, the final item in the box is Charger. A case for the LG G2 mini is not included in the package, but you can always buy one almost anywhere.

As for the prices for this product, they are set independently by different stores. In some cases there may be different prices for this phone depending on additional flash memory. The average price of this smartphone is $275, which is quite reasonable, especially considering the characteristics it has.

LG G2 mini. Customer reviews and expert opinion

The smartphone from the South Korean manufacturer LG has collected a very good harvest in terms of reviews. Of course, each user was based on the price-quality ratio, so it is not surprising that the majority of reviews are very positive. Many ordinary users note the excellent battery as an advantage of the device. Some of them claim that they can go without charging for more than two days. Also, many buyers note the quality of photographs taken using the phone’s camera. The only factor, some users, is the design of the back panel of the smartphone. They claim that this design is not typical of ultra-modern smartphones, but of their grandmother’s glasses case. As “compensation”, some users suggest that the company also provide a case for the LG G2 mini in the package, but this is a bit excessive.

The opinion of experts largely coincides with the opinion of ordinary smartphone users. After spending several comparative analyzes, they came to the conclusion that this option phone is almost the best for the price of 275 dollars. The only drawback that they could not keep silent about is the small screen resolution. Although many people do not pay attention to how flawless the image on their screen is.

Let's summarize the review

LG is gradually starting to increase its share of the overall high-tech smartphone market, and it's safe to say that the LG G2 mini phone will be able to make this share even larger. This model has a 4-core processor, and each core is 1.2 GHz. Despite the fact that the smartphone has one gigabyte of RAM, its performance is at a very high level. Don't forget about his camera. Despite the fact that, unlike the flagship, it is only 8 MP, the image quality is at a very good level. Moreover, no matter what time of day it was during the shooting. The new programs are very convenient. As for sound and communication, they are also at the proper level. Do not forget that we were only considering a budget version of a smartphone, the price of which does not exceed $300. And for such a price it is not always possible to find high-quality device, which can fully satisfy your needs.

It is clear that this LG d618 G2 mini white phone is not a clear leader among smartphones in terms of its characteristics, but it was produced as a competitor to similar smartphones from other companies. And it's safe to say that this product is a very interesting option for those who don't have the money for the LG G2, but like its design.

When the first rumors about the LG G2 Mini first appeared, I wanted it like no other smartphone. Of course, it promised to have the same characteristics as the LG G2, only significantly smaller. But a miracle did not happen - the official announcement brought the LG G2 Mini into the same rank with other “mini-versions” of flagships: the screen is far from Full HD, the processor is simpler, there is less RAM, and the battery is not so capacious. It's a shame, annoying, but still interesting how it turned out in the end. Moreover, the sizes are really smaller, as well as the price.

Impressions from the appearance

The LG G2 Mini does look similar to its big brother, but only when you look at it as a whole. They differ greatly in detail. For example, the indicators above the screen are mirrored: in the LG G2 they are located to the left of the speaker, in its mini version they are on the right. The headset jack has moved from the bottom to the top. At the back - instead of a glossy panel with a texture effect somewhere under the varnish coating - there is a really textured cover. The plastic, in my opinion, is a little simpler, so the smartphone itself overall looks simpler and cheaper.

The most main feature– buttons on the back panel. The two-position volume control has become more convex, it protrudes more above the surface and because of this it is easier to press. This is both a plus and a minus at the same time. On the one hand, volume control has become more convenient. On the other hand, the key works much easier in your pocket or when you type on a phone lying on the table. The LG G2 had the same problem, only to a much lesser extent. The solution is simple: a protective case or a back panel. It is thick enough to protect the protruding button.

Another significant difference lies in the design itself. The LG G2 had a non-removable back cover, and the micro-SIM slot was located on the side panel. The LG G2 Mini has a removable back panel, the slots are hidden under it, and there are several more of them: two for microformat SIM cards, one more for a card micro memory SD.

The decoration of the bottom panel remains unchanged - two grilles on either side of the USB port. It looks like the smartphone has stereo speakers. In fact, like the LG G2, the LG G2 Mini only has one speaker. The second grille hides the microphone behind it. It’s a bit of a shame because of such deception, but even in such conditions there is no need to complain about the sound: the smartphone “sings” quite well, only at high volume levels one can hear a strong drift into metallic notes.

Speaking of sound. Through headphones it becomes even more enjoyable. Since I had a non-sale version in my hands, I can’t say anything about the quality of the included headset and tested the sound with my own headphones. For a smartphone, it's quite good, especially considering that the LG G2 Mini is not positioned as a music device.

On top panel– a headphone jack, a second microphone and another remarkable detail – an infrared port. Thanks to it, the LG G2 Mini can be used instead of a remote control for home appliances.

Camera

The camera visually looks the same as the LG G2. But in fact, she is significantly inferior to her. Instead of a 13-megapixel matrix, there is only 8 MP, there is no sapphire glass, and there is no optical stabilization. But there is still multi-point autofocus, which in my opinion is very nice. The matrix is ​​not simple, but BSI type.

The camera takes pictures quite well by smartphone standards. The photos are bright, noise and significant distortion are noticeable only with a strong lack of light.

The menus and settings in the camera are similar, there are many modes. Just like in other new smartphones from the manufacturer, you can quickly activate the camera by long pressing the volume button.

Second, front-camera, also a little simpler than the flagship: standard 1.3 megapixels versus 2.1 MP.

Screen

If you look at the numbers, the weakest point of the LG G2 Mini is its screen. In the younger version of the flagship I would really like to see an HD format screen, but instead it is only 960x540 pixels, pixel density is 234 ppi.

If we forget about the numbers as such, then I personally did not notice graininess, lack of clarity or anything like that. A solid picture, with rich colors and wide viewing angles – this is due to the IPS matrix. However, the brightness and saturation of the picture as such does not mean that the display transmits the image accurately and efficiently. Graphs made using the equipment in the editorial office immediately show that the color gamut of the LG G2 Mini is smaller than sRGB. The color temperature graph is strongly shifted upward from the ideal value of 6500k, which means there is a strong shift towards cool shades. The graph of the color components of a monochrome gradient is also very far from ideal. And only the gamma curve hints that the screen is not entirely bad. In general, if you focus not only on the subjective beauty/ugliness, then the screen in the LG G2 Mini can safely be considered its weak points.

Performance and Features

The smartphone has a quad-core processor with a frequency of 1.2 GHz and 1 GB of RAM. The configuration is standard for a mid-range device, although from the “compact version of the flagship,” as the manufacturer itself calls it, you expect something a little more. However, during the entire testing period I did not have a single complaint about the performance and smooth operation of the LG G2 Mini. It never froze, never slowed down, and never failed when passing toys.

The results of testing with special applications also turned out to be very pleasant. In AnTuTu Benchmark, the smartphone received 16882 points, slightly inferior to the flagships of the year before. In comparison with Mini-smartphones, this is a very good result, for example, Samsung Galaxy The S4 Mini received only 11,696 points in the same utility.

Quadrant rated the potential of the LG G2 Mini at 8561 points, Nena Mark 2 gave it 59.9 fps. Next, I ran more graphically intensive tests from the 3D Mark program. In Ice Storm, the smartphone received 4377 points, in Extreme version– 2540, and in Unlimited 4258 points. Overall, these results indicate that the smartphone copes quite adequately with games and graphic applications. Another test program I ran on the LG G2 Mini was Vellamo. In performance testing mode when working with HTML5, the smartphone received 1203 points, in the Metal test - 541 points. Compared to last year's Mini flagship from Samsung, it is somewhat inferior (it had 2053 and 689 points, respectively), but the results are far from bad.

To be honest, I don’t see the point in talking a lot about the shell and menu of the smartphone. It remains the same as in previous models. The set of preinstalled programs remains unchanged.

I’ll say a few words about the proprietary Knock Code blocking utility. The function is first activated in the settings menu, and the smartphone asks you to repeat the code twice and twice you will have to enter an additional PIN code. It will come in handy if you suddenly forget the combination and cannot enter it even the fifth time.

You need to “knock” on the screen to unlock it in the designated area. But at the same time, you do not need to fall strictly into its corners, the main thing is that the direction relative to the original point is chosen correctly. There are a total of 8 consecutive touches in the combination, so, as the manufacturer writes on its website, there can be a lot of options for tapping the code.

During the entire testing of the function, the LG G2 Mini never made a mistake in perceiving the code: it recognized it all those times when I entered it correctly, and was not provoked when I confused the sequence. In general, the function is very reliable and pleasant to use.

Working with two SIM cards is implemented in active mode and is quite convenient for the user. At the bottom of the screen there is a row touch buttons, the rightmost of which leads to the SIM profile management menu. Simple and convenient - on the one hand. On the other hand, it is enough to remove one “tick” to fall out of the network. Moreover, for some ridiculous reason, I managed to do this by accident several times, without noticing it. Then I turned my smartphone off and on so that it could find the network again, and only the third time I realized what was going on.

Finally, as usual, I’ll tell you about the working hours. Despite the fact that the battery capacity of the LG G2 Mini is not very large (2440 mAh), it held up very well throughout testing. In active daily use mode, it can work for about 2 days. At the same time, by use I mean three to four hours of music at a volume above average (through headphones), a couple of hours of surfing the Internet (browser), active Instagram surfing, communicating for an hour and a half a day on the phone and other mobile joys of life. The smartphone was rarely able to lie quietly. At the same time, the pedometer was turned on all the time, which eats up a lot of battery resources. Without it, the operating time is even a little longer - up to 3 days. In general, there is definitely nothing to complain about the operating time of the LG G2 Mini.

Bottom line

Despite the fact that my initial expectations about the LG G2 Mini were not met, I liked the smartphone. Reliable, nimble, comfortable in the hands, with good interface and a very good camera. I didn’t want to part with it at the end of testing. It fully justifies its cost of 3,500 hryvnia ($275). But at the same time, I cannot say that it is without shortcomings. The most important of them is the screen. In a modern smartphone, especially of this class and presented with such words (a compact version of the Flamag, in case anyone has forgotten), it would be worth using a better solution. At a minimum, with HD resolution, which is already actively used in devices from other manufacturers. Another drawback of the smartphone is its performance, which is somewhat inferior to last year’s mini-versions of the flagships. True, this minus is most likely noticeable only for those who are chasing performance or using very resource-intensive programs (I didn’t come across any of those). I can recommend the LG G2 Mini to those who are looking for a beautiful, compact and reliable mid-class smartphone.

5 reasons to buy LG G2 Mini

• the same original housing solution as the LG G2
• excellent work without lags or slowdowns
• matte, textured back panel
• many proprietary features, including equipment control and Knock Code
• support for 2 SIM cards in active mode

2 reasons not to buy LG G2 Mini

• far from the best, albeit IPS, screen
• performance unworthy of the compact version of the flagship

Set a trend. ahead of time

Features and review of LG G2 mini:

• Unique control button on the cover of the smartphone;
• operating room Android system 4.4 KitKat;
• 4-core processor;
• Bright widescreen IPS screen;
• Dual SIM support;
• 8 MP camera and the latest technologies in the field of mobile photography;
• Saving screenshots of web pages;
• Intelligent clipboard that allows you to copy several elements at a time;
• Powerful 2440 mAh battery that provides 22 hours battery life in conversation mode.

Unique control button

The camera and volume control button is located on the cover of the smartphone - this is truly natural and convenient way device control.

Personal information is securely protected

LG G2 mini supports KNOCK Code technology, which allows you to set a combination of touches on the screen known only to you. The combination can consist of 2 to 8 touches and can be easily entered in any part of the display, even with one hand.

Camera 8 MP

Take incredible photos and shoot FullHD videos.

The quality is ensured by an 8 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization and many useful settings.

Everything will be in focus!

Turn on the camera and adjust the depth of field to your liking. Get great portrait, landscape and group photos with the LG G2 mini's 9-point autofocus. And the photo of moving objects generally deserves special praise.

Instant Hints

PLUG & POP technology automatically shows compatible applications with the device you have connected to LG G2 mini. Connect a stereo headset or USB cable to your smartphone and immediately select the desired action.

Guest mode

Create a separate profile for third-party users using the Guest Mode feature. Now children or friends will have access only to those functions, files and applications that you choose for them.

Mini - outside only

Inside this elegant smartphone, LG developers have hidden modern mobile hardware.

A 4-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 2440 mAh battery will open for you maximum performance and long battery life.

4.7 inch TRUE IPS display

The LG G2 Mini delivers great design and performance, but what makes it stand out is the impressive picture quality on its innovative 4.7-inch IPS display.

Dual SIM support

With two SIM cards you get the perfect work-life balance, especially with the ability to set different ringtones for each SIM card :)

Main characteristics of LG G2 mini:

• Operating system: Android 4.4 KitKat;
• Display: 4.7" IPS, Multi-Touch, 960 x 540;
• Processor: 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (1.2 GHz);
• RAM: 1 GB;
• Built-in memory: 8 GB + support microSD cards up to 32 GB;
• Main camera: 8 MP with BSI technology (back-illuminated camera sensor);
• Front camera: 1.3 MP;
• Autonomy: 2440 mAh battery (797 hours standby time, 22 hours talk time);
• Wireless technologies: Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 4.0 / GPS / DLNA;
• Dimensions: 129.6 x 66 x 9.99 mm;
• Weight: 121 g.

Detailed testing of a smaller version of the Korean company's flagship smartphone

We managed to get acquainted with the compact version of the flagship smartphone LG G2 during the MWC 2014 exhibition, held in Barcelona in February. During the exhibition, a smaller smartphone with a flagship design, called LG G2 mini, was presented to the general public along with the updated series budget smartphones LG L3, the most interesting of which, the LG L90, we have already tested. Now it's time to talk about the LG G2 mini model, which belongs to a more expensive segment. “The new product was developed as a smaller version of the award-winning LG G2 and is ready to delight new users with premium functionality,” the official press release says. In reality, however, it turned out that this model, like most modern smaller modifications of top-end devices on the market, is far from a real flagship in terms of technical characteristics, although it can offer quite broad functionality. In terms of hardware, the new product is closer to the mentioned LG L90 model from the budget series than to the flagships, especially to the top-end LG G2 device, so we believe it is more appropriate to compare the review hero with the L90, and not with the flagship, compared to which LG G2 mini looks too simplified.

Main characteristics of LG G2 mini (model LG D618)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226), 1.2 GHz, 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores
• GPU Adreno 305
• Operating system Android 4.4.2
• Touch display IPS, 4.7″, 960×540, 234 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 1 GB, inner memory 8 GB
• Map support microSD memory up to 32 GB
• Communication GSM GPRS/EDGE 900, 1800 MHz
• Communication 3G UMTS/HSPA+ 900, 2100 MHz
• HSPA+ data transfer speed up to 21 Mbps
• Dual SIM cards (2×Micro-SIM)
• USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0, infrared port
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, point Wi-Fi access,DLNA
• GPS/Glonass
• 8 MP camera, multi-point autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 1.3 MP (front)
• Battery 2440 mAh
• Dimensions 129.6×66×9.9 mm
• Weight 121 g

Contents of delivery

Unfortunately, LG tends to send test copies of its mobile devices without packaging and, accordingly, a complete set of accessories, but in principle it is known that the LG G2 mini smartphone only includes a charger and a connecting cord - there aren’t even headphones there, so there’s still nothing special to talk about.

Appearance and ease of use

The appearance of the LG G2 mini retains common features with flagship smartphone line - the powerful top-end device LG G2. Actually, it is the appearance that is the little that unites these two devices. Unfortunately, as in most cases, LG released its mini version of the flagship, not only reducing the dimensions of the device, but also greatly weakening it in terms of technical characteristics. As a result, in most technical parameters, the LG G2 mini model has nothing in common with the original LG G2.

But even in terms of design, differences can still be found. The sloping, streamlined rear back, rounded on all sides, is not glossy, but textured and rough, which generally has a positive effect on ergonomics, but the device, of course, has lost its glamor and gloss. Due to the rough back wall, smaller dimensions and light weight, the smartphone has become even more comfortable to hold in the hand, and there are practically no fingerprints left on the back surface - rear end The LG G2 mini smartphone turned out to be completely non-staining and more pleasant to the touch than the glossy and slippery back wall of its flagship brother.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the front side: the protective glass covering the front panel of the device has rather weakly expressed grease-repellent properties, which is why the display quickly becomes covered with dirt and grease, and at the same time it is also difficult to wipe off - it is difficult to clean it with a dry cloth without a special liquid.

The body of the smartphone is entirely made of plastic - there is no metal here. The plastic, of course, is of high quality and probably durable (LG has no problems with this), but expensive smartphone It doesn’t look like it – the materials here seem simpler than those of the flagship. LG G2 has under a layer of varnish on back cover some complex pattern was visible, the colors played, shimmered - there is nothing like that here. Along the side perimeter there is a silver strip, textured to look like rough sanded metal; exactly the same strip was present on the side edges of the LG L90. However, this is just a coating on plastic case, not real metal.

As you can see in the photographs, there are no buttons placed on the sides of the device - they are all assembled into a single block on the back surface of the device. The basic functions of these buttons are standard: the central key turns on and locks the smartphone, and the other two, top and bottom, are responsible for adjusting the volume. Expanded capabilities of the block of hardware buttons provide additional functionality in control: holding the top button for a long time launches the Qmemo application, and the bottom button calls the camera from sleep mode. The central key is protected from accidental pressing by two protrusions on the sides. This innovative approach to the placement of controls was first demonstrated in the flagship LG G2, and it is quite expected that it is retained in its smaller version, the LG G2 mini.

However, even this block of keys here is not made exactly the same as that of the flagship device: unlike the LG G2, the central key of the review hero is not backlit, and therefore does not implement the functionality of the notification indicator. As a result, the light indicator was not embedded either in the upper part above the screen (as usual), or in the back button (like on the flagship), and the LG G2 mini was left without any indicator at all.

On the back surface of the smartphone, in addition to the block of buttons, there is traditionally a camera window framed by a metallized ring and a peephole for a single-section LED flash (there is no pre-installed software for using the flash as a flashlight).

The front panel is completely covered with protective glass, the frames around the screen are quite narrow, especially on the sides (less than 4 mm), which allowed the smartphone to have such compact dimensions for this screen size. Yes, and below the screen extra space They didn’t leave it either: the block of hardware control buttons has been removed, and instead there is a customizable strip of virtual buttons on the display, so that the frame under the screen is simply symmetrical to the frame above.

The back cover here is a removable element; it comes off quite easily from the body and is traditionally secured with several plastic latches. Under the hood, everything is arranged conveniently and thoughtfully - the developers can only be praised for this. All card slots (there are three of them) are located so that nothing obstructs access to them, and there is no need to remove the battery. However, hot swapping of SIM cards is still not supported - the card will not be recognized until you reboot the device.

One SIM card slot is embedded on the left, the other on the right, and above it there is also a slot for microSD memory cards. Both SIM cards here are used in a reduced Micro-SIM format, the slots are numbered, although there is no physical difference in their functioning - the cards can be safely inserted in any order, everything else can be configured through the menu. Officially, memory cards are supported up to 32 GB, but experiments prove that 64 GB will be recognized - there are no problems with this.

At the top and bottom ends, everything is arranged conveniently and familiarly: at the top, in addition to the audio output for headphones (3.5 mm), you can also see the peephole of the infrared transmitter. It serves to emulate the remote control of various equipment - for this purpose, the corresponding software is already preinstalled in the smartphone.

At the bottom, in addition to the universal Micro-USB connector, the developers placed two grilles on the sides for sound output from the ringing speaker, so the sound of a smartphone lying on the table does not overlap. But the Micro-USB connector itself only supports USB 2.0 speed mode and cannot work with connected external devices - USB-host (OTG) mode, unfortunately, does not appear among its capabilities.

As for the color modifications of the LG G2 mini model, it is known that the smartphone will be available for sale in four colors: titanium black, lunar white, red and gold. In addition, the device will be available in different versions: with support for one or two SIM cards, as well as with the ability to use in 3G/4G networks. In our case, we were dealing with the LG D618 model with dual SIM support, but without support LTE networks(4G) - it was with this version that sales of this device began in our country.

Screen

The LG G2 mini smartphone is equipped with an IPS touch matrix of average quality. The physical dimensions of the display are 59x104 mm, diagonal - 4.7 inches. The screen resolution in pixels is 960x540 (qHD), the dots per inch density reaches 234 ppi.

The display brightness can only be manually adjusted. There is a proximity sensor that locks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 8 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is an anti-glare filter, which in terms of reducing the brightness of the reflection is slightly worse than that of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - LG G2 mini, then they can be distinguished by size):

Due to the difference in size, screen surface color tone, and frame color, it is difficult to visually accurately determine which screen is actually darker, but statistics from graphic editor shows that the LG G2 mini's screen is still slightly brighter (photo brightness 118) than the Nexus 7 screen (brightness 94). The reflection in the screen noticeably triples, which suggests the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. There appears to be a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen (much worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fresh fingerprints are removed a little easier and appear at a slightly slower rate than with regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 365 cd/m², the minimum was 4 cd/m². The maximum value is not very high, however, the screen has anti-glare properties, so in bright conditions daylight The image on the screen must be visible. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is no automatic brightness adjustment. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

IN this smartphone An IPS type matrix is ​​used. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting (the very darkest shades when the view is deviated to the right). For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the LG G2 mini and Nexus 7 screens, with the screen brightness initially set to approximately 200 cd/m². There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note that the brightness and color tone of the white field are quite uniform (when photographing, the color balance in the camera is forced to 6500 K). And a test picture:

Color reproduction is good, colors are saturated on both screens, there are differences in color balance. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, but the contrast at an angle in the case of the LG G2 mini decreased due to the increase in black levels. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens has decreased (at least 4 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the LG G2 mini the drop in brightness is less than that of the Nexus 7. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens strongly and acquires a purple tint or remains almost neutral gray. A photo from the Nexus 7 shows this for comparison (the brightness of the white areas in the perpendicular direction of the screens is the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed from a perpendicular perspective, the black field uniformity is good, but along the edge there are areas with slightly increased black brightness:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is average - about 680:1. The black-white-black response time is 23 ms (13 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 35 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The index of the approximating power function is 2.17, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve practically does not deviate from the power dependence:

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is far from ideal, since the color temperature is higher than the standard 6500 K, the deviation from the spectrum of an absolutely black body (ΔE) for most shades is small, however, both ΔE and color temperature vary significantly from shade to shade - this has a negative effect even on a visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there is no color balance of great importance, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

The screen quality is not the highest. The maximum brightness is borderline - however, taking into account the good anti-glare properties of the screen, it should be enough for comfortable work on a clear day outside. The advantages of the screen include the absence of flicker and a color gamut almost equal to sRGB. The main yet unnoted shortcomings are a very weak oleophobic coating, strong highlighting of the black field when the gaze deviates from perpendicular to the screen, and mediocre color balance. In addition, the manufacturer saved on automatically adjusting the brightness to the external light level.

Sound

The sound of the LG G2 mini is average: quite loud, clear, but with a predominance of predominantly high frequencies. The voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, the conversation is quite comfortable. The sound output grille here is cut into the bottom end, and not into the back wall, like the LG L90, so the sound is not muffled when the device is lying on the table. In the settings, you can programmatically enhance some audio effects, but this can only be done when you connect headphones. The smartphone comes pre-installed with a standard voice recorder, which is used only for creating audio notes - record using standard means telephone conversations He can't do it on the line. There is also an FM radio in the smartphone; it is possible to record broadcast programs.

The main, rear 8-megapixel camera shoots with a maximum resolution of 3264×2448. This camera can shoot video with a maximum resolution of 1920×1080 (30 fps). The quality of video recording can be judged by the test video below (video: MPEG4 Video (H.264) 1920×1080 30 fps 17 Mbps, audio: AAC 48 kHz stereo 155 Kbps).

• Video No. 1 (78 MB, 1920×1080)

In the camera interface settings, it is possible to use shooting modes other than the usual one: panorama, continuous, sports. The settings menu is conveniently placed across the entire screen in the form of a visual and intuitive matrix of interactive squares. The camera is equipped with multi-point autofocus for better depth of field adjustment. The hardware volume control key is also used here to work with the camera: if you hold the volume down key longer, the camera will be activated even when the screen is off, and pressing it again will allow you to take a picture.

	Good sharpness in all plans.
	For distant plans, sharpness practically does not drop.
	The sharpening on the branches is almost invisible, and at the same time they are worked out well.
	Good sharpness across the entire frame.
	The spruce trees on the left side of the frame merge. In the shadows the noise reduction work is noticeable, but very moderate.
	Noise in the shadows is handled well.
	You can notice small ripples on the contours of objects - the result of sharpening.
	The camera chooses the exposure well, but sometimes overexposes it a little. Good sharpness across the entire frame and in all plans.
	The camera does macro quite well if you focus on the desired object.
	The text is well-done, although slightly processed with sharpening and noise reduction.

For an 8 megapixel camera, the images are very clean and good. Of course, noticeable sharpening can be found in the pictures, and the work of the noise reduction is visible, but in general the pictures look very decent thanks to good and uniform sharpness. In general, the sharpness of the optics is a fairly important parameter in a smartphone camera. If the natural sharpness is good, you can save on processing, which usually ruins the image. Therefore, a camera with good optics has a greater chance of success. And if the sensor is not very noisy, then it can turn out very good.

The optics in this module are decent, and the sharpness is good in all plans and across the entire field of the frame. Thanks to this, the camera does not abuse sharpening. But the noise reduction let us down. Its algorithm looks a bit old; in some places it works clumsily and spoils small details and fine lines. At the same time, it copes well with noise in the shadows without turning textures into mush. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the camera. It turned out to be quite decent and is well suited for artistic and, especially, documentary photography.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern networks 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA; network support fourth generation(LTE) is not included in the modification supplied to our market. Data transfer speed is limited to HSPA+ mode to 21 Mbps. The communication capabilities of the device are implemented modestly: neither the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, nor NFC technology, nor connecting external devices to USB port(USB Host, OTG). You can standardly organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. The navigation module can work with both GPS and the domestic Glonass system.

There were no spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing, as well as system slowdowns or freezes. Unfortunately, the smartphone did not provide an LED sensor for notification of charging status and incoming events.

The layout and arrangement of buttons on the preinstalled keyboard are standard: switching languages ​​is done by pressing a special button with a globe image. It’s convenient that there is a dedicated top row of number buttons - you don’t need to switch the layout from letters to numbers and back every time. Phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing telephone number A search is also carried out immediately using the first letters in contacts. For ease of operation with one hand, the keyboard can be moved to one of the edges of the screen. This feature, obviously, was inherited by the LG G2 mini from top-end smartphones with larger screens - for a 4.7-inch screen, this functionality is perhaps redundant.

The smartphone supports two SIM cards using the Dual standard SIM Dual Standby. Apart from a special button for quickly changing the priority SIM card, the implementation of working with two SIM cards is generally standard for this platform. There is only one radio module, so there can only be one active conversation. In terms of capabilities, the slots for SIM cards are equivalent, but only one of them can work in 3G mode at a time. It is worth noting separately that, unlike the LG L90, whose hardware buttons under the screen were not backlit, which could result in a rather unpleasant confusion with “blindly” pressing a button to quickly change the priority SIM card, here these buttons are virtual. So in this matter, the LG G2 mini has a clear advantage over the LG L90 model. By the way, a number of virtual control buttons here, like those of the flagship LG G2, can be reconfigured to suit your taste, and you can not only change the order of the buttons, but also select the background background.

OS and software

LG G2 mini is currently running on software platform Google Android latest version 4.4.2. On top of the OS interface, the company installed its own user interface called Optimus UI. The shell gives the user much broader functionality than the proprietary Android OS interface; a lot of additional convenient features that were first implemented in the firmware of the flagship LG G2 are retained here. For example, there are also Plug & Pop tooltips and Guest Mode, and QSlide multi-window mode allows you to simultaneously run up to two applications in smaller windows on the same screen. Infrared port complemented by a special program for remote control of equipment. The smartphone also contains the rudiments of gesture control capabilities - there are not as many of them as in top-end smartphones, but it reacts to turning the case over, and can even recognize the owner’s face.

The Knock Code functionality, based on tapping on the screen, is also implemented here. In addition to activating and turning off the screen, you can now also set a password, which will be based on the choice of the point where you touch the screen. When unlocking, the user can enter a combination of presses anywhere on the screen and in any corner of the display. Also, the distance between the pressing points can be greater or less - the smartphone will still recognize the combination.

Performance

The LG G2 mini hardware platform is based on a single-chip system (SoC) Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226). The central processor here has 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores operating at 1.2 GHz (CPU-Z shows 1.19 GHz). Random access memory The device comes with 1GB of storage, and the storage available to the user for uploading their own files is less than 4GB of the nominally designated 8GB. The memory can be expanded using microSD cards up to 32 GB (in our case, 64 GB worked), but connecting a flash drive via an OTG adapter will not work here - the device does not support this mode.

For comparison, let's take a dual-core modification of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, the configuration of which includes two Krait 300 cores (1.7 GHz) - for example, it works on such a platform samsung smartphone Galaxy S4 mini (GT-I9195). The LG G2 mini smartphone is based on the MSM8226 SoC, which is also called Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, but it has CPU has 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores with a frequency of 1.2 GHz. As for other competitors, the configuration of the MSM8226 platform turns out to be largely similar to the configuration of the quad-core platform of the Taiwanese MediaTek - MT6589. They have similar CPUs (4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores), but the GPUs are different: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 includes Adreno 305, while MediaTek MT6589 uses PowerVR SGX 544MP.

To get an idea of ​​the performance of the platform of the smartphone under test, we will conduct a standard set of tests.

All the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the most latest versions popular benchmarks, we have summarized them in tables for convenience. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that at one time they passed their “obstacle courses” on previous versions test programs.

Here's what we can say based on the testing results. The performance of the new product was not very high. If you compare the mini-flagship LG G2 mini with the “real” flagship LG G2, the difference will seem noticeable (about two times according to AnTuTu results). The top-end smartphone LG G2 has moved away from its miniature successor as much as Samsung flagship from its mini brother, Samsung Galaxy S4 mini. Compared to modern market leaders, the LG G2 mini smartphone can only reach the title of average - its performance is enough to equal, for example, Motorola Moto G. By the way, the test results of the LG G2 mini are almost the same as those of its relative mentioned above, the LG L90 model, which is logical: after all, these smartphones are built on the same platform. However, the L90 is noticeably cheaper.

Regarding the comparison of two different platforms with the same name, we can state that the two Krait 300 cores (1.7 GHz) of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini outperformed the 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores (1.2 GHz) of the LG G2 mini smartphone in all tests. So, it turns out that Snapdragon 400 is different, and you still need to carefully look at the more detailed specifications to make the right choice.

As for the competing MediaTek MT6589, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 system turned out to be approximately equal with it, especially if we take the more common version MT6589T with more high frequency cores (1.5 GHz vs. 1.2 GHz). However, in terms of graphics, Adreno 305 is clearly ahead of the PowerVR SGX 544MP video subsystem in all tests, albeit not by much.

Test results in MobileXPRT, as well as the latest versions of AnTuTu 4.x and GeekBench 3:

When testing the graphics subsystem in the cross-platform 3DMark test for the most powerful smartphones, it is now possible to run 3DMark in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Results of testing the graphics subsystem in the Epic Citadel gaming test, as well as Basemark X and Bonsai Benchmark:

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since processing modern options due to processor cores alone, it is most often impossible. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

LG once again pleasantly surprises with the presence full support all the necessary decoders in her smartphones. Unlike most of the reviewed devices from other companies, the capabilities of the built-in video player of the LG G2 mini were enough for trouble-free playback of all our standard test videos. At the same time, no problems were observed with the sound, and in the third-party MX player you don’t even have to switch to hardware playback in Hardware+. That is, to put it simply, the LG G2 mini will play any video downloaded from the network without any problems (at least with a resolution of up to 1080p).

To test the output of video files on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). In the tests, we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware+” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

In general, the intervals between frames (or groups of frames) alternate a little unevenly and in the case of 1080p files at 60 fps, some frames are always skipped. When playing 720p and 1080p video files, the image of the actual video file is displayed exactly along the edge of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights. However, dark scenes may not look very good, as the darkest shades are inverted when tilted to the right (that is, when tilted up or down when watching a movie) and have a noticeable difference in color tone.

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the LG G2 mini is slightly smaller than that of the LG L90, but still amounts to 2440 mAh, which is considerable for a smartphone. The difference between these two batteries is so insignificant that no deterioration was noticed in the battery life tests: the new test subject also demonstrated excellent battery life, even a record for its class. Of course, this became possible not only because of the capacious battery, but also due to the fact that LG has learned how to optimize the performance of its batteries (its own subsidiary, LG Chem, helps make batteries for the company’s smartphones).

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted more than 16 hours until the battery was completely discharged. When continuously watching YouTube videos in high quality(HQ) with the same brightness level via home Wi-Fi network The device lasted 10 hours, and in 3D gaming mode - about 5 hours.

Bottom line

As a result, we have, in principle, a good device from a well-known manufacturer, which generally meets all the necessary requirements in order to rightfully be called a middle-class smartphone, but it is clearly not up to the task of reaching the flagship level. The smartphone has a nice, neat design inherited from its older brother, good body ergonomics, a good camera, and a very wide range of functionality branded shell. And of course, it is worth praising the record autonomy that has been achieved recently by most LG smartphones.

At the same time, the smartphone differs from the company's flagship in many ways: a mediocre quality screen with an almost complete absence of oleophobic coating, lack of automatic brightness level adjustment, notification indicator, support for OTG mode, inexpressive sound, modest performance of the hardware platform in general and the graphics subsystem in particular. . In terms of most characteristics, the LG G2 mini smartphone has nothing in common with the flagship LG G2 - do not be fooled by the big name, which makes you think that this is the same top-end smartphone, only reduced in size. In fact, the LG G2 mini model is closer and is almost a complete analogue of its brother from the budget line - LG L90. As for the cost, the L90 itself, with its price of 10 thousand rubles, looks slightly overpriced, and for the LG G2 mini they ask for another two thousand more - 12 thousand rubles. This price does not quite correspond to the status of the device and its capabilities; the smartphone is clearly overpriced. It is clear that there is a markup here both for the brand and for the external resemblance to a real flagship, but still, now there is a wide variety of mid-level models on the market, where the competition is much higher than in the top segment, so expect high sales of the LG G2 mini model at such an inflated price it is quite difficult.