LG Spectrum 2 Review ” features – battery – memory – screen – display “

Introduction:

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, Verizon has introduced the new LG Spectrum 2, which is a follow-up to the original LG Spectrum that was released earlier this year. This time around, the device is more in line to compete with other mid-level smartphones, as it comes running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich and features a 4.7” 720p display, a Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera. But what makes the LG Spectrum 2 most attractive is its reasonable price, coming in at $100 with a 2-year contract.

Included in the retail package is the LG Spectrum 2 VS930 smartphone, 2150mAh battery, two NFC Tags, wall charger with detachable microUSB cable, and user guides.

Design:

Calling on elements of the LG Optimus line, the LG Spectrum 2 is a bit more refined than the original Spectrum phone, though it looks like the “monolith” from 2001 A Space Odyssey. Despite this, the Spectrum 2 feels solid and well made (almost brick-like), with black on the front and back being framed by chrome accents around the edges. We welcome the textured soft-touch battery cover on the rear, as it provides a firm grip.

The front of the Spectrum 2 is mostly occupied by the display, above it is a 1.3MP camera, and below it are four capacitive buttons with blue LED backlight. Around the sides we find the microUSB port, 3.5mm headset jack, as well as the volume and power/lock buttons – which have a distinctive feel to them since they are raised from the surrounding edges. While on back is the 8MP autofocus camera with LED Flash. The microSD memory card slot and SIM slot are hidden by the battery cover.

 Built into the battery cover is NFC (near field communication) and wireless inductive charging. To make use of the NFC, the Spectrum 2 includes two LG Tag+ stickers, one for the car and one for the office. The car tag will active the Google Maps app on the phone, while the office tag will place the phone in vibrate mode and turn on Bluetooth. But in order to use the wireless charging, you have to purchase the wireless pad separately, which still requires a wall outlet connection.

Display:

One nice improvement with the LG Spectrum 2 is that it is using a larger 4.7” True HD IPS display, up from 4.5” on the original model. It comes with a 1280×720 pixel resolution, and uses the more favorable RGB arrangement instead of PenTile. Overall, the True HD display on the Spectrum 2 is sharp and crisp, with text and images having fine detailed edges, and color accuracy is spot-on, though not as eye-catching as AMOLED displays.

We’re also pleased by the brightness of the display, using LED backlighting, which makes it plenty bright enough to view in sunny conditions. However, it is unfortunate that the display suffers from poor viewing angles; as when not viewed from the dead center, there is noticeable loss in contract and color saturation.

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