LG G2 mini - first impressions and consumer review

First impressions and in depth consumer review of the affordable Android smartphone LG G2 mini

LG G2 mini - compact and reliable

Today I will share my first impressions with the budget friendly smartphone LG G2 mini and we are going to take a quick look at the phone design and interface. And when I say budget I don't mean cheap, it is just much more affordable that the bigger LG G2 and almost twice as cheaper compared to the recently released but similarly equipped LG G3 S.

Some of you that are familiar with LG's smartphone model line have probably noticed that there is the G2 mini has very similar specs and price tag compared to the LG L90. The only significant difference is the position of the hardware buttons that on G2 mini are located on the back of the phone while on the L90 they have more traditional location on the two sides. LG L90 also has 3 sensor buttons under the screen while on the G2 mini these controls are all integrated in the Android interface and take some useful space from the display itself.

The original LG G2 mini box with some specs on it

LG G2 mini - looks and feel

It is probably this category where the LG G2 mini scores the most points. It is entirely made of plastics but it is very well made and unlike some Samsung smartphones it doesn't feel extremely plastic and does not use the formula 'one design fits all sizes'. The G2 mini is also very light measured at only 121 grams which helps for the comfort in daily use.

The grippy bag of the G2 mini makes it easy to hold and it also looks quite durable and resistant to scratches so it would be perfectly fine to use this smartphone without additional case in the long run.
The back cover of the phone is also removed quite easy so you can easily exchange batteries in case you get an extra battery.

LG G2 mini battery compartment

Size and dimensions

Even though this G2 is called mini it is not a small phone or at least compared to popular phones like the iPhone 5 which is even a bit smaller that the LG. It is called mini because when compared to the fully sized LG G2 or the latest G3 it really looks like a very compact device.

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Here are couple of comparison images where you can see how the G2 mini looks next to Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus:

G2 mini next to the Note 3 Neo

LG G2 mini compared to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

I remember when couple of years ago the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was considered a very big phone but now when place next to the mini LG G2 it looks just like any other compact smartphone on the market.

LG G2 mini dimensions: 66 x 129.6 x 9.8

Main features and specs

The G2 mini has all the features of a modern smartphone including fast WiFi N connection, GPS + A-GPS support, Infrared, Bluetooth v4.0, NFC, MicroUSB v2.0 and 3.5mm headphone jack. All these features work thanks to the fast 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm processor and 1 GB of RAM. Well, some may say that 1 GB RAM is too low for a modern smartphone but the fact that LG put the same amount of memory in their latest flagship smartphone the G3 S means only one thing - LG  is aiming at achieving long battery life without sacrificing in performance significantly.

LG G2 mini comes with 1.3 MP front facing camera and 8 MP rear camera with autofocus and LED flash, The rear camera has BSI sensor and also features Face detection and High Dynamic Range (HDR) shooting mode.

LG G2 mini 8 megapixel rear camera with flash

LG G2 mini has 8 GB of internal flash memory and the ability to add additional 32 GB by inserting microSD card in the slot which is under the back cover of the phone right next to the micro SIM slot. The phone also has FM radio tuner built in so you don't need to have Internet connection in case you want to listen to some radio.

LG G2 mini has accelerometer and digital compass as well.

Display

LG G2 mini has 4.7-inch QHD IPS display with resolution of 960 x 540. The display can be marked as one of the weak points of the G2 mini as most customers would expect at least HD resolution from this 16-million color screen. Again, probably LG didn't put better display here as they wanted to keep the low price point of the device and also make it as effective as possible by implementing hardware resources with lower power consumption and this way achieving great battery life which is one of the big selling points of the G2 mini.

LG G2 mini is bright enough in the dark, not so much in direct sunlight

Battery

LG G2 mini has very strong 2440 Li-Ion mAh battery which should be good for two days of use (depending on the load it may vary between 1 and 3 days). With the non-demanding processor and display the G2 mini promises to perform very well in this category and it actually does.

Interface

LG G2 mini comes with Android v4.4 (KitKat) and LG's Optimus UI which is lighter compared to Samsung's TouchWiz interface and also uses less hardware resources. Probably at some point later the G2 mini may receive Android L update but I don't think that will happen before the beginning of 2015.

LG G2 mini interface

Price

LG G2 mini is offered around $200 (200 Euros in EU).

LG G2 mini seems to be a very capable and budget friendly smartphone, equipped with all the basics of a modern phone. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a multimedia smartphone as the low resolution display may disappoint some demanding customers. LG G2 mini will probably best suit customers that need lightweight device with great battery life and low price tag. The G2 mini is also offered in few different color choices - white, black, gold and red.

If you like smartphone reviews I would recommend you to check our recent Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo test and review.