It might have taken a while for the LG Optimus 4XHD to come across our desk but we definitely wanted to give our readers a taste of what may be LG’s best entry into the smartphone market before our official review. Packed with a gorgeous display and the NVIDIA Tegra 3, the 4XHD is definitely a powerful device. Moreover, it’s one of the best designed handsets we’ve ever see LG come out with.
The obvious successor to the much-loved and much hated (the T-Mobile version, at least) LG Optimus 2X, which sits in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first dual-core phone, the Optimus 4XHD steps up its game in just about every department there is. The handset rocks a 4.7 True HD IPS display that looks fake at times due to the crispness of the panel. I haven’t experienced that on any other display before, but I’ve mistaken the device for a dummy unit with a sticker of a homescreen on the front. That’s impressive.
Other specifications include the stupid-fast NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, front-facing camera, NFC, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and many more goodies you’d expect to see in a high-end device like this. Rest assured, this is the kind of power you want in your pocket and the 4XHD fits the bill rather well.
Powerful specs and features aside, LG has also done a great job designing this phone. Previous LG handsets have shipped with understated designs that ended up looking boring, but not the Optimus 4XHD. LG went for a stark design aesthetic, giving the handset shard edges and a boxy design that screams modern. Two pieces of metal line the perimeter of the phone, with a textured back material in between. This reminds us of what Motorola did with the Atrix HD, only LG’s offering looks good doing it.
The battery cover is equally as impressive from a design stand point. Sure, it might just be a piece of plastic but it has an interesting textured look to it. Covered by horizontal grooves that almost give off a denim look, the 4XHD feel great in the hand. LG almost made a great decision of making the edges of the battery cover curved to achieve a better in-hand feel. Not doing this would have likely not felt as nice in the palm. LG looks to have taken a few design points from the most recent Prada phone, and it has definitely paid off.
We’ll save the software side of things for the official review but be sure to check out the pictures below. So far, the only thing I have to say to LG is : Bravo.
