LG G2 -- the first Sprint tri band LTE handset (was "LG Optimus G2")

[Nrbelex]

As long as you're using a stock-ish ROM (TouchWiz on Samsung, Sense on HTC, etc.), there is a way to do these things on basically every phone I've owned. They hide these menus behind dialer codes so no regular user has access to them. You look like you have an Epic 4G Touch. Just try this on the Stock ROM: open your dialer, then type in ##3282#. When you type in the last pound sign, you're taken to a menu that no normal user would know about.

 

Yea, I wasn't saying it wasn't impossible to do - via app, hidden settings, etc. - I'm just shocked it's a user-facing menu. Unless this is a screenshot from a hidden menu...

[metayoshi]

Yea, I wasn't saying it wasn't impossible to do - via app, hidden settings, etc. - I'm just shocked it's a user-facing menu. Unless this is a screenshot from a hidden menu...

I believe he did say dialer menu.

 

Looks like LG G2 will have band selection via dialer menu.  Hopefully Sprint's version will allow it to set priorities in band selection!

 

Screenshot not mine - found it on XDA.

[Nrbelex]

I believe he did say dialer menu.

 

Missed that. It's certainly good news!

[Mobilesolutions]

So Will, should I just wait it out for 2014 since I've waited this long? (Still on ATT work issued BB Bold 9900). Is Triband Sprint in Chicago definitely worth the wait? Again, my concerns are not so much speed as having a signal indoors and in crowded areas (which my Bold seems to have fine at the moment)

 

If you are not nearing an expiring contract or in a pinch to grab a new handset I would say wait.  Sprint has already promised every future LTE phone will support tri-band, Chicago is one of the first cities to have Clearwire's TD LTE; though as it is based on 2.6 GHz you won't see it indoors.  Lucky for you Chicago has served as a round deployment for 1X Addvanced & 800MHz LTE will be on market-wide by early 2014.  You will see that indoors, & finally Sprint will have a level playing ground to compete against the big dogs.

-Will

[jsjj42000]

I do really want a new device (mainly a bigger screen). If I wait, my company may start BYOD next year so just another reason to wait-hard to pass up free but I am reaching my breaking point with this tiny device! (Love the physical keyboard though)

[ericdabbs]

I do really want a new device (mainly a bigger screen). If I wait, my company may start BYOD next year so just another reason to wait-hard to pass up free but I am reaching my breaking point with this tiny device! (Love the physical keyboard though)

 

Just curious, if your company at work supports AT&T, why do you want to jump to Sprint again?  I mean LTE coverage in ATT should be getting better in the next year or so since they are going to deploy additional LTE capacity at 700 MHz and not to mention that they might start deploying some small pockets of AWS LTE. 

[jsjj42000]

Mainly for unlimited data. My wife is on ATT so I may just join her plan or wait out the company and see what they let us switch to next year. Thanks to all for the advice.

[djw39]

Ars, for better or worse, is largely an Apple fanboi site when it comes to handset and tablet reviews these days. Notice the lack of emphasis on battery life and SOC performance, where the G2 would thoroughly smoke the current iPhone. Gone are the days of the "system guide" for DIY, outside the forums (which are still worthwhile for the most part). So I'd take anything on the front of Ars pertaining to Android (or WP or BB) with a grain of salt. Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

The review in question was written by Ron Amadeo, formerly of Android Police. In no way could he be described as an Apple "fanboi".

[afazel]

I thought the LG customizations were particularly atrocious myself. I was seriously considering dumping my HTC One for this when it hits, but unless the bootloader is easily unlocked and CyanogenMod is working well on it, I'll be passing.

[ericdabbs]

I am not too familiar with LG's UI skin in the past and from playing with the LG G2 thus far, I do wish there was a way to get rid of the sound bar and brightness bar in the notification pull down because it just takes up so much room.  I believe the Verizon version doesn't have this problem but the international/ATT/Sprint/Tmobile versions should have this issue.   I mean I am sure the LG skin could be made better and hopefully as time goes on, LG will make the necessary adjustments in their next version of the LG skin.  I usually don't focus too much on UI skins but rather the specs and functionality of the phone.  To me the LG G2 has similar functionality compared to the GS4 and HTC One and has all the hardware to compete with the GS4 and HTC One (IR sensor, proximity sensor, 1080p display, huge battery, etc).

 

I have been following the XDA forum on the LG G2 to find out more news on the bootloader to see if it can be unlocked.  So far on XDA,  I have found a mod that you can adjust your external speaker volume for media and phone and people have experienced huge improvement since there were some small complaints that the external speaker wasn't loud enough.

[Ascertion]

I am not too familiar with LG's UI skin in the past and from playing with the LG G2 thus far, I do wish there was a way to get rid of the sound bar and brightness bar in the notification pull down because it just takes up so much room. I believe the Verizon version doesn't have this problem but the international/ATT/Sprint/Tmobile versions should have this issue. I mean I am sure the LG skin could be made better and hopefully as time goes on, LG will make the necessary adjustments in their next version of the LG skin. I usually don't focus too much on UI skins but rather the specs and functionality of the phone. To me the LG G2 has similar functionality compared to the GS4 and HTC One and has all the hardware to compete with the GS4 and HTC One (IR sensor, proximity sensor, 1080p display, huge battery, etc).

 

I have been following the XDA forum on the LG G2 to find out more news on the bootloader to see if it can be unlocked. So far on XDA, I have found a mod that you can adjust your external speaker volume for media and phone and people have experienced huge improvement since there were some small complaints that the external speaker wasn't loud enough.

I'm assuming these can be toggled in the boolean fields of the framework. Once I get the sprint version, I'll look at removing those. (I kind of like the brightness slider, but sound can go.)

[ericdabbs]

I'm assuming these can be toggled in the boolean fields of the framework. Once I get the sprint version, I'll look at removing those. (I kind of like the brightness slider, but sound can go.)

 

Please keep me in the loop when you get to it.  I still prefer not to have as much clutter in the notification panel as possible so both the sound and brightness toggle can go.  I don't mind spending the extra 10 seconds to go to settings to adjust the brightness settings and for the sound bar you can just hit the volume up or down 1 time and you can see the current sound level.  Its kinda useless to need a persistent sound bar in the notification panel.

[VW Maverick]

For all of us waiting, here is a G2 emulator:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lg.g2master

 

Mav.  

[ericdabbs]

For all of us waiting, here is a G2 emulator:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lg.g2master

 

Mav.  

 

I gotta check this out later.

[Yuhfhrh]

For all of us waiting, here is a G2 emulator:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lg.g2master

 

Mav.  

 

Lol props to LG on this one!

[ericdabbs]

This is a great in depth video review of the LG G2.

 

[ericdabbs]

For all of us waiting, here is a G2 emulator:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lg.g2master

 

Mav.  

 

I can't get the Slide Aside demo to work on the emulator on my phone  .

[BenChase7]

This is a great in depth video review of the LG G2.

 

Thanks for posting that!

Wow! That screen even looks amazing on a YouTube Video. Coming from the MoPho 4G, you'll really be impressed, I know, as I once had the MoPho myself.

I've been really impressed with the screen on my LGOG, its very crisp. But this LG G2 is going to be even better from the looks and sounds of it. Looking forward to this thing! 

[ericdabbs]

Thanks for posting that!

Wow! That screen even looks amazing on a YouTube Video. Coming from the MoPho 4G, you'll really be impressed, I know, as I once had the MoPho myself.

I've been really impressed with the screen on my LGOG, its very crisp. But this LG G2 is going to be even better from the looks and sounds of it. Looking forward to this thing! 

 

I look forward to the LG G2.  The Mopho 4G I believe is a Pentile display and the Tegra 2 chip doesn't support HD video on Youtube.  I am very impressed with the IPS full HD display on the LG G2.  It looks beautiful and the great thing I read about IPS displays is that they don't suffer from brightness issues in daylight unlike Super AMOLED displays.

[Nickel]

While ATT model has multi LTE band support, ATT has only deployed LTE in a single band at 700 MHz thus far.  But the good news for ATT customers is that ATT and Verizon finally completed its 700 MHz B block spectrum sale last week which gives ATT a nice additional 5x5 (10 MHz) contiguous chunk of 700 MHz to provide capacity relief going forward.

 

This means that ATT can now deploy 10x10 LTE in a lot more markets and even large markets such as Los Angeles and Chicago to be on par with Verizon.  This means that ATT customers will experience faster consistent speeds so he is not losing much by sticking with ATT.

I think Verizon actually leased that spectrum to AT&T until the FCC approved it so they've probably already deployed it, but you would have to ask the King of Spectrum (AJ) to be sure.

[ericdabbs]

I think Verizon actually leased that spectrum to AT&T until the FCC approved it so they've probably already deployed it, but you would have to ask the King of Spectrum (AJ) to be sure.

The Verizon/AT&T 700 MHz B block deal is done and is complete. I didn't hear of any FCC objections to this deal since it was announced back in Jan 2013. The FCC can't fault Verizon since Verizon promised to sell their 700 MHz A and B spectrum blocks as a concession to obtain the SpectrumCo nearly nationwide AWS licenses.

 

This is great news for ATT because they desperately needed more 700 MHz spectrum in large markets especially Los Angeles and Chicago which they only could deploy a 5x5 LTE carrier previously. Now ATT can deploy a 10x10 LTE carrier to be on par with Verizon at 700 MHz.

 

http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/att-verizon-close-19b-700-mhz-b-block-spectrum-deal/2013-09-10

 

ATT press release

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=24783&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=36982&mapcode=consumer|financial

 

Verizon press release

http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2013/09/att-spectrum-sale-completion.html

"The Federal Communications Commission approved the spectrum license transfers on September 3^rd."

[Nickel]

The Verizon/AT&T 700 MHz B block deal is done and is complete. I didn't hear of any FCC objections to this deal since it was announced back in Jan 2013. The FCC can't fault Verizon since Verizon promised to sell their 700 MHz A and B spectrum blocks as a concession to obtain the SpectrumCo nearly nationwide AWS licenses.

 

This is great news for ATT because they desperately needed more 700 MHz spectrum in large markets especially Los Angeles and Chicago which they only could deploy a 5x5 LTE carrier previously. Now ATT can deploy a 10x10 LTE carrier to be on par with Verizon at 700 MHz.

 

http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/att-verizon-close-19b-700-mhz-b-block-spectrum-deal/2013-09-10

 

ATT press release

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=24783&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=36982&mapcode=consumer|financial

 

Verizon press release

http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2013/09/att-spectrum-sale-completion.html

"The Federal Communications Commission approved the spectrum license transfers on September 3^rd."

You misunderstand what I was saying, I wasn't saying that it didn't happen or wasn't official. I was saying that after they announced the sale, Verizon leased the spectrum to AT&T while they waited for federal approval. At least that's what I think happened, if someone knows for sure I'd love to know the truth.

[ericdabbs]

You misunderstand what I was saying, I wasn't saying that it didn't happen or wasn't official. I was saying that after they announced the sale, Verizon leased the spectrum to AT&T while they waited for federal approval. At least that's what I think happened, if someone knows for sure I'd love to know the truth.

 

Who knows.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was or wasn't.

[ericdabbs]

LG G2 service manuals have been posted and it has the Sprint variant (LS980).  If you download the PDF file and go to pg. 6, it confirms the B25, B26, B41 LTE support.  Not that we weren't confident about it but just more proof that it is triband LTE.

.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2437403

[The Dave]

This is a great in depth video review of the LG G2.

 

That is a nice review. Everything I have read and seen has pegged this phone as being pretty amazing. The screen looks so ridiculous and sharp throughout the review, I couldn't stop looking at it. I have been putting off stopping by the AT&T store so I don't get too excited and disappointed, but I may just have to. Just 5-6 weeks longer.. Why does that seem so impossibly far way?