Inspired by the Nexus 4, the LG Optimus G2

LG managed to boost its profile in the mobile market last year when it was tasked with creating the Google Nexus 4 handset. In 2013 the LG Optimus G2 is set to be its high-flying own-brand flagship and a number of rumours have surfaced, allowing details of its specs and potential capabilities to leak.

LG may or may not be responsible for the manufacture of future Google Nexus smartphones, but the Optimus G2’s arrival might be the perfect excuse for a variant bearing the Nexus 5 nametag to hit stores later in the year.

So what can we expect from the LG Optimus G2 and will LG mobile phones sell in the same volumes as rival Samsung, or is it destined to remain in the shadow of its competitor?

Hardware

The only thing that has been officially confirmed about this device is that it will feature the Snapdragon 800 processor, which is a cutting-edge chip that should allow the phone to be even more powerful than any of LG’s previous devices. With a 2.3GHz clock speed the LG Optimus G2 vs LG Nexus 4 battle should be won by the new contender, since this CPU should easily be able to outpace the 2.26GHz quad core Krait unit used in the older model.

What makes this little slice of silicone most impressive is the claim that it will be able to both play back Ultra HD 4K video content and also record it using the phone’s 13 megapixel camera. Improved energy efficiency will also be a key feature and the phone might boost battery performance by 75 per cent, according to manufacturer Qualcomm. LG’s confirmation of this chip’s arrival is obviously good news, but the rest of the specs remain up in the air and open to speculation.

TechRadar claims that the LG Optimus G2 could feature 2GB of RAM, 16 GB or 32GB of built-in storage space and a 5.2 inch display with a full HD resolution, which would put it on level pegging with handsets like the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4. It is also expected that the Optimus G2 will come with built-in 4G networking to make sure that superfast web browsing and file downloads will be a possibility in the UK.

Software

The timing of the LG Optimus G2’s arrival on the market may play a part in determining the type of software which is featured on board. While it will definitely be based on the Android operating system, it may either be shipped with version 4.2 or 4.3, depending on the eventual release window and LG’s ability to work with Google’s hotly anticipated update in time.

Unlike the Nexus 4, LG’s next flagship device should use the latest version of its in-house Optimus UI rather than Google’s standard user interface. Some reports suggest that this could take advantage of always-on voice control, giving it an even more responsive set of features than are offered by the user-activated rivals like Apple’s Siri and Samsung’s S-Voice.

As the LG Optimus G2 gets closer to its official release, much more information should be made available and the fact that LG has been keen to hand out a few official titbits already is a good sign that it will not be cagey about the capabilities of its upcoming mobile behemoth.