Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 vs. LG’s Optimus G Pro: Will the Smart ‘Value Pack’ Update Level the Phablet Fight?
Experts greeted the arrival of Optimus G Pro with open arms. One reviewer declared that finally there is a true phablet competition in the making, with the new LG phablet serving the specs that could give Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 a run for its money.
Specs-wise indeed, the G Pro has exceeded what the Note 2 had previously served by besting what the oversized Samsung smartphone is capable of and matching, at the very least, its remaining abilities.
Now, LG is all set to deploy an update pack that attempts to surpass what the Premium Suite had accomplished for the Galaxy Note 2.
In dispatching the G Pro next month, initially for South Korean owners of the device, LG is complementing its "cutting-edge hardware specs ... with the positive UX that will differentiate smartphones in 2013 and beyond."
The Value Pack upgrade proves that "LG is continuously innovating to offer creative ways ... of a user experience that adds value to our customers," the company said in a statement.
The following new features are likely to add up muscles on LG's not-so-secret intention of upending Samsung's reign in the expanding phablet segment.
Smart video
LG is tweaking its front cam, not for automatic scrolling as Samsung will reportedly do on the Galaxy S4 and possibly on future Galaxy devices, to allow for smart video watching. With the new technology dubbed by the company as Smart Video, users can watch their favourite clips and when interrupted the playback will automatically pause.
"Once the user's gaze returns to the smartphone, the video resumes playback from the point last viewed," LG said, pointing to a smart chip that detects if users are looking into the phone screen. This capability is similar to the Galaxy S3's functions of dimming its screen when its owner is not staring at the phone.
Smart camera function
The idea behind this feature is to give the 'storyteller' an active part to the storyline he weaves with his picture. "Dual Camera simultaneously captures photographs using both the front and back cameras for a picture-in-picture composition," LG said.
This added camera premium picks up from where the Dual Recording left off when the G Pro was revealed in February. Now the shooter is part of the picture frame all thanks to this upcoming LG phablet feature.
Smart TV
Once the Value Pack upgrade is installed, the Optimus G Pro becomes a useful remote companion for any compatible LG Smart TV unit. The patch will update the handset's QRemote serving by instantly transforming it into a Magic Remote Pad and Text Keypad.
The added benefit highlights LG's effort of expanding the usability of its flagship device products by allowing users to focus most of their everyday functions into a unified platform, which is the G Pro in this case.
Smart notifications
Value pack will bring about customised notification alerts on the G Pro's Home button. Users can program the Smart LED lighting that outlines the capacitive key to flash the corresponding colour for specific announcements.
For instance, flashing red signals for an important missed call or a green notice points to unattended messages.
Smart video recording
The upcoming update will also enable Optimus G Pro owners to create a continuous video recording courtesy of the Smart Pause and Resume functions of the unit's camera software.
Smart messaging
A first for an Android smartphone, "the Color Emoticons ... are for more personalized text messages," LG said, as if hinting cool is smart as well.