The LG Optimus G Pro looks to be a killer handset, with Samsung Galaxy S4 rivalling specs like a Snapdragon 600 1.7Ghz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a ludicrously large 5.5 inch 1080 x 1920 True HD IPS Plus LCD screen with an impressive pixel density of 401 pixels per inch. It’s also got a 13 megapixel camera, 32GB of built in storage and a micro SD card slot that supports cards of up to 64GB. It should have strong battery life too as it comes with a huge 3140 mAh battery (as a comparison the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 2600 mAh battery).
Unfortunately the LG Optimus Pro G isn’t currently available in the UK, but for anyone who is lucky enough to have one LG are rolling out a Samsung baiting ‘Value Pack Upgrade’, which is a free software update packed with a mix of innovative features and others that remind us a whole lot of some of the things the Galaxy S4 can do.
First up there’s ‘Smart Video’, which if activated will pause a video when you look away from it or close your eyes and start it again as soon as you look back at it. It’s potentially quite a useful feature, meaning you don’t even need to worry about reaching for the pause button - particularly handy if something unexpectedly distracts you, which could otherwise lead to you missing something. However it also seems almost identical to a feature in the Samsung Galaxy S4, right down to the name, which in Samsung’s case is ‘Smart Pause’. We’re not sure whose idea it was originally but we can’t help but wonder if one of these companies might soon have a lawsuit on their hands.
Thankfully the other two features of the Value Pack Upgrade are a little more unique. There’s ‘Dual Camera’ which allows you to simultaneously take a photo of yourself and the subject, by using both the front and back camera simultaneously. You can then combine the pictures to create a picture-in-picture composition. This could be useful if for example you want to show both an object and your reaction to it in a single picture.
Finally there’s ‘Pause & Resume Recording’ which allows you to pause recordings, then press record again to create a single continuous video file with multiple scenes or time lapses. This is a great idea as it’s a good way to for example capture the highlights of a party or event without having to either edit the video down or have multiple video files.
You can see all of these features in action here, which should give you a better idea of how they can be used. If you do happen to have got your hands on an LG Optimus G Pro you may already have the update and if not you probably will soon. For everyone else let’s just hope that LG see fit to make this impressive looking handset available in the UK.
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