One Week Later... November 23, 2012

Reviewer:  Classical Steph 

I got this new phone one week ago today from Verizon (not Amazon). Unfortunately, had to return to Verizon store today to exchange phone. There was a problem with the camera/software. Other than that, I am very pleased with the phone. I LOVE ICS!! I upgraded from a Motorola Droid X, and am very impressed with the lightweight Spectrum II.

-The touch screen is super responsive (sometimes just hovering over a letter while texting is enough).
-Not too impressed with the face lock, I prefer not to look at myself every time I want to unlock the phone.
-Many apps that are linked with your Google account will automatically load onto this phone (with ICS).
-There are a lot of pre-loaded apps (56 total apps), many that I could live without, but most Amazon apps are pre-installed, with a wonderful widget included. Amazon App Store is not pre-installed.
-Smileys are difficult to use in many apps (if you can loacte them at all).
-Predicitve text seems to be only available when texting. Have not seen it in the browser.
-I use Google Voice a lot & messages don't seem to be transmitted as fast as with my previous phone, arrive within minutes instead of seconds.
-In the app drawer, preloaded apps are on first few pages, then apps you downloaded. There is an option to arrange apps alphabetically, but will only arrange downloaded apps, not pre-installed.

This LG phone might surprise you December 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Chris Martin 

This phone has surprised me. I have owned lots of Android phones and this one might be my favorite yet. I NEVER thought I would say this about an LG phone. To put it in perspective, I have owned the Galaxy Nexus, S3, Rezound, Razr and Razr M.

The one area where this phone really shines is reception. The Galaxy Nexus literally could not pick up a signal at my house, the S3 was not much better and the Motorolas had a solid 3G signal but barely picked up a 4G signal. This phone has been on a 4G signal over 90% of the time. Calls are crystal clear too. Not sure why the LG has a stronger signal at my house than any of the other phones but it does.

The IPS HD screen is awesome too. Much better screen than some of the more expensive phones...

It comes with some delivered themes. The Thor one is especially cool.

It runs fast too. It had some delays when I first started using it but that has cleared up. I deactivated quite a few of the delivered apps that I do not need.

The GPS locks on fairly quickly but not as fast as the Razr M did.

The battery life is average but good enough for me. I am constantly around a charger if needed. If you need great battery life and do not have access to a charger regularly, this might not be the phone for you. On the positive side, the battery is user replaceable if needed. There might be after market options for a different battery but I have not seen one yet. It also comes with a micro sd card slot for expansion. So many phones these days do not have either of these options.

The overlay that LG uses does not bother me. You could always use a launcher if needed.

The phone would be even better with Jelly Bean. Hopefully this will happen sooner than later but I doubt it since the sales of this phone will be small and not likely a priority for Verizon. Plus LG has not been known for quick updates in the past.

In my mind, LG has come a long way since even last year. If you want a great HD screen and excellent reception on a budget, this phone is a great option.

Excellent Phone at a Nice Price December 8, 2012

Reviewer:  Daedalus 

PROS:
Screen is perfect in size, clarity, AND brightness.
Phone is fast and responsive.
Camera snaps quick and clear pictures/video.
Call quality is very good and reception good.
Durable
Tactile and intuitive

CONS:
I wouldn't mind a Jelly Bean upgrade...but it's already very smooth and that's the main feature I see.
Also, it needs more accessories, like a car dock with built in charging...:)

SUMMARY:
I picked this phone because I found it felt great in the hand, the screen wasn't pentile (pentile gives me headaches) and was also FAR brighter than the S3, and I got it for free. I expected to "settle" for it and find it useable but I'm surprised how nice it is. The UI is pleasing to look at and very very responsive - I don't miss Jelly Bean and its project butter. It's well rounded and I'm a bit disappointed with some reviews it's getting from CNET and other sites because it doesn't have an advertising campaign with it or catchy features that hardly get used (like on the S3-which is still a great phone!)

I came from an HTC Rezound which I liked a lot, but the bigger screen and thinner body of the Spectrum 2 make this a VERY nice upgrade.

very fast phone November 30, 2012

Reviewer:  sheltie 

The phone is very fast compared to my previous phone the droid X2. The Screen is amazing. Also the person that says the iphone is faster put two together take video and upload it here please to show everyone it is faster. I highly doubt it is. It's on par with any other phone sporting a 1.5G Dual-Core and 1 GB of ram, now if it has more ram and the new quad-cores then yes it's slower then them, and so isn't any other phone not sporting the SAME(or damn near equivalent)specs. If I can have a phone that can play HD videos via youtube, netflix and not lag i'm happy, which this phones satisfies me.

Pretty good for the price January 28, 2013

Reviewer:  IronChefMIk 

I've been using the LG Spectrum 2 now for about a month now and for the most part it is a pretty great phone. I am 6'5" so I tend to like the larger phones. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to get something close to the Galaxy S3's size for much cheaper. This is my 5th droid phone so I am pretty familiar with them. For the most part it works just like any other phone running on droid. It currently comes with ICS but will hopefully have Jelly Bean on it. For specific spec's you can read the product's description. It has a front and rear camera, but of which work great. The camera app also records right before you press the snap button allowing you to select the exact frame that you want. Instead of having multiple LED's on the phone for notifications, it just has one around the power button on top for all notifications.

This is my first phone using NFC and I love it. it is great to be able to swipe the phone over n NFC tag and have it auto perform task/settings. I like that the NFC is in the back of the phone and not the batteries themselves like the S3, because that means you can get replacement batteries online for fairly cheap if need be (have not needed to yet). It comes with 2 NFC tags and I purchased some more online for about a buck each that work well so far.

Audio quality is great. The the processor is fast enough to play ps1 roms without any issues.

There is only one thing that I absolutely hate about this phone. When mounting to a pc it uses MTP which is painfully slow. Unlike with my other droid phones, MTP allows you to access and use your phone while transferring files, but it is so infuriatingly slow that I would rather just not be able to use the phone while it is transferring files. Other than that the phone is great and I would have no problem with giving it a 5 out of 5 especially considering the price.

Pros:
-Decent Price
-Size
-NFC is awesome
-Can upgrade storage with up to 32gig micro SD card

Cons:
-MTP file transferring is slow
-Notification LED is only 1 color (not a huge deal)
-Comes with bloatware (as pretty much all do)

Overall this is a great phone. If it wasn't for the MTP it would be an easy 5 star phone. if you are looking for a large phone and don't want to spend a lot on the s3 this is a great option.

Would have been 5 if battery did not die so quickly. January 11, 2013

Reviewer:  Ronald D. Bruner Jr. "Ronnie Bruner"  (Apache Junction AZ) -

This phone is pretty amazing! Great screen quality, great signal, great features. The two negatives about this is the poor battery life and low quality sound. I would have given this phone 5 stars, but the poor battery life holds it back 1 star. However.... the screen clarity is beautiful and sharp, and reception is superior.

Amazing phone; I'm so happy! May 7, 2013

Reviewer:  Cassandra 

I received this new phone as a gift, and I've had it for a few months now. I'm so pleased. The screen is big and bright, it's powerful enough to let me play any game I like, and it's never failed to perform any function I desired. The battery life could be better, but it's nothing you couldn't solve by replacing the battery if it really gets to you, and it's more than enough to get you through the day unless you're a huge gamer with a long commute. It also has a built in power saver mode, which I've discovered isn't standard on many smartphones. The camera takes gorgeous photos and the touch screen is perfectly responsive. The little options button being on the bottom bar of buttons is an absolute blessing; it makes getting to the settings a snap. I previously had a problem with Home crashing if I tried to open Apps, but this issue was solved with the latest Android upgrade. I really couldn't be more pleased with this phone.

Now has support for 4.2 (Jelly Bean)!!!! May 7, 2013

Reviewer:  ty 

although im not really going to review this product, as i believe other people have covered this subject very well, i would like to state that this phone has an update now available to remove Android 4.0 (AKA: Ice Cream Sandwhich) and is now updated and repalced with Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) i will be experimenting with this new OS for this phone and will complete this review within a month.

A decent phone just got better! May 5, 2013

Reviewer:  MarkRS68 

I am not sure what all the bad reviews are for, the Spectrum II is a serious contender in an over crowded market. This phone has really impressed me. I was anxious to dump my.iphone 4 and was all set to.get the HTC DNA, but realized in the store that the DNA is a beast,much too big to carry around so thats when I stumbled on this little gem from LG, i went home and did some research. Yes the spectrum II IS ONLY dual core and has less internal storage and a smaller screen than some new smartphones but it has all the makings of a super great smartphone nonetheless: zippy performance, great build quality and a unique look. The spectrum II wont be confused for any other phone with the exception of the sony xperia ( maybe). I believe its unique shape helps set it apart from the rest. The screen is one of the best in the industry, abeit not as clear as vibrant as the nexus but much better than the iphone 4s and even the 5 in my opinion. I have had no issues with connecting to wifi or 4G, and syncing to my car's bluetooth was easy, as was connecting to my wireless air printer. Get yourself the Spectrum II you will be pleasantly surprised what this underdog is capable of. The recent jellybean update was pushed to the phone and downloaded without any issues! Im glad I traded my iphone 4 for Spectrum Ii. The only caveat so far, is not with the phone per se, but with the lack of a good quality accessories, meaning the selection of cases available.for this phone is small. I purchased a rubberized case to temporary protect the phone until find something better. Get the spectrum you will NOT be disappointed but rather impressed.

Excellent Smart Phone. April 21, 2013

Reviewer:  mandajane07 

I wanted this phone when I was due for an upgrade. Online on Verizon.com, it was $79.99 - it was free the day before. Long story short I searched a bit and found this one $30 cheaper, brand new, on here! So far I haven't had any complaints. Was shipped and received very fast and ready to activate. Easiest phone transaction I have dealt with in the 6 years I have been with Verizon....

Excellent 4GLTE phone: even Netflix audio video sync issue no longer a problem! March 30, 2013

Reviewer:  Jacques T. Weissman 

Let me start off by saying this phone is excellent; especially for the current price of free with 2 year activation at Verizon Wireless. Having tested all aspects of this phone for over a week, the only minor problem worth mentioning is a noticeable audio video sync issue with the current Netflix application. I've run identical videos from Netflix on my PC and my tablet (which also runs ice cream sandwich with an inferior processor and half the RAM) and had no audio video problem, but when the Spectrum 2 sees it the audio lags behind. This problem does not occur when watching mp4 or avi stored on the sd card, just Netflix streaming. I hope LG will get to the bottom of this problem and fix it soon!

If anyone else has this problem with the netflix app with this phone, please post your review as well!

UPDATE 5/12/13: I just applied the latest update, bringing this phone to Android Jellybean 4.1.2. I'm happy to report that LG fixed the Netflix audio/video sync problem! Thank you LG!

Great phone, not perfect - just wish the 4G LTE would come in better May 4, 2013

Reviewer:  Dave Stone  (Southwest US) -

I bought this phone (used) to replace an aging Samsung Charge. I would not get this on a new/renew contract, better to get the Apple i5 and resell that one. Anyway, the screen looks great, it is a little "tall" but I like the design. Verizon bloatware is all there but it's not too crazy. Lots of amazon apps included which are easy to take off.

The biggest drawback is the 4G reception, and this might be because of the office building I work in. The building has a lot of copper mesh in the walls and I can only get 4G about 10% of the time, even on the top floor. Had this same problem with the Droid Charge. What makes this worse is the phone drops into 3G and consumes a ton of battery life trying to 'find' 4G. Unfortunately, the wireless in my office (Cisco) would not connect, either. I had to root the phone with motocharge and modify the file permissions to get it to connect (system/etc/dhcpcd/dhcpcd-run-hooks needs to have permissions fixed to "execute" by "user" "group" and "others" via file explorer). A non-root fix for this is to use a static IP address (manually specify IP) instead of DHCP. The wireless connects fine in my house (and did before the root).

Battery life is surprising good. I can leave the wireless on almost all day (no 4G) and not have to worry about it dying. Even with 4G, it was surprisingly good, much better than the Droid charge.

THE GOOD:

(+) Verizon released 4.1.2 update two weeks ago (Jelly Bean)
(+) Awesome screen
(+) Good Build Quality (some minus points below)
(+) No slowdowns scrolling between screens or apps
(+) Fast bootup
(+) Decent battery life
(+) Easily rooted with motochopper

THE BAD:

(-) Lots of cracked screens on dropped ones...
So, get a case and hope you don't drop it
(-) Minor gaps between body and around screen trap dust
(-) I have the same reception problem with 4G inside my office
(-) Being on 3G and searching for 4G kills the battery
(-) Some apps don't work on it...LTE switch, for example
(-) Wifi hung on "obtaining IP address" in my office until
I rooted & did a file mod, totally unacceptable to see this

THE WEIRD:

(.) Resale on this phone is terrible, maybe because of the cracked
screen, or LG's lackluster history of VZW Android phones
(.) It doesn't make sense to buy this from Verizon with a new
contract; they can be bought new or slightly used for a great price
(.) Phone uses a micro-sim card, not a Nano sim or full-size, you will
need one to get to the main screen
(.) No custom ROMs out yet

Spectrum 2 is Great! January 24, 2013

Reviewer:  Sug Washington 

I got my Spectrum 2 last week and so far it is great. It is really big and nice (as big as GalaxyS3). Its 4g and fast plus I love the voice picture taking option.

Not that great April 21, 2013

Reviewer:  Tony 

I have had this phone for around 6-8 months and cannot wait to get a different one. It operates pretty well most of the time (mainly the times when your not in need of its features) The signal is very finicky and often will jump from 4G to analog in the same location (this leads to many voice mails that pop up without a call first not to mention the missed called that don't leave VM). When sending text messages it often takes a very long time to send out and occasionally will take hours to send a message without me realizing. The NFC feature (one of the reasons I choose the Spectrum II) is horrible and compleatly dysfunctional and continuously needs reprogrammed defeating the purpose of the feature in the first place. DON'T BUY THIS PHONE with all the options out there you can certainly find something more reliable and functional.

Great phone...if you don't need your pictures March 20, 2013

Reviewer:  Rebecca  (Monroe, MI United States) -

I got this phone directly from verizon, and have loved almost everything about it. Great service, great call quality, easy to use. However, it keeps corrupting memory cards and deleting all of my photos. The first time this happened, I assumed my card had gone bad and replaced it. The new card was great for two months, then it corrupted. I had verizon send me a replacement in January. Today, the new phone again corrupted my card. I'm done with this phone.

SLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOW...and frequently locks up March 7, 2013

Reviewer:  Eric Stephens  (Nashville, TN USA) -

I have had this phone for only two weeks and it ruuunnnnss sooooo sllooooowwly! Apps take FOREVER to open and I frequently have to reboot the phone because it often locks up. I keep nearly every app closed after using it, and keep GPS disabled most of the time, but neither action seems to help. Needless to say, there will be a return trip to the Verizon store in my near future.

Good phone, but slow compared to iPhone November 26, 2012

Reviewer:  Michelle Kinner 

Just got this phone on Friday, November 23. It's a nice big screen, good graphics, but it is kind of slow. Takes a few seconds to load home page after being in an app. The camera is nothing to write home about either. The most frustrating part is that Verizon released it before there were any cases ready for it, so I am using it unprotected. Overall it's a good phone for the price. I will see how much I still like it this week after using it more. May have to return and get the new iPhone.

Not impressed December 11, 2012

Reviewer:  just me 

So I got this phone when I left t-mobile which was the best move I could have made screw t-mobile they suck. But that's something else all together.
As far as this phone I'm not impressed when on t-mobile i had the my touch 4g (old Smart phone) In comparison there is none . This phone the screen is cool but likes to freeze on me out of nowhere. I use my phone for business and when I need to call a customer or my office I don't have time to wait 1 or 2 min literally to unfreeze itself. It has frozen on me like 5 times since I h have owned it (only 4 days). I already had to take one back because the wi fi wouldn't connect the way it is supposed to. i hate the fact that all the preloaded amazon aps kill my battery. It has no flash light stock on the phone. Added flash light app. That works but kills the battery really fast and uses data to run (the flashlight). Overall I would give this phone 2 stars and that's only because I like the screen. It sucks trying to use the phone while driving(again I use it for business) it's hard to dial a # when driving you have to press like 3 or 4 buttons to make one call. (Phone Button, call log or phone #, select contact, touch contact phone # to actually call.) My old phone I simply pressed the contact and dialed ) Not recommended if you use this phone as a business phone or have to use it while driving (too dangerous ) . On the other hand my lady loves hers but that's because its a huge upgrade from her last first gen smart phone.
Probably gonna return it and get something else.

LG is known for slow/no software update! stay away! January 30, 2013

Reviewer:  Seadude 

LG has been known for not supporting their software upgrade. You may get the latest android right now. But you are going to stuck with that android version for the rest of your smartphone life. Don't buy LG, you will regard it next year when everyone is using Android 5.0. I am a victom of the G2X, they promised to upgrade it when it was released 2 years ago. I now have a samsung s3 and the g2x still hasn't get that updated LG originally promised. In fact, LG don't even response to G2X update questions at all... LOL