Hands-on with the T-Mobile G2X
CNET editor Nicole Lee provides a hands-on impression of the T-Mobile G2X.
ORLANDO, Fla.--If you were a fan of the LG Optimus 2X, then you should be a fan of the T-Mobile G2X too. We had hands-on time with the sleek new LG phone today, and it feels just as fast and impressive as its European cousin.
And no wonder: The specs are eerily similar. The G2X has a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, and the resulting performance is immediately apparent when handling the phone. Scrolling through menus felt very smooth, and launching graphic-intensive apps like Google Maps took milliseconds. We played a few high-definition videos on the device, and were able to jump to different parts of the video with zero latency.
Of special note to gamers, the G2X works with Tegra Zone, an Nvidia Android app that lets you purchase and download games that take full advantage of the Tegra 2 processor.
But the feature that is of most interest to U.S. residents is that the G2X is compatible with T-Mobile's high-speed HSPA+ 4G network. We were fortunate enough to test it out in Orlando, Fla., and indeed loading Web pages is quite speedy. We tested it briefly with the Google Maps app, and we were impressed by how quickly it was able to render satellite images as we zoomed in. Globe-trotters will be glad to know the G2X is a quad-band GSM phone that can be used worldwide.
Other features of the phone are geared to make use of its speed. There's a Micro-HDMI port at the top that will let the phone connect to a big-screen TV to mirror anything on the phone, and DLNA support lets you share media content wirelessly. The 4-inch WVGA display looks stunning, and we're pleased that it has DTS audio technology.
The G2X ships with Android 2.2, and looks pretty native from what we can tell. A LG representative told us that this was no accident--this was so it would be much easier for the G2X to get the 2.3 firmware upgrade later down the road. Other specs include the usual Wi-Fi, GPS, and a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 32GB. The latter might prove useful, as the phone only has 8GB internal storage.
We don't yet know the pricing and availability of the G2X, but we hear it'll be available later in the spring. Check out our photo gallery of the T-Mobile G2X for a closer look.
