Going big(ger)

The G Pro was LG’s first phablet-style device that made sense — its 5.5-inch display was right in line with Samsung’s offerings at the time and it included a number of software tweaks to take advantage of the larger screen. The G Pro 2's 1080p display expands to an even larger 5.9 inches, and it’s just as nice to look at as before, with great viewing angles and color accuracy. It's just bigger now. Nearly half an inch sounds like a lot on paper, but in practical use it doesn't demonstrably change the experience. It just keeps LG up with the Joneses, surpassing the 5.7-inch display on Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and matching monstrous smartphones from HTC and others.

The G Pro 2 gets a bigger screen without a bigger footprint

Despite the larger screen, the G Pro 2 isn't significantly larger than its predecessor. That's quite the feat: it's still a very big device that's impossible to use with one hand, but it's barely bigger than before, even with its larger screen. It's also noticeably smaller and easier to manage than HTC's One Max or Oppo's N1, both of which also have 5.9-inch displays. Part of this is thanks to LG's decision to use only on-screen buttons, and part of it is because the bezels are just smaller than before.

As with the G2, LG moved the G Pro 2's power button and volume rocker to the back of the device, just below the camera. And as with the G2, I just can't get used to their placement. It doesn't feel natural, despite what LG claims, and I was always second-guessing which button I was pressing. (The notification light built into the power button itself is a nice touch, however, and I did use the volume-down key to launch the camera on a handful of occasions.) I wish it would move them back to where they belong for the next generation of the G Pro, but I don't think that's likely.

The most significant update to the G Pro 2's design is the new textured finish on the back. Gone is the loathed glossy plastic finish, replaced by a fine pattern that's easy to grip on to when I grab the device. It's still plastic, but this minor change dramatically improves both the look and feel of the G Pro 2.

The G Pro 2 also benefits from a slightly larger battery and an updated Snapdragon 800 processor. It's fast and responsive and lasts all day, and then some. I've always said that the biggest advantage to these giant phones is the fact that they can have giant batteries and the G Pro 2’s 3,200mAh cell is one of the biggest. On our rundown test, it mustered 9 hours and 52 minutes and in real life I was easily able to use it for a day or more before having to charge it back up.

The new camera offers the same 13 megapixels as before, but LG says it has significantly improved the optical image stabilization system in the lens. The G Pro 2 can take good, detailed photos, but many of them lack the punch and wow factor of photos from an iPhone or a Samsung. It also suffers from holding the shutter open too long — a common problem with phones with optical stabilization — which made it difficult for me to get a sharp picture of my fast-moving toddler or a restless pet.