LG has taken the Samsung approach to Android by cramming an absolutely monstrous number of software extras and modifications into the G2, for better and for worse.

Aesthetically, we don’t dislike LG’s skin as much as Samsung’s TouchWiz, but it’s almost as cartoony. Resembling nothing like stock vanilla Android, the G2’s been skinned with LG’s own icons and menus, topped off with over-the-top transition animations that would probably bring lesser hardware to a grinding halt.

They’re nice to have if you want to show off some funky unlock animations to your mates, but after swiping to unlock with a giant crystal appearing beneath your fingertip for the 50th time, you’ll want to go for something a little more subtle. Or just load up an alternative launcher – hooray for Android.

In terms of software extras, we almost don’t know where to begin. The G2 has the same eye-watching smarts as the Galaxy S4 (called Smart Screen as opposed to Samsung’s Smart Stay), meaning it knows when you’re looking at it so it can automatically pause videos and turn the screen off when you’re not paying attention. It’ll also automatically answer calls when you bring it to your ear.

The G2 also has an IR blaster and a useful Quick Remote app that you can access directly from the dropdown menu. Even if it won’t operate your TV and home cinema kit first time, it can ‘learn’ from your existing remotes with a couple of button presses and it’s a genuinely useful tool for channel hopping in style.

Other useful tweaks include Plug & Pop (all these features have cheesy names, just to warn you), which brings up a contextual menu each time you plug in your headphones or microUSB cable. Plug in your headphones and you can choose which music apps to launch, including YouTube.

The microUSB cable automatically pulls up a menu asking you if you want to simply charge your phone via USB or transfer files, saving you from having to select it manually from the dropdown menu.

QSlide lets you open up to two selected apps from the notification menu and you can drag them around like widgets, interacting with them and laying them over whatever you’re currently doing for some quick-fire multitasking shenanigans.

Slide Aside acts like alt-tab in Windows, letting you quickly rotate through up to three apps of your choosing. To save an app to a Slide Aside you have to cumbersomely swipe three fingers across the screen. We found ourselves using the traditional Android open apps menu faster, but as long as Qualcomm’s silicon can handle all these extras, we suppose there’s no harm for LG to chuck it in.

Clip Tray is a far more agreeable feature. It lets you save and access everything you’ve cut or copied in the past, letting you pick and choose text and photos before pasting them into emails, messages and notes. It’s a serial cut’n’paster’s best friend.

As with Samsung’s TouchWiz Android tweaks, we could do without some of the G2’s software extras like Smart Screen. It’s just another button to add to the clutter of options, and while it works well, the time it takes to press pause or turn the screen off when you’re looking at it makes it seem like more of a me-too feature than a necessity, and the G2 can hold its own against the S4 without having to rely on software tricks.

Still, the programmable remote is very useful for reducing sofa clutter and QSlide, despite its awkward name, came in handy for browsing the web while simultaneously making notes on our morning commute. But we’ve saved the best feature till last, and it’s special enough to warrant its own special section…