The AT&T LG G2 is a little more faithful to the original — but it’s got a mountain of carrier apps preloaded
Behold, the AT&T version of the LG G2. This one is a little more faithful to the Euro version we’ve had for a couple weeks now — save for the mountain of AT&T apps plopped on top of it.
Physically speaking, this phone’s nearly identical to our pre-production European unit — all the way down to all the plastic stickers protecting the edges. We mention that up front because when you first take it out of the box, the phone is going to feel like it was slapped together, with sharp edges and all. That’s just the stickers attacking you. Take them off, and you’re left with a smooth piece of glass and plastic.
The rear volume and power buttons are the same as well. But one thing we’ve seen added is a small pinhole microphone next to the camera housing. We’ll track that down shortly. (It’s possible it’s missing from our pre-pro Euro unit because, well, pre-production.)
Software-wise, we’re still looking at Android 4.2.2 with LG’s custom UI — and AT&T’s gone a bit overboard with its preloaded apps. There’s AT&T Code Scanner. And AT&T Drive Mode. And AT&T FamilyMap. And AT&T Locker. And AT&T Navigator. And AT&T Ready2Go. And AT&T Smart Wi-Fi. And AT&T Messages (which hides in plain sight by calling itself “Messages”). And MyAT&T. And Mobile Hotspot. It’s a bit much. (And that’s not even counting the ones that don’t explicitly have AT&T’s name attached.)
And just like on the Moto X, AT&T has firmly planted itself in your navigation bar up top — just in case you forget which carrier you’re on. Not a huge deal for us, but we know some of you are sensitive to it.
The good news is that after a cursory inspection, everything else appears to be in its place. The 5.2-inch IPS display is still magnificent. The Snapdragon 800 system is purring right along.
We’ll have more from the AT&T LG G2 for you in the days and weeks ahead.
