LG G Flex 2 review

This curved Android phone flexes with more muscle

LG G Flex 2 review
LG G Flex 2 release date and review

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

My smartphone, unlike my cat, always seems to drop right smack on its face. I have broken the glass that protects the precious screen before. My phones certainly don't have nine lives, but, thanks its curve, maybe the G Flex 2 has a better chance at survival.

There's a lot to like about the LG G Flex 2, and thankfully most of the perks have to do with the specs and similarities to the LG G3. It doesn't just rely on the curve this time around.

lg g flex 3 review

We liked

The G Flex 2 has some muscle to it. Under the right conditions, it has the fastest processor of any smartphone and ports over LG G3's camera with an excellent snap-and-review selfie feature. Android 5.0 Lollipop is here in limited form, but that includes the decidedly clutch lock screen notifications.

This phone has the brains, so it's okay to pay attention to its slick-looking curvy features. Matching LG's curved 4K TV shape and coming in at a much more reasonable 5.5-inches, the flexible 1080p display is as comfortable as it is durable. This second Flex has a much better shot of breaking out of the series's current cult hit status.

lg g flex 2 review

We disliked

LG's G Flex 2 is once again solving a problem that not everyone is clamoring to fix, as much as people spend money on cracked-phone replacements and cases to prevent future accidents.

While the outside is trendy, the question remains: why not just go with the cheaper LG G3 or wait for the LG G4? The Flex 2's chipset benchmarks are inconsistent at the moment, and the battery here isn't swappable. The self-healing back doesn't pass the scratch test either.

LG G Flex 2 review

Final verdict

In a year-and-a-half since the LG G Flex first launched, things have changed. Apple's BendGate controversy became worldwide news, and now everyone's mom and dad on their family plan has begun to worry about their phones breaking in their back pocket. That's still not reason enough to spring for a curved, flexible phone.

Instead, the more important development has been the significant specs bump found within the new LG G Flex 2. LG's debut of the Snapdragon 810 chip, while inconsistent and running hot right now, shows promise. The 1080p resolution more than doubles the amount of pixels on a 5.5-inch screen that's smaller and more manageable.

Ultimately, the LG G Flex 2 is a trendier-looking LG G3 variant with the same great camera and better battery life than the first. If you don't want to wait for the LG G4 and don't mind paying a little extra, it's time to take a chance on something new, and for interesting phones like the Flex 2 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge to graduate from cult hits into the mainstream.

TOPICS
Matt Swider
Latest in LG Phones
LG V50 ThinQ
LG’s phone business is dead, but its phones are still getting Android 12
LG Wing 5G
LG has reportedly made its last smartphone
Pile of smartphones
Do you remember your first phone? We look back on our early mobiles
LG Velvet
LG’s Android phones will get three years of updates
LG phones
LG's smartphone legacy: every LG flagship Android phone
LG Wing 5G
Some LG phones will get Android 12
Latest in Reviews
WWE 2K25
I've spent days in the ring with WWE 2K25, and it's like a five-star match ruined by the Million Dollar Man
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro electric toothbrush
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro review: A powerful seven-mode, Swiss-made sonic brush
Atelier Yumia
I was already sold on Atelier Yumia as an RPG, but I wasn’t expecting it to have my favorite crafting system in all of gaming
Alienware 27 AW2725Q monitor on desk displaying a scene from Cyberpunk 2077
I played games with Alienware's new 27-inch 4K OLED monitor and now I don't want to see another LCD panel
PLAUD NOTE
I tested this AI voice recorder, and now I'll never take meeting notes manually again
SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4
Testing the new SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4 SSD proved both challenging and revealing