LG shows off new, faster G Flex 2 with curved HD display at CES 2015

After revealing the G Flex 2 name previously through CES banners, LG officially unveiled its next generation curved display Android handset at the Consumer Electronics Show today. The first LG G Flex was met with early reviews characterizing it as an expensive prototype, and we found it hard to recommend especially next to LG’s other smartphones in our own hands-on review. So what does LG have planned for the G Flex 2 as it takes the curve for a second spin?LG says the G Flex 2 “improves upon its predecessor in every way possible” with a higher resolution, full HD 5.5-inch dynamically curved P-OLED display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with Octa-Core 64-bit capable CPUs. The previous curve found on the original LG G Flex had a 700mm radius while the updated G Flex 2 features a dynamic curve ranging from 400mm to 700mm across all sides and edges.

Software wise, the LG G Flex 2 ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, with custom features from LG included for better or worse that intend to make use of the LG G Flex 2’s curve:

• Gesture Shot makes it easy to capture the perfect selfie with a simple hand gesture recognizable from up to 1.5 meters away.
• Gesture View makes it easy to check your last shot immediately after taking a photo or selfie.
• Glance View displays key information such as time, recent messages or missed calls with a downward swipe of the curved screen even while the display is off.
• Fast Charge allows the embedded 3,000mAh battery in the G Flex2 — the only curved mobile battery in the world to be charged up to 50 percent in under 40 minutes.

The LG G Flex 2 will ship with a 13MP OIS+ shooter with Laser Auto Focus and a dual LED flash partnered with a 2.1MP front camera powered by a 3,000mAh battery with fast charging functionality and 32GB of internal storage.

LG says the G Flex 2 features a “faster and more effective” self-healing back which is good news as we found the original G Flex self-healing feature to be effective but not invincible to resisting/recovering from scratches.

Finally, LG promises a global rollout of the G Flex 2 following its debut in South Korea at the end of this month. US carriers AT&T and Sprint have already announced plans to carry the G Flex 2 during Q1 2015. Specific pricing and release details will be released in the future, but color options include Platinum Silver and Flamenco Red with Sprint promising an exclusive Volcano Red color as well.

LG is currently demoing the G Flex 2 at CES this week, so stay tuned for hands-on coverage. Update: As promised, check out our hands-on video with the LG G Flex 2.