LG Optimus 2X – extreme dual core performance in a slim and attractive body

LG had one of the most interesting presentations at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year. They have announced and shown a few new smartphones in their Optimus line, one of which was the 2X – one of the first dual core smartphone to hit the market in early spring.

Stylish smartphone that packs a punch

The Optimus 2X is your typical slab-style smartphone, which looks great with the rounded edges and slim design a la iPhone 4 with a bigger display, but the real show stopper is the internal hardware: this smartphone is powered by the NVidia Tegra 2 platform, with a dual core processor and the most powerful video graphics adapter to date – a mobile GeForce.

This guarantees that the 2X will be faster than any current devices for a long time – the jump in performance is very high, with the smartphone being at least twice as fast in apps, games AND video playback/recording. Nothing has been said about the amount of RAM, however it is safe to assume that there are at least 512 MB, which is enough to run almost anything you need and still have plenty left.

Lots of storage space and enough features to satisfy everyone

The Optimus 2X also has a lot of memory – 8 GB  are integrated into the phone, while the user gets the ability to complement that with an external micro SD card (currently up to 32 GB, but 64 GB ones are on the way), so you can potentially have 40 and more GB of memory on this device.

Along with the raw processing power come a lot of useful features, which are pretty standard on today’s smartphones, with a few exceptions. In addition to the usual support for Wifi N, Bluetooth, accelerometer, 3.5 mm audio jack and others you get a gyroscope sensor, support for up to 21 Mbps HSDPA speeds, a proximity sensor that turns the screen on/off when you take a phone call, and support for 1080p video recording using the 8 megapixels camera on the back.

1080p video recording and HDMI out port deserve a separate mention

The latter actually works very well – there’s no lag or artifacts on the video and you can film for as long as your memory can hold. There’s also a 1.3 megapixels camera on the front for video calls and a HDMI-out port for outputting all your pictures, videos and anything else to the big screen (you can even play games using the Optimus 2X like a gaming console – it’s pretty amazing).

With all these features and especially the power hungry processor, you’d expect the Optimus 2X to last less than a few hours of use, but you’ll be surprised when you hear that it can actually last just as long as any other smartphone around – the Tegra 2 is simply that effective (well, the 1500 mAh battery helps, too).

The LG Optimus 2X will sport the Android 2.2 OS, with an upgrade to 2.3 in the following months. It is a smartphone worthy of attention when it comes out later this year, and if the price is right, it can become a best seller – you’ll definitely not need another one for at least a couple of years.