Thin, Minimalist Design

You might remember the from CES 2011--LG's first foray into the land of dual-core Android smartphones. The Optimus 2X is currently available overseas: NVIDIA used the LG Optimus 2X to demo its Tegra 2 chip at its CES press conference, showing off HD video and an Angry Birds demo. NVIDIA also dubbed it a "super phone" for its strong multitasking capabilities and processing speed.

The G2X has essentially the same design, but comes with HSPA+ power and does not have LG's proprietary interface running atop Android. Besides those differences, and of course some branding from T-Mobile, the G2X is virtually identical to its international sibling.

The G2X is pretty basic looking with its black, dark gray and silver color scheme. But don't let its generic appearance fool you: This phone has an incredibly high-quality feel. The face of the phone is comprised almost entirely of the display with a thin piano-black bezel running around it. Four touch-sensitive buttons lie below the 4-inch display: Menu, Home, Back, and Search. The back of the phone is a matte dark gray soft-to-the-touch rubber with a silver stripe bearing the Google logo running down the middle. The battery cover is very easy to remove, but doesn't feel flimsy by any means. A metal frame between the face and the back cover around the phone gives it a sturdy, solid feel. The face of the phone is subtly curved, too, which feels comfortable when you're holding it up to your ear.

At the top of the phone, you'll find the power/lock key, HDMI port, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. On the right spine you'll find the volume rocker, while the left spine is bare. The bottom houses speakers as well as the microSD port.