LG Stylo 2: At First Glance
Since the budget smartphone market became largely populated with different brands, LG’s smartphone department has gone on an innovation quest. Their models like the LG G5 and the LG X Screen are evidence of LG’s search for uniqueness.
Likewise, the LG Stylo 2 is another one of LG’s attempts at offering a budget smartphone that stands out from the crowd. It is one of the few budget smartphones that is equipped with a stylus.
Despite its large size, the LG Stylo 2 is surprisingly slim and light. In fact, the smartphone looks sleek and modern.
LG Stylo 2: Design, Dimension & Weight
As I stated earlier, LG’s smartphone department seems to have gone on an innovative quest for the manufacture of their recent smartphones like the LG G5. However, I can’t completely say the same for the design and build of the LG Stylo 2.
Unlike the premium-like and innovative design seen on the all-metal LG G5, the LG Stylo 2 feels like a step backward. The design of the LG Stylo 2 is more like the one seen on the LG G3.
Just like the LG G3, the LG Stylo 2 is fairly attractive. It is not the most attractive budget smartphone, but you will still be proud enough to make use flaunt the smartphone in social gatherings.
In addition, the LG Stylo 2 shares some similarities with the LG G3 in terms of design. For example, like LG G3, the LG Stylo 2 has the same plastic construction, rounded back, and rear-mounted buttons.
Since the smartphone’s buttons are positioned on its back, you would expect the smartphone and its bezels to be slim. As expected, the LG Stylo 2 has slim bezels except for its bottom bezel that looks a bit chunky because of the LG logo it accommodates.
Moving on to dimensions and size, LG Stylo 2 measures 155.7 x 79.5 x 7.3 mm. It is almost as large as both the Samsung Galaxy J7 and the Zmax Pro.
Though the LG Stylo 2 is relatively slim, its dimensions make it uncomfortable to use with one hand. Thankfully, it comes with a Mini View mode that helps to reduce the screen area when you swipe left or right on the home button.
Aside from its large build, the smartphone’s surprising lightweight makes it a bit more comfortable to carry around. The LG Stylo 2 weighs just 144.5 g.
Moreover, if you are accustomed to using big smartphones, you won’t even find the LG Stylo 2 to be too big.
Taking a look around the smartphone, you will find the 3.5 mm headphone jack, microphone, and a micro USB-charging port, all at its bottom. On the top-right corner, you will find the LG Stylo 2’s main design feature – the Stylus Pen – tucked in securely.
LG gave this Stylus a nano-coated pen tip to give it a real pen-like feel. As advertised, the Stylus did feel very natural for writing when I put it to use.
However, the Stylus has no degree of pressure sensitivity.
One cool thing I observed with the Stylus is that removing it from its housing awakens the screen which then offers you some quick launch apps.
Moving on to the sides of LG Stylo 2 – it does not feature any buttons. This explains how LG was able to make the LG Stylo 2 thinner than one would expect.
Very typical of LG‘s design, the back-cover houses all of the smartphone’s buttons. You’ll find the volume rocker and power button both located on the back below the rear camera.
There’s a speaker on the bottom left of the back cover and an LG logo at the center.
I feel the need to mentioned that the texture of the back covering feels really good and it adds a little grip to the smartphone.
Overall, the LG Stylo 2 is moderate in terms of design. The build quality of the smartphone is also good.
Therefore, the LG Stylo 2 scores a seven in this review for its design.
LG Stylo 2: Display Features
Considering the fact that 5.5-inch displays are regarded as the norm for smartphones, the LG Stylo 2’s 5.7-inch display is quite big.
You will need to use both hands to perform activities that go beyond just scrolling through a page. Fortunately, you can make use of the Mini View mode that helps to reduce the screen area when you swipe left or right on the home button.
Its nice to have a large display, but what’s the use if you can’t view Full HD video contents.
The LG Stylo 2’s display offers an HD resolution of 1280 x 720. This resolution results in a pixel density of just 258 pixels per inch.
Being a budget smartphone might be an excuse for its low display sharpness, but the smartphone’s low-price tag doesn’t really make up for it.
Although contents look clear most times, there’s some noticeable grain if you look closely. You will notice it more when playing games or watching videos.
Asides from its disappointing display sharpness, you will find the LG Stylo 2’s display to be satisfactory in many other areas. For example, its color reproduction is remarkable.
Moreover, viewing angles are also decent. The colors on the display remain vibrant and clear when you view the display from different angles.
However, the display isn’t as bright as I expected it to be. I often had to increase the smartphone’s brightness to about 75% while using it indoors.
Using the smartphone outdoors will require you to increase the brightness to its highest in order to conveniently view contents.
In conclusion, the LG Stylo 2 scores a six in this review for its average display brightness and sharpness.
LG Stylo 2: Camera Features
The LG Stylo 2 features a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front camera.
I must say, the 13 MP rear camera on the LG Stylo 2 is a good shooter for its range. It captures clear outdoor shots and focuses quickly on objects.
However, its performance quality drops in not-so-ideal shooting conditions like low light. Images tend to be captured with a lot of digital noise.
The smartphone’s camera finds it hard to capture fine details like the patterns on a piece of finished wood furniture or the grains on the bark of a tree. Compared to sharper camera sensors, the LG Stylo 2’s camera doesn’t have the capability to pick up fine details.
Moreover, the auto-exposure on the smartphone’s camera doesn’t always adjust accordingly.
On the bright side, color reproduction is excellent. You can easily distinguish the colors on the images taken with the LG Stylo 2.
In comparison, the LG Stylo 2’s camera performance is quite good. It held up well in comparison with the iPhone 6 and the HTC 10’s camera performance.
The front-facing camera is also solid. It’s not the most wide-angled camera you will come across, but it captures good selfies.
Like the rear-facing camera, the front camera also reproduces colors accurately. Overall, both cameras offer good captures.
Also, they can record 1080p videos at 30 FPS. Video quality is good, but both cameras struggle to adjust to auto exposure in low light during video recording.
In conclusion, the LG Stylo 2’s camera performance is quite good considering its price tag. Hence, it scores a seven in this review.
LG Stylo 2: Battery Life and Talk Time
LG equips the LG Stylo 2 with a 3000 mAh. Despite its big display, the battery life on the LG Stylo 2 is fair enough.
On our battery life test, the LG Stylo 2 lasted for 6 hours 55 minutes when I streamed a video at maximum brightness over Wi-Fi. The smartphone outlasted the Zmax Pro and the Samsung J7 that both lasted 6 hours and 6 hours 55 minutes respectively.
With its battery life, the LG Stylo 2 should be able to last you about half a day with minimal usage. Moreover, you can enable the battery saver mode to restrict background apps and preserve battery life.
Also, the LG Stylo 2 comes with a Game Optimizer that you can use to adjust video quality in games to save battery.
To make it even better, the battery on the LG Stylo 2 is removable and can be replaced. Hence, it is possible for you to swap out the battery for a fully charged one if you run out of power.
In conclusion, the LG Stylo 2 scores a six in this review for its average battery life.
LG Stylo 2: Storage Options & Performance
The LG Stylo 2 comes with 16 GB of internal storage capacity.
Considering the range to which the LG Stylo 2 belongs, 16 GB of internal storage is okay. However, as large as the storage capacity may sound to some, it could also be insufficient to some.
Unlike those who don’t store a lot of files, users who store many videos, documents, pictures, and files will quickly run out of storage.
Moreover, it is important to remember that you won’t be getting the entire 16 GB for your personal file storage. The smartphone’s operating system makes use of about 9 GB of storage space.
Fortunately, LG offers the option to expand the storage via a microSD card. You can purchase a microSD card of up to 128 GB capacity.
Overall, I find the storage options on the LG Stylo 2 to be sufficient for its price range. Hence, it scores an eight in this review.
LG Stylo 2: Security Features & Sensors
Have you ever wondered how it’s possible for smartphones to perform some activities they originally weren’t built for? Activities like how they detect light and adjust screen’s brightness, how they know whether you are holding them in landscape or portrait.
Unlike the first set of smartphones that were built specifically for the purpose of receiving and making phone calls, smartphones today now offer more services.
They are so smart that they can now act as our personal assistants in the form of mini computers! In fact, modern smartphones have now been optimized to enhance and facilitate user experience.
The answers to these questions lie within tiny devices in your smartphones known as sensors. They are components of your smartphone that provide apps with enhanced information about the world around the smartphone.
Every modern smartphone, including LG Stylo 2 comes with a number of these sensors that perform different activities. The LG Stylo 2 comes with an accelerometer and a proximity sensor.
The smartphone uses the accelerometer to detect its orientation. Additionally, apps use the accelerometer to switch between landscape and portrait modes.
In addition, the LG Stylo 2 also comes with a proximity sensor that detects the presence of external objects near the smartphone – particularly during phone calls. With the help of this sensor, the smartphone automatically turns off the screen during phone calls in order to save battery.
Unfortunately, but understandably, LG Stylo 2 do not feature a fingerprint sensor for security. However, you get the regular password and pattern locks.
In conclusion, the LG Stylo 2 scores a five in this review for its limited sensor collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
The LG Stylo 2 is an affordable smartphone with a slim and surprisingly lightweight build. It offers useful Stylus functionalities, a sturdy build, and good battery life. However, if you are not accustomed to big phones, you might find the LG Stylo 2 uncomfortable to use
The LG Stylo 2 was released in April 2016
The LG Stylo 2 measures 155.7 x 79.5 x 7.3 mm.
No, the LG Stylo 2 doesn’t have an IP rating. Therefore, it is not waterproof.
Yes, you can. The LG Stylo supports up to 128 GB microSD memory card for memory expansion.
Conclusion
The LG Stylo 2 is like a mini-computer that offers good smartphone features. It offers sufficient storage space, a big display, and a sturdy build.
Most importantly, it is a Stylus-equipped smartphone. If you are a user who draws or writes a lot, you will be interested in the LG Stylo 2.
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