LG G Pro 2: a 5.9-inch phablet with Knock Code and a 13MP camera
When LG unveiled the G Pro 2 in early 2014, the smartphone landscape was already tilting towards bigger screens. The 5.9-inch panel was comfortably larger than anything LG had previously shipped under its own branding, and it positioned the Korean manufacturer as a serious player in what industry analysts were calling the phablet category. Australian readers tracking that shift were watching a market where Telstra had just switched on its 700MHz 4G network, opening up faster downloads across regional centres and pushing media consumption onto handsets rather than home PCs.
The G Pro 2 paired that expansive display with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a security feature LG called Knock Code, letting users tap a personal pattern on a sleeping screen to unlock the device. For shoppers who wanted one device to handle calls, photography, video streaming, and reading on the daily commute between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, the package was unusually complete. Beyond raw specifications, the phone signalled where LG believed the next wave of premium Android hardware was heading, with software polish meant to match the headline-grabbing hardware.
Display and design that felt built for content
The 5.9-inch IPS LCD ran a Full HD 1920x1080 resolution, putting pixel density at roughly 373 pixels per inch. Colours were vibrant and whites reasonably clean, falling only slightly behind the AMOLED panels Samsung was pushing on its Note series at the time. Whether reading a long-form article at an Adelaide cafe in Rundle Mall, catching up on a TV series on a long V/Line train through regional Victoria, or queuing for a coffee in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, the screen gave text and video enough room to breathe without forcing constant zooming or sideways scrolling.
LG trimmed the bezels aggressively for its era, leaving a narrow border along the sides that made the screen appear larger than the raw numbers suggested. The textured back cover sat comfortably in hand and provided more grip than the glossy finishes rivals were favouring at the time. At 172 grams, the device felt substantial without tipping into the heavy category, with the mass sitting close enough to the centre to avoid fatigue during long reading sessions on the couch or at the kitchen bench.
The Rear Key layout, which stacked the power and volume buttons beneath the camera lens on the back, was a recognisable LG trait carried over from earlier models. It was awkward for left-handed users during the first few days, but became second nature for anyone who picked up the phone regularly. A thin metallic trim around the edges gave the handset a touch of premium feel without pushing it into genuine flagship pricing territory.
Camera performance across Australian conditions
The 13-megapixel rear camera, paired with an f/2.4 lens and optical image stabilisation on certain regional variants, captured sharp daylight shots with reliable colour accuracy. Beach scenes from Coogee in Sydney's eastern suburbs to Cottesloe in Perth showed the kind of blue water and warm sand tones that often troubled early smartphone shooters, with the G Pro 2 holding its own against heavier flagship rivals of the same period. Detail held up well across foliage, signage, and architectural subjects during a stroll through The Rocks or around the lanes of Melbourne's CBD.
Low-light performance was where the G Pro 2 showed its age, with visible noise creeping in as soon as the sun dropped below the horizon. That said, for dinner photos at a Melbourne laneway bar or a dimly lit pub in Hobart, the LED flash and HDR mode produced usable results. The 4K video recording capability, while not as refined as what later Android phones would deliver, gave early adopters a reason to boast to friends still shooting in 1080p, and made the handset future-proof for the era when 4K televisions were becoming mainstream in Australian living rooms.
The front 2.1-megapixel camera handled selfies and video calls adequately, which mattered for users connecting with family overseas or joining work calls while working remotely from a Broome holiday. LG's camera app loaded quickly and toggled between modes without noticeable lag, a small but meaningful feature for catching fleeting moments during a kids' cricket match in suburban Perth or a casual weekend bushwalk in the Yarra Valley.
Knock Code and the rise of tap-based unlocking
Knock Code was LG's flagship security feature for the G Pro 2, replacing the more conventional PIN, password, and pattern unlocks with a personalised sequence of taps on a sleeping screen. The display was divided into four invisible quadrants, and users tapped two to eight of them in a chosen order to wake and unlock the device simultaneously. For Australians regularly tapping through their phone on busy public transport or while standing in a crowded Coles aisle, the quick gesture felt more natural than typing in a six-digit PIN under stress.
LG marketed the system as having more than 80,000 possible combinations, putting it in roughly the same security range as a complex pattern lock. Pairing it with KnockON, the feature that woke the phone with a quick double tap, made the device feel responsive in a way that fingerprint scanners of the period could not match. Most users set their pattern within the first afternoon and rarely thought about it again, which was precisely the goal of a system designed to disappear into the background of daily use.
Beyond Knock Code, LG layered in a content lock that hid gallery entries and memos behind a separate PIN, plus a guest mode that handed a sanitised version of the handset to children or colleagues without exposing personal data. Australian shoppers concerned about the Privacy Act and the secure handling of personal information appreciated the granular controls, particularly small business owners using the phone for invoicing and customer records while on the move.
Performance, software, and battery life
Inside, the G Pro 2 ran a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset paired with 3GB of RAM, which was a generous allotment for an Android handset in early 2014. Daily tasks such as browsing, messaging, email, and light gaming ran without stutter, while heavier 3D titles pushed the chip towards its thermal limits during extended sessions. Storage options came in 16GB and 32GB configurations, with microSD expansion supporting up to 64GB for users who wanted to carry large music libraries or downloaded podcast episodes on long commutes.
LG's Optimus UI sat on top of Android, adding features such as dual-window multitasking, slide-aside gesture shortcuts, and a smart screen that kept the display awake while the front camera detected a face. For Australians working in offices around the CBDs of Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, the productivity angle mattered as much as entertainment value. Battery life from the 3,200 mAh removable cell generally stretched through a full workday with moderate use, though heavy camera sessions or 4K video capture could drain it before sunset, especially with screen brightness pushed up to combat midday glare.
Connectivity included LTE Category 4, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC, giving the phone a complete suite of contemporary wireless standards. That made it future-proof for the rollout of 4G services beyond the major capitals, including regional black-spot programs that ACMA had supported through spectrum licensing reforms. Owners could roam onto Telstra's stronger regional coverage with confidence in the device's band support, which mattered for grey nomads and tradies driving between towns.
How the G Pro 2 compared to its rivals
In 2014, the phablet space was anything but empty. Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 remained the dominant player, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra pushed screen size even further towards the tablet end of the spectrum, and HTC had launched the One Max with a fingerprint reader on the back. LG's G Pro 2 held its own through removable battery support, microSD expansion, and a design distinct enough to stand apart from the Samsung crowd, which had just begun restricting both features on its flagship line.
Buyers in Australia navigating the local market had to weigh pricing against specifications, often comparing imported grey-market handsets against models sold through official Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone channels. Devices purchased through unofficial channels sometimes missed crucial 4G bands, a frustration that ACMA's updated labelling rules were designed to address through clearer origin information. The G Pro 2 sold primarily through LG's local distributor, giving buyers more peace of mind around warranty service and Australian network compatibility.
The Lenovo Vibe Z2, a more budget-leaning alternative from another Asian manufacturer, came in at a noticeably lower price point but offered a slower Snapdragon 410 chipset and a 720p screen. Readers comparing it side by side with the Lenovo Vibe Z2 on our reviews page would notice that LG's choice of components stretched further for users who cared about processing power and panel resolution.
| Specification | LG G Pro 2 | Samsung Galaxy Note 3 | Sony Xperia Z Ultra | Lenovo Vibe Z2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.9-inch IPS LCD, 1080p | 5.7-inch Super AMOLED, 1080p | 6.4-inch IPS LCD, 1080p | 5.5-inch IPS LCD, 720p |
| Processor | Snapdragon 800 | Snapdragon 800 / Exynos 5420 | Snapdragon 800 | Snapdragon 410 |
| RAM | 3GB | 3GB | 2GB | 2GB |
| Rear camera | 13MP, 4K video | 13MP, 4K video | 8MP, 1080p video | 13MP, 1080p video |
| Battery | 3,200 mAh, removable | 3,200 mAh, removable | 3,050 mAh, sealed | 2,400 mAh, removable |
| Special unlock | Knock Code + KnockON | Fingerprint swipe | Standard pattern only | Standard pattern only |
If you are weighing up a large-screen handset from the early LTE era, the LG G Pro 2 remains a worthwhile reference point in any conversation about how Android phablets matured into the mainstream. For more recent releases and a regularly updated look at what is shipping in markets beyond Australia, browse the fresh handset arrivals page and see how far the category has come in a single decade.