The LG Optimus G Pro is finally headed to the United States. AT&T will release the huge smartphone/tablet hybrid stateside May 10 for $199.99 with a two-year contract.
Pre-orders begin May 3 and will include a Quick Cover folio case. AT&T also says some smartphones can be traded in for a $100 discount, though it doesn't specify which phones it will take.
The Optimus G Pro is LG's answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Both are 5.5-inch monsters, though the G Pro doesn't come with a stylus for an input device. Still, the G Pro has impressive specs, nearly rivaling Samsung's brand new Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone. In fact, while the processor is a bit slower than the one in the American version of the S4, the rest of its stats are comparable, if not better.
Of course, the main draw is the screen, and that's something the Galaxy S4 can't offer, no matter how fancy or new it is. The mobile market is header toward larger and larger screens, and the combination of aging eyes and access to high-quality video on-the-go means more and more people will become accustomed to using bigger devices. It's possible smaller screens will fall out of fashion as consumers get used to more screen real estate, but technology as also subject to the laws of aesthetics, so there will probably always be a market for small and sleek phones.
The LG Optimus G Pro features a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch Full-HD 1920x1080 IPS display with 440 ppi, a 13-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video, 32GB of internal storage, an SD card slot for up to 64GB more, a huge 3000 mAh Li-Po battery and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.
Check back for the latest information on the LG Optimus G Pro as it becomes available.