Features That Bring the LG Stylus 2 Handset Out of the G5’s Shadow

The Stylus 2’s innovative features should cause users to take notice. Here is why the device could boost LG’s standing in the smartphone market.

Like other devices designed with stylus integration, the LG Stylus 2 comes with a big screen. The phone’s display measures 5.7 inches diagonally, making it one of the largest screens on the market. However, in order for LG to be able to offer the Stylus 2 at an affordable price, it comes with a somewhat disappointing resolution of 1,280 by 720 pixels.

The LG pen that comes with the Stylus 2 is central to the device’s experience. As soon as a user pulls the stylus out of its holder, the handset displays an enhanced user interface. Users will be able to access a stylus-only “Pen Pop” pop-up menu, along with a Calligraphy Pen font that LG says lets users write “beautifully and decoratively, as if using a fountain pen.” The stylus also includes support for annotation and note-taking.

The LG Stylus 2 is a suitable device for those who want some power but don’t need groundbreaking performance. The smartphone comes with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1.5GB of onboard memory, allowing it to handle most resource-intensive tasks. The handset also comes with WiFi and LTE support, as well as compatibility with Bluetooth 4.1 and USB 2.0.

LG on March 14 announced that the Stylus 2 will come with DAB+ support. Short for Digital Audio Broadcasting, the feature is widely believed to be the successor to traditional FM signals. With DAB+, users will be able to reach far more radio channels than traditional FM and get high-quality audio without using data. The LG Stylus 2 is the first smartphone ever to offer DAB+, though if this feature helps the Stylus 2 takes off, it most certainly won’t be the last.

While top competitors, like Apple and Samsung, continue to offer smartphones with bundled batteries, LG has stubbornly stuck to removable options. In fact, the LG Stylus 2 ships with a removable 3,000mAh battery. That means customers can buy multiple 3,000mAh batteries and, when one is getting low, pop it out and input the fully charged substitute without ever missing a beat.

The LG Stylus 2 features a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, making it slightly bigger than the 12-megapixel shooter in the iPhone 6s Plus. However, the 8-megapixel front-facing camera may prove most appealing to a market that has grown increasingly obsessed with selfies.

To its credit, LG went with the latest Android version in the Stylus 2: Marshmallow. With that, users will get all the standard Marshmallow features, including improved security over its predecessor; access to Google’s many services, including Maps and Chrome; and more. LG has put its software twist on the user experience, but that doesn’t dramatically alter how users will interact with the platform.

In an unfortunate move, LG has delivered just 16GB of storage in the Stylus 2. In a world where video and photos are constantly taken, that’s simply not enough storage. That said, LG has smartly included a microSD slot in the device, allowing users to expand its memory with a separate card. Still, it would’ve been nice to see more internal storage.

The Stylus 2 might come with a big display, but that doesn’t mean it’s too bulky. The device is a little over 6 inches tall, but it’s only 0.3 inches deep. Since it’s relatively light at 5.1 ounces, the LG Stylus 2 is a nice companion when users are going mobile and don’t want a bulkier handset in their pockets.

The biggest questions surrounding the LG Stylus 2 right now relate to pricing and availability. So far, LG hasn’t said exactly when the Stylus 2 will be available. Nor has LG specified prices, although the company promises customers will be impressed by how affordable the device is, suggesting it’ll be much cheaper than Samsung’s Galaxy Note line. Look for LG to announce full pricing and availability for its Stylus 2 in the next few weeks.