Hardware
Like its sibling made for the European market, the T-Mobile G2x is long and slim with dimensions 4.88×2.48×0.43 inches and 5oz. It has a 4-inch WVGA TFT LCD touchscreen and the whole front area is covered with Gorilla Glass. The G2x is equipped with 8MP rear camera with LED flash and autofocus, and a 1.3MP front camera, placed above the screen. The volume keys are on the edges and on the top you can find microUSB port, headphones jack and the power button.
In sense of connectivity, there is quadband GSM, quadband HSPA+ 4G, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and Wi-Fi b/g/n.
The 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor with Tegra 2 chipset is supported by 512MB RAM and 8GB internal memory and a microSD card slot.The overall feel of the phone in the hand is nice, even though the G2x is little too long for the hand.
Software
Unlike other makers, LG and T-Mobile decided not to temper with the software and put Android 2.2. Froyo in its cleanest state. This is undoubtedly welcomed as it means quick updates latter on. You do, however get some applications like nVidia Tegra Zone, NOVA – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance HD, Need for Speed SHIFT or T-Mobile TV. All this sounds computing power consuming, but you only realize that you have a dual-core phone once you start loading multiple apps. It won’t glitch or show any lag, even when playing 1080p HD videos.
The front camera, as you might have guessed, is enough for video calls only, or the occasional self-portrait. The main camera, on the other hand, has a lot more to offer. The still photos are clean with accurate colors and the flash is one of the better out there, but still lacks the sufficient range. The video recordings can be made in up to 1080p Full HD, quite impressive for a smartphone.
The T-Mobile G2x is labeled as a 4G device and can use T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. There are, however, difficulties when switching between networks (2G, 3G and 4G), like call dropping when transiting out of 4G coverage into 2G. Data transfers are good but not impressive, but that mostly depends on the 3G or 4G coverage in the area.
The battery life, on the other hand, is something to be venerated. The T-Mobile G2x can make it whole day of browsing, messaging and video playing, with just one charge.
Conclusion
T-Mobile G2x is the best Android smartphone in T-Mobile’s squad so far. The unmodified OS allows for us to expect easy upgrades of the 2.2 version, the 8MP camera is quite commendable and the overall design of the phone is smooth. But it’s the Tegra 2 processor what makes the T-Mobile G2x a genuinely respectable piece of electronics, giving space for subsequent Android versions.