Knock-To-Unlock LG G Pro 2 Makes Debut Ahead Of MWC 2014

LG has taken the wraps off its new LG G Pro 2 smartphone, complete with a new feature that allows users to unlock their device by ‘knocking’ the screen.

The successor to the LG G Pro will only be available in the company’s native South Korea, but will be shown off at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona later this month, with a view to launching it worldwide.

The headline feature is ‘Knock Code’, which lets users unlock their phone by tapping the screen, using any one of 86,367 combinations. This can be done whether the display is switched on or off, and should be made easier by the size of the G Pro 2’s 5.9-inch full HD IPS display, and its screen-to-frame ratio of 77.2 percent, which means it should be easy.

LG G Pro 2

“Knock Code is an example of LG bringing simpler, more convenient solutions to consumers’ mobile lives,” says Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Mobile. “Whereas in the early years of smartphones it was a contest to see how many features could be stuffed into the phones, our researchers took a long, hard look at how consumers were really using their devices in their daily lives and included just the most useful features. We think customers will agree.”

The LG G Pro 2 is powered by a 2.26 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and a Qualcomm Adreno 33 GPU, along with 3GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of storage, which can be expanded via a MicroSD card slot.

It runs Android 4.4 Kit Kat and has a range of new imaging features that can be used with the 13 megapixel camera – these include optical image stabilisation, magic focus, natural flash and 120fps HD video recording. It can even take 4K ultra HD video recordings for playback on compatible TVs.

Other features include dual window browsing, 1W sound capability and the ability to shrink the screen to a size between 3.4 and 4.7 inches for easier one handed use.

LG will hope the smartphone will continue its recent mobile renaissance, which has seen it create the popular Google-branded Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones, as well as the original LG G Pro, the LG G2 and the recently-announced triple SIM LG Optimus L1 II Tri. LG is currently the world’s fourth largest smartphone manufacturer according to Gartner and accounted for 4.8 percent of the global market in 2013.

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