LG G2 Mini in the flesh!

Here in MWC Barcelona, all sorts of mobile handset manufacturers show their latest hardware. Among them is LG which is showcasing their very own mini — the LG G2 Mini.

The G2 Mini looks and feels like the original LG G2 despite it being slightly reduced in size. The smaller display is more prominent once you hold the handset in your hands. It still has that comfortable and firm hold though.

While the original G2 has a glossy back panel with some pattern, the G2 Mini has a somewhat rough and textured back panel. Due to the smaller size, the volume and power controls at placed at the back becomes a bit awkward to reach and use, unlike the bigger sibling (really depends on the size of your hands too).

The G2 Mini will come in color colors — white, black, gold and red. The G2 Mini also feels a bit thicker than the G2, measuring about 9.8mm thick compared to the 8.9mm on the G2.

Aside from the cosmetic changes made on the G2 Mini, LG also reduced the hardware on the little sibling. Less pixels, less power, less RAM, less storage, less battery.

LG G2 Mini specs:
4.7-inch IPS LCD qHD @ 540 x 960 pixels, 234ppi
Qualcomm MSM8226 Snapdragon 400 1.2GHz quad-core processor
Adreno 305 graphics
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
LTE CAT 4 & VoLTE 100Mbps
3G/HSDPA 21Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
FM Radio tuner
GPS w/ aGPS support, GLONASS
8MP rear camera with LED flash
1.3MP front-facing camera
Android 4.4.2 Kitkat
Li-Ion 2,440mAh battery
129.6 x 66 x 9.8 mm

On the positive note, the G2 Mini still has LTE to go with it and now comes with Android Kitkat right out of the box. Other unique features found in the G2 were also present in the G2 Mini, like KnockOn. There’s the new KnockCode which allows you to tap a pattern into the off screen and wakes & unlocks it right away.

While there is only an 8GB internal storage, there’s also the option to add more via the microSD card slot. The back panel is also removable to allow a user-replaceable battery.

It looks like LG has neutered the G2 Mini quite a bit in terms of hardware so it all boils down to how much they will sell the G2 Mini once it is released in the market.