Comparing the LG Optimus G for AT&T and Sprint

While MobileCON 2012 won't be known for any major announcements or shakeups, it did give at least one company a spotlight to shine on its upcoming flagship powerhouse. LG , on hand for the final night here in San Diego, continued its marketing push with a blowout to celebrate its upcoming Optimus G, the superphone we've seen both in South Korea and in New York. Official for both AT&T and Sprint, we're now getting a closer look at the device that LG is banking on to put them back in the game.

We got our hands on both models at a launch party last night, and while both carry the Optimus G moniker, you'll notice in the photos as well as the video some very distinct differences-- take note: this is not a Samsung release.

Form Factor

The most noticeable difference between the two models is the shape and form factor. While the Sprint model more closely resembles the international version, complete with protruding 13 MP camera, rounded corners, and black reflective back, the AT&T model opts for sharper corners, a flush camera with framed flash, and a less-than-pitch black back. The physical power and volume rocker buttons on Sprint's model are a metallic silver, whereas they're darker and more uniform with the rest of the body on AT&T's version. AT&T's model is also slightly thicker and wider with a matte finish on both the top and bottom surfaces, and even LG's signature patterned reflective backplate differs ever-so-slightly from Sprint's.

Functionality

The differences aren't only skin deep. You'll notice some minor differences in the software, though both are running identical versions of Android 4.0.4 skinned with LG's UI, including different settings and preferences preset out of the box. The settings menu is radically different, with Sprint opting for the more traditional scroll down menu, whereas AT&T has chosen a new approach with a swipeable left-to-right menu broken into categories (something I haven't seen before on any Android device). And, though we were prepared for this, it's worth mentioning again that Sprint's model ships with a whopping 13 megapixel camera, while AT&T's sticks with a more modest 8 megapixel shooter.

 

Despite the differences, there really isn't too much to fret about here. Both are very much the Optimus G, complete with an S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and LTE radios. LG's flagship certainly has the guts to compete in the big leagues, and whether you grab one on Sprint or AT&T, you'll be buying into one of the most powerful devices on the market today.

Take a look at the sublte differences in the photos and video below while we get to work on reviewing both of these devices, and be sure to stay tuned while we put the Optimus G through its paces in the coming days.