When LG debuted the Spectrum smartphone a year ago, it finally had a phone that was able to mentioned in the same breath with bigger name phones from Samsung, Apple and others.
Now, a year later, they’re back with the sequel -- the LG Spectrum 2, which is offered by Verizon Wireless.
I recently spent some time with one, and I’ll let you know how it compares to the competition in a crowded smartphone market.

Looks, screen
The Spectrum 2 has a solid build, with a nice rubbery grip on the back so it won’t slip out of your hands too easily. The screen is well protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.
Keeping with the trend of phones getting bigger, the Spectrum 2 comes with a 4.7-inch screen, up from 4.5 inches on the original. I like this trend, as I prefer bigger screens, but there are phone buyers out there who don’t want to keep growing the size of their phones at each new contract. These folks will have to look at smaller alternatives than the Spectrum 2.
The 1280 x 720 pixel high-definition display on the Spectrum 2 is sharp and bright, and between the large screen and the display quality, this phone is made perfectly for viewing videos, movies and other media such as games (your Angry Birds Star Wars play will be super sharp and easy to view.)
The touchscreen is responsive and offers haptic feedback if desired; Overall size is 5.31” (H) x 2.69” (W) x 0.36” (D), meaning it’s very tall and pretty wide, but also very thin. The screen is large enough that messaging won’t be a difficult task, even for those who have larger fingers. The Swype method of entry will help messaging speed, too, eliminating the need to lift your fingers between every letter.

Processor
Beyond looks, you have to have lightning quick speed to compete in today’s phone market.
The processor is the key to that, and the LG Spectrum 2 comes with a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, as well as 1 GB of RAM.
This translates to fast performance, even when multitasking
In terms of storage, you get 16 GB of internal storage on the Spectrum 2, an upgrade from the original version. And there is the ability to expand storage up to 32 GB more via SD card if you need more storage on the phone.

Operating system
The Spectrum 2 runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), an upgrade from Android 2.3 on the first Spectrum; but not the most recent Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Still, ICS is a great system that features all the Google connectivity you have come to expect with Android phones (Google Play app store, Gmail, Google Music, Google Maps and lots more), and very easy multitasking.
The multiple home screens are easily customizable with your favorite app icons and widgets.
LG has placed its Optimus 3 user interface onto the Spectrum 2, and it has good points and bad points. Overall, it’s not my favorite UI, but I could get used to it.

Camera, videos
Another essential element to be considered one of the top new phones is great photo and video quality, and the results are impressive here.
With the LG Spectrum 2, you’ll get an 8-megapixel still camera with LED flash in the rear, a 1.3 megapixel camera up front for video chat and self-portraits, and full HD 1080p video.
I got a lot of great shots with this phone, though some did turn out a little fuzzy -- putting it slightly behind some other phones in terms of overall photo quality.
Video was very clear and lifelike, and ranks right there with the best phones in the business.
There are a ton of settings that can be adjusted on your camera, if you’re into tweaking your shots like a professional, and some other interesting features, including
— Time Catch Shot takes two pics just before you tap the shutter and one after.
— Panoramic scenes with Intelligent Panorama.
— Catch an entire sequence of action with Continuous Shot, which lets you automatically take six pics in quick succession after you press the shutter.
— Say Cheese Shot – use your voice to take a picture
— Advanced Image Editor – rename, crop, rotate, add effects, adjust contrast and color tones, and more

4G
As far as download and upload speeds, there’s no worries here, as you’ll be using Verizon’s 4G network, which is consistently been the fastest in the business. If you download an app, it’s there almost instantly, and that’s what people expect these days.

Call quality
I had no issues with Verizon’s coverage on voice calls either. All calls went through kosher -- with no dropped calls and no trouble hearing on either end during my time with the phone.

Other features
— The Spectrum 2 is capable of NFC (aka near-field communications), which means that you can share videos, photos, playlists and more simply by bumping it against another NFC-capable phone.
— Quickmemo allows you to hit the voume up and down keys at the same time, so you can jot down a quick note with your fingers.
— The Spectrum 2 is a Global Ready phone that can be used in over 200 countries
— The phone is Bluetooth and WiFi capable
— SmartShare lets you share media wirelessly to DLNA–enabled devices
— USB Tethering lets you share your phone’s mobile data connection via USB

Battery
The Spectrum 2’s Lithium–Ion Battery (2150 mAh) didn’t last as long as I would have liked. It should get you through the day, unless you’re an extreme user, but that’s not good enough in the world of phones like the Droid Razr Maxx, which offer double the battery life.

Price
This is one area where LG wisely kept things lower. The Spectrum 2 can be yours for less than $100 — to be exact, it’s $99.99 out of pocket with a 2-year contract.
When most of its rivals such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S3 are $199.99 or more, this strategy should get the Spectrum 2 some buyers. The fact is LG is not as big a name in the smartphone world, so they have to do this discounting to compete. Without it, they wouldn’t have a chance. With it, they still have a major fight on their hands, but at least they have a possibility of competing.

Bottom line
In many spec areas, the LG Spectrum 2 is just as strong as any smartphone on the market. When total peformance and all aspects are taken into account, I’d say it’s slightly below some of its competition. But it’s price accounts for that, so it has a shot to do well. If you’re looking for a Verizon smartphone and are on a budget, you could do a lot worse than the Spectrum 2.


On the Web
For more information on the LG Spectrum 2, visit www.verizonwireless.com.

Matt Myftiu can be reached at matt.myftiu@oakpress.com.