The forgotten smartphone: LG Optimus 2X Speed

A smartphone that made history; that is the LG P990 Optimus 2X Speed. The device even managed to reach the Guinness Book of Records. It was the first smartphone with a dual-core processor: unique! We go back in time with the ‘forgotten smartphone’. And this time with the LG Optimus 2X Speed.

LG P990 Optimus 2X Speed

In our section ‘The forgotten smartphone’ we look back at the smartphones of years ago. After getting acquainted with, for example, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and HTC Hero, we now discuss the LG P990 Optimus 2X Speed. The device that was announced in December 2010 and was in stores in early 2011. There are several things that stand out about the device, and we discuss them in this part of ‘The forgotten smartphone’, of which I found photos in an old box.

First dual-core smartphone

Smartphones have been equipped with quad-core and octa-core processors for a long time now. However, LG knew the show more than twelve years ago with the LG P990 Optimus 2X Speed. A smartphone with a dual-core processor was the first to appear and it secured a place in the Guinness Book of Records! The processor was an NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset with a computing power of 1.0 GHz.

I myself also owned the Optimus 2X Speed ​​for a while, and I remember well that the device was lightning fast for that time. I did find swiping through the home screens rather slow. Unique to the smartphone was that it was possible to take screenshots of the screen without root access. This feature has now become an integral part of current Android smartphones. Where the Xperia Arc previously discussed had three keys under the screen, the 2X had four touch-sensitive keys; multitasking, home, back and search. We no longer see the latter in smartphones today.

Design and touches

LG had provided the P990 Optimus 2X Speed ​​with a number of gimmicks. When you were viewing a photo in the gallery, you could tap the sides of the device. This will take you to the next or previous photo. You can also use this to move the cursor a spot while composing an SMS.

The design of the LG Optimus 2X Speed ​​was striking for that time with a sleek glass panel on the front. The ‘large’ display had a size of 4.0 inches, with a resolution of 800×480 pixels. At the top of the LG was an HDMI port, something that was ‘in’ in the past, because the Xperia Arc also had this. At the bottom were the stereo speakers, which helped ensure that the 2X was placed in the high-end segment.

The rear was striking on the Optimus 2X Speed. The smartphone had a plastic housing with a metal strip that read ‘with Google’. I found the finish of the camera to be a drawback. The device rested on the lens and the flash was a bit deeper, so that dust can quickly accumulate.

android and specs

LG released the phone with Android 2.2 Froyo on the market. The device received updates for a relatively long time before that time. We got the update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread after Froyo and support stopped with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. There was the own Optimus interface with its own bells and whistles.

Furthermore, the LG Optimus 2X Speed ​​was equipped with 512MB RAM memory, 8GB storage space and this could be expanded with a memory card of 32GB. I was not particularly positive about the 8 megapixel camera and the photos were often too dark and had a bad drawing. Filming was possible in 1080p Full-HD, but only with a frame rate of 24 fps. A 1.3 megapixel camera was placed on the front and the battery had a capacity of 1500 mAh. Incidentally, it was a real disadvantage at the time that there was no physical shutter button, but this has now been removed from many devices.

I also took the Optimus 2X Speed ​​to a concert while I owned it. If you are interested; then you will find the video below.

Issues

In the period that I used the device, I was not always happy with the device. The more gadgets, the more can go wrong with a device. That was certainly the case with the new features, as we know them. The Optimus 2X Speed ​​became slower and slower, got more hitches and even ended up in a recovery menu. Furthermore, for that time, especially in the beginning, it was a very impressive smartphone full of options.

The LG Optimus 2X Speed ​​was released in the Netherlands in mid-March 2011. The price of this smartphone was around 475-500 euros.

Optimus 2X Speed ​​summarized in 5 points:

• First dual-core smartphone
• Tap on the side for actions
• HDMI port
• Take screenshots without root
• 4.0 inch display