Will the new LG G2 be a worthy rival to Samsung Galaxy S4?

Going by the initial positioning and hype surrounding it, electronics major LG's G2 smartphone might prove to be a tough competitor to Samsung Galaxy S4. Or even to the yet-to-be-released Samsung Galaxy Note III and the next-generation Apple iPhone. The LG G2, which was launched on Wednesday, runs on the latest Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. It boasts of a 5.2-inch display - slightly bigger than that of the Galaxy S4 - and thinner bezels to optimize the space. "Fully tailored and tightly integrated with the entire next G series platform, the Snapdragon 800 processor in the LG G2 is designed to deliver blazing fast web browsing, eye-popping graphics, seamless connectivity as well as an unmatched multimedia experience," says a statement. It is also touted to be one of the fastest Android smartphones in the market, with a 2 GB built-in RAM.

What takes the cake as far as the aesthetics and utility of the phone are concerned, however, is the placement of its power and volume buttons. In a groundbreaking design, LG places the buttons under the primary camera on the rear, which it says would be easier to operate as users tend to keep their index fingers on the back cover of a phone.

The G2 runs on a 2.26 GHz quad-core processor, which might be more powerful than the octa-core processor on Galaxy S4. As for its display, it is a 5.2-inch FullHD IPS (1080 x 1920 pixels/423 ppi), with a memory of 32GB/16GB RAM. The flagship smartphone of LG has a 2GB DDR3 front camera and a 13MP rear one, like the Galaxy S4.

By all means, it should take the fight to Samsung Galaxy S4, if not win it.