LG's Optimus G2 is no stranger to the leaky spotlight, having been the subject of many rumors and leaks in recent months. Today the still-unannounced device is starring in what is our clearest look at it yet, though, posing in the flesh for several photos that've been shared by Engadget.
The Optimus G2 shown in these photos looks fairly similar to the ones that we've seen previously. There's an earpiece and front-facing camera up top, and at the bottom of the phone's face sits an LG logo. Smack dab in the middle rests what is reportedly a 5.2-inch 1080p display, complete with a set of on-screen Android navigation keys, which is a departure from the capacitive buttons found on the original Optimus G (though LG does appear to have replaced the traditional on-screen Multitasking key with a Menu button, which was present on the first Optimus G). The bottom of the G2 appears to house a micro-USB port, headphone jack and speakers.
Around the back of the phone we can see the Optimus G2's camera, which is said to be of the 13-megapixel variety. One of the images in today's leak also offers a clear, close-up look at the volume controls that are placed directly beneath the G2's rear camera, just as a previous leak showed. Rounding out the Optimus G2's rumored spec list is a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor (LG has already confirmed the Snapdragon 800 part) and 2GB RAM.
Obviously we'll have to wait until the Optimus G2 is official and in our grubby paws before making any final judgments about it, but if the rumors hold true, LG's new flagship looks like it could be a pretty respectable high-end Android smartphone. The device is clearly different from its predecessor, sporting corners that are more rounded as well as on-screen navigation buttons, suggesting that LG may have gotten some inspiration from its work on the Nexus 4. Speaking of buttons, it'll be interesting to see what it's like to actually use those rear-mounted volume buttons.
LG has an event scheduled for August 7, and the company's recent teasers not-so-subtly hinted that the Optimus G2 will be the guest of honor. There's no word yet on when the G2 might actually hit store shelves, but this model is rumored to be headed for Sprint, which wouldn't be a huge shock since Hesse and Co. offered the OG Optimus G last year. Now we just have to wait for August 7 and LG's full announcement of its new smartphone. That may seem like a ways off, but considering how frequently this thing has been leaking recently, I wouldn't be surprised to see its face again before August 7 rolls around.
UPDATE: A brief video that shows the Optimus G2 in action has been posted to YouTube by user "4Leakz." The clip shows Android 4.2.2 running beneath a custom LG overlay, and it also shows that the device's model number is "LG-D803." Finally, the description of the video notes that in addition to the volume rocker being located beneath the back camera, the sleep button is placed directly between the volume keys.
