Although AT&T have yet to officially announce the LG Escape 2, a browse through the websites shows this model as being available. The device is available on the Next 12 plan at 20 monthly payments of $9, on the Next 18 for twenty four payments of $7.50 or the Next 24 at thirty payments of $6. It’s $0.99 on a two-year contract or $179.99 full retail.
For the money, the Escape 2 is based around a 4.7-inch, 720p resolution (that is, 720 by 1,280 pixel) curved display. It’s powered by a 64-bit, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor clocked at up to 1.2 GHz and backed up by 1 GB of RAM. Customers benefit from 4G LTE networking plus high-speed WiFi. There’s 8 GB of internal storage, which may be supplemented by the MicroSD card slot, which takes cards of up to 32 GB capacity. There’s a 8.0MP rear facing main camera and a 1.0MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calling. Under the skin, LG have given the Escape 2 a replaceable 2,100 mAh battery and the device runs LG’s custom user interface over Android 5.0 Lollipop. As with many recent LG devices, the Escape 2 comes with the rear power and volume buttons.
The Escape 2’s software includes a number of LG’s value-added features including QSlide multitasking window, which allows the user to show two applications side by side. It also includes KnockOn and the KnockCode for unlocked and using the device. There’s Quick Memo+ onboard, which is especially useful for making notes during calls, plus the ability to take a selfie by using a wave of the hand with Gesture Shot.
AT&T’s Escape 2, then, is an affordable alternative to the G Flex 2 or G4, but contains very much watered down specifications with some of the neat software features. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 is a respectable chipset and a 720p resolution display on a 4.7-inch screen is, again, respectable: it’s enough power and screen estate to run two QSlide applications side by side. Whilst 1 GB of RAM may be a disadvantage, the biggest compromise appears to be in the photography area, but this is partially because the G4 (especially) has a superb camera. If you’re looking for a curved display and are not so bothered about smartphone photography, you might want to take a look at the Escape 2.