SINGAPORE — Despite creating some marvellous smartphones such as the Optimus G, LG has always found it tough to steal the limelight from top Android and smartphone manufacturer Samsung. But can the company’s latest phablet, the Optimus G Pro, change that trend?

Even though it is made of plastic, which attracts fingerprints easily, the Optimus G Pro actually feels well built. I also liked the ultra-thin bezel, which gives you more screen without adding extra bulk.

The device’s gargantuan 5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080p HD IPS display with a 401ppi is a marvel to look at. Watching videos — both HD and low-resolution — was a fantastic experience as the screen is much brighter than other Android smartphones. However, images and text on the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 are much sharper and better to view under sunlight due to their higher ppi ratings.

The Optimus G Pro is powered by a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor and runs on the Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2. As a result, this phone is super fast; opening and closing apps as well as switching between screens were instantaneous and HD games ran very smoothly. It was probably the fastest experience I have had on an Android smartphone.

The phone boasts a 3,140mAh removable battery — the highest capacity in the phablet class, according to LG. I was able to get a full day’s use after using it for calls, Web browsing, playing games, listening to music and viewing HD videos. Pictures with its 13-megapixel camera were decent but not as sharp as those taken on the HTC One or S4.

The LG Optimus Pro G is definitely the best phablet in the market now, thanks to its brilliant screen, good battery life and lighting-fast performance. But somehow, it is just not special enough to draw users away from the stunning smartphones other Android manufacturers already have in stores.