LG G6 Review: A Practical Flagship LG G6 smartphone review: full screen adaptation of Lg g6 aspect ratio

Outside

To be fair, I would like to note: LG has implemented the idea of ​​"stretching" the screen in length in a smartphone. Nevertheless, it was the LG G6 that became the first mass-produced device on a global scale with a non-standard (so far) 18: 9 display, beating the Galaxy S8 by a week or two in most markets.

Except for this feature, the smartphone does not stand out much against the background of dozens of other current models: a metal frame, in two places "crossed" by antenna inserts, a glass back panel, slightly curved at the edges, a dual camera and a round fingerprint scanner in the middle of the back panel.

The scanner (small, flush with the rear panel, and therefore difficult to find) is aligned with the power button. Its atypical design is perhaps the biggest flaw in the LG G6's ergonomics. That is, after two weeks of use, I got used to this method of control, but I did not begin to experience the joy of it.

But the screen here is just magical. Not in terms of picture quality, although it is at a level worthy of a flagship, but in terms of how convenient the smartphone allows you to create a display of 18: 9 proportions (2: 1, 2880 by 1440 pixels) compared to the usual 16: 9. The 5.7-inch diagonal at these proportions does not turn the device into a clumsy phablet. It retains the familiar "grip" width and one-handed typing capabilities of the 5.2-inch models. The display can show the clock and notifications in white on black even when the unit is locked.

At the same time, for example, the text on each page fits no less than the 5.5-inch screen of the massive iPhone 7 Plus. The only "but": a standard 16: 9 video will be played with black bars at the ends of the smartphone, or, when scaling to the edge, a little picture will be lost from above and below.

LG G6 correctly displays high dynamic range video in HDR 10 and Dolby Vision formats. In such videos, you can see the slightest shade transitions both in the darkest and lightest areas of the image. The picture on the screen is easy to read even in direct sunlight, the display without an air gap almost does not glare.

Unlike most flagship models on the market, the front-facing glass (Gorilla Glass 3) is completely flat with no sloping "2.5D" edges. It seems to me that this was done for the sake of greater resistance to cracking when dropped. The back is also Gorilla Glass, but the fifth version: it is somewhat softer, tactilely resembles plastic in general, because of this, small scratches are collected faster, but it is more difficult to break it. LG is talking about the certification of the smartphone according to the American military standard MIL-STD 810G ().

To prove its outstanding impact resistance, the G6 was repeatedly dropped at the Russian presentation from a height of about 1.5 meters onto a hard porcelain stoneware floor. Except for small dents in the metal frame and scratches on the back, there was no damage. The device is resistant to the penetration of water or dust - the LG G6 can "swim" for up to half an hour at a depth of up to one and a half meters (IP68 certification). If LG kept the modular design of the G5 in the new generation of the flagship, this would be impossible.

Inside

Qualcomm's 2017 flagship system-on-a-chip - the Snapdragon 835 - did not get the LG G6. Business laws are harsh:. Instead, the smartphone is built on. The same chip is used, for example, in Google Pixel smartphones. LG has thus become the last major manufacturer to launch a flagship smartphone with the Snapdragon 821.

The rest of the characteristics are uniquely flagship: 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal memory, installation of two SIM cards or one SIM and microSD. There will be no performance problems even in the most demanding games, let alone regular applications. Of the advanced features of the Snapdragon 835, which LG G6 owners will not get, it is only worth regretting about.

Below you can see the results of testing the LG G6 in popular synthetic benchmarks. The smartphone is not "king of the hill", but it is located quite close to its top. Without tests, it is impossible to notice the difference with the leaders of the AnTuTu rating - the device works quickly and without freezes, while even in demanding games it heats up very moderately.

The battery capacity of the LG G6 (now non-removable) is 3300 mAh. This was enough for me with a good margin for a day of full use - by nightfall the indicator never fell below the 20 percent mark. In HD video playback mode at 50 percent brightness, the smartphone lasted 9 hours and 10 minutes. A full charge from scratch with a standard adapter supporting Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Camera, sound

The LG G6 camera has two 13-megapixel sensors, one of the lenses is standard, the other is ultra-wide (125-degree viewing angle is no joke). The first is a relatively standard smartphone lens with an f / 1.8 aperture, complemented by phase detection autofocus and an optical stabilization system. The second (f / 2.4 aperture) is perfect for shooting landscapes and architecture (an ensemble of some medieval square in Spain has a chance to fit into the frame as a whole), but it has neither optical stabilization nor autofocus. Yes, on other phones the same "wide-angle" is achieved by using panoramic shooting, but not in all situations it is possible to apply it. You can switch between lenses using the on-screen buttons, or you can smoothly zoom in and out of the picture by spreading and pinching your fingers on the screen. Unlike the iPhone 7 Plus, the moment of switching between the two modules is clearly visible, including when shooting a video.

Here's how the LG G6 shoots:

This and the next photo were taken from the same point with the regular and wide-angle lenses of the LG G6, respectively.

By clicking in a new tab, the original photo will open - note how the photo with the sky reflected in the river lacks sharpness

But for the opportunity to make such interesting shots, the blur of a wide-angle lens would be forgiven

Night shots are impressive, only often you have to manually reduce the exposure - by default, the smartphone tends to "overexpose" such scenes

When shooting against the sun, the device turns on the HDR mode, but the bright sky is inevitably blown out

Payback for the ability to fit into the frame something large from a short distance - geometric distortion

This picture was taken only in manual mode - automatically, the smartphone stubbornly refused to focus on the object in the middle, preferring the background. Open the photo in full size to see how detailed the fibers of the expanding kidney are. Since the shooting was carried out in manual mode, underexposure here is entirely on the photographer's conscience.

In my opinion, the LG G6 camera is empty and not perfect, but it is capable of producing quite "flagship" results, especially in a special manual mode; "automatic" occasionally misses the mark with exposure and color rendition. I was very impressed with the results of night shooting in the city. A wide-angle lens is indispensable in a number of situations, the main problem with it is the lack of clarity in many images. And it's not about the lack of stabilization: even photos taken in sunny weather at exposures of the order of 1/500 s look unclear on the monitor screen. But for viewing on a smartphone screen or posting to Instagram, clarity is acceptable. All photos taken during testing on the LG G6 can be seen at this link (Google Photos).

In Russia, LG sells a "premium" version of the LG G6: while America and Europe got the phone with a 32 GB built-in storage, Russia received not only 64 GB of memory, but also ESS 32-bit audio chip... This advanced digital-to-analog converter (even 4 DACs in one at once) with an excellent amplifier noticeably improves the sound of music - it becomes more space, "air", it is easier to distinguish between individual instruments and sounds. Note that the chip only works when transmitting sound through a cable.

Having tried the phone with the Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 over-ear headphones, I can say that wired music sounds more detailed and generally more pleasant than on the iPhone 7 Plus, noisy compositions "put pressure on the brain" less, the sound picture is more clearly drawn. There is no bias in the direction of any frequency range: both the bass and the high and medium ones were measured to our ears just right. And this is me about the sound of ordinary streaming mp3 from Google Play Music; well done 24-bit FLAC files sound amazing. There is nothing special to say about the built-in speaker, it is quite loud, but if the volume is turned to the maximum, distortions are inevitable. Perhaps today this is the best smartphone for audiophiles with high-quality headphones who do not want to bother with external DACs and amplifiers. Just keep in mind - when the "Hi-Fi" chip is turned on, the battery starts to run down one and a half times faster.

Interface and software features

LG G6 goes on sale with Android 7.0- despite the fact that the most current version of the Google mobile platform, already available for Pixel and Nexus smartphones, is 7.1.2. Not that users risk missing out on important features. Rather, the question is, how long will it take between the release of a new numbered version of Android and its appearance on the LG G6. You can focus on the experience of the previous flagship: LG G5 in Europe and the US began receiving Android 7.0 in December 2016, four months after the "nexus" with a clean version of the operating system, and the update ended only by February 2017. Last year's flagship G4 at LG at first refused to update to Android 7.0 at all, and only when the owners of the devices were indignant, they promised to do it ... in the third quarter of 2017 - that is, about a year after the release of this OS version.

The interface shell of the LG G6 cannot be called "clean" - a lot of things were painted on top of the classic Android... And the reason for this, apparently, is the same: the management of the Korean company is still confident that without "its" interface the device will lose to competitors. In fact, the non-standard interface only creates additional problems for users who, when switching from other smartphones, have to master many actions in a new way. However, most of LG's competitors have the same problems with the inability to ditch their own skins or keep modifications to stock Android to a minimum.

Some of LG's proprietary apps are really interesting: for example, "Square Camera" or "HD Voice Recorder" with a bunch of settings, able to record sound "high resolution" in FLAC format, with the function of adjusting the sensitivity for high-quality recording of loud concerts.

conclusions

The LG G6 is a great device. Yes, outwardly, this is an ordinary glass-metal block without design frills, but the "long" screen definitely refers it to a new generation of smartphones that remain comfortable and compact when the display diagonal grows to 5.7 inches or more. The LG G6 has one of the best cameras, only slightly inferior to the market leaders in automatic mode, but at the same time it can take interesting wide-angle photos. Finally, it is the perfect smartphone for those looking for the ultimate in portable sound quality. However, if 52,000 rubles does not burn your pocket, and you do not need a smart watch LG Watch Style without a heart rate monitor, you should wait a couple of months with the purchase - the price will certainly become more acceptable. At its current level, most buyers will find it very difficult not to be seduced by the futuristic streamlined shapes of the main competitor, which is now only about 6% more expensive.

Let's sum up the LG G6 review.

Pros:

Large "tall" screen with HDR content in a convenient body

Resistant to water and drops

Additional shooting options with a wide-angle camera

Owners of expensive headphones will appreciate the excellent sound thanks to the 32-bit DAC

Minuses:

Unobtrusive case design

Modifications in the interface shell that are not necessary for most users, the very existence of which makes it difficult to online system updates

High price at the start of sales

The past few years have not been the best for LG's mobile division. The LG G4 model with a leather back cover received a cold welcome from buyers, and the LG G5 was completely confused by an ill-conceived module system. At some point, it even seemed that LG would no longer be able to get out of this series of failures in the smartphone market. However, at Mobile World Congress 2017, the company unveiled a new flagship, the LG G6. From the very first glance, it becomes clear that it continues the glorious tradition of slim-bezel design that dates back to the G2. But what about the other specs of this smartphone? Let's take a closer look at the capabilities of the LG G6, and try to figure out if this model can help LG regain its lost ground.

Design and materials

The bezel design of the LG G6 is built around a 5.7-inch display that takes up almost the entire bezel of the smartphone. And in this case it is not an exaggeration at all, the frames around the screen of the LG G6 are really small. In this regard, it resembles the most successful models of the company: G2 and G3. Such a "return to basics", as for me, only benefited LG, the company abandoned the idea of ​​making a modular smartphone and focused on what is easier to convey to consumers. And a relatively compact smartphone with a large display is exactly what you need.

In the G6, LG has practically moved away from the latest smartphone design trends with a bias towards rounded shapes. At least the bezel glass is completely flat here, and the metal frame even creeps up a little on it.

The back of the LG G6 is no less expressive than the front, not least thanks to the unit with two cameras, as well as the power button with a fingerprint scanner. Together they look like the smartphone is very surprised to see you. Nevertheless, cameras, flash, as well as a fingerprint scanner are located symmetrically and given the successful colors of the body, the back side looks even stylish.

By the way, the LG G6 will be available in three colors: classic white and black, as well as platinum. Considering the glossy finish - they are all quite easily soiled, but it will be least noticeable in white and platinum.

There are no control keys on the front panel of the smartphone, they are virtual and located at the bottom of the display. Traditionally for LG in the settings, you can change the appearance of the panel with buttons, as well as their position and color.

The volume keys are located on the left side, they protrude from the body, so they are quite easy to find by touch.

On the right side, you can find only a slot for a nano SIM and a memory card. It is hybrid, that is, you can use either two SIMs, or one SIM and a microSD card.

On the bottom there is a microphone, a USB Type-C connector, and an external speaker.

At the top there is another microphone and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The dimensions of the case are 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm, which is only slightly larger than the models with a diagonal of 5-5.3 inches. For comparison, the dimensions of last year's flagship Galaxy S7 are 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm.

At first glance, the LG G6's body materials are simple: glass and metal. But in fact, they are more diverse than you might think. The fact is that for the front panel the company used Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass, for the back - Gorilla Glass 5, and for the unit with cameras - Gorilla Glass 4. LG does not explain this approach, however, this does not affect the consumer properties of the smartphone. ... Gorilla Glass 3 has the same hardness as new generations of protective glass, and is second only to them in strength. However, that didn't stop the LG G6 from passing 14 MIL-STD 810G durability tests in a lab. This means that the smartphone has increased shock and vibration resistance, and can be used by the US Department of Defense as well as NATO.

In addition, the LG G6 is protected against water and dust according to the IP68 standard, it can be immersed in water to a depth of 1.5 meters and for a period of up to 30 minutes.

Display

The LG G6 has a 5.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2880x1440 pixels (564 ppi) and an aspect ratio of 18: 9. Traditionally for LG, the screen demonstrates a high-quality picture with wide viewing angles.

The maximum display brightness according to our measurements reaches 422 cd / m2, the minimum is 3.3 cd / m2, the contrast is 1681: 1.

The screen provides more than 100% coverage of the sRGB color space, but by default its color rendition is rather "cold", it is at 7450K, but this can be corrected by activating the "blue color filter". The latter has three gradation modes, as well as the ability to switch the display to black and white.

The LG G6 display supports HDR 10 technology, which makes video images richer, but this works only in the Netflix and Amazon Prime Video apps so far.

The custom aspect ratio does not affect the display of Android apps, at least not the actual ones. They can be scaled to fit a 16.7: 9 aspect ratio, in which case the navigation keys and the status bar are displayed, or to the full 18: 9 screen.

The latter is true for games, but not all of them adjust correctly to this aspect ratio, so more often you have to run them with black bars on the sides of the screen. The same goes for watching videos. However, you quickly get used to this feature of a smartphone.

The LG G6 also has a feature to display information on the locked display.

It can be time, notification icons, or arbitrary text.

Platform and performance

LG G6 is built on the Qualcomm platform with a Snapdragon 821 processor, clocked at 1.6 and 2.35 GHz, as well as Adreno 530 graphics. In addition, the test version of the smartphone was installed 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded another 256 GB using a microSD card. As mentioned above, the card slot is hybrid. Wireless modules include Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2 with A2DP support and aptX HD codec. The A-GPS / GLONASS / BDS module is responsible for navigation.

Snapdragon 821 is a pretty "cold" processor, so even under load, the LG G6 practically does not heat up.

To date, in synthetic tests, the Snapdragon 821 no longer shows the most outstanding results, but this has absolutely no effect on the speed of the smartphone. This is still one of the top platforms and its performance will be enough with a margin for several more years.

Interface

Powered by LG G6 operating system Android 7.0 with proprietary LG interface. It allows you to flexibly customize the display of desktops, choose the style of icons and change the design themes.

You can, for example, arrange all applications on the desktops, or hide them in a separate menu. You can also customize animation, change the font and the number of displayed items on the desktops.

The drop-down notification curtain traditionally contains a quick settings panel and brightness control, while pulling it down reveals more options.

By default, the smartphone settings are divided into tabs and rather convoluted, but they can be switched to a list view, which is closer to the standard settings in Android 7.0.

There are quite a few pre-installed apps on the LG G6. There is a built-in file manager, a utility for cleaning RAM and temporary files from the drive, a QuickMemo + note-taking program with support for synchronization via Google Drive or Evernote, a task list, and LG Health with a pedometer and exercise tracking. Also worth noting is the application for recording audio, which allows you to do this with quality up to 24 bit / 196 kHz and save in FLAC.

Thanks to the 18: 9 aspect ratio in the LG G6, it is more convenient to work with two programs in one window, they display more information.

To do this, from the multitasking menu, you can minimize the application to one half of the window, and the other to the other.

This is convenient when you need to have additional information in front of your eyes.

The fingerprint scanner

The fingerprint sensor is located on the back of the LG G6, just below the camera block. It is not very large, but it is well located, so the index finger of both the right and left hands rests on it when you take the smartphone.

The scanner works quickly, and you just need to put your finger on it to unlock the display. It supports adding up to 5 prints.

Cameras

The LG G6 has two main cameras installed at once. One 13 megapixel camera with f / 1.8 aperture, 3-axis OIS and 71-degree viewing angle.

And the second - with the same resolution, but with an aperture of f / 2.4 and a wide-angle lens with a viewing angle of 125 degrees.

In good light:

In poor light:

A camera with a regular lens shoots better at night, but a wide-angle one is very useful if the subject does not fit into the frame. In general, the quality of the images is at a good level.

The front-facing camera in the LG G6 is 5-megapixel with f / 2.2 aperture and a 100-degree lens. In the camera menu, you can manually switch from wide angle to portrait mode.

Audio

A version of the LG G6 with a 32-bit digital-to-analog converter Hi-Fi Quad will be on sale in Ukraine, thanks to which the smartphone sounds really great.

There is only one external speaker in the LG G6, it has an average volume, apparently the protective membrane from water affects, but it is enough not to miss a call or notification. But the earpiece is really loud, it can be left at less than half the volume and the interlocutors will be perfectly heard even in noisy places.

The LG G6 has an FM radio, so you can listen to your favorite radio station and even record sound from it when you plug in your headphones.

In general, the musical capabilities of the smartphone are very broad and in this regard, it is one of the best on the market at the moment.

Autonomy

The battery built into the LG G6 has a capacity of 3300 mAh. Unfortunately, the PCMark autonomy test gave an error on the smartphone, so all three attempts to carry it out ended in failure. In everyday use, the smartphone provides more than a day of battery life with more than 6 hours of active screen.

This includes background syncing, use of instant messengers, social media clients, 30 minutes of calls a day, an hour in games and YouTube, and an hour of listening to music. That is, you can actively use your smartphone all day and not worry that it will not live until the evening. For a battery of this capacity, this is a good result. In addition, the LG G6 supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and charges via a USB Type-C port.

Site evaluation

Pros: design, materials, build quality, IP68 and MIL-STD 810G protection, display, performance, cameras, built-in 32-bit digital-to-analog converter, autonomy, fast charging

Minuses: easily soiled case, high price

Output: The LG G6 is a new flagship smartphone with a 5.7-inch display that takes up almost the entire bezel. This design has its origins in the LG G2, one of the company's most successful smartphones. Considering this fact, as well as a generally good set of characteristics, we can say that after a number of not very successful smartphones, LG managed to create a really interesting product. And even though this year's competition among flagships is as strong as ever, the LG G6 has something to stand out from their background. The strengths of the model include a large display in a relatively compact body, two cameras with good image quality, built-in DAC, housing protection according to IP68 and MIL-STD 810G standards. The LG G6 has practically no drawbacks, and the only serious thing for Ukrainian consumers will be the high price of a smartphone, which is generally typical for flagships from A-brands.

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On the way to success, you need to overcome many trials and gain invaluable experience. In the past, it has released a number of unconventional flagships and has managed to find the optimal solution that has received advanced features and really necessary innovations. LG G6 review will reveal the capabilities of a compact flagship, which received a moisture-resistant body and high-quality cameras, which is already enough for most buyers, but believe me, it is capable of more.

Specifications LG G6:

• Screen: 5.7 ", IPS QHD + FullVision, 2880x1440, 564 ppi
• Processor: Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 2.35 GHz
• Graphics Accelerator: Adreno 530
• Operating system: Android 7.0 (LG UX 6.0)
• RAM: 4 GB
• Built-in memory: 64 GB
• Memory card support: microSDHC up to 2 TB
• Communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz || LTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 38, 39, 40, 41
• SIM: nano-SIM + nano-SIM
• Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
• Navigation: GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS
• Cameras: main - 13 Mp, wide-angle - 13 Mp, front - 5 Mp
• Sensors: accelerometer, barometer, illumination, proximity, microgyroscope, fingerprint
• Battery: 3300 mAh (non-removable)
• Dimensions: 148.9x71.9x7.9 mm
• Weight: 163 grams

LG G6 design

LG G6 Plus review revealed that the smartphone received an all-metal body. Plastic inserts are neatly built into the ends and edges, which was done to improve the quality of communication reception.

The front side is covered by a 3rd generation Gorilla Glass protective glass, but you should not rely on it completely. For more confidence, it is better to stick on a protective glass, which is guaranteed to save in the event of a fall.

The right side is occupied by a combined tray, in which you can simultaneously place one SIM card in nano format together with a microSD card or a pair of nanoSIM.

On the left are the volume keys, made of metal.

A USB Type-C port is placed on the bottom edge, which surrounds a microphone and an external speaker.

Above - an additional microphone and a 3.5 mm minijack.

The back is made of metal, and when you hold the LG G6 in your hands, it cools your hand pleasantly. The manufacturer has thoroughly approached the development of a new device, providing it with all-round protection. So, the back side is also covered with a protective glass that protects against scratches and can save the life of the device in the event of a fall.

The central place of the upper part of the back is reserved for a dual camera module and a dual flash, which qualitatively illuminates pictures at night and can be used as a flashlight. The lenses are installed flush with the body and are covered with 3rd generation Gorilla Glass.

A mechanical power button was placed just below the camera, it is round and slightly recessed into the body so that it is easy to feel it blindly. A smart fingerprint scanner is built into it.

Smartphone LG G6 review leads to the conclusion that the build quality deserves the highest praise, even if you want to, then there is simply nothing to complain about. The manufacturer's attention to detail is felt. he did everything to make the device as high-quality and interesting as possible. As part of the review, we managed to find out that the case has received protection against moisture and dust according to the IP68 standard. In addition, the manufacturer even carried out his tests according to the military standard, which he passed with success. The device is able to survive not only a walk in the rain, but also bathing, as well as getting dirt.

The manufacturer managed to reduce the frames to the maximum, due to which, with a 5.7-inch display diagonal, the device turned out to be even smaller than last year's flagship LG G5 with a 5.2-inch diagonal. In comparison with its predecessor, the ratio of the screen to the total area of ​​the front panel has also improved - 79%. Thanks to this feature, it is convenient to use the phone even with one hand, holding it in the middle of the case, so that you can easily reach both the lower navigation keys, which are on the screen, and the upper curtain with notifications. A big plus is the case width - only 71.9 mm.

The smartphone even covers the protective glass on both sides, but you cannot call it slippery - a matte metal edging runs along the perimeter of the case, preventing it from slipping out of the palm.

Display

Our LG G6 review in Russian moves on to a screen that boasts an excellent achievement - it became the world's first IPS display that combines an aspect ratio of 18: 9 and QHD + resolution. In order to make the case as compact as possible with modern technology development, the corners of the screen are rounded in an unusual way.

The Lg G6 display received support for HDR10, as well as Dolby Vision, which came from the manufacturer's popular TVs on the world stage. But for an ordinary user, these technologies are unlikely to be useful in the foreseeable future, since they are available only in a special format of videos, which are still very rare. During the review, we were delighted with the display, it impresses with the palette of colors, and when playing special content, it is capable of delivering an extended dynamic range.

Even without considering the characteristics and deepening into theory, it becomes clear that we have one of the best screens in the mobile market. It is covered with a solid oleophobic coating, boasts natural color reproduction, no air gap, gorgeous viewing angles and correct factory calibration that accurately displays white light. This is a great rarity, in most gadgets you have to customize the display for yourself after purchase, and then you don't even want to delve into its settings. The brightness reserve is simply huge - at the maximum with a smartphone it is convenient to work in the bright sun, and at the minimum level it does not blind the eyes. There is an automatic brightness control that quickly reacts to changes in the environment around you.

The LG G6 full review revealed support for the blue filter, which will be especially helpful for extended reading and phone use, reducing eye strain. An interesting feature is that when the device is in sleep mode, the display does not completely go out, but displays a black and white background with the time and current date. If this option is not useful to you, then it can always be removed in the settings. In an active state, it removes approximately 1% of the charge per hour. You can set up unblocking with a double tap on the screen or set a unique combination of taps in different parts of the display.

Performance LG G6

LG G6 specifications are based on one of the latest chips - Snapdragon 821, which is powerful enough to perform any task with a margin of at least several more years. The processor not only received an increase in power, but also became more energy efficient and heats up less. The LG G6 has a copper heatsink, which reduces the temperature inside the case by 6-10%, which eliminates the possibility of overheating. This approach has great advantages - the processor, albeit not the newest, but heats up less, improves autonomy and costs an order of magnitude less, which for many will be a key factor when choosing.

LG G6 specifications provide for the presence of a graphics accelerator Adreno 530. The amount of RAM can be considered optimal - 4 GB, the built-in memory is also not spared - 64 GB according to the UFS 2.0 standard, which provides high read and write speeds. But if this may not seem enough to you, then you can install a microSD card with a capacity of up to 2 TB.

No matter how hard you try to load your smartphone, it copes with everything. You can open a dozen pages in the browser at the same time, they scroll smoothly and are not unloaded from memory. During the review, we tested the LG G6 in many games, where there was always a high fps on the maximum graphics. There were no problems with displaying games and video content with a non-standard aspect ratio of 18: 9. There are three options for launching games, you can choose any of them: with minimal black borders on the right and left, across the entire display area, as well as in the automatic selection format.

LG G6 h870ds smartphone review found another interesting feature - an integrated 32-bit DAC, which provides excellent sound quality in a headset. The volume reserve is great, especially if you use good headphones. The spoken speaker transmits the voice of the interlocutor without distortion and boasts a solid volume reserve. The multimedia speaker sounds loud and produces clear sound with all frequencies clearly audible.

Wireless interfaces

A review of the characteristics of the LG G6 confirms that the device supports the latest wireless standards, including 4G +, Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, and an NFC chip. All interfaces are fast and stable. GLONASS and GPS can be used to navigate the terrain. They are well calibrated - it takes a few seconds to connect to satellites, and when you restart it, you don't have to wait at all.

Autonomy LG G6

The smartphone received a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3300 mAh. On average, it is enough for one day of battery life with almost 6 hours of display activity. In continuous video playback mode, the LG G6 lasted 8 hours at the brightness limit, and playing Asphalt 8 with an active WI-Fi connection drains the battery by 22% in an hour.

There is support for fast charging technology, but it only works when using the included charger. Charging time LG G6 from zero to one hundred is 1 hour 49 minutes.

LG G6 interface

The gadget works on the Android 7 OS, but with the preinstalled LG UX 6.0 shell. The first thing that catches your eye is the absence of an application menu, they are all sorted on the desktop. If there are a lot of them, then you can conveniently distribute everything into folders, depending on the category of the application. Google services, programs from LG and several popular solutions from other developers are already preinstalled out of the box. There is software for transferring user data from an old device.

Cameras

We start the LG G6 camera review and immediately find an interesting feature. Typically, a dual camera design contains a main module with an advanced performance and another worse. It is used as an auxiliary for getting original shots with bokeh effect. LG engineers decided to take a different path, abandoning the blurring effect of the background, here the dual module plays a slightly different role. It is based on two identical Sony IMX258 sensors with a resolution of 13 megapixels. You can freely switch between them while shooting. Each module is good in its own way, but there are a number of differences.

The first camera, which we see to the right of the cover, received a classic lens with a 71-degree field of view. The aperture is 1.8. The design of the matrix is ​​a three-axis optical stabilization, and phase detection autofocus is used to quickly target the subject.

Another module, located to the left of the flash, is wide-angle (viewing angle 125 degrees) and has a higher aperture - f / 2.4. With its help, it is possible to obtain the effect of "fish eye" and capture more space in the picture. The quality of shooting for both modules is approximately equal.

LG G6 64gb review showed that a manual shooting mode is available for advanced users, in which you can set each of the parameters for yourself: shutter speed from 1/3200 to 30 seconds, ISO from 50 to 3200, take control of focusing control. There is a separate “square” mode for quickly creating pictures for Instagram. During daytime shooting, each of the modules proved to be excellent, you can see an example in the photo below.

When shooting at night, the noise reduction works quite aggressively, with enthusiasm, noises become noticeable. Thanks to good optics and optimization of algorithms, decent footage can be obtained in almost any conditions.

LG G6 review in Russian introduces the fact that you can take pictures in RAW format out of the box. It is available when shooting in manual mode.

The front camera is built on the basis of a 5 megapixel module, which does not shine with quality. The field of view is slightly increased compared to standard lenses, which allows more space to be captured in the frame, even if you are not using a monopod.

Video is shot in 4K resolution at 30 fps and in FullHD at 60 frames per second. The user has the opportunity to set his own settings. Other advantages include the sound is recorded in stereo, the microphones are well calibrated and do an excellent job of suppressing external noise.

Output

Review of LG G6 h870dsu black Android 7 has come to an end, so let's slowly sum up. The smartphone can be called balanced. During the review, only minor flaws were found that you do not notice in practice and you just do not want to let go of it. The main plus is the display, which can be called one of the highest quality on the market, and it is also very easy to operate with one hand. Battery life, sound quality, design and build quality of the case, nothing raises any complaints. Water and dust resistance and a unique dual camera module with a wide-angle lens are good news.

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Advantages: - long standby time. It takes 5-6 percent per night. This is despite the fact that almost everything is included, except for wi-fi. Battery life is not that outstanding, but overall good for this kind of performance and screen. - excellent cameras, I especially liked the wide-angle one due to the ability to shoot the whole situation up close. A bunch of manual settings, stabilization of the first camera, excellent photo and video quality. The video records sound very cleanly. - both practical and beautiful body. A 5.7 screen is inscribed in a small size, while there are still small frames and no rounding of the screen on the side, this is convenient in terms of the absence of false positives and the probability is higher that the screen will survive if it falls. Convenient to hold with 1 hand and carry in jeans pocket. - a bunch of handy features: face unlocking, always on displey (by the way, it turns off itself and does not eat the battery if the phone is in the dark in your pocket, or lies screen down), fast charging, which is super convenient, turning on the phone with a double tap of the screen, turning on the camera by double pressing the volume down and a bunch of everything else, very convenient. - does not overheat, even when you charge and watch a video at the same time, very slightly warm. - rather loud speaker. On my previous phone, even without waterproofing, the sound was quieter. Disadvantages: - the light sensor does not work as well as on some other models. That is, you set the auto brightness at medium illumination as you need, move to a darker place and it turns off the screen more than you would like, and abruptly, but does not do it right away, he thinks for a long time. And constantly, somehow jerkingly jumps. But this is only in battery saving mode. - the interface is ugly in some places or somehow disorganized and disproportionately designed. Ugly design of a dialer, for example. Some other brands are much nicer for my taste. In general, the interface has a feeling of some kind of heterogeneity - for example, I wanted to change the fonts for myself, but all the same, somewhere the fonts are too large, somewhere too small. There is no sense of wholeness. - some minor software inconveniences. Personally for me. For example, if the power saving mode is turned on, I put it on charge for a couple of minutes to maintain the charge level so that later it will be enough, the saving mode turns off and when you remove it from charging it does not come back, you need to manually return it. Commentary: Overall, the phone is excellent. I bought it for 38 thousand on a prepaid basis with a discount. For such a price, I think there are no competitors, and despite minor flaws (and is there something perfect? ) overall the best phone on the market. No one else has such proposals for both an audio DAC, and IP68, and the penultimate processor, and good cameras, one of which is shirik, and all sorts of chips such as fast charging, and a bunch of everything else. And at the same time, a normal screen without any of this rounded absurdity when the screen comes to the sidewalls, jack 3.5, all the advantages of an android in the form of an open system, memory cards, 2 sim. By the way, the rounding of the screen in the corners practically does not affect anything, but it looks interesting. And the aspect ratio of 18: 9 does not really affect anything, except that small black bars appear on the side in full screen mode on YouTube. In general, the phone is very convenient and pleasant to use. It simply performs all the functions and no compromises like some - like a fast and good device, but there is no water protection, you are afraid to get caught in the rain or spill water ... Or everything is fine, but there is no 3.5 jack and good audio. Or something else. And there is everything. And it works, at least for now, quickly, smoothly, pleasantly and efficiently. Update: I was at a concert recently. The lighting is very complex. Everyone who took a photo next to it received an overexposed disgusting picture when from the stage light there was just a white spot instead of a face. With the help of manual settings, LG managed to get a very high-quality photo, all other phones have photos in auto mode as if from the 90s. It also perfectly writes video and sound in it, was next to the speakers and despite this there was no overload, wheezing, unlike most phones when the powerful sound of a concert overloads the microphone and, as a result, not sound, but wheezing

In 2017, LG took a step that was not standard for the industry - it did not delay the release of the flagship in order to use the latest processor (as competitors did), but settled on the Snapdragon 821, for which it was criticized by both geeks and a number of expert publications. Nevertheless, LG G6 turned out to be an extremely interesting device, and the importance of a more powerful processor turned out to be exaggerated.

LG G6 specifications:

• screen: IPS, 5.7 inches (2: 1), resolution 2880x1440 pixels
• platform: 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
• RAM: 4 GB, ROM: 64 GB (+ microSD)
• main camera: 13 MP (f / 1.8) 13 MP (f / 2.4), front camera: 5 MP
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C, GPS
• battery: 3300 mAh
• accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, fingerprint scanner
• dimensions: 148.9x71.9x7.9 mm, weight: 163 g
• OS: Android 7.0

Appearance

LG's current flagship has moved away from the emphasis on metal and leather - as it was in the past and the generations before last, respectively - in favor of a glass surface on the back, curved closer to the ends, and a metal frame around the perimeter. The bezel also surrounds the glass at the screen, which makes the surface more resistant to drops than competitors with a bulging 2.5D glass, albeit less spectacular in appearance.

The LG G6 looks restrained in black and white, but the platinum version seems to be the most interesting. It has a clearly visible relief similar to that of polished metal, and a glass overlay on top gives the effect of gloss. Custom colors are the best option to stand out in the world of similar devices and not sacrifice the convenience of the simplest form.

The device received protection against dust and moisture according to the IP68 standard, and also confirmed 14 parameters according to the more stringent MIL-STD 810G (including resistance to drops, temperature extremes and solar radiation, for more details on the official website). Achievement is great, given the glass body.

The layout of the controls is standard for LG, the connectors are also installed in the usual places, the ergonomics have not suffered: the buttons are tight enough so that there are no accidental operations, your fingers rest exactly on them when you take the LG G6 in your hand. The build is perfect, as you'd expect from a top-end device.

The smartphone is comfortable to use, including with one hand, which was facilitated by the narrow body and adequate height. The engineers were able to make the LG G6 just like that due to the small bezels around the screen and a new aspect ratio.

LG G6 and iPhone 7 Plus:

Display

The LG G6 offers a 5.7-inch display with an 18: 9 2: 1 aspect ratio, which is more elongated than the vast majority of smartphones and close to. The new ratio gave a higher resolution - 2880x1440 pixels. Pixel density is enough for everything, especially when you consider that the actual screen area is comparable to 5.2- and 5.3-inch screens with a 16: 9 ratio.

New ratio

The new aspect ratio presented an additional menu where the user chooses between three modes: 16: 9 (the application is magnetised to the top edge or is placed in the center if the navigation bar is not displayed by default, for example, in games), 16.7: 9 (stretching to touch buttons) and 18: 9 (full screen mode).

The software selects the 16.7: 9 mode by default, this is the optimal solution for any application. Changing the aspect ratio does not affect the text, which is critical for book readers and social media clients.

2:1

Video in most places is displayed with black bars on the left and right, the stock video player offers several picture settings, including filling the entire area:

Some applications allow you to redirect the stream to another player (for example, pre-installed in LG G6), so you can get rid of black bars in the same MEGOGO. It's a shame YouTube doesn't offer this option.

Optimizing the aspect ratio for full screen indicates that the application may not be fully displayed, because in this mode the window is stretched (and the edges are cropped along the long sides). Most games do not get in the way of cropping the interface, but if there are small elements on the screen near the edges, the aesthetics suffers. The difference is clearly seen in the Super Mario Run popup:

The situation will improve, as developers are already optimizing applications for the new ratio. How long it will take for all applications to receive support for narrower screens is not yet clear, but devices with similar display proportions will become more and more, and therefore software manufacturers will attend to consumer comfort. The same SimCity BuildIt and Clash of Clans are already showing correctly.

Picture

Screen technology - IPS, users get accurate color reproduction with the caveat of slightly overestimated saturation (a common practice to increase the attractiveness of an image). It's nice that the initial calibration doesn't make you want to tweak anything, although some users may not like the cold tone. The latter can be corrected by activating the reduced eye strain mode.

Other parameters, be it viewing angles, contrast or brightness, also did not fail - any content looks great. In addition, the minimum brightness is very low, which is convenient for using the device at night in bed.

There are no flexible picture settings, as well as preset modes, only the initial configuration, which is unusual, but appropriate given the initially good image. The only deviations from the basic mode are Dolby Vision and HDR10, which are available in some videos, such as the Netflix catalog. However, now this is almost the only place with HDR support on a smartphone.

LG G6 in the locked state is able to display service information, including the time and icons of applications that received notifications. Functionally, it is exactly the same Always On as in.

Camera

The LG G6 continues to exploit the dual camera theme with a wide (71 degrees) and very wide (125 degrees) viewing angles configuration. This design covers most shooting scenarios with a smartphone camera, since much more space can be accommodated in the frame, albeit with distortion:

This mode is often useful: when shooting a large company, on tourist trips, when you want to capture a large space, but there is no way to step back (especially important for concerts and other shows with places assigned to each visitor). There are many scenarios, and they are not far-fetched: users will most likely often switch between different lenses, especially given the instant transition from one camera to another.

The image quality is excellent in favorable conditions: excellent detail, delicate processing algorithms, fast autofocus, natural colors. On a smartphone screen, images seem overly sharp and slightly overexposed, but on social networks and on a PC monitor or in a photo frame, they look much better. HDR has also proven to be effective and can be used on a consistent basis.

However, the camera cannot be called ideal due to the fact that with a large amount of light and the presence of bright objects in the frame, the automation sometimes overestimates the exposure, in the frames this leads not only to a pale veil, but also flares in the brightest areas. Other flagships do better with similar scenes due to more accurate metering. This feature can be corrected with firmware, since it is caused exclusively by the operation of automation.

Photo in original resolution.

The second significant drawback was the failures in the autofocus during macro photography, which forced to take three or four photos in the worst case, and the first time the correct result was achieved only in 60% of attempts. The result is not bad, but competitors are doing better. Again, there is a chance that the software update will tighten this parameter as well.

The result is a good camera with useful dual lens functionality (arguably the most useful implementation available on the market). LG G6 works in some scenarios a little less reliably of the best representatives of the class, but there is no need to talk about a significant lag behind competitors.

Performance

The LG G6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, which delivers the expected numbers in synthetic benchmarks:

There is enough power to run any games available on Android, albeit with a number of conventions. For example, in Modern Combat 5, you should play with a 30 fps limit, since on average the user gets 40 fps with periodic drawdowns up to 35 fps if the limit is turned off. In addition, the user cannot adjust graphics higher than "Optimal". Asphalt 8 operates at an average of 29 fps, in the most saturated moments the frequency drops to 26 fps.

The result is comfortable, but not impressive, which caused the screen resolution to be used to its full in games, and not in the enhanced performance mode with a decrease to "near full HD", as some competitors implement. However, the settings hide the mode for switching the resolution and frame rate in games, there are three options available: original resolution, full HD and HD. The description of the menu says that this is necessary to save battery, but in practice it is useful to increase productivity.

The device uses 4 GB of RAM, which is enough for complex multitasking: two or three games and a dozen applications are adjacent to each other and do not slow down the work, switching between them takes place instantly. The work of applications does not raise any questions: high frame rate, quickly come off, correctly rendered. Not an achievement for a flagship, but rather a mandatory indicator, because it is good that it is met.

A distinctive feature of all smartphones with Snapdragon 821 is the minimum heating under heavy loads, this feature has been retained by the LG G6. It was possible to achieve an uncomfortable temperature only after half an hour of playing with simultaneous streaming of images via Miracast.

Autonomy

The LG G6 with a 3300 mAh battery provides 6 hours of active screen with 30 hours of standby time. Such results were obtained with an active "always-on display", 30 minutes of video on YouTube, three mailboxes, two messengers, where there was a lot of correspondence, three social media clients, a dozen useful programs and a 15-minute photo session.

The result is slightly better than that of the LG G6, which puts the LG G6 in the position of "long-liver" among the flagships

The device heats up at high loads, but the temperature remains within comfortable limits, and the discharge occurs evenly both with lazy scrolling through the social media feed, and with constant switching between the browser, messenger and mail with parallel copying, editing and sending images. In games, obviously, the battery runs out faster - on average, it was enough for 3-3.5 hours of playing GTA: Vice City (with a standard saturated stream of notifications).

The device supports Quick Charge 3.0 and USB-PD - the latter standard is becoming a requirement for Android smartphones with a USB Type-C connector, which means that 18W smartphone chargers will soon become the norm in the market.

The test copy came without a complete charger, therefore it is impossible to draw unambiguous conclusions about the speed of power recovery, but with Quick Charge 2.0 the process took almost two hours.

Communication and sound

The external speaker of the device is one, it is louder than most current flagships, but the maximum level breaks down to a slight wheeze and crushes the audio range, it is uncomfortable to listen not only to songs, but also to the voice in conversational videos. The optimal level is about 80%, however, even so the LG G6 is louder than the iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S8. At the same time, quality does not win anything.

Where the LG G6 beats all the competition is in headphone sound. The smartphone adopted from the autumn collection of flagships (V-series) a 32-bit Quad DAC DAC, capable of working out frequencies in more detail, adding volume and increasing the range. On cheap "drops" and MP3 tracks with a 128-bit stream, the difference is not noticeable, but good headphones reveal the advantage of a DAC, especially when paired with more or less high-quality recordings.

It is unlikely that all LG G6 users will buy good headphones, so they will not appreciate the advantage, but an enthusiastic audience will be delighted. The company seems to understand this too, because the LG G6 + kit includes advanced earbuds from B&O Play

The radio modules correspond to the flagship positioning, there are no complaints about the work either. During testing, once the phone stopped receiving packets from Wi-Fi 802.11ac, but disabling-activating the module solved the problem, and it was not possible to repeat the failure, therefore it did not work out exactly whether the smartphone was to blame.

Additional features and features

The smartphone runs Android 7.0, the stock functionality lacks only support for several local profiles, but this is true for most smartphones in general. The proprietary features of the shell - an extended clipboard, its own "zero" screen, quick notes and more - remained in their usual places. Special thanks for the extended dock (up to seven apps!), Which is lacking on many smartphones.

The fingerprint scanner works perfectly, it is combined with the "Home" button, which is built into the back under the camera. The location is good: when you take the smartphone in your hand, your finger rests exactly on the scanner.

The elongated screen presented another additional function for the camera - a separate application with four shooting options. You can immediately make a collage of two or four photos, use a snapshot or picture as a mask (for example, to correctly observe the perspective on the same type of frames), use the preview and the viewfinder at the same time. It's a pity that photos in these modes will only be square.

The LG G6 is the first non-Google smartphone to feature the new Google Assistant. This product is more sociable than Google Now, and even smarter, but it does not yet know the Russian and Ukrainian languages, which is why it will have to speak with it in English (and use the English interface of the smartphone).

Most of the services work in Ukraine, including finding cafes nearby or managing content in applications (for example, searching for emails in Gmail), but also in English only, which makes it impossible to ask what time Blockbuster is open, since the Assistant will not understand that we are talking about a specific cinema, and recognizes the name as the word Blockbuster. If you use Russian or Ukrainian interface language, the familiar Google Now will work.

Competitors

LG G6 is available on the Ukrainian market in three colors: platinum, white and black. There is only one modification: 64 GB of permanent memory. A variation of the device for the American market received inductive charging, but smartphones are sold in Ukraine without it, but with an advanced DAC. The retail price tag is UAH 21,999.

Offers a luscious AMOLED display (also elongated), the best camera on the market and a futuristic look due to the curved edges of the screen. Its performance is higher, but in everyday use it is not felt, at least now, but the autonomy is slightly worse, and the price is higher - 24,999 UAH in official retail.

It occupies the position of an economical flagship, which by the current generation is expressed only in the price and intricacies of the firmware. The device does not boast of a new aspect ratio, but it keeps the bar for a cool appearance and flaunts the most powerful Snapdragon 835. The Chinese flagship takes lower quality photos and is not so well protected from external influences, it also lacks a headphone jack, but it costs only 12,500 - 14,500 UAH ...

A smartphone that is more traditional in terms of appearance in most other parameters competes on an equal footing with the LG G6, if you omit all the same protection and a separate Hi-Fi chip, and the configuration of the dual camera is not so interesting from the point of view of use cases - here the second module is monochrome, for getting more details. A good option for 20 thousand UAH, if you do not want to mess with a non-standard aspect ratio of the screen.

conclusions

LG G6 pleases: compact body, cool screen, useful implementation of a dual camera, advanced DAC. Nice appearance and glass panels on the front and back did not prevent the introduction of support for the IP68 standard and even confirm a number of points for compliance with the military standard MIL-810G - this is the most secure top-end smartphone on the market.

The new aspect ratio hurts the feeling of beauty when you use unoptimized software, but the software situation improves quickly, and you get used to small distortions quickly. The speed of work, the current version of Android and proprietary software features help to overcome the aesthetic disorder, and the elongated screen attracts enough attention to itself not to pay attention to the logo under the display.

The smartphone is good in everyday use: you want to twist it once again in the light, check social networks, take a picture of a beautiful building. It is stylish enough to pass for a fashionable accessory, but also reasonably strict - a businessman can put it on the table during negotiations and not collect the grins of his interlocutors. The screen is not as futuristic as the curved or almost frameless variations of competitors, but it is more convenient to use.

The cost of the device is high, but fair if you look at the competitors, most of which do not know how to reproduce high-quality sound in headphones and do not meet military protection standards. The elongated screen also makes you pay extra, but this is normal for any fresh technology. All in all, we get a cool, comfortable, stylish and expensive smartphone, as befits a flagship.

6 reasons to buy LG G6:

• appearance
• good screen
• wide-angle camera
• IP68 dust and water resistant and MIL-810G compliant
• dimensions with display size
• headphone sound

2 reasons not to buy the LG G6:

• the camera is inferior to a number of flagships in quality
• sometimes loses in demanding games to competitors