Smart Android And Trik-Commenting on Andorid indeed never endless, because smart devices this one is often updated every certain amount of time. So that the market can always be garapnya menerinya with pleasure. And it is not denied if this device has become the lifestyle of each society. To not wonder if the 6th business information and many are turning to mobail smartphone. With Android which thoroughly dominated the mobile industry, choosing the best Android smartphone is almost identical to choose the best smartphone, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is intense.
Introduction
The LG G7's fate seemed uncertain throughout the last couple of months as the company's new leadership was reviewing past and future projects. Well, the new management also happened to think G7 is what the maker needs to do next, and here is our first look at the LG G7 ThinQ.
It's obvious the ThinQ moniker has stuck since the V30S ThinQ, for better or worse. The AI is handled by Google for the most part, as usual, while the AI Cam is all LG. Everyone is doing AI on their phones, so we aren't sure why LG insists on slapping this ThinQ to the name, but who are we to judge, right?
Anyway, don't let the name fool you. The AI on the LG G7 is just a small part of an all-around flagship-grade package. And while LG didn't release the G7 at the MWC for the sake of the competition, it seems the LG G7 ThinQ employs all tricks we've seen in the current flagship crop.
One thing that stands out, ironically, it's not the ThinQ, but the notched 6.1" LCD display with super-wide 19.5:9 aspect. The resolution is superb at 1,440 x 3,120 pixels, while the LCD panel utilizes RGBW subpixels for a very bright picture.
The latest Snapdragon 845 is onboard, as is an updated dual 16MP camera on the back. The design is more or less the same, but that's hardly a surprise nowadays. There is a new Boom Box speakers setup onboard capable of simulating 7.1 surround sound. The full specs sheet follows.
LG G7 ThinQ specs
- Body: Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 5 front and back; IP68 certified for water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810G compliant
- Display: 6.1" RGBW IPS LCD, 3,120x1440px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 563ppi; HDR 10 compliant.
- Rear camera: 16MP f/1.6 primary camera with 71° field of view, OIS, laser phase/contrast detection autofocus. Additional 16MP f/1.9 wide-angle camera with 107 FOV, no OIS, fixed focus. 2160p/30fps video recording on both.
- Front camera: 8MP, 90° FOV; 1080p/30fps video recording.
- OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with LG UX, Android P update scheduled
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845: octa-core CPU (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver), Adreno 630 GPU.
- Memory: 6GB of RAM; 128GB storage; microSD slot.
- Battery: 3,000mAh Li-Po (sealed); QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging; WPC&PMA wireless charging; Qnovo battery tech.
- Connectivity: Single-SIM, Dual-SIM available in certain markets; LTE-A, 3-Band carrier aggregation, Cat.16/13 (1Gbps/150Mbps); USB Type-C; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS; Bluetooth 5.0.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader; Hi-Fi Quad DAC; 2 mics, Boom Box stereo speaker; 3.5mm jack.
And if you wondered what's the difference between the G7 ThinQ and the recently released V30S ThinQ, we've prepared this list for you.
LG G7 ThinQ over LG V30S ThinQ
- Added so-called 'screen horns' around the notch (thus taller display)
- RGBW IPS LCD vs. P-OLED
- 16MP wide-angle camera vs. 13MP
- Snapdragon 845 vs. Snapdragon 835
- 8MP selfie camera vs. 5MP
- Boom Box stereo speakers vs. single speaker
- Power key is now on the side vs on the back
- 3,000 mAh battery vs. 3,300 mAh
Obviously the G7 ThinQ isn't a massive upgrade over the first ThinQ smartphone, but it looks as up to date flagship as any. And now it's time to take a closer look at what's coming next month from LG, so let's meet this G7 ThinQ.
Design
The LG G7 ThinQ design is reminiscent of the recently released LG V30S ThinQ. But that's not a critique, this flagship season we saw little to none innovation in looks, in favor of major boosts to performance and camera.
So, the LG G7 is your typical glass-sandwich phone with a metal frame, that won't wow with the shape as it keeps it basic and stylish. The beauty lies elsewhere, though.
LG has carried over the stunning hues the V30S is available in and has introduced a new one - New Aurora Black. The rest of the colors include New Moroccan Blue, New Platinum Gray, and Raspberry Rose. We'll avoid the strange naming so let's just conclude this section by saying they all look awesome.
The G7's display is unlike any other LG to date, but a lot like most of the current smartphones. It's a notched LCD screen but it has something unique to show off - the tallest aspect ratio so far of 19.5:9. Fitting such a tall screen while keeping a relatively similar footprint means tiny bezels, while its underlying RGBW pentile matrix promises high brightness and OLED-like sunlight legibility with up to 1000 nits outdoor boost. How about that?!
There is just one issue - the resolution of 3,120 x 1,440 px adds even more to the gigantic Android fragmentation. Some apps might have a hard time dealing with all those unique aspects and resolutions. The iPhone X had massive issues at launch because of the notch and that was just one new phone that had all the backup in the world from its maker. Imagine the hell Android developers have to deal with nowadays.
But the potential issues aside, the screen looks as promising as it sounds. Its covered by an almost flat Gorilla Glass with barely noticeable 2.5D-finish. The colors look lively, it was quite bright, and you could hide the notch in a Huawei-like fashion if you like.
One thing that might bother some users is the offset earpiece. The selfie camera is what occupies the center of the notch, flanked by a couple of sensors on the left and the earpiece grille on the right. The P20 has a similar arrangement and we found no usability issues, just aesthetic concerns.
The aluminum frame is much thinner on the G7 than it was on the G6. This year it's not flat with chamfered edges, instead it slightly bends towards the front and rear glass panels.
The back is made of one of those 4D-curved glass pieces. This means a flush center and four curves towards each edge. This curvy shape makes the G7 look thinner than it actually is, and arguably - prettier. It may compromise the grip a bit, but we consider it as a fair deal.
The fingerprint scanner is still at the back - LG was the first one to put it there. But for the first time ever on the G series it doesn't act as a power/lock key. It's just a biometric sensor. Instead, the G7 now offers a dedicated power key on the right side, comfortable - yes, but this might disappoint the hardcore G fans.
The LG G7 ThinQ has a dual-camera on the back, but for the first time for the G-series - the setup has a vertical alignment. The sensors and lenses are quite familiar - 16MP + 16MP with f/1.6 normal lens and f/1.9 super wide-angle lens. The resolution of the wide-angle cam has increased but we are yet to see how the new sensor performs. The camera benefits from AI, just like most of the phones today, but we'll talk about this later.
Stereo speakers have finally arrived on the
The Google key • the bottom • the top has a mic and the SIM slot • the power key on the right
ThinQ stands for AI in LG's world and it even made it to the phone's model name. There is a dedicated hardware key on the left of the G7 (just below the volume buttons), which summons the Google Assistant. LG won't be allowing the option for changing its functionality at launch. Here's hoping this might change later on.
There is also this super far-field voice recognition possible with the new chipset, mics, and Google AI. The G7 can recognize your voice from up to 5 meters distance in noisy environments and launch Google's assistance in an instant.
Indeed, the LG G7 ThinQ looks promising and we are happy with its glass design and paintjobs. It's on par with the rest of the glass-sandwich phones we've seen lately, but when it comes to protection, the G7 beat them all..
In addition to the IP68 water-resistance rating, the phone is also MIL-STD-810G compliant for endurance to extreme conditions such as heat, moisture, and drops. It's a glass phone but features a special magnesium beam construction to dissipate shocks from drops. We are not sure how many drops it will survive, but it sounds better than the usual bunch of enhancements.
Chipset
LG was often using the previous Snapdragon model chipset as Samsung or other makers would deplete the whole stock of those. Well, that's no more. The LG G7 is powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset with an octa-core Kryo processor, Adreno 630 GPU, and 6 gigs of RAM. While that's not an achievement, it's a welcome improvement and we are glad LG managed to strike a deal with Qualcomm.
The latest chip means the G7 will benefit from all the latest innovations when it comes to graphics, modem and LTE speeds, battery charging, and, of course, AI.
Software
The LG G7 ThinQ runs on the latest Android v.8.1 Oreo. LG's own UX is the default launcher and it comes with its own take on the skin, settings, and default apps. The AI Pack 2.0 is onboard powered by Google's Assistant.
There is a dedicated hardware key to summon the Assistant. The G7 won't have the option to assign a different functionality to this key at launch, but LG is considering to allow this with an update.
And speaking of updates, LG G7 will get Android P but an exact date will be announced later on.
The G7 features a notch, but LG calls it a second screen and claims this is an enhanced version of the second screen from the V10 and V20. But no matter the name, the notch is there and thus it splits the top of the screen. It fits the usual - notification icons, status items, the clock and network bars.
LG offers two options for the notch - the same Huawei has - show and hide. If you choose to hide it, it will become black, but all the icons will remain there.
Camera
One major addition since the G6 is the AI to the camera. While technically the camera's hardware hasn't changed in a major way, the software is different.
The difference between Auto on the G6 and AI Cam on the new one is that in Auto, the G6 will adjust shooting parameters for a correct exposure, while the G7 ThinQ will be able to recognize the scene and change more, like saturation for instance, if it decides you're capturing food.
The LG G7 ThinQ has a similar setup to the LG V30S ThinQ - a 16MP main camera f/1.6 lens and a 16MP f/1.9 fixed-focus camera with a 120-degree super wide-angle snapper. The front camera is an 8MP unit with f/2.0 aperture and two field of view modes - a regular 82-degree and a wider 90-degree.
The G7's main camera is capable of rich scene recognition thanks to the power of AI. LG says there is no need for internet connection like other implementations. LG is using the feedback from its focus groups to continuously improve the camera AI algorithms.
The camera app has a dedicated night mode called Super Bright Camera, which produces well exposed photos in pitch dark conditions. This is done by pixel binning - the light gathered by four pixels is combined into one when trying to take a photo in 2 lux or less lit environments. The end result is a brighter, 4MP photo.
The mode doesn't kick in automatically (for now) but a notification tells you to switch if it detects suitable conditions. We hope to try this mode when we get the retail unit.
There is portrait mode available and it uses the wide-angle camera as a depth sensor. The effect preview is happening in real-time, and you can edit the photo after it's taken.
The front camera also allows for a simulated portrait mode, as this feature is pretty much a standard nowadays.
First impressions
The LG G7 ThinQ is shaping as a powerful and beautiful smartphone, on par with the current flagship crop. The latest Snapdragon surely helps the G7's case, the notched screen as well, and the inclusion of AI, gimmick or not, is appreciated.
It's just the LG G7 doesn't have a standout feature. Not that the G5's modular design helped its sales despite the stunning camera, but today every flagship has something to brag with. The iPhone has Face ID, the Galaxy has the variable camera aperture, the P20 Pro has a triple camera, the Xperia shoots 4K HDR video, the Mi Mix 2 has a borderless display.
The G7 has, well, what the others have, but nothing unique to be remembered with. And while we are huge fans of the wide-angle camera, apparently that's not a crowd winner third-generation in a row.
Hopefully, LG will do the smart thing and price the G7 below those Galaxies, P20s, Pixels, Xperias, iPhones, and make that the killer feature. It will be nice to see a well selling LG phone for a change. The company certainly deserves a winner.
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