Review of Lg G7 Thin Q From Project Fi
In a vacuum, the LG G7 ThinQ would probably be in the running for best Android telephone of the year. But when because everything else on the market (including LG's own handsets), LG might take been better off just skipping the G7 entirely.
Adam Patrick Murray/IDG With the notch visible, the G7 looks a niggling unbalanced
That'southward not to say it'southward a bad phone (annotation my 4-star rating), or fifty-fifty i I wouldn't recommend. It's just that there's zip virtually the G7 that volition matter a year from now. It's a proficient phone with adept looks and proficient specs, simply in a sea of good phones with good looks and practiced specs, there'due south nothing about the G7 that really stands out—even amidst LG hardware.
Replace the G7's Snapdragon 845 processor with a Snapdragon 835, and you've pretty much got the V30S ThinQ, which in plough is a modified V30. Accept abroad the G7's brandish notch, and you lot take the AT&T- and Google Fi-sectional V35. In fact, there'due south and so fiddling separating LG's last four phones, the G7's existence only draws attention to the company'south need to consolidate its premium lines.
A notch by whatever other proper noun
As a sequel to the G6, the G7 ThinQ has pretty much everything you'd wait it to have. The screen size has increased from v.7 inches to vi.1 inches (albeit with a notch), it has the latest Snapdragon processor, and the camera has received a megapixel boost and a dose of AI. Basically, this update checks off all the boxes.
Christopher Herbert/IDG The LG G7 actually looks better with its notch than without.
Let's start with the nearly controversial feature: the so-called new second screen. That'due south what LG is calling the surface area around the notch on the G7, but if you're thinking the G7 has revived the V20's best characteristic, y'all're going to exist disappointed. First off, the second screen is merely an extension of the actual display. And second, information technology doesn't offering any functionality beyond the standard status bar, and the but customization features to speak of are a scattering of very odd color options. I can't imagine why anyone would want to use anything other than a black bar (as seen in the photo above), merely if you lot want to put a rainbow gradient at the height of your screen, yous can.
The notch makes the G7's screen slightly taller than the G6's, with a xix.v:9 ratio rather than 18:9. Merely the usable area beneath the screen has the aforementioned Quad Hard disk+ 1440 x 2880 resolution every bit last twelvemonth's model. LG has stuck with an LCD for the G7 after switching to OLED for its V30 variants, and that's mostly a skilful matter. On the plus side, LG'south LCDs are among the all-time in the business, with vivid, vibrant colors and crisp rendering. The M+ engineering science on brandish here is more vibrant than the V30's OLED, using an RGBW color array to boost brightness (which reaches 1,000 nits) and efficiency (which is 30 less ability hungry than the G6). But LCDs are still old tech, so most people would rather have OLED, fifty-fifty with the V30's flaws.
Christopher Herbert/IDG Next to the 5.vii-inch G6, the 6.1-inch G7 is monstrous.
For example, as skillful as the whites are on the G7, the blacks are nowhere about equally deep every bit they are on the S9, Pixel 2, or even the V30. The V30 has its share of issues with colour accuracy, saturation and banding (I haven't had a hazard to test the V35, so I don't know if it's been fixed), but the G7'southward blown-out blacks are a tough merchandise-off, particularly when you're trying to hide the notch. That's non to say the G7's screen is bad, but when compared to its OLED peers, the difference is evident, particularly when brightness is additional.
A familiar frame with a twist
For a phone with the discussion "thin" in its name, the G7 feels surprisingly chunky. At 7.9mm, information technology's about the aforementioned thickness every bit the S9+ and the Pixel ii Twoscore, but its flat edges give it a girthier experience.
Christopher Herbert/IDG The new push button below the volume keys goes directly to Google Assistant.
Longtime LG fans will be surprised to notice the G7 has a proper power push along the correct edge. The rear fingerprint sensor remains but actually pressing information technology does nothing on the G7 (and you lot can't swipe to run across your notification shade either). The other push change is a dedicated Google Assistant key just below the volume rocker on the left side. I'm non sure nosotros need some other way to summon Banana, what with far-field microphone support for "Hey Google" and long-pressing on the dwelling button, only at least LG didn't strength its own Banana on us. And double-pressing to jump straight to Google Lens is neat.
All in all, LG has washed a fine task of upgrading the trunk its G serial without abandoning its industrial graphic symbol. Sure, the visitor has played it safe with the G7, relying on the notch as the main visual distinguisher betwixt the G7 and the residual of the LG flagships. And the notch is a feature nigh people will probably opt to hibernate anyhow. Just fifty-fifty so, the G7 is notwithstanding a skillful-looking phone, even if it isn't as striking every bit the OnePlus 6 or the iPhone X.
Anticipated performance and battery life
The LG G7 has typical 2018 flagship specs, with a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a three,000mAh battery. That means it performs well, and will likely last you though a full day, though y'all'll definitely need to plug it earlier you go to bed. In my testing, the bombardment was on par with the somewhat disappointing Galaxy S9, clocking information technology at but under 8 hours of screen-on time.
Christopher Herbert/IDG The acme bezel on the LG G7 is slightly thicker than the side, throwing the whole balance out of whack.
Only while the G7's 7,800 Work 2.0 criterion scores are in line with those of its Snapdragon 845 peers, LG'due south UX seven.0 interface doesn't practice the G7 any favors. The latest version is based on Android 8.0, only it doesn't feel every bit slick or modern as an Oreo skin should. The options and customization that LG fans dear are all here, merely the Oreo additions brand the Os feel clunkier than it should, and the whole matter is less intuitive than stock Android. Information technology ends up making the G7 feel slower than the S9 and other Snapdragon 845 phones, even if it's techicially equally skillful.
The Settings app is then inundation, it's nearly in possible to find anything without resorting to the search field, and elements similar the app drawer and notification badges are less elegant than they are in Android proper. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's wrong with UX, and that's kind of the trouble. Where LG once paid careful attention to how software integrated with hardware on its smartphones, UX 7.0 Oreo has basically become uninspired and bloated. It might be time for LG to go the Android 1 road with hereafter phones.
Sound is the G7'south standout feature
The headphone jack may be on its final legs, but LG is valiantly keeping it on life support, both refusing to remove it from its handsets and giving wireless devotees a reason to plug in. The 3.5mm headphone jack is powered past a 32-bit quad DAC, a feature that was missing from the U.S. release of the G6, and information technology's one of the G7's best features.
Adam Patrick Murray/IDG The sound system on the G7 is the real star of the show.
Anyone who'southward plugged a pair of headphones into the V30'south Quad DAC will tell you how stark the difference is betwixt it and a regular iii.5mm jack. Information technology's not and so much that audio quality is noticeably meliorate when listening to a Spotify playlist, but LG offers an unsurpassed set of sound customization options that light up when you plug in a pair of headphones. The G7's supercharged headphone jack lets you tweak the audio y'all hear via presets, filters, and residuum buttons and sliders, so you get far more granular control over your tunes.
At that place's also DTS:Ten that kicks in when you plug in an external speaker, but the killer audio characteristic that'due south sectional to the G7 is the speaker on the phone itself. While information technology doesn't have true stereo sound similar the Pixel 2 or iPhone 8, its down-firing speaker has a xl percentage larger driver than the G6 and uses the space inside the telephone as a resonance sleeping accommodation to evangelize deeper bass and louder overall audio. LG calls information technology the Boombox Speaker, and it's not a gimmick. Compared to earlier LG phones, the speaker sounds noticeable fuller and louder when lying apartment on a tabular array, and because the acoustics change depending on the type of surface, you lot tin can experiment with unlike materials (my ash veneer particle lath dining table sounded best to my ears).
A step backwards for the camera
Where other phones take their AI engines infused beyond all aspects of their Bone, LG has put all of the G7's smarts into its dual 16MP camera. I nevertheless don't quite understand what the ThinQ branding is all well-nigh (pronounced "thin-queue" not "call up," by the fashion), but LG is marketing its camera every bit a smart one, and there's no denying that it's capable of taking some pretty great pics in all kinds of light.
Michael Simon/IDG Even in farthermost low lite, the LG G7's Super Bright Photographic camera (correct) is able to pick up particular and color that the Galaxy S9 (left) and Pixel 2 (middle) can't run into.
In fact, the G7 actually excels in the worst kind of lighting. Thank you to its Super Bright Camera, the G7 doesn't need much light at all to capture impressive detail. In my usual nighttime closet test, the Pixel 2 and Galaxy S9 struggled to pick up much of anything resembling item, but the G7 grabbed accurate colors and shapes that my eye could barely see. Granted, these aren't high-quality images, only the tech at work here is impressive nonetheless.
The AI Cam is another story. LG has built a brain into its camera app, and when you switch information technology on—by tapping the prominent AI Cam button in the viewfinder—LG's artificial intelligence will go to piece of work, attempting to place what you're shooting and arrange the settings accordingly. As you aim the camera, words will announced on the screen to prove that the AI Cam is difficult at work. Watching the identifying words fly by is fun to watch—and make fun of, because it's rarely correct. In most cases, the AI-infused pics were much better than those taken in car way. Still, it took far besides long for the AI Cam to register anything.
Michael Simon/IDG With the AI Cam turned on, the G7 was able to option upward the slight purple hue of the container these eggshells were in, simply it takes far too long for it to work.
Past the time I received a fizz letting me know that the AI engine had made its adjustments, the photo I'd wanted to take was long gone. When it worked, pictures frequently had richer colors and stronger highlights than the same shot taken in motorcar mode, simply the time it takes to jump into activeness won't be worth information technology for well-nigh people. LG says the camera will acquire over time, only presumably people will need to apply information technology first, and that might exist asking too much.
Michael Simon/IDG While the V30 erred on the side of oversaturation with this photo of a healthy plant, the G7's undersaturation (right) made it seem sick by comparison. Only the Pixel two (center) got information technology right.
With the AI Cam switched off, the G7 took splendid photos, with some minor struggles. Motion shots were softer than similar ones taken with the S9 and Pixel ii, and some photos were a bit as well undersaturated for my liking. Additionally, some of the libation shooting modes from the G6 have been jettisoned in favor of a more streamlined experience, so while you might miss things like Friction match Shot and Popout, ultimately the app is much easier to navigate. Also, the field of view in the broad-angle lens has been slightly narrowed to 107 degrees, downward from 125 degrees in the G6 and V30. LG says that's to reduce the fish-eye issue, which it does, but addition through subtraction isn't exactly ideal.
We'll be running the G7 through our usual bombardment of tests for our Last Cam Continuing series, and then stay tuned for the official word on how it stacks up to our current champion, Huawei'due south Mate 10 Pro.
Should you buy an LG G7 ThinQ?
The G7 is a prime example of an in-between phone, but it's dificult to say what LG is waiting for. It's a clear comeback over the G6 and the V30, just the G7 isn't stiff plenty to stand or excite on its own. And there are merely too many LG phones to choose from. Equally I mentioned earlier, LG has far besides many flagship phones for sale, and there isn't a whole lot to make the G7 stand up out in LG's own lineup, let alone a crowded Android field.
Christopher Herbert/IDG The G7'south all-glass blueprint is reminiscent of the G6.
With a retail price of $750 and full carrier back up (meaning there will be deals to exist had), I certainly wouldn't recommend against buying a G7. Only unless you're specifically looking for the telephone with the all-time sound or really want to add a rainbow to the top of your screen, I probably wouldn't recommend the LG G7 as your showtime option.
At to the lowest degree not without ThinQ-ing really hard near the determination, anyway.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/402060/lg-g7-thinq-review.html
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