LG G6 review

FEATURE

• LG G6 is the first non-Google Pixel phone with Google Assistant
• It bears a unique 18:9 aspect ratio for its 5.7-inch display
• LG is touting the dual rear camera setup on the G6

Key specifications: 

• Quad-core 2.4GHz Snapdragon 821 processor 
• 4GB RAM 
• 5.7in 2,880 x 1,440 18:9 IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3 (Gorilla Glass 5 on rear) 
• Dual 13-megapixel rear camera (f/2.4, f/1.8) 
• 64GB storage 
• Android 7 Nougat 
• 49000 INR
• March 2017 release date 

Design:

• 5.7-inch, 18:9 display
• Minimal bezel, glass & metal design
• 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm; 163g

The first thing you will notice about the LG G6 is its unconventional display. It might even make you cry "finally, someone has executed common sense" like we did, in sheer rapture that a phone manufactory has, at last, created a smartphone screen that stretches to nearly every corner of the device. That's right, LG's newest smartphone has dropped the stupid modular design of the LG G5 and instead features an almost bezel-less screen. It therefore sports an 18:9 ratio display as opposed to the more standard 16:9 aspect ratio almost every smartphone has had since the birth of the almighty iPhone. This gives you more way screen in a smaller body, and it's bloody glorious.LG might not have been the first to do this. Xiaomi's MiMix - a China-only phone released in late 2016 - had a similar display. This tiny bezel also makes the LG G6 a pleasure to hold, and the phone's brushed metal finish makes it look and feel pretty premium in hand. As you can tell, we are big fans of its design.

Display:

• 2880 x 1440 QHD resolution
• 1:2 aspect ratio
• IPS LCD panel 

While the standout feature of the LG G6 is its near bezel-less screen design, the display itself is rather impressive, too. The edge to edge screen design means the Korena company has wedged a 5.7in QHD+ FullVision display in the G6's chassis, which is a sizeable increase from the 5.2in panel used for the G5 while retaining the same footprint. LG therefore claims the G6 is unlike other phablet devices because it is able to fit comfortably in one hand. And we have to agree, it does. The screen looks huge but the phone feels like any other to hold, being noticeably smaller than the 5.5in iPhone 7 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Processor and software:

• HDR and Dolby Vision support at launch 
• Android Nougat 7.0
• New Square Camera app

Inside the G6's engine room there's a Snapdragon 821 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and built into an internal system that includes a heat pipe to help ensure it won't overheat. No, it's not the Snapdragon 835 - which features in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium - but the Snapdragon 821 is a brilliant processor. Let's not forget, two of last year's fastest phones (OnePlus 3T and Google Pixel XL) both shipped with the 821.

Let's shut up about the screen for just a moment and tell you that the LG G6 is powered by a Snapdragon 821 CPU alongside 4GB RAM. In terms of speed, the handset proved as fast as any flagship we've used during our hands-on time. Apps were lightning fast to open and multitasking was smooth, but we've of course yet to put the processor fully through its paces. The LG G6 comes loaded with Google's latest Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. However, it comes skinned in the company's barely-there LG UX 6.0 skin, which upon first glance could fool some into thinking it's a vanilla Android phone. LG has, of course, made some tweaks here and there though, adding its own homescreen animations and design touches to the Notification Bar, for example.

Camera:

• Dual 13MP camera system
• One wide-angle lens
• 5MP front-facing camera

Like the G5 before it, the LG G6 features two rear cameras, however these have been upped to two 13MP sensors, from the 16MP and 8MP sensors in the G5 for an even wider angle when taking snaps.Even during our brief hands-on time with the handset at MWC we were able to appreciate the wider capture, with the dual camera sensor capable of capturing almost panoramic still images. Images looked sharp and colourful, too, and the front-facing camera appeared vibrant and responsive during our tests. Opening the camera app was quick, as was the shutter, and thanks to the long display you can have a constant view of your photo library when shooting your pictures.

Battery:

• 3,300mAh battery
• Quick Charge 3.0

Inside the G6 is a 3,300mAh battery which - with Android Nougat's battery smarts  gets through a full day without much trouble. Even connected to a smart watch and battling through a relatively busy day, we still made it to 10pm with over 25 per cent battery remaining. On a moderate day with no smartwatch the battery level was between 35-40 per cent by bedtime. With Nougat's enhanced Doze mode, the phone uses as little battery as possible by killing background tasks whenever the phone is in standby. Whether it's in your pocket, or on your desk. That means if you decide not to bother plugging it in overnight, you'll still have at least 25 per cent battery left in the morning if it was at 35 per cent before you went to sleep. At least, that was the case in our testing. 

If it does drain to worrying levels before the day is up, you'll be pleased to know that the G6 comes with Quick Charge 3.0 support. That means it can get from 0-50 per cent charge after being plugged in for just 35 minutes. In our testing, we plugged in with zero charge and it reached over 80 per cent after an hour at the socket.

Performance:

     The G6 comes at a crucial time for LG. It made a loss last year following the disappointing sales of the G5 and V20 and its new handset is a bold step in the right direction, but that doesn’t always save a company’s fortunes. To cut to the chase, the LG G6 is an astonishing smartphone that easily holds it own against the best smartphones ever made. slimmed-down, sleek and curvier design than the original. Its raison d'être lies in that unusual 5.7in Quad HD+ 18:9 display, paired with LG’s latest Android overlay – UX 6.

UX 6 focuses on advanced multitasking, boasting a much-improved camera and more enjoyable ways to engage with films, games and apps. What's more, the 18:9 aspect ratio allows the LG G6 to divide the screen into two squares, permitting you to run two apps simultaneously. Essentially, it’s a 5.7in display nestled in a 5.2in phone. 

That 18:9 screen is massive, enhancing your ebook and web-browsing experiences (perfect for Twitter scrolling) and best utilised for the likes of games and videos. But, if all that doesn't sound appealing, LG’s G6 does still allow users to view 16:9 ratio content in 18:9 format, for those a little wary of taking the leap. Don’t expect 18:9 to go away anytime soon either: LG says its future smartphone lineup has this "FullVision" at its heart. Dolby Vision and HDR 10 make an appearance on this display, too. Previously only available on high-end TVs, HDR widens the colour range, producing crisp whites and seriously deep blacks. Obviously, your content will have to be HDR-supported, but both Netflix and Amazon let slip that Dolby Vision and HDR video will be streamed to the LG G6 on launch. 

The camera on that old G5 was wonderful, with LG’s dual rear camera receiving high praise from Expert Reviews. Obviously, then, great things are expected of its successor, which sports a dual 125-degree wide-angle, 13-megapixel rear snapper. It’s a little different this year, with the resolution dropping from 16 megapixels to 13 megapixels, but the principal still remains, with one 125-degree wide-angle lens and the other, with a bog-standard 71-degree FOV. As was the case with the G5, its main camera sports a bright f/1.8 aperture, while its wide-angle counterpart is a smidge dimmer f/2.4. The LG G6's 5.7in "FullVision" display is a great companion for camera enthusiasts with its 18:9 aspect ratio. Being able to separate the display into two perfect squares had me snapping a square photo (perfect for Instagram) while also reviewing existing shots at the same time. It’s this instant feedback that made the whole experience much easier than any other smartphone before it. 

One thing that's disappeared, though, is the hideous camera hump of the LG G5. The rear is now flattened out, with the camera sitting flush on the back of the phone. Something else that's new is those colour schemes: available in “Astro Black”, “Mystic White” and “Ice Platinum”. Now, core specs are a little uninteresting. The LG G6's quad-core 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821 chip inside, is underpowered compared to most, paired with 4GB of RAM. This won't be the best performer You don't get, QuickCharge 4 either, with its five minute charge time granting five hours of playtime. It does have a 3,300mAh battery crammed inside, which should last far longer sans wall socket than the LG G5's 11hrs and 10mins. And lastly, this year's G6 sees proper water resistance with its IP68 rating, shipping with Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box. Oh and there’s Google Assistant onboard too.
 Pros:

• 5.7-inch Quad HD+ (2880 x 1440) display
• Dual 13 MP + 13 MP wide-angle-view rear camera with laser autofocus and OIS
• IP68 water and dust resistant
• Good design, extremely thin bezels make the phone look great

Cons:

• Snapdragon 821 is not much of an improvement from the Snapdragon 820 of LG G5
• 5 MP front camera
• Meagre 3300mAh battery
• 18:9 aspect ratio could take a while to get used to.

Verdict:

Despite its up-and-down G-series history, LG has knocked it out of the park with the G6. Enough to make us half forget the modular "Friends" approach of last year's G5. Whether that spotty history is enough to get you back on board with the series is another matter, but as flagship phones go LG is a standout for all the right reasons. The software is lightweight and easy to customise, the dual camera system offers a lot of versatility and is of comparable quality to the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. The build, performance and display are all up there with the best available too.

Anyone with a G5 sat in their pocket may feel rightly annoyed that the modular life they bought into hasn’t materialised, but two year contracts mean they probably won’t be buying one of these so it’s difficult to criticise it too much. Battery life isn’t as impressive as I was hoping in the pre-production sample I've been using, though. Hopefully this is something that will change in time for a retail release. There’s also a danger that the 18:9 aspect ratio won’t be quite so attention-grabbing when the Galaxy S8 arrives with something similar in March - especially if it adds a curved screen into the mix.

Of its premier features the 1:2 aspect ratio screen might sound bonkers, but its the perfect companion for watching Netflix in HDR with no black borders and, given the design, almost no bezel to get in the way either. The aspect ratio does cause one or two issues with some games and apps, but rescaling them can overcome these teething issues. All in all the LG G6 is a great phone that's every bit the flagship. It'll give the forthcoming competition a run for their money over the course of 2017 and with Samsung's history dented due to the Note 7 debacle, the stage is set for quite the showdown against the imminent Galaxy S8.

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