Product test
LG V20 – The beast from the east
by Dominik Bärlocher
LG G6 - The hard-to-sell secret flagship
26.2.2017
Translation: machine translated
Video: Stephanie Tresch
Some things almost sell themselves. The new Samsung Galaxy and iPhone phones, for example. Smartphones from LG don't fall into this category. So the LG G6 is going to have a tough time on the market. Yet there's one detail that makes the G6 worth a second look, and it's something you won't be able to read.
Last year, manufacturer LG made the mistake of not releasing the exceptional LG V20 on the Swiss market. The second screen up top is great, the camera is good and all sorts of other features - hidden or otherwise - impressed critics.
While fans wait for the LG V30, LG is promoting the LG G6 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The G series is the Korean manufacturer's flagship series, although the V models are technologically a little more daring. That's why it's also true that the LG G6's features are greeted with a simple shrug.
Why then am I bothering to write about this device that impressed no one who heard about it? Because it's been a long time since I've seen a mobile phone with such a good grip. I don't know how LG managed it, but this smartphone is not only perfectly balanced and extremely light, but its metal outer shell is also very pleasant to the touch. Not too smooth, not too rough. It makes me wonder how many hours of engineering have gone into just getting my hands on this device.
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And let's be honest: the LG G6 isn't bad. It' s just not great.
Its key features
- The LG G6 is available in three colours: black, white and platinum silver
- The screen aspect ratio is 18:9
- Main camera: 13 MP with wide-angle lens
- Front camera: 5 MP
- Android 7.0
- LG user interface
- Battery: 3,300 mAh
- Quad Core processor
- Audio DAC (Digital Analog Converter), so better sound with connected headphones
The insidious pleasure
A man next to me on the stand has already tested the phone. He's impressed by the battery life as well as the handling of the LG G6s. "I love this phone," he declares. He's already impressed by the aspect ratio of the screen. He won't tell us how long he's been testing the phone, but he's already experienced it. We suspect he received an early version.
During the presentation, LG doesn't let up. After an aperitif, bass sounds coming out of the speakers and strobe flashes announce a video. It's a survey in which people express what they want in a smartphone. The assumption is that all aspects of the G6 will be mentioned. So waterproof, shockproof, image stabiliser.
Moderator Georgie Barrat is greeted with applause. She's a technical journalist from London. After her, it's Seong-Jin Jo, LG's CEO, who introduces us to the LG G6. People expect a lot from their smartphones," he said from the stage. Users are used to smartphones, so they can make an informed decision about which one to buy. This requires a balance between the basics and new features, so that a sense of familiarity is maintained but innovation is not left behind. One of the problems is that phones are getting bigger all the time, but still need to be able to be used with one hand. That's why the LG G6 has been completely redesigned in terms of hardware.
Although it looks like a rectangle with rounded corners, the engineers have accomplished some feats. However, the video on which the phone is first shown is a little odd. Because it is, and remains, a rectangle with rounded corners. The fingerprint sensor happens to be a little smaller, but it's easy to find, as it haptically stands out well from the back. Plus: the thing weighs next to nothing, just 163 grams. With a screen size of 5.7 inches, which is a little impressive, especially when I get the feeling that the device really needs to endure.
In short: the LG G6 is only truly enjoyable after a little while. And when it does, then it really is.
No focus on technical data
During the well-rehearsed and unspontaneous presentation, where no sentence seems improvised, only a few technical data will be revealed. Probably because the device isn't particularly technically interesting. Even the jokes about skinny jeans seem recited. There are a lot of good-sounding terms. FullVision and Univisium. The latter term refers to the 18:9 aspect ratio, which the LG G6 conforms to, as well as other extremely important aspects that it considers to be of great importance when displaying a film or image on a screen.
The screen, LG has well recognised, is the centrepiece of a smartphone. That's why they've installed Dolby Vision technology, so that consuming images and videos also becomes a pleasure on a mobile. Both Amazon and Netflix are broadcast in Dolby Vision on mobile devices. And when purchasing, demo versions of games on the Google Play Store and some full versions are included so that buyers can also try out a game experience. The developers behind Temple Run are offering a massive goodie pack in the form of coins that can be exchanged for new game characters and goodies. This means users can unlock all the characters from the start and still have enough left over to treat themselves to bonuses.
You can learn more about the LG G6 in our hands-on video that video blogger Stephanie Tresch has just finished putting together. We're currently sitting on the floor of a conference room and, as we work, a manufacturer is showing off their new smartphones behind us. And if you get the chance to take the LG G6 in your hands, then do it. You won't regret it.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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