LG G6 First Impressions: The flagship smartphone battle in India just got interesting

LG G6 is a trend setter and comes out as the best phone LG has ever made

By Rohit
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The April 2017 can be easily termed as the month of Android flagships for the Indian market. Just last week we saw Samsung unveiling the mesmerizing Galaxy S8 and the S8 Plus, and today LG took the wraps off the LG G6 in an event in New Delhi.

 
LG G6 First Impressions

The smartphone is launched at a price of Rs. 51,990, which makes LG G6 cheaper by Rs. 6,000 than the Samsung's bezel-less Galaxy S8. LG G6 will be available at retail stores and on Amazon.in. Besides, HDFC and SBI credit/debit card holders are also eligible for a cashback of Rs. 10,000 on Amazon.in if they buy the smartphone before 25th April, 2017.

 

As expected, LG G6 spices up the battle of flagship smartphones in the Indian market and its comparison with the recently launched Galaxy S8 is just unavoidable; however that's not the topic of discussion today. Here we are going to talk about the first-hand experience when we used the LG G6 during the launch event. So let's get started.

LG G6 First Impressions

Design: It's compact, durable and IP68 certified for dust-water resistivity

A lot has changed with the design of LG G6. Unlike the LG G5, the G6 ditches the modular approach and goes for a taller, smarter and water-resistant design. Or we can simply say LG realized that the modular design was just not something to go ahead with, at least not for now.

Nevertheless, with slimmer bezels surrounding the eye-popping screen and the metal-glass build, the LG G6 looks stunning and is simply the best handset coming out from the LG factory.

During my brief usage, I found the smartphone comfortable to use with one hand. In a typical LG fashion, you get the fingerprint scanner integrated on the power button at the rear panel, just below the dual-camera module.

The volume buttons are placed on the right and an ejectable SIM card tray is positioned on the left spine. The top has the 3.5mm audio jack, while the bottom hosts the USB-Type C port.

SEE ALSO: LG G6 launched in India at Rs. 51,990: Threat to other premium smartphones

The upper bezel is minimized by rearranging the camera, sensor and speaker in a row on the front upper side. The smartphone's edges and the display have also given rounded corners to unify the design.

LG G6 also scores high on durability. The smartphone is IP68 certified to offer protection from water and dust. Besides, LG also mentioned that the G6 has passed in total of 14 tests for sturdiness and utilizes aircraft grade material for toughness.

Overall, we really liked the new design approach of LG G6. It seems durable and the amazing screen-to-body ratio makes for a compact handset that easily fit in one hand, despite packing a large 5.7-inch screen.

LG G6 First Impressions

Display: The FullVison QHD+ screen that also comes equipped with Dolby Vision Technology

As I mentioned, the screen on LG G6 is engineered to deliver a new way of multimedia experience. LG calls it the FullVision display that comes with an unconventional aspect ratio of 18:9 to deliver cinematic viewing experience.

The 5.7-inch QHD+ display has a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels, resulting in a rich pixel density of ~565ppi. The 18:9 aspect ratio results in extra viewing space that allows users to comfortably view two apps side-by-side for better multitasking.

Besides, LG says that the G6 is the first smartphone to feature Dolby Vision technology with HDR 10 support, which is standard for High Dynamic Range (HDR). This makes for better contrast and brightness while watching compatible content.

I did find LG G6's IPS screen offering deeper blacks as compared to other IPS displays on smartphones and it's also very bright, so using the handset in outdoors will not be a problem. We will evaluate the other aspects of the display in the coming week to find out what LG G6 is capable of.

LG G6 First Impressions

Camera: 13+13MP dual-rear camera with laser autofocus and 4k video recording

With LG G6, the company has made some changes in the optics department. Unlike LG G5 and the recently launched LG V20 that have one 16MP primary and an 8MP secondary sensor for wide-angle shots, the G6 features two 13MP shooters. The camera sensors have a wide aperture of f/1.8 and come equipped with laser autofocus, optical image stabilizations and can record videos in 4K format.

The LG G6 improves one important aspect. The camera now allows users to manually control the wider view, by up to 125-degrees, which was not possible in previous LG Flagships.

The front gets a 5MP shooter with an aperture size of f/2.2 and a wide-angle lens of 100-degrees, enough to squeeze your entire gang in one selfie shot. On the software side, the G6's camera features a variety of modes and filters to let you experiment with the pictures you capture.

The shots I took in my brief usage showed good detailing and looked crisp on the 5.7-inch screen. Stay tuned for full camera review of LG G6 on GIZBOT.

LG G6 First Impressions

Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 CPU with 4GB of RAM

While LG G6 is not backed by the latest Snapdragon 835 CPU, it still packs in the snappier 821 SoC that will execute all your jobs without a hitch. We will pit it against the Exynos 8895 chipset powering up the Galaxy S8 to find out who edges out whom in speed and performance.

The CPU is paired with 4GB of RAM to take care of multitasking. The variant that LG is going to sell in the Indian market also comes equipped with 4 Hi-fi Quad DAC to enhance audio performance.

For storage, the LG G6 comes with 32 or 64GB of memory on board, which can be further extended up to 2TB with the use of a microSD card.

LG G6 First Impressions

Software: LG's very own skin seems quite intuitive and works smoothly on Android 7.0 Nougat

LG G6 runs LG's software skin- the new UI 6.0 deployed on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat, which means you get the Google Assistant out-of-the box. The new LG's software skin seems uncluttered, colorful as usual and worked quite smoothly in my brief usage with the handset.

We will check its stability for any app crashes or bugs during our comprehensive review of the smartphone.

LG G6 First Impressions

Battery and Connectivity: No more non-removable battery for LG fans

With LG G6, the company is putting an end to a very important design aspect of LG flagships, i.e. the non-removable batteries. And it seems quite understandable when the phone comes equipped with IP68 water and dust resistivity.

The LG G6 is backed by a 3,350 mAh battery unit that also supports wireless charging and Quick Charge 3.0 that as per LG recharges to 50% in 30 min.

There's no compromise in connectivity department as the smartphone comes equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, USB Type-C 2.0 (3.1 compatible) and GPS.

LG G6 First Impressions

Verdict

While LG G6 has its fair share of challenges to overcome, it's still one of the best Android smartphone beyond the shadow of doubt. We will pit it against the Galaxy S8 to come out with an answer to the big question- Who wins the battle of ultimate Android smartphone of the year 2017? Stay tuned for the answer on GIZBOT.

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