Review of LG G7+ ThinQ AI powered smartphone
[5 pages]
bluetooth 22 July 2018
Thin, lightweight and powerful is probably the best way to describe the LG G7+ ThinQ. Powered by Oreo 8.0, it features a 6.1″ screen, the screen supports a 19.5.:9 QHD+ (3120 x 1440, 564ppi) display. Compared to the One Plus 6, the LG G7+ ThinQ has better ergonomics as it is easier to hold. It’s dimension is 53.2mm x 71.9mm x 7.9mm/162g (incl battery). The Google Assistant button on the left of the phone also comes useful for simple queries using voice.
For those who wants the fastest download speed, the phone is capable of supporting LTE Advanced of LTE CAT 18, that is up to 1.2 Gbps (dependent on network). LTE FDD 2100 (B1)/1800 (B3)/2600 (B7)/900 (B8), TDD 2300 (B40)/2600 (B38) are supported.
LG G7+ ThinQ, combines artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, super bright display and surround sound features into one. Not only does it take excellent pictures by recognising the scene, you can custom set the settings to take even light trails. This is made possible with it’s 16 MP Super wide angle F1.9 / 107 degree camera + 16 MP Standard Angle F 1.6/71 deg camera, the front camera is a 8 MP F1.9 camera.
Boasting the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 Mobile Platform, it offers 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage to run demanding tasks and apps with ease. The polished metal rim gives the smartphone a premium and sleek look, complemented by Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front and the back for enhanced durability.
The phone also provides good audio playback with it’s Boombox speaker. Place the phone on a wooden surface and be in for a surprise with the bass. boost. Pair it up with earpiece and you can enjoy music or video playback in DTS 3D Surround.
The phone also supports Super Bright Display which is useful especially under the bright sun light. It is also IP 68 water and dust resistance, thus using it at the seaside or during the rainy season isn’t an issue.
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PCMark Benchmark test on LG G7+ ThinQ
Although there are many brands and models that runs the same Snapdragon 845 processor, different manufacturers will tune it according to their specifications of screen, battery.
As we can see from the chart below, the LG G7+ ThinQ scores 7921 which is a few percentage points off the OnePlus 6, Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact etc. Although I have tried the two other phones, I don’t feel that they are as snappy as compared to LG G7+ ThinQ. Thus, the benchmark is just a guide.
In terms of speedtest, the Singtel MVNO is able to get pretty good 4G signal and scored a pretty high score of 167 Mbps at Newton MRT Station.
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Camera modes on the LG G7+ ThinQ
The camera mde is quite straightforward. The default is just AI CAM, Potrait and Google LENs.
Setting it to MANUAL mode show the following options. When you click on Manual, you will see options for you to adjust ISO 50 to 3200, exposure from 1/3200 up to 30s.
Sample photos taken using the LG G7+ ThinQ
More photos On Instagram
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Dolby Surround 7.1
There are a number of audio options which you can experiment with.
You can normalise volume, set the equaliser, enable DTS X 3D Surround, Hi-Fi Quad DAC.
Experience true cinematic sound when you enable the 3D with Wide option.
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Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is the new ball game for 2018. Almost all manufacturers are promoting their “AI” capability. While AI is being used in more in pattern recognition in the real world. The usage on smartphones are basically identifying shapes and objects and applying contrast filters to images.
We tested taking pictures with and without AI mode and found that there isn’t much of a difference in shots in daylight or bright areas. When we took a sunset scene, the AI mechanism seemed to be in overdrive, making the whole sky becomes burning red. When it detects food, it seemed to be able to enhance it quite well. Well, it looks dull when AI is turned off.
The camera is able to take pretty good pictures in low light. You can also turn set it to manual mode where you can adjust the ISO and exposure. It allows you to take night trial lights with some experimentation of the settings. Just remember to mount it to a tripod to get the best effect if you have shaky hands. I also like the wide angle lens which is not available on other brands.
I like the DTS X Surround sound. Paired with a pair of mid range earphones, the 6.1″ screen comes alive watching action packed videos. In fact, music playback from online streaming radio stations is greatly enhanced with spatial effect. I also like the boombox sound for better bass during music playback.
Although this phone has a larger 128GB internal storage capacity and increased RAM at 6GB, the power capacity is merely 3000mAh which is a bit too little for a long day. Performance could be tuned up to make it more speedy.
In Conclusion, the LG G7+ ThinQ has a bit more extras that some of the more competitors don’t. LG Singapore is running a promotion, from Jul 21 to Aug 15, with a purchase of LG G7+ ThinQ at S$1198, LG is giving away a 32″ LG Smart TV 32LJ550 (worth S$599).
Pros :
Bright IPS LCD display
Boombox sound
DTS X surround sound
Google Assistant button
Dust and water resistant
Cons:
3000 mAh battery
AI image over enhance certain scenes
Score : 9 / 10