LG is down but not out, after the low sales on the G6 last year, LG launched the G7 ThinQ (is it pronounced Think?) early this year assuming they’ll get a good share of the market. Only time will tell if that’s the right move but till then let’s go over a few points to consider if you are looking to buy one...
It’s a really nice looking phone if this was 2017, The G7 is the successor to G6 featuring a stunning 6.1” screen with QHD display & perhaps the brightest screen ever in sunlight (if you drag the brightness slider all the way). It’s got the Love it or Hate factor with the notch design, but you really can’t ignore it in 2018. However, still not an edge to edge screen with a chin which defeats the purpose of the notch really. One pain point was it being a little difficult for one hand operation since the phone is quite big for its screen size, they could have definitely made it with a better ratio so it's easier to grip. Also, the stainless steel finish with the glass back (which allows wireless charging) makes it slippery, unlike matte finish in G6.
The G7 ThinQ has got the latest Snapdragon 845 with 4GB RAM & 64GB memory or 6GB RAM & 128GB memory options with colour choices of New Platinum Gray, New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue, & Raspberry Rose. The 4GB variant is obviously cheaper and gets the job done as I feel the 6GB RAM on most phones is an overkill.
In terms of the most talked about the feature being the dual rear camera setup which has the main 16MP lens and a wide-angle 16MP lens to capture wide-angle shots. This is unlike most smartphones that use a monochrome 2nd lens to get the bokeh/background blur effects which as we know from Pixel phones can also be done neatly with only a single camera and really good software. It’s one of the best lenses no doubt but feels a bit left out in terms of quality on offer from the Pixel 3 / S9 / iPhone XS. The front camera @ 8MP can take wide-angle shots as well but is only average. This is one of the main reasons the G7 ThinQ is not a very popular phone even though it’s much cheaper than the competition.
The good feature, however, is the 32bit hi-fi Quad DAC basically giving you rich quality sound which you can appreciate via a good 3.5mm jack headphone. The audio software also has presets which not many phones currently offer. This should be your choice if you’re an audiophile. In terms of the UI, there’s still quite a bit of bloatware and feels similar to G6 where LG didn't really take user feedback onboard. It’s not as fast as the Pixel 2 (let alone 3) which has an older processor and you can notice the few seconds the apps take to load. They do work without any lag or freezing issues though.
The G7 is still running on Android 8.0 & as we know LG has a poor record with Android updates even for its flagship phones. Finally, as we’re aware LG starts dropping prices if they see other new launches hogging the limelight so if wireless charging, waterproof certification and Quad DAC Audio are your thing, you can “thinQ” about buying the G7 ThinQ.
★★★☆☆
Pritesh Khilnani
LG G7 ThinQ at CeX
