After years of chasing gimmicks, LG decides to just make a good phone.
The quick take
The quick take: LG achieves its goal of packing a balanced, powerful Android experience into a more hand-friendly form factor. But it remains to be seen whether the G6 is a true "flagship" to compete with the upcoming Galaxy S8. The LG G6's success (or otherwise) will depend on its price tag, and how the competition measures up.
The Good
- Attractive design + great build quality
- Speedy performance
- Meaningful software tweaks to take advantage of 2:1 display
- Great low-light camera performance
- Fun wide-angle camera features
The Bad
- Glass back prone to scratching
- Curved corners of display don't match bezel
- Only 32GB in most markets
- Wireless charging exclusive to U.S.
LG G6 Video Review
Returning to form
LG G6 Full Review
"No gimmicks" is this year's LG gimmick.
For the past several launch cycles, it seemed like LG needed to have some eye-catching new thing to attract attention to its phones — a single crutch which would, hopefully, make consumers care about its G-series handsets over Samsung's dominant Galaxy range. Recent efforts have included shiny shiny crystals, notification tones from singing schoolboys, lasers!, cow parts glued to the back and bad modular accessories.
Sure, we can make fun of the LG Rolling Bot and the Vienna boys' choir, but the ideas weren't universally awful. The real problem was that LG, in the past three years, seemingly hadn't progressed much further than the old metaphor of throwing shit at a wall. Some of it has stuck — features like dual cameras, OIS, laser autofocus and super-sharp displays have become staples of the modern Android flagship. Others, like buttons on the back, haven't made the cut.
And it's no surprise that in 2017 we're adding the LG G5's ill-conceived modular system to that conceptual dumpster.
Perhaps the G6's 18:9 2:1-aspect ratio screen is just this year's LG thing, to be discarded in another 12 months or so in favor of the next thing. But after a few days of using the phone ahead of its MWC 2017 unveiling, I'd argue that it's more than mere gimmickry. There's a solid, if slightly understated phone built around this lanky display, and LG's attitude with its latest handset is less "look at this crazy thing we did" and more "look at our cool new phone."
At the same time, the company isn't targeting spec hounds with 2017's G-series phone, which isn't an enormous leap beyond the V20 in raw horsepower, and actually lacks a couple of that phone's major features. (All part of an effort to better differentiate the G and V lines, LG tells me.) I'd hope to see that reflected in the eventual price point, which I don't yet know at the time of writing.
Anyway, is this new, gimmick-free LG phone actually any good? It's time to find out.
About this review
We're republishing this review after using the phone for just over a month. I (Alex Dobie) have been carrying the unlocked model (LGUS997) on firmware v09l, with the March 1, 2017 Android Security Patch, based on Android 7.0 Nougat. The phone was updated to v10a during the review period. I've been using the phone in Manchester and London, England, as well as Barcelona, Spain during MWC 2017. Prior to reviewing the phone, I spent a few days in Seoul, South Korea, where I was able to use a number of pre-production G6 models.
Metal and glass
LG G6 Hardware
At first glance, the LG G6 is both familiar and something of an oddball. For a 5.7-inch phone, it's smaller than you'd expect. There's an entirely obvious reason for that — for a modern smartphone of any kind, the screen is a good deal taller than any previous model. And while the curved glass back panel has echoes of Samsung's Galaxy line, the front is almost aggressively flat, with a chamfered metal trim that's essentially flush with the display.
That's a deliberate design decision, LG tells us, with the idea being to avoid exposed "2.5D" glass protrusions on the front, which would be a structural weakness should the phone take a tumble. (You'll still need to deal with curved glass on the back, however that panel is furnished in Gorilla Glass 5, as opposed to version 3 of the material, which makes up the screen.) The front face has an unconventional look, but it's also a welcome respite from the sea of phones with slightly curved glass displays.
This is a phone which feels both big and small at the same time, and the form factor is just a tad reminiscent of traditional candybars like LG's own Chocolate phones of yesteryear. Of course there is an argument to be had about just how useful a 5.7-inch, 18:9 display is, given that most videos, shot at 16:9, conjure up black borders on the G6. But for the most part, Android apps fill the extra space without issue.
This thing feels so much more sturdy than any previous LG design.
The G6 is crafted from metal and glass, and now the battery is fully sealed in, so you won't be popping off the back to swap power packs — or, for any other reason. As a result, this thing feels solid and well-built, with clean lines, precise joins and a pleasing contrast between the deliberately flat front face and the more ergonomic curved rear. This isn't a rugged phone by any means, but it feels much more sturdy than anything LG has produced before. Your three color options are black, white and "platinum" — my personal favorite — the back of which has a neat brushed texture beneath the glass.
(In meetings in Seoul, Korea ahead of today's launch, LG hinted that more G6 colors would likely be arriving sometime after launch.)
The solid outer frame holding everything together has a pleasant brushed texture, and the chamfers on either side help with gripability. These side walls aren't as intentionally slim as many of Samsung's recent phones — the G6 wears its 7.9mm thickness on its sleeve. But again, there's something reassuring about a phone which doesn't try to chase numbers like this.
No matter how much you baby it, the back of the G6 is going to pick up scratches.
While the G6 may feel like a well-built, premium smartphone, it's worth pointing out that like every other device with a flush glass back, the rear of this thing is inevitably going to accumulate scratches. I've already picked up one particularly gnarly one right in the center of my G6's back panel after just a few days of use. (At least it has no trouble staying still while laying on a flat surface, unlike, say, the notoriously slippery Honor 8.
Other hardware staples include IP68-rated water and dust resistance, meaning you don't need to worry about your G6 getting drenched out in a rainstorm, or rinsing it off if it ends up on the wrong end of a spilled beverage.
| Category | spec |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Display | 5.7-inch LCD 2880x1440 Gorilla Glass 3 Dolby Vision, HDR 10 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (MSM8996) |
| Storage | 32GB (U.S., Europe) 64GB (Asia, Korea, Hong Kong, India, CiS) |
| Expandable | microSD up to 2TB |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Camera (Main) | 13MP (IMX258), 1.12µm pixels, f/1.8, OIS 71-degree lens, phase-detect AF |
| Camera (Wide) | 13MP (IMX258), 1.12µm pixels, f/2.4 125-degree lens, fixed focus |
| Front Camera | 5MP, f/2.2 100-degree lens |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC USB-C 3.1 |
| Audio | 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (Asia only) |
| Battery | 3300mAh Non-removable |
| Charging | USB-C Quick Charge 3.0 Qi wireless (U.S.) |
| Water resistance | IP68 |
| Security | One-touch fingerprint sensor |
| Dimensions | 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm |
| Colors | Black, white, platinum |
And on the inside, there's a dependable assortment of high-end, early-2017 specs. At its core, the G6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (not the upcoming 835, which won't be around for another couple of months), backed up by 4GB of RAM. The base model, somewhat disappointingly, only comes with 32GB of storage, though that's offset by the microSD slot, to which heavier content can be offloaded. (System data, in case you were wondering, takes up a whopping 11GB on my U.S. unlocked G6.)
Some of the G6's tentpole features have weird geographic restrictions.
Some of the G6's other tentpole features have weird geographic restrictions. The Quad DAC — an upgraded version of the audio feature from the V20 — is only available in Korea and a handful of other Asian markets. And wireless charging is exclusive to the U.S., so other regions will have to make do with good old-fashioned cable charging over Qualcomm Quick Charge 3. And if you want a 64 GB G6, that's also restricted to parts of Asia and Eastern Europe.
For everyone else, it's 32GB, no Quad DAC and no wireless charging, which seems unnecessarily stingy given that few other manufacturers split up features like this. (It also means there's no single G6 model with all these features.)
A phone's display is always one of the most important hardware characteristics, and that's especially true of the G6's extra-tall screen. It's a 5.7-inch IPS LCD at 2880x1440 resolution (think Quad HD with an extra 300 pixels or so stacked on the top), and it looks great. After all the well-documented issues with the G5's disappointingly, dark, weirdly green panel, it's fantastic to see this return to form in the G6. LG claims the panel can reach over 600 nits in brightness to stay clearly visible under sunlight, and that matches my experience using the phone for a few sunny days out in Barcelona.
The display is also Dolby Vision and HDR 10-ready, and LG told us the phone would "just work" when HDR content starts to hit the mobile versions of streaming platforms like Netflix. We don't have any specifics on exactly how that'll work, though.
The speaker setup is more run-of-the-mill. There's a single, bottom-firing can that'll get reasonably loud, but without the bass and clarity of rivals like the iPhone, HTC 10 and Huawei Mate 9. It's decent, but nothing to write home about.
LG's dual camera system returns, this time with 13-megapixel sensors in both rear shooters — the 71-degree standard camera and the 125-degree wide-angle. Around the back, you get both standard and wide-angle shooters at 13 megapixels, this time using the same sensor. There are some differences in terms of the optics though. The standard camera has a bright f/1.8 lens and optical stabilization, on the wide angle it's f/2.4 without OIS. So, predictably, the wide-angle camera doesn't perform quite as well in low light. We'll dig deeper on this in later in our review.
A lot of fuss has been made about the fact that the G6 is technically launching with last year's processor, and that it's stepping down from 13 megapixels in its main camera. Yet while it remains to be seen how the G6 will measure up next to the wave of new phones expected to arrive in the months ahead, I'm largely OK with the hardware on offer here, both on the inside and the outside.
UX 6.0
LG G6 Software
It's easy to look at the software on the LG G6 G6 next to an V20 (or even a year-old G5) and say that not a whole lot has changed. And you wouldn't be entirely wrong in saying that. The color palette, rounded rectangular icon style and lack-of-an-app-drawer by default have held over from the previous generation. However the fact that LG hasn't completely scrapped its software design and started over is a good thing. Instead of a completely different visual style, LG has cleaned things up across the board, to produce a UI that looks like an evolution of last year's software efforts.
LG's latest interface is built upon Android 7.0 Nougat — unfortunately not the newer 7.1.1 Nougat right this second, but LG tells us the G6 will indeed launch on 7.1 in when it comes to the U.S. (In Korea, you'll get the 7.0-based firmware we've been using for the past few days.)
The new, taller display lets LG crank up the information density and introduce new design flourishes.
The new 2:1 display lets LG crank up the information density and introduce some interesting new software features to take advantage of its lanky proportions. That taller display lets LG split many of its own apps — like Contacts, Music and Calendar — into two (mostly) equal square sections, with rich visuals up top and extra room for information down below. And obviously a taller screen is great for multi-window too, allowing you to see more of each individual app.
LG's flirtation with "squircles" — rounded rectangular bubbles for each of its app icons — continues in its latest software, giving both first-party and third-party apps a rectangular border for added visual consistency. Although if you're not a fan, these can be easily changed in the home screen settings panel.
The rest of the software builds on the work LG started last year with the G5 and V20, making things a bit more visually consistent throughout, and settling on a refreshed design language with lighter colors, plenty of rounded rectangles and geometric graphics that fit with Google's Material Design language. LG's color scheme is vivid, but not obnoxious, and the company has taken a leaf out of Google's book with wallpapers based upon layers of colored card, and abstract graphics in apps like Weather and Clock.
The company has also built out a range of themes to complement each of the G6's colors, with icons and wallpapers to match the outer hues of each model. Some of these look pretty jarring, however, so I've stuck to the default theme on my device.
LG UX 6.0 is an evolution of what we saw on the V20 last year, with some neat design tweaks suited to the taller 2:1 display.
Other LG staples like KnockOn (double-tap to wake) are back, and extra-useful because the power key and fingerprint sensor live around the back. However if you were hoping LG would mimic the Pixel's swipe-down shortcut on the fingerprint scanner for quick notification shade access, you'll be disappointed — the gesture isn't enabled on the G6. That's a shame, because this kind of gesture shortcut would be amazingly useful on such a tall device, where reaching the top of the screen can be challenging. You can at least conjure up a notification shortcut button in the nav bar down below.
All in all, I'm pleased with the software tweaks LG has made here, though Android purists may view it as a little too customized.
It's just unfortunate that few third-party applications are likely to take advantage of the new, taller screen in the same way LG's own apps do. (That may change when more devices adopt this taller aspect ratio.) And obviously an 18:9 screen will leave you with unsightly black bars on the sides when you're watching standard 16:9 videos, giving you a significantly smaller viewable area than the 16:9 diagonal of the physical display.
Meanwhile, the rounded corners of the screen, while they're a neat design touch, annoyingly don't quite match up with the corners of the bezel — it's a minor thing, but something you can never un-see. (Your screenshots, for what it's worth, have plain old squared-off corners.)
Google Assistant is handy, but still not a reason to buy the G6 in itself.
The LG G6 also has the honor of being the first non-Google phone to ship with Google Assistant, the same Google-powered AI that first arrived on the Pixel to mixed feedback. Assistant on the Pixel is useful, but not quite the killer app Google has promised, though it has been improving significantly in the four months or so since launch. There isn't anything particularly special about the G6's implementation of Assistant, it looks and works exactly like it does on Google's handsets, allowing you to ask questions directly to Google, and receive spoken answers back based on the knowledge graph, and the information in your Google account.
As on the Pixel, there are instances where Assistant can startle you with its wisdom — like correctly identifying a building based on your description. Other features, like the ability to recognize songs (something built into the regular Google app on Android), are oddly still not there.
Extra wide
LG G6 Cameras
The G6's dual camera setup is sure to be one of the more controversial hardware decisions, because on paper it seems like the phone takes a small but noteworthy downgrade (or at best a sidegrade) compared to its immediate predecessor.
Whereas the G5 has a 16-megapixel main camera backed up by an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens, the G6 has two 13-megapixel shooters — one wide-angle camera at 125 degrees, with an f/2.4 lens, the other an f/1.8 lens, optically stabilized, at a more traditional 71 degrees. For what it's worth, we're not talking about any kind of fancy 1.4 or 1.5-micron pixel sensors, like Google's Pixel and Samsung's GS7. You've got plain old 1.12-micron pixels at play, which usually wouldn't bode well for low light performance.
So there's parity in terms of megapixel count between both cameras, but because of the disparity in optics, you'd expect the wide angle camera to come out a little worse in low light performance.
So how does real-world performance measure up?
On paper the G6's main sensor doesn't appear to be anything special. Yet the overall package, with that bright lens and OIS, beats the Galaxy S7 and goes toe-to-toe with the Google Pixel in the dark, thanks in part to LG's software tuning. And although wide angle camera can become grainy in darker conditions, it's miles ahead of the old 8-megapixel sensor from the V20 and G5. With a steady hand (and sometimes, the assistance of LG's great manual shooting modes), it's possible to get some fantastic wide-angle shots.
And in daylight, the results can be truly spectacular, with rich colors complementing the broad field of view.
The G6's new, higher-res wide-angle camera is incredibly fun, and capable of taking spectacular shots.
I was ready to be underwhelmed by the G6's cameras, just based on the numbers, and instead I've been very pleasantly surprised. This is a fantastic camera setup, with fine detail performance to rival some of the best out there, great dynamic range and punchy, but not unnatural colors. It's also been great to get reacquainted with the 125-degree wide-angle camera — a feature I loved in the G5, but soon had to leave behind because the rest of that phone was so disappointing. It's true that the difference in optics reduces fine detail capture in wide-angle shots, but still, being able to just push a button and capture a really wide field of vision is incredibly fun.
Some of my fellow Mobile Nations editors have been eyeing the G6's wide-angle camera with envy, and I suspect for many phone buyers in the coming months this feature might be what sells them on the G6.
It's also important to note that low-light performance from the G6 — at least from its main sensor — far outperforms what I had expected based on the specs. I think the Google Pixel still captures slightly better color detail, but when it comes fine detail performance, the advantage is LG's.
Around the front, there's a 5-megapixel, 100-degree sensor that can switch between a cropped-in view and a wider angle to fit in your friends, a bit of extra scenery, or both. Low-light performance on the front-facer isn't great, especially in video mode, but it's perfectly fine for sharing on your phone, via Facebook or whatever else. And as you'd expect, performance improved rapidly with decent indoor lighting, or in daylit shots.
The G6 is a dependable video camera, building on the V20's capabilities.
The G6's rear shooters make for a much more capable video camera, with software stabilization features that you may remember from the V20. As usual, the regular camera does a bit better in the dark compared to the wide-angle. And at a normal walking pace, LG's stabilization does a good job of smoothing stuff out, with only minimal ghosting in tougher lighting conditions. I'd still say the Google Pixel's video stabilization is better overall, but it is pretty close, with the biggest difference being more noticeable blurring around lighter areas within darker shots.
As with still photography, the most fun aspect of shooting video with the G6 is seeing just how much detail you can suck in with the wide-angle lens, giving you a more immersive view into the subject of your footage.
On the software side, LG has also expanded its camera app to take advantage of the new 2:1 aspect ratio, with a useful filmstrip view giving showing you your last few photos alongside the viewfinder. Some shooting modes have been rearranged too, with the HDR toggle (confusingly) now living behind a menu overflow. Instead, LG gives top-level exposure to panoramas, 360 pano and slow-mo modes.
Once again, photography might be the main reason to choose an LG phone this year. However good the Galaxy S8's camera is, it's basically guaranteed to lack the G6's wide-angle chops. And the fact that it outperforms expectations in darker shots bodes well for its competitiveness against what's coming later in the year.
All day
LG G6 Battery Life
The move away from removable batteries gives LG the chance to fit a slightly beefier cell in its new high-end offering. And that's exactly what it's done, with an ample (but not numerically outstanding) 3,300mAh internal battery keeping the G6 chugging along. And you'll be able to rapidly juice it up using Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0, just like the G5.
Americans also get wireless charging support to boast about, a feature sadly exclusive to the United States. Given that Samsung has been offering wireless charging as standard for almost two years, it seems crazy for LG to limit this functionality to specific regions.
3,300mAh isn't an enormous amount of juice for a 5.7-inch phone, but the G6 manages just fine regardless.
3,300mAh gets you a full day, but not much more.
I've found the integrated power pack to be good for a solid day's use out here in Barcelona, even over the course of a few busy days getting ready for Mobile World Congress 2017. Bouncing between LTE and Wifi, and taking a couple of hundred photos each day, I found I'd take the G6 off its charger at around 8am and start running out of juice again around 10pm. That said, making extensive use of the cameras can quickly drain the G6 into the danger zone. On a couple of heavier days when I was taking lots of video as well as still images, I hit the 15 percent warning level by 6pm in the evening.
That's pretty much standard for a high-end Android phone right now — a full day's use, but probably not much more than that, and extra power suck from using demanding features. Naturally, should you need a mid-day refresh, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3 has you covered.
Since we've been using the LG G6 with pre-production firmware, we'll update this review when we're on final G6 firmware to note any differences, as well as any changes — good or bad — in battery performance over time.
The bottom line
Should you buy the LG G6? Yes
When I look back on many of the gimmicks LG has tried to use to sell smartphones over the years, the most striking thing about the G6 is how this time the focus is on just making a good, balanced phone that does most thing really well, and a few things. As much as you could argue that the taller display is indeed a gimmick, LG's doing enough with it that it's not just there for the sake of it.
Most importantly, the core experience of the G6 is flagship-class across the board, with a good-looking design, top-notch display, solid performance and battery life — and that's complemented by a surprisingly great camera setup with some really fun features. The G6 isn't exactly cutting edge in every area — LG tells me it deliberately isn't playing the spec game this time.
Even so, its success is going to depend on its price tag, especially when you consider the Galaxy S8 is just a couple of months away. And should it be priced within striking distance of the Samsung flagship, it may be a hard sell for LG.
Regardless, right now, the G6 is a solid phone that I can absolutely recommend. The Korean firm hasn't achieved perfection here. Instead, it's a return to form.
Welcome back, LG.
Making the LG G6
Alex and Andrew visited LG HQ in Seoul, Korea, to get a look at how the G6 is made, find out why LG made the choices it did with this phone, and learn about the design direction and testing behind the new flagship.
Check out our report to find out how the G6 went from concept, to prototype, right through to the finished product.
Balance, simplicity and a tall screen: How the LG G6 is made
Reader comments
LG G6 review: A return to form
LG G6 is the first phone to support its Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range video technology. Dolby Vision is one or the highest image quality standards in cinemas. They’re not cheap to make, each screen uses two 4K laser-light projectors, rather than bog standard DLP, but with high brightness and 12-bit HDR color they look superb.
Does anyone have any sophisticated thoughts on the G6 camera performance? I found the V20 to be lacking in autofocus and detail compared to my s7e. Is this the same on this generation?
Why is my photo stopped, my lge, ims, rcs provider off
If you're considering the G6, you might want to Google the class action lawsuit currently being filed against LG regarding how LG handled...and didn't handle...the bootloop hardware flaw in the G4, G5, and V10. LG admitted to Android Authority (see Jan 26, 2016 article by Kris Carlon) that "LG Electronics has been made aware of a booting issue with the LG G4 smartphone that has now been identified as resulting from a loose contact between components."
In other words, LG themselves acknowledged building a hardware flaw in their phones so that these phones were defective from the moment they left the factory. Yet LG would not fix this vulnerability if it failed outside of warranty. Draw your own conclusions about what this says regarding how LG stands behind their products and how they support their customers, and what you can expect if any new "surprises" appear in an LG phone you buy after they have your money.
"Curved corners of display don't match bezel"
Seriously?
The G Flex 2 was hands down the best phone LG ever made.
I would agree if it wasn't for the super grainy screen.
32 GB US, Europe. 64Gb Asia etc what about Africa?
I didn't even have the phone for a week and have scratches on the screen side!!! I haven't done anything to the phone aside from wear it in a pocket with nothing else in it. I had an lg g5 for a year and didn't scratch the screen. what a piece of junk!!! Back is cracked cause it slid off my couch! What the hell LG!! You said this thing was military tested to standards. Can't even slide off a couch maybe 18" off the floor. Now I'm screwed with a cracked scratched phone for 2 years. Of course Verizon isn't going to do squat! DEFECTIVE LG!! LONG TIME CUSTOMER BUT NEVER AGAIN
Oh I'm in the same situation. My husband bought me this phone because LG wanted to hype it up that it was nearly indestructible... and well, i need that. However, no more than 24hrs after i recieved it, it slid off my lap (maybe a foot and a half) and that fall somehow shattered the screen. Now it doesn't even work properly. I called LG about their FALSE ADVERTISING and they did absolutely nothing, hiding behind legal platitudes. This phone is absolute crap and I pity anyone who wastes their money on it! I will NEVER buy LG again!
Oh, also let me fill you in on their supposed "military testing." The drop test consists of concrete with 2 inch thick plywood laid atop of it. Plywood!?!? Compressed sawdust, an incredibly soft, maliable material that is absent from real life (unless you're that one person who actually drops their phone on plywood). The rest of the population, though, is pretty screwed. So, I'm going to be paying out over 700 dollars on a seriously FRAGILE p.o.s. Thanks LG, way to stay classy.
When I got my phone turned on I immediately bought a case and put it on my lg g6. That took care of it. My phone is well protected. I believe if you really want something military grade unbreakable then you're goinf to have an ugly phone. Instead i bought a cover which combined with Lg g6 strengths, do make my phone safer than any phone and i didn't have to buy a bulky fat unattractive cover for the first time. My cove was picked fot basic protection-try I help of g6 be strong-and for the first time its beautiful and somewhat sleek. I love the lg operating system and the wireless charger is fast enough that I don't miss taking the cover off, then the back, removing battery and the rest of the process. Thought id miss my extra battery but so far wireless charging way makes up for it. I love my g6 and oh, btw-I can now see my screen in the sun's.
So your complaint is that you dropped your phone onto the floor and it cracked? I can't see how that is in any way LG's problem. Sounds like you are just clumsy.
Here's the thing!
If you like it own it! Don't waste your time explaining​ or try and convince or sway one's opinion because of a brand name. Does it make a phone call, can you receive a text, can you log into an email, does it power on, and more importantly​, do you like what it does for you? And that's all that matters! We spend so much time worrying about speed test, Amloid versus IPS, 821 vs 835, metal vs. glass, black vs white, flat screen vs curved screen, this year's vs last year's, water resistance vs. removable battery, stock vs TouchWiz, Android Central vs Pocketnow vs Mr. mobile vs Android Authority. It's the labels that we attach ourselves to is were the problem become bigger than we are! Being open and allowing others to like what they want to invest in is the key! Only with experience, wisdom and knowledge can you understand the true meaning of being free. By allowing others to have the freedom of choice! I'm not the smartest person and definitely not a good writer but i have wisdom enough to allow others to choose what works best for them and be ok with it.
I'm a man with a 9th grade education and i know better to allow people the freedom choose what they want because one day you will you and they will see.
I picked mine up after work today and I'm in love!
I will definitely say this phone is the real deal regardless of what people think and say about it, i like it and that's all that matters. And the S8 is absolutely gorgeous, but i love my LG G6.
I honestly find the rounded edges to be great. Aesthetically, it works. With the added bonus of the screen being rounded to avoid the screen shattering if dropped on a corner.
There is no issue in sealing the battery.... It gives us water and dust resistance which is more important in a device... Camera review says it beats the s7...and that's a wow factor for me.. Flat screen and dual camera makes it a easy buy.. Tries of edge screen and that weird placement of finger print reader of s8 duos... My money goes to G6
I liked my G4 a lot and highly anticipated this new G6. But no removable battery means goodbye LG. Whatever knucklehead made this clueless decision should be fired. Ever since Samsung stopped the removable battery, it gave LG a differentiator. But now what reason is there to stay with LG? Where are they different or better? You wouldn't believe how many iPhone users watched me swap in a fresh battery with their jaws dropped. Wow, you put in a 100% charged fresh battery in like 10 seconds??!! Yup. It's awesome. Bad move LG. Goodbye dummies.
Totally agree! I switched from Samsung to LG when Sammy did away with the removable battery. If I can't change the battery, I'll be going back to Samsung when it's time to replace my V20.
Hey guys, I'm coming from Samsung and really tired of many bloatwares, TouchWiz is still heavy compared with other's interfaces and I think that non removable battery is a path with no return. It's all about on more factor to scheduled obsolescence... Now I'm considering this G6.
Completely disagree. Sealing the battery in order to make a better device is absolutely warranted on mainstream devices. Those that need the removable battery can use the V20, which matches the G6 in a lot of ways.
i love the design of this thing! super flush rear and front. No curved glass. Love the curved sides tho! Everything is perfection with the style. And its smaller then my 5.5 inch phone now which is a huge plus for me. i wanna downsize i hate the big size...but lg is giving me a smaller phoen with a bigger screen. win!
i will miss the high quality DAC but im sure the dac in it will be fine with my headphones. I dont listen to music that often on my phone anyways. Also, with the trend of bluetooth headphones coming up. i expect the g7 to have not headphone jack all together!
The lg g6 is a 5.7 inch display
So what's your point, he said he has a 5.5 inch now and said this is a smaller phone with a larger display, 5.7 is larger than 5.5, so maybe you need reading comprehension lessons, or maybe think before you post, or . . . .
It's a piece of crap. I didn't even have the phone for a week and have scratches on the screen side. I haven't done anything to the phone aside from wear it in a pocket with nothing else in it. I had an lg g5 for a year and didn't scratch the screen. what a piece of junk! Back is cracked cause it slid off my couch! LG said this thing was military tested to standards. Can't even slide off a couch maybe 18" off the floor. Now I'm screwed with a cracked scratched phone for 2 years.
My brain is scrambling to find a way to trade in my G5 for the G6. One way or another I'm getting a G6.
I had a G5 for a year and loved it. I traded for G6. I didn't even have the phone for a week and have scratches on the screen side!!! I haven't done anything to the phone aside from wear it in a pocket with nothing else in it. I had an lg g5 for a year and didn't scratch the screen. what a piece of junk!!!
I don't think the bootloop issues in prior phones (and LG's failure to fix/replace adequately) should be ignored in a buy/don't buy recommendation for their new phones. Class action suits have been filed on earlier phones: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/03/class-action-lawsuit-targets...
Would-be buyers should factor this in--especially the company's alleged failure to provide after-purchase support.
I have a G5 now. It's great. Don't let the 'modularity' thing/gimmick get in the way of appreciating everything else about the phone. And I had a G4 before that and really liked it too.
I had a G4 and a G5 and loved both phones so I got a G6. I didn't even have the phone for a week and have scratches on the screen side!!! I haven't done anything to the phone aside from wear it in a pocket with nothing else in it. I had an lg g5 for a year and didn't scratch the screen. what a piece of junk!!! Back is cracked cause it slid off my couch! What the hell LG!! You said this thing was military tested to standards. Can't even slide off a couch maybe 18" off the floor. Now I'm screwed with a cracked scratched phone for 2 years.
"No matter how much you baby it, the back of the G6 is going to pick up scratches."
Oh really? how so when 99% of people have cases. Stupid statement.
It's not a stupid statement. Just because it doesn't apply to you, and many others, doesn't mean it shouldn't be considered. This is a review about a phone, not a review about a phone + case. This is what reviews are for, so that you don't have to buy it to try it out.
I used my zenfone2 without a case. It was built like a tank and i felt like i didn't need any case for it.
Oh really? 99%, huh? Is that an actual statistic or are you just pulling numbers from your a$$ and hoping you're accurate? My guess... The latter. Stop making up crap to try to make your point, actually do your research like an intelligent person
How does the front camera compare to pixel and HTC 10?
I am hesitant on LG software, but this may finally have enough of the features I want to make my Nexus 6 my backup device
well its still bloated but not like samsungs. at least LG follow google design language closely
As my comment on the Google Pixel XL. I like the speedy performance. I like the great camera. A huge improvement, especially in the low light mode makes LG a greater competitor. Cheers
Sorry, but I have to disagree with these two talking points.
"After years of chasing gimmicks, LG decides to just make a good phone."
"Google Assistant is handy, but still not a reason to buy the G6 in itself."
Yes there were some gimmicks, however LG didn't just decide to make a good phone.
The Google Assistant is not a good reason to buy any phone by itself and not exclusive to LG.
Thankfully it looks like LG has learned that mods is just not for them and know when to throw in the towel. I'm not making an argument for or against mods, I think they have potential but am not sold on them. But you shouldn't have to power down your device, take the lower portion of it apart, swap the battery from one piece to another, put it back together and then power up. I mean lord help you if you're attempting to make a quick switch. Like I said, I'm not sure if mods will be embraced by the masses, but at least Moto got it right...
Does it come with boot loop like my G4 had?
Bye LG!
So should people stop buying Samsung because the Note 7 had a safety issue? If we stop buying brands every time they have a bad model there will be nothing left to buy.
Does anyone proofread this stuff?
:"Around the back, you get both standard and wide-angle shooters at 13 megapixels, this time using the same sensor."
"A lot of fuss has been made .... that it's stepping down from 13 megapixels in its main camera."
So which is it? A 13 MP rear shooter, or "stepping down from" a 13 MMP rear camera?
And then there's "It's easy to look at the software on the LG G6 G6 next to...." The G6 G6?
The main rear shooter was 16MP on the G5 and the wide angle lens was 8MP. Now both are 13MP. So they stepped one down and one up. I do understand they had the wrong preposition there and what your point is. Just answering since you asked which one it is.
Personally, I'm going to wait for the S8 and V30 (or whatever it will be) to release. I may just end up getting the G6 (hopefully at a discount by then.)
Now that Sammy is doing away with the physical home key, if they don't have a way to wake the phone, one fingered with it sitting on a table (ala Knock-on) it will almost assuredly be out of the running.
I hate glass backed phones. But it seems that this is the direction of many manufacturers. I hate curved screens like on the S7 Edge. Stupid, silly gimmick. I know because I briefly owned the S6 Edge. I too was caught up in the hype. Useless feature adding cost and fragility. I hate that most of the phones are all starting to look alike...inevitable??? Maybe. So for me the compromise is something that, at least, looks different. My choice so far is the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Yes it has the dreaded glass back, and the screen is a little curved - 2.5 glass (which I wish ALL manufacturers would STOP using) but at least it will look different from all the others. The G6 needs to have all the features they leaked for several weeks for all people...well at least for us here in the U.S. Needs 64 GB of storage also. The only thing I like about it now is that it has a FLAT screen which will be great for a properly fitting tempered glass screen protector. Based on the comments listed here it looks like few will be buying this phone. I imagine someone from LG is following all these comments on the various forums and "they" are rethinking their decision. Whether they will be able, or willing, to make a change remains to be seen.
No DAC in US? That is a deal-breaker - a feature I can't overlook. I use high Ohm. less sensitive earphones. LG removed everything I loved about the V10 and G4. LG - at least the G6, is dead to me.
That's why I'm keeping my V20
I'll pass on this due to the lack of replaceable battery and stick with my G4. Maybe the G7 will be what I want next year.
Are you mostly concerned about swapping batteries regularly when you run out of juice, or replacing a worn-out battery a couple of years down the road. Or perhaps both? I'm personally neutral on swappable batteries. I've had devices with and without, and have never felt that it impacted me that much either way.
If a phone does have a replaceable battery, I think it would be a good idea for it to have a small backup battery that can keep it powered for a minute or two while you swap the main battery.
LG G6? boring. Galaxy S8? boring. What's new on these phones that's a must have? Nothing.
Out of curiosity, what would make a phone interesting to you?
That's a genuine question. I think it's been clear for a while that phones are becoming commodities, and unless you are into rooting (in which case you want a device that will attract a developer community) most phones would be fine for most people. So I'm curious to know what plausible features you would find interesting, never mind "must have".
I'll answer for him :)
1. Design - And not just materials. Have a look at the Xiaomi Mi Mix to get a perfect example of what would drive me to upgrade from my LG G4. Truly edgeless frame and a revolutionary piezoelectric speaker located behind the glass. It puts everything here to absolute shame.
2. A serious camera. I mean DSLR serious. I want adjustable f-stop, true exposure control, top-quality color capture, and optical zoom at least 2x. Bonus points for the ability to snap on a real camera lens.
3. Additional functionality such as Infrared blasters. Manufacturers had it right when they added IR blasters to their phones. I can use my LG G4 to control my 10-year-old oscillating tower fan that god only know where the actual remote went, along with literally any TV (including ones at bars and waiting rooms), Cable/Satellite receiver, Xbox, A/V Receiver, you name it, simply due to the huge array of IR codes that are available through apps like AnyMote. I can even build my own remote control to contain only the functions I use on all the devices on one room, or program a macro to turn everything on when I get home, aim my phone, and press a button. Sadly, this year looks like the IR blaster is dead, and that's a huge shame because there is a vast army of both new and legacy devices that work with IR.
4. Desktop-in-a-pocket. I know this is coming, but it should honestly already be here. The desktop/mobile line is the last barrier to fall. I want to be able to come home and instantly have all my mobile apps and games become full-blown desktop apps on either my TV or my office monitor. Bonus points for a dock with wireless charging and extra RAM/Processor Cores to enhance the horsepower of my phone while in desktop mode. Microsoft is already moving in this direction with the Surface Phone and I sincerely hope that Apple and Google are already looking at bridging their desktop and mobile operating systems as well.
"2. A serious camera. I mean DSLR serious. I want adjustable f-stop, true exposure control, top-quality color capture, and optical zoom at least 2x. Bonus points for the ability to snap on a real camera lens."
And let me guess, you want all this to fit in a package no thicker than today's phones, right? That isn't going to happen. All that stuff takes up space, and few people would accept a thicker phone to get real camera features.
The closest they can get to is point and shoot capabilities. They will never get to DSLR quality because they can't put a large sensor in a phone or incorporate a lens mount system.
I'm with you on all these except #2. Not that it wouldn't be nice, but photos aren't as important to me. I'm with you on #4 wholeheartedly. The one who pulls this off will definitely get my dollars.
This is now a mature industry. There aren't going to be any really big improvements for a while, I suspect.
There is nothing ground breaking about phones these days. I say the next big leap is the foldable screens we keep hearing about.
Meh this would have been cooler if it were released last year. Not in 2017. Will wait for the S8 plus/pro with better specs and screen.
Doubt it. Still wouldn't compete against the S7 edge.
No removable battery is a big step backwards. Buying a premium flagship like this is supposed to bee ( just look at the annoiunced price !) means you want longevity. For my g3 I have gone through probably 5 to 6 batteries in my 2.5 years with the phone. I now have 4 batteries that I swap amongs . If you are an avid gamer a non removable battery is crap. If you want longevity ina phone a non removeable battery is the differnce between buying a repalcement on ebay / from the company and an expensive trip to a mobile repair shop. I had one nexus 5 and am decided non more non removable batteries for me.
Agreed, non removable battery limits the life of your phone. If you really like it and after a couple of years the battery wont hold a charge, buy a new battery cheaply. If its non removable its an expensive return to manufacturer or give it to some dodgy stallholder to crack it open to replace the battery hoping they wont brick it. Or do what most people do,chuck it and buy a new one! Expensive smart phone makers increasingly have users sucked into the latter model. While users of"feature Phones" (all of which have removable batteries) keep using their phones for years ( My mother just traded her old Nokia 3000 series in only because the 2g network closed, it was working fine, 15 years old!). Plus I am a bushwalker visiting remote areas.3 spare batteries keeps my LG G4 going for a week. Iam goingto get the V20 as it appears its the last of the large screen smartphones with a removable battery. Hopefully the up and coming Chinese manufacturers will make one.
let's see who's the 1st sucker with a boot loop,oh you bet your ass their will be plenty to go around
Lighten up
The lg g6 looks stunning with lot of features.wide angle camera on front and back.wireless charging only to U.S market.Quad dac to korean and asian market.water proof phone and 18.9 aspect ratio is cool.
How do i get rid of message pop ups while im busy workin on phone and still get a vibrate notification.. Plz help
How the LG G6 should have been made...Start with a G5. Now make it 5.7". Now put a SD821 in it. Then add 4 to 6gb of ram. And also 64gb internal. Now, remove all traces of modularity. (but leave the removable battery) Add a few new features...Alexa, fine. Update the camera...fine SD Card...fine.
Now, sell it for a reasonable price.....Say, $450.... makes some sales and make some cash for god sakes.....
And there you have it. The G5+ Something nice to hold LG over for 4 months until the 835 is available....and forget about all the Gorilla Glass.
I am with you, this looks like a good mid tier phone. Even the best thing the reviewer can say about the phone is it is a ok phone. I have yet to see one feature that says 2017 flagship. Everything in this phone seems to be from mid 2016. I keep asking what are the new G6 features and I keep getting back that it is a good LG phone. The biggest problem is by the time actually hits the stores they are going to be trying to sell in the face of S8 marketing. Being out in the stores first does not help if the stores are full of marketing by your competitor with a 2017 flagship phone.
OK, so got a more thorough read. Can someone explain to me the intrigue of a wide-angle lens on the back? I don't really get the fuss, let alone the claim of envy. More importantly, are there really people who are interested in switching between lens angles? I don't get why, if they want to push this wide-angle mode, they don't just make it the only offering. Offer one rear camera, wide-angle, and give it all the bells and whistles to look amazing at all times. Are there tech limitations on a wide-angle lens, or is there some reason to have both options in angle?
I still can't see where this phone sells me. Like I said, I don't care about the wide-angle lens. It isn't something I want, if it's going to provide lesser images. I don't know that I've ever taken a photo and gone "man, if only I got a hair more of the side in that shot..." There seems to be notation of how good the audio is for headphones, or how great it sounds with a recording from the non-quad-DAC setup. The SoC is ho-hum. The battery is ho-hum. The design is ho-hum on a good day. It's a very boring offering I can't understand any excitement for. Nothing that truly separates itself, unless you're dying to get more into your latest Instagram post, IMO.
If you only have wide-angle, you only have wide angle. If you want a narrower composition (and can't walk closer) your options are crop or "digital zoom" (which degrades quality). With the 2 lenses you have a sort of zoom without quality loss, at the cost of a more expensive camera system. And the wide-angle shouldn't take lesser images since it's the same sensor (unlike in the G5, where the two sensors were different).
The longer screen I can see advantages to (even if just giving you more screen space while using software buttons). For something that's the size of a 5.2" phone the battery is as good as you get elsewhere (screen diagonal is a poor measure of size when different aspect ratios are present). It seems a decent, rounded handset. If they'd provide the 64GB storage and quad DAC where I live I'd consider it. Since they don't, and headphone audio matters to me, I probably won't (and I have contacted LG to tell them that that choice cost them a sale - won't make any difference, but at least they know). But for people who are less fussy about that than me it seems a decent device, whose other drawbacks (fixed battery, glass back) are shared by its main competitors.
Though that said, the quality of the wide-angle samples I've just seen doesn't impress me, though they are fine as long as you don't zoom in or crop. Very wide though.
If you need to zoom or crop, use the regular lens.
It's better to try it for a while then to have someone explain it to you
I have a G5, and it generally fits your description of "good, not great," but the wide angle lens is really cool. I was in my upgrade cycle right before taking a trip to France, and the wide angle was the deciding factor so I could use it there.
It didn't disappoint. Taking a photo from the same spot with both lenses is useful and interesting. The angle is actually wider than the human eye's field of vision, so you see more on your photos than IRL. I took several shots from the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Couer. The wide angle shots always make people say "cool!" while the regular shots are just like every other tourist's.
There are two trade offs, though. G6 is fixing one of them by bringing the specs of the wide angle up to the regular shooter. The other issue is that when it's not a super wide shot, the image stretches around the edges. You can't take a portrait of someone 5 feet in front of you with the wide angle without their legs looking deformed. But it doesn't matter, because you have both lenses. The regular lens is very good, but not as good as GS7 (not going to bother comparing it to Pixel or iPhone 7, as they came out 6 months later). The selfie camera is pretty weak too.
They don't seem to have improved the selfie or regular shooter in the G6, which is mildly disappointing. I'm not sure the wide angle option is enough to get me to stick with LG next time around. G6 looks, as you said, good but not premium at a premium price point. I'm hoping Pixel 2 adapts the wide angle option, but if I had to pick today, I'd go Galaxy S8 over G6.
I'm going to have to read this whole thing in a bit. My initial reaction? A glass back is an automatic no-go for me. Glass backs are a horrible idea I see 0 benefit for. Oh, yay, a layer to get easily cracked and scratched while creating awful, glossy surfacing!!!
nice phone EXCEPT for the glass and no removable battery. I stuck with the LG G4 because its lighter and not slippery with the leather back rather than slippery glass and metal. I have seen so many Samsung and Apple owners with cracked screens I wont buy a glass or metal backed phone. Too heavy as well, picking up an iPhone next to G4 is like picking up a brick. I need a replaceable battery to go into the bush for a week, so might consider the V20.
Very long review, but absolutely no mention about how the phone handles incoming emails, texts, etc. Will this phone have an RGB led light, or won't it? How come reviews never mention this?
No RGB light
No quad dac and second screen is a fail after using them on the v20. Nothing really unique about the phone to differentiate it besides the wide angle lens which i really link on the v20.
Just stick with the V20 until the V30
Not interested. Can't wait to see the price point in relation to S8 launch
I want my damn DAC LG. What the hell?
Agreed, I also want 64 GB of memory as the base unit. Big fail, they are going to be competing against competition with 2x the memory and a better chip. With as far as I can see not one new exciting feature.
The weird "features differ by region" issue kills this for me. I want the higher quality DAC, but I don't live in Korea. I want wireless charging, great I live in the USA! I want the 64 GB model, but can't have it. Seriously LG, what were you thinking??? Were the licensing and components that much more expensive to force you to not include those features everywhere? Or at least the option??? Make a 32 BG without wireless and the cheaper DAC. Then make a 64 GB model that includes the wireless and DAC. You could actually justify a higher price then.
I've a big LG fan since the G2. Have had the G4 since it came out and have always used a quick circle wireless charging case. Very dissapointed that the UK version won't have this baked in so will probably give the G6 a miss. Such a shame
32 gig base store is so yesterday especially when the operating system takes up 11 gig so you really only get 21 gig of space when will these manufactures learn, if they want to sell in the U.S.A. they need to start upping the base storage.
yep, 32gb is unacceptable. S8 will be 64gb base, just like Note 7. Also - AMOLED is a requirement for me.
Form factor is nice, reading and browsing should be better with less scrolling, but for me it's still too large. 5.5" version would have been nice.
Front looks great but I really dislke glass back, slippery, looks gaudy, scratches easily and I imagine lots of smudges and fingerprints.
Specs are fine but I use IR blaster on my current and previous phones so that's a big negative for me. Maybe they know that the use of the 821 Soc will be perceived as a negative so they haven't gone all out specs wise with this so that they can price it much lower and still make good profit.
Think I'll wait a few months to see what the competition does.
5.2 FTW
Agree! Miss my LG G2. Perfect combination of large display and compact body.
Just thinking that a 5.5" 18:9 display may work as well...
Hey look the Mi Mix gave it round corners and it looks good so we should do it too!
So no MST payments are rumored?
Looks like LG produced a winner this time. Like the tall screen with thin bezel and the flat screen. I just refuse to succumb to Samsung's persuasion for the curved screen.
I loved my LG G4 leather back. Rocked it case less for 15 months. Liked the phone so much, I got my girlfriend the v10 and recommended v10 to my brother -in-law when that came out based off my experience with the G4. My G4 died due to hardware failure after 15 months (motherboard). My girlfriend's V10 sometimes has gps signal locking problems and from time to time lag even after clearing all open apps. My brother-in-law v10 has same issues. Sorry LG, never buying a LG phone again. The oled tv are awesome though.
$550 will probably sell a decent amount. Anything more will be challenge, or post crazy commission to have the carrier stores push this to uninformed customers.
Brighter than samsung, large lcd display, and a secondary display screen, with only a 3300mah battery = MISS. No high res DAC and high impedance analog output circuit = MISS. Only 32G!!??? = HUGE MISS. Glass case back... One drop and its toast = MISS. It will have to be very aggressively priced. I have Qi charging on my v10, its definitely nice compared to USB-B. But not anything to get really excited about compared to USB-C, as slow and inneficient Qi is. The V20 is a better device on paper, especially with its price dropping lately.
Looks like the same people who designed the G5 designed the G6... Very similar (brain fart) omissions, beneath a sleek and good looking front. Should have designed ONE feature packed device for everyone.
Most definitely.
"Yet the overall package, with that bright lens and OIS, beats the Galaxy S7 and goes toe-to-toe with the Google Pixel in the dark"
For that to happen, you would need the Pixel to be better than the Galaxy S7 in low-light, which is VERY debatable.
And the photos you've taken indoors and in low-light conditions with the G6 look pretty terrible : blurry, grainy, soft... The S7 and Pixel are much better than that, they look like they were taken with a 2015 mid-range phone!
Plus the G6's main competition will not be the S7, it will be the S8. Strange, the G6 seems to have been designed to compete against S7.
Those camera samples lack dynamic range, the highlights are all blown out.
PROS: Great low-light camera performance
Really? Photos sucks, and LG used a half 2015 Sony sensor (IMX258)
I'm kinda digging on this phone. Especially the rounded corners there, reminds me of webOS. Great OS on a pure **** phone, but still it looks great.
Using Cornerfly (app) on my ZTE ZMAX PRO gives me the exact same effect as the rounded corners on the G6........just sayin.
This would be the perfect phone to market in North Korea; somewhere you would never know you're getting inferior specs to elsewhere in the world.
What are they thinking releasing it with such different specs, plus the 32GB of storage? It seems so arbitrary.
This is lovely. I really like the different curves around the screen compared to the phone. I've always found LGs software to be pretty minimal and it doesn't ruin Android - so I would have no problem breaking away from stock Android (currently on a 6P). It's all down to price now I guess...
Screen too small. Need a 6" screen. I do not like small screens. Hence why I have Huawei mate 8.
S8+ 6.2 inches.
Looks like a solid phone, but nothing that inspires excitement.
Those camera samples look terrible......smudgy. The G5 took better pictures. Damn Lg! Why cheap out on the camera? I hope that is not final software. I was planning to get this but I have lost interest.
Not impressed 32gb storage, 4gb ram and still 5.7 inches in 2017? Only worth it for people still using 2 year old phones like the G4. No thanks will wait for the clearly superior S8 Pro in April.
I am personally so sick and tired of you guys hating on the buttons on the back. Just because Samsung and Apple and Samsung never adopted them does NOT make them a gimmick! They are a useful feature that also differtiated LG phones from the rest of the pack, and I miss them!
Agree...just an example of Samsung and Apple pushing and promoting mediocrity.
I agree also. Loved the rear buttons on my G3 & G4. Very functional.
I hate the buttons on the back. So yesterday..
No. Buttons on the side were so yesterday. Putting them on the back dramatically improved one handed usability, something AC had been harping on since phones started to grow. It's hypocritical that they denounced them so much. And yet they love the fingerprint sensor there.
how is having the fingerprint reader on the back superior? and yes unfortunately S8 is going this route too. iP8 will have the sensor embedded in the front glass and I may switch back to Crapple - especially w/Amoled.
LG almost achieved perfection by annoying their customers with these weird geographic restrictions. Without all these goodies it's just another phone.
No IR blaster. Why take away this great feature on a flagship phone.
I can't believe they are only offering 32GB in US.
yep, that's a fail right there.
They should have made one phone with all the specs vs making essentially 3 different phones.
Lg made a beautiful phone, with many disappointments and poor decisions. Good luck, Lg.
The back reminds me of the Galaxy Note 2, with the brushed metal (Yes, I know the note had a plastic back).
Seems like ill be keeping my v20 and see what samsung will announce
The V20 is good enough to last awhile
I will pass, as I suspect most people will unless it is price as in the mid-tier phone (which I doubt). How can LG continuously fail to address the biggest issues with its phones? They continue to use horrible LCD screens (that will probably be calibrated to be very cold and green or blue like their other phones), poor battery size that will lead to poor life and LG's UI is awful. Those are the biggest issues with LG phones and they have not addressed any of those issues. In fact, by nixing the removable battery their battery problems will be worse. If they continue to have connectivity issues (bluetooth, signal, wifi) this could be about it for LG's phone division.
Since when is a 3300mAh battery a "poor size"?
Read the review. "It will last a day, but not much more." Sounds pretty poor to me when matched with the G6's screen and hardware.
Can't forget the awesome bootloops that will come with the G6.
There are no bootloops with the G5 which has been out a year.
They're still selling the V10, which has the same bootloop issue. Class action suits have been filed: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/03/class-action-lawsuit-targets...
Just as I suspected, a solid phone, but nothing to get excited about. I would at least recommend it this time, when I could not recommend the G5 last year.
LG should have just called this the G5. This is what the G5 should have been last year.
I'm going to hard pass on this one. I'm not spending money on a phone this year that has last year's specs.
Meh. Nothing here that would tempt me away from my S7 edge. And if you're going to put in features, let everybody have them, not just certain regions. Stupid.
I don't plan to buy another phone with a glass rear ever again, but I think the G6 looks very nice. It might be my favorite look/design from LG since the G3, actually. And I don't mind the processor, especially if the price is right, but the black borders when viewing video would annoy me. I'd also prefer 64GB of storage available in the U.S.
a 6 month old phone (by the time the G6 is released) has better overall specs than a so-called flagship. lg has really missed the mark with this. here's hoping they don't screw up the V series as well.
Phone looks great... I don't mind buying it if priced well as I don't really want a curve screen... And dual camera setup can help to capture great pics... Does the G6 have ir blaster?
Nope
The hardware deletions for the rest of the world do seem bizarre and misjudged. At least just sell both a low and high spec model for the appropriate price.
32GB, no wireless charge, No Quad DAC - $XXX
64GB, wireless charging , Quad DAC - $XXX
I'd be happy with the cheaper model as those features are not that important to me but for many I could see they would be.
Call one the G6 and the other the G6 SE
I think that's a great idea
Why do I feel like LG will come out with a G6s version with the SD835?!
It would be extremely ripe for it, wouldn't it? Unless they don't want to take play away from their V30.
Sorry LG was seriously interested in this phone BUT no wireless charging and dropping the HiFi DAC's in Europe - off the list now
Nothing to make me consider buying one, but plenty to make me look elsewhere, most likely Samsung again. I live in the uk
I'm somewhat disappointed with what I'm reading.
A staple of the G line has been the removable battery. I like being able to take as much power as I will need with me and to deal it out on command.
32 gigs of memory ONLY for the U.S. or should I say 21gigs after the memory hog nougat O/S is done with it. That is simply unacceptable LG. why is the United States being punished for buying your phones.
Running a, little warm are they? And after they have about 20 gigs of apps in them they are bound to lag like a first run Galaxy S.
Sounds like LG'S flagship for the year was last years V20 and what a shame, it's a sexy looking phone and I was really wanting to get it replacing my flawless running LG G4 but if your not going to send the very best to the US you can keep the damn thing. One of your competitors will send their very best full featured product to the U.S. and we will buy that instead and your underpowered, not enough memory G6.
You can flush it down the same toilet as the ugly ass G5 did.. To many choices out there to put up with less!
just get the v20
I like it... But 32gb of storage? Say it ain't so!
Why is it a return to form when they were never the frontrunner?
So I've seen conflicting reports on the screen with some saying OLED and your review stating LCD. If it's LCD, it won't be Daydream-compatible.
It's LCD
It's not daydream compatible.
The Daydream spec doesn't require OLED. All it requires is a minimum 1080p screen that is bigger than 4.7" and a 60Hz refresh rate while in VR mode.
S7E (Exynos), OP3T, Pixel & Xl, Mate 9. These are all existing devices that are better than the G6.
Another misstep from LG.
This is what the g5 should have been
What is really bad, it is what the G5 could have been. Nothing on the phone that is 2017 tech. Just an old spec phone released one year too late.
Looks like a solid step up of the G5 and V20. Not sure about the display though. One of the advantages of a larger screen used to mean a wider keyboard with somewhat larger keys making fat--fingering keys less likely. With the new aspect ratio will the screen be narrower than a current 5.7 Quad HD display?
Why, could you explain anything that is better on the G6 than the V20?
The V20 is not a step down unless your life hangs on water resistance.
Sad. That the s7e is still better than this phone.
Yup
Already a review?! Is'´t it too fast ro get a good idea?? This thing was just introduced!
Review devices can be sent out before the introduction.
Right? Doesn't everyone here know this?
But the article says the reviewer only used the phone for two days. I remember a time when AC would not have released a review without at least a full week of use.
Pokegate: 07/14/16 - Never Forget...
Yes! They used it just for 2 days and without knowing what is its price! Or how a phone is priced is useful in the way someone should judge a phone! That article may be a good first impressions piece but they are calling it review just for click bait
To me, it doesn't matter what LG does with the hardware. The only android version I will buy is the one that comes direct from Google.
How can this phone get a "choice" award when not two months ago you posted this article
Don't buy a 32GB Android phone in 2017 https://www.androidcentral.com/dont-buy-32gb-android-phone-2017
No excuse for 32GB storage when charging this much for a phone. Honestly, but would be the cost implication and extra £10 on retail?
Presumably, not all the ac writers feel as strongly about the point as that one did, especially for phones that still include an sd card slot too.
Both the review and the 32gig article are by Dobie, and I just think they shouldn't sign off a choice award when 32GB was flagship storage like 2 years ago.
32GB is ok for low end and budget but not high end, we should move forward at all front, not stay behind.
32GB is unacceptable.
Which is very funny because when the S6 shipped without an SD card slot, the AC Editors were all over defending Samsung and telling us why we did not need an SD card slot. They seem to find reasons to move their opinion based on what manufactures are doing.
Also, have a hard time seeing how they defend 32 GB when the high end competition is moving to 64 GB. I think 32 GB is ok for a mid tier phone.
Awesome job pointing out the hypocrisy. AC is full of it. Most tech channels are in the pockets of the manufacturers though. If they don't praise the new releases they stop getting the previews they need to get the readership that pays the bills. They're just a bunch of commercials now. Sad but true.
Honestly, this site does itself a disservice with so many, currently 6, articles about this phone.
You dont see other reputable tech news site like Ars, Anandtech, etc do that.
It's a new flagship from one of the biggest Android manufacturers. We expect and want a lot of coverage.
Yes, but we also expect reviewers and editors to use critical judgement when commenting on new phones.
For a change, I like the back and the front. Rounded corners on the display is a nice touch. The back manages to keep a clean look despite dual cameras, flash, and sensors.
"Return to form"... now where have I heard that before?
Definitely no go recommend advice doesn't matter. My ZteMaxPro is better.
Lol, sure hoss. I'm betting, given your username, that you'll think your phone is better than any of the flagships released this year.
Really?? ,How is your budget ZTE better then this phone ...Cause you say it is ..OK ?? Lol ...I. It's not. Trust me not even close it really just a another knock off in the sea of knock offs
You can't be serious now
Yep it's a ZTE enough said
Drop your ZTE Max Pro into water and see how much better it is to the G6.
Nah. Such an improvement over the G5 but still just not for me. That aspect ratio is truly ridiculous and I see no advantage when it comes to how I use my phone. The geographical restrictions show just how far LG needs to come to play with the big boys like Samsung and Apple, that's amateur crap and they need to stop. The biggest issue I see is all the press quad DAC got before launch and now it is locked behind an arbitrary geographic restriction. Have the same complaints with the camera I did last year, I've never wanted a wide angle lens on my phone, I have wanted a slight zoom on a ton of occasions though. Just not for me.
I'm real glad to see LG is finally starting to play on Apple and Samsung's level. Online keyboard warriors who think their phone needs should dictate everything will cry about the non-removable battery, and everyone should complain about the stupid restrictions placed on the various models, but I think LG might have a chance to sell some phones if they actually get this thing to market and advertise it.
Edit: Also that storage space is laughable, even with an SD card slot internal storage is needed.
Edit 2: Uhm, I've read two reviews of this thing and neither has mentioned release date. I'm tired, just woke up, may have missed it. If they can't get this thing in people's hands before Samsung announces their phones why even bother.
I don't understand the geographic restrictions.
They said that it's to better fit market requirements, but that's silly.
Why not just streamline the SKU???
Yeah I seriously do not understand. I'm assuming a quad DAC is not something the majority of phone buyers in the US care about, but going by that logic then they should just keep the G6 overseas cause most people over here don't care about it in general. Their hardcore fans over here are gonna feel alienated by this decision, they already feel alienated by the removal of the removable battery, this just makes it worse.
It seems there is always at least one decision LG makes to shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to their flagship phones.
They did it too cut costs. If you look at the G5 and now the G6 you will notice that keeping costs down as low as possible is a top priority for LG.
The G6's tall screen looks cool but I think I'd rather get the V20. I'd get the DAC, 64GB storage, second screen & removable battery.
And if your on T-Mobile it's 350 hehe flash sale. Nothing to see here folks keep it moving!!
And?? Great price for a very good phone. The S7 edge was also $360 as well. Stop being a ridiculous fan boy!
And stop hating people that don't agree with what you like see two can play at that game .
Dac is included on g6
only in Asia
So at this point 2017 will be a two horse race I know the Chinese ha ve some interesting offers (that'll look like a iPhone copy haha ) and through Nokia in the mix ...But in the end we all know what we in the Android world are waiting for the s8 and note 8 yes.....6.2 in of all screen
no removable battery no sdcard - pass on samsung there .
Who else we got ?
it has sd card slot.
Garbage phone
Nobody wants this. I'm going to buy the ZTE Akon next.
Axon*
DoA unless they price it <$550 which they won't. Too many compromises - even if you live in South Korea where you'll get the proper version. Rest of the world: don't buy unless you like being taken advantage of as a second-class customer. Luckily I won't have the option of getting this phone unless I wish to buy it retail because most carriers have wisely dropped LG from their stock.
Try again next year, LG. Maybe you might be able to dig yourself out of your increasingly large hole by then.
This must be amateur hour because LG sure did miss the mark. Severe region restrictions on a device that will surely cost at least $600 makes no sense. They could have easily include the DAC, wireless charging, and larger storage options in ALL regions, but instead chose to shoot themselves in the foot. Looks like Samsung and Apple will be leading the charge this year.
Lol... I was really hoping this would be the year for lg, but you are dead on.
Yup. Another year a manufacturer chooses to skimp. Not surprised.
What about the whole reliability statement that was teased before launch? I have a couple of LG boot loop bricks sitting here that happened for no apparent reason whatsoever. I definitely liked the LG phones I had, but they are basically garbage now because of the update that was pushed to those phones. Not sure if it's carriers or manufacturer to blame, but one of them sure did a great job destroying a lot of phones.
That can only be tested with time I feel.
The back is so ugly
That's what she said.
This. I have never felt so uninspired by the rear of a phone before this one.
All the big releases this year so far have been lame, other than the XZ Premium.
Hmm some stupid geographic restrictions, small battery and wierd video quality(is it me, or the video sample that they shot was too plastic?), 32gb basic storage in 2017, gonna skip this and wait for V30.
As i have S7E, that's not an upgrade at all, probably the S8 won't be a good upgrade as well...
With your phone you should be good for another 2-3 years, unless you have money to burn off course.
Lots of us have plenty of money to spend on toys that we like to spend our money on thats why where enthusiast . Not every one lives pay check to pay check
You mean money to burn.
Yep money to burn you sound lil jealous,don't hate the player hate the game
literally nobody in this comment thread indicated any jealousy, or was "hating".
Cool story bro
Not everyone that can afford to buy a device every month does. There is a reason to stick with a device for a while. And a reason many people do. To each their own.
There is a good story about a grasshopper and an ant, Google it.
I want a big phone, Mate 9 got me hooked but now i'm turn between P10P or Mate 9.
Meh , OK Samsung wow me I'll pass on the LG not a lot new here for the money and my last LG the pro well let's just say it wasn't much of a apro it never got updated an my buddies LG flex was still in 4.4 haha before he moved on to the s7 edge well maybe the v30 will do it ....Na by that time the mother of all smartphone will be out .....The note 8
Good phone but restricting storage is disappointing thing for me especially in the UK.LG is basically ignoring this market my G4 may well be my last LG phone having had the G2 also
It has an SD Card slot.
Im assuming since they went with LCD that this phone will not be Google Daydream compatible?
Right. Vr is only amoled
That would be correct.
Not a big loss though as Daydream is still in its very early stage. Gives you a year at least before any "must have" regrets.
I actually kinda like it.
The pricing will play a crucial role, though. It's also weird that LG chose to have different G6 variants with different hardware choices for different markets .
But price, as said before, plays a critical role, since it basically has a tweaked version of hardware that first made its device debut around Q4 2016. With significantly improved hardware coming, it'll be interesting.
at least here in the U.S. price is not as much of a concern because most people buy their phones on device payment so the price they pay for a 500 dollar phone vs a 700 dollar phone ends up being a few dollars monthly.
But that only means your paying less short time, at the end it's still 600 or 700 dollars out of your pocket.
i agree but most consumers don't see it that way, all they care about is the price they see on their monthly statement
not necessarily since a lot of carriers now offer leases for newer devices. if the customer wants to pay full price, they can after 18 months, otherwise they pay a fraction of the price and trade it in when they feel like it.
According to The Verge, LG has stated that the G6 will have a lower price point, but by how much is a different question we may not get the answer to for weeks.
Not even q4 tech. The s7 with basically the same tech came out in March of last year. Close enough to call this year old tech
After experiencing LG software design and bloatware on an LG Flex, I'd be very reluctant to go with LG again. I can't tell from this article whether the situation is the same, or is this just a light styling touch on pure Nougat?
There's little bloatware on my G5 and if you finished reading the article, the author recommends the G6 as a BUY
And you can also always use a launcher. You're not forced to use LG's UI. Action launcher is great and folks seem to love Nova launcher
Alex had unlocked software so couldn't comment on bloatware, which is a deal breaker to many
Nah it's not a problem. On my G4 I was able to just uninstall all but two of the dozen or so extra LG apps.
LG really has gotten better with bloatware on their newer phones. The bloatware in their new software is kinda minimal now
Definitely a buyer beware situation, they still haven't updated the US factory unlocked lg g5 to nougat rs988. All 5 of the other carriers including us Cellular got the update
Still waiting on AT&T to push the update to my LG G5.
Meh. My G4 is still on 5.1 and somehow it still manages to work just fine.
Getting new versions of the OS mattered back 3 or 4 revisions ago. Now only the OCD types really care.
Horrible advice from a security perspective, but probably mostly true
IDK. I loaded Nova Launcher on my G4 the week I got it. I honestly couldn't tell you what LG's software design is or looks like. I mean, It's got Wifi/BT/Etc buttons and a brightness slider when I pull the notifications down, and it has a list of settings when I go to settings... Pretty average fair imo.