There’s a lot of buzz for the flagship phones this spring. I’ve been messing around with the LG G6 for a few weeks now. Looks like LG leveled up with the G6. You saw I was initially impressed by it when I first checked it out weeks go. I am reviewing the LG G6 from / on Verizon Wireless Check out the specs and my thoughts on it below.
LG G6 Specs
Display: 5.7” Quad HD Full Vision display 2880 x 1440 (564 ppi) 18:9 screen aspect ratio
Cameras: Rear-facing: 13 MP wide angle (125 degrees) / 13MP Standard (F 1.8)
5 megapixel front-facing camera
Processor / RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 / 4GB RAM
Memory: 32GB / Internal Memory (with expansion slot)
Battery: 3,300 mAh embedded battery / Wireless Charging /
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2/ Wi-Fi / NFC /USB-C 2.0
OS: Android Nougat 7.0
Features: IP68 Rating (water and dust resistant) / fingerprint scanner / headphone jack / Dolby Vision / 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DDAC
Design and Build
LG definitely stepped up with the build of the G6. Talk about a beauty! The phone looks a lot better than the G5. LG ditched the removable battery (one of the last phones to have it) to create the unibody design. No more “friends” modular design. It looks sleek and luxurious. No buttons on the front panel. All you have is the 5.7 Quad HD inch screen and the 5-megapixel front-facing camera. On the right border, you have the SD card / SIM card slot. On the left border, you have you have separate volume up and down buttons. The back of the phone looks like the LG V20. You have the regular and wide-angled 13-megapixel cameras. Under the camera is the power/fingerprint scanner. LG keep the headphone jack on the G6. It’s up on the top border.
The G6 glass and metal design looks and feels great. No curved or thin edges here so the phone doesn’t slip through your hands. The G6 is thick enough to fit comfortably in your palm without slipping despite the glass back.
Experience
I’ve used many of LG flagships from the last years, from the G2 to the V20, so I am familiar with LG’s builds and software. The first thing you realize is how great the large screen fits in hand. The nearly bezeless design is what makes this possible. The phone isn’t exactly flat in the back, as it curves in slightly at on the four corners. The phone is taller than it is wide (18:9 aspect ratio).
It’s hard to believe the screen is over 5.5 inches big and can be used with one hand. The grip is comfortable. The phone lays flat on a surface as well, since both rear cameras are flat. Yay for no camera bump. The fingerprint scanner isn’t the fastest, but fast enough. It’s in a reachable spot and makes unlocking the G6 easy.
With IP68 rating (making it water and dust resistant) the G6 completes the flagship checklist. With the Snapdragon 821 processor, the phone flows pretty smoothly. Sometimes when watching videos it would get a little warm but nothing to be scared of. Performance is what you’d expect from a specked out phone. No real lag. The software gets cleaner with each version of the G series, it’s a lot more tolerable now. It’s still not my favorite, but I managed to live with it for a few weeks.
CHECK OUT OUR LG G7 THINQ REVIEW HERE
Features
One-Handed Use
OK, so this isn’t exactly a “feature” but it’s something to be noted. Like I stated before, it’s great to be able to use the phone with one hand comfortably. I can reach almost every point of the phone without a problem. The thin bezels help the one-handed use without accidentally palming the screen. The phone isn’t super tall and awkward (I’m looking at you Galaxy S8+).
Fingerprint Scanner
Along with the comfortable hold, the fingerprint scanner is in a reachable place. My finger just lands there, without extending or reaching. You won’t confuse it with the camera or have a hard time finding it.
Quick Launch
If you’ve seen my Instagram and Google+, you know I enjoy taking pictures. Getting to my camera ASAP is crucial for me. I snap everything. Pressing the “volume down button” twice and the camera launches.
Camera
Like I’ve been saying for the last couple of years, most if not all flagships have decent rear face cameras. There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to take a decent with any of the latest flagship devices. LG is still trying to take a step up with the dual cameras.
I like that you just have to zoom out (pinch inward) to go from the regular camera to the wide-angle camera. You will see a mark on the zoom indicator letting you know where it goes from wide-angle to the regular camera.
The wide-angled shots curve on the edges on the images and leave out some detail of course. Sometimes the images just look warped. Just check out some of the pictures in the slideshow.
Battery
The G6″s 3,300 mAh battery is pretty big considering the size of the phone. I don’t play heavy games on my phone, so it doesn’t drain quickly. The G6 handles push email notifications, lots of social media, and even more picture taking. Battery life is going to vary with each user. Luckily, with the G6 we have Quick Charge 3.0 and wireless charging for the win. But as always, the battery life is subject to use.
Verizon Service and Pricing
As I stated earlier, Verizon provided the phone for me to review (all opinions are my own though). Verizon still has strong service in parts of Queens and Manhattan that I frequent. That’s great for me (as I hate being disconnected). I went to Florida for a week and the service was decent there too, but not as strong as the service I get in New York.
For official proof of their great service, you can check out this link where Verizon was ranked highest in overall network performance for the 7th time in a row by RootMetrics. They rated Verizon the #1 service in New York (where I do most of my testing) as well.
Verizon Wireless came out with a decent unlimited plan earlier this year. You can see their pricing for the LG G6 here. It’s available in 2 colors, the Platinum color you’ve seen in the hands-on before and the black you see in this review. Unlimited data on a reliable network is a go. “Make sure to read the fine points of unlimited data as always”
Overall
The LGG6 is definitely a contender for the top flagship in 2017 (so far at least). It comes down to your preference of look and feel. You get a large screen without the uncomfortably large body. Sturdy build that is water-resistant and easy to work one-handedly. And you also get decent battery size for the size of the phone. If you prefer a slightly thicker phone with flagship specs, you definitely won’t go wrong with the LGG6.
