First Impressions
Time to replace the aging smart phone? That dilemma presented itself recently. My daily driver — a stalwart Samsung Galaxy S6 almost a year over its upgrade date — started showing its age. Shorter battery life, slower performance thanks to the latest Android updates, and two hairline screen cracks got us looking around. Those issues plus hoopla around the new flagship phones and aggressive price promotions pushed us over the edge. After some research including reading and watching a number of pieces from some great tech reviewers, we made the switch to LG’s G6 Android smartphone.
Features
So the LG G6 technically might not be the South Korean company’s flagship any longer. However, it still sits near the top of the heap for smartphones in Q4 2017 alongside the Samsung Galaxy S8, the more newly introduced LG V30, Google’s much maligned Pixel 2 and a few others. And it still delivers some impressive features including a 5.7-inch QHD display (2880 x 1440), 3,300 mAh battery, dual 13 MP cameras, expandable storage, built-in Google Assistant, and numerous other bibs and bobs. In particular, we like the IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and the 810G Mil Spec durability. Just to be on the safe side, we dropped a screen protector on ours.
Specs:
5.7-in QHD Display (2880 x 1440)
3,300 mAh battery
Dual 13 MP cameras
IP68 rating
5.75 oz
Setting up the LG G6 was a breeze after a less-than-breezy upgrade experience with our carrier. I’m all for the online purchase and self-service activation but most of those processes aren’t really, truly self service in any way. We fully expected to have numerous customer service chats and phone calls on the way to activating the new phone. And our carrier of choice didn’t disappoint requiring no fewer than four separate interactions and numerous hours to purchase, backup the old device and activate the new LG G6. To their credit, each rep was empowered to assist and overcome the issues presented by less-than-stellar online tools, misleading instructions and downright inaccurate information.
Some of the new features on the LG G6 include fingerprint recognition for security. Simply press the on/off button on the back and the phone unlocks using your fingerprint. Setting that up was simple and straightforward, and it worked like a champ, as my Dad used to say. Actually, he still says it. (Hi Dad!)
The dual lens camera takes some pretty sweet pictures for a mobile device too. Just press the button at the top of the camera screen to switch between them. It will shoot video up to 4K, and produce time lapse, slo-mo, panoramas, and more. Aspect ratios and resolutions are easy to change so you can capture in camera the images you need for Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, and whatever else you desire.
One of our tests included pairing our Samsung Gear S3 Frontier Smartwatch with this non-Samsung Android phone. The LG G6 had no problems connecting to the Samsung device after a few software bits were installed from the Google Play Store. We did lose a handful of third party apps along the way, but those were easy enough to reinstall. Although LG provides its own workout software, we opted to stick with Samsung Health and it too installed without a hitch, and we were able to transfer historical workout data to the new phone easily. Everything else from the Samsung Gear S3 worked well too. Messages, calendar, step tracking and other functions all tied to the LG just as they had to the old Samsung branded phone.
Fit
As with most of the new flagship Android devices, the screens are taller and the aspect ratios more elongated than in the past. The LG G6 reaches 5.7 inches in height and pushes an 18:9 aspect ratio — that’s one tall phone. It fits well in the hand however and feels super solid. It’s a bit heavy at nearly six ounces, but we like the weight. Build quality is excellent.
One other aspect of GearGuide’s sense of “fit” is the value for money. Right now, the LG G6 cannot be beat thanks to a range of pricing promotions that we expect will continue (and potentially improve) through the holiday selling season. We were able to purchase the LG G6 for half-off the MSRP. That’s about 30% of the cost of a new Samsung or Apple device. And that’s a major bargain.
Final Verdict
So far, we couldn’t be happier with the LG G6. Great build quality, solid specs, innovative camera with good picture quality and 4K video, state-of-the-art security features, easily expandable storage, excellent screen, water and dust resistance, and more. All at a steep discount. Keep your eyes open for more deals on the LG G6. If you’re in the market for a new flagship phone, the LG G6 remains a contender. Available at Amazon.