LG G6 Hands On: LG's Flagship Phone Is Interesting Again

I can’t recall being this excited about LG’s flagship smartphone, but the Korean company’s latest high-end device, the LG G6, managed to do just that. Unlike its predecessor, the G6 is no longer a modular device. Instead, LG shifted its focus onto more important things, including a larger – and unique – display, water resistance, and a sensible design.

Basically, the LG G6 is improved in ways that matter to consumers, and it may very well be the company’s best flagship smartphone to date.

When it comes to specifications, the LG G6…isn’t that impressive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a very capable flagship smartphone: the G6 features a 5.7-inch 2880 x 1440 18:9 display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor paired with 4GB of RAM, up to 64GB of expandable storage, two 13MP rear cameras – one is a wide-angle lens while the other is a normal one – a 5MP front-facing shooter, IP68 rating, as well as a modest 3,300mAh battery.

While most of these hardware are respectable for a high-end smartphone, the G6’s Snapdragon 821 processor is its biggest shortcoming here. Of course, the 821 is still a powerful chipset, but for a 2017 flagship device, it’s only natural to expect Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 processor instead, although reports are saying that Samsung has secured initial supply of the powerful processor.

Looking past the choice of processor, the LG G6 is a really interesting smartphone. Let’s start with its uniquely…tall, display. Surprisingly enough, despite the unconventional 18:9 aspect ratio of the G6’s 5.7-inch display – which is taller than normal 16:9 displays found on other smartphones – the device feels very natural to use. Thanks to the small top and bottom bezels of the G6, I can operate the phone relatively easily with only one hand.

Although the G6’s bezels aren’t quite as thin as the ones found on the Xiaomi Mi Mix, I really, really like it. In fact, I much prefer the display of the G6 over the Mi Mix. Not only is it more practical – the front-facing camera isn’t placed at an awkward angle – it’s also sharper than the 1080p display of the Mi Mix.

Build quality of the G6 is impressive too. The glass back feels premium to the touch, and the device as a whole feels really, really solid. Sure, at 7.9mm thick, the G6 isn’t a very slim phone, but it’s not overly thick either. However, for a device this big, I was hoping LG would pack in a bigger battery; I’m not entirely convinced the 3,300mAh battery of the G6 would provide enough juice for a day of usage, though this still remains to be seen.

I’m a fan of stock Android, so I was pleasantly surprised by how fluid the user interface of the LG G6 is. It feels almost as responsive as stock Android, and the fact that Google Assistant is also available on the G6 is a very nice addition. I also love how I can simply double tap to wake – and lock – the device. This isn’t exactly a new feature, but the G6 recognises a double tap input very accurately.

I was really impressed with the G6 at this point, but my favourable impression of the device quickly changed when I fired up the camera. The camera’s user interface isn’t quite as smooth or pleasant to use as other smartphone cameras, and on top of that, it takes quite some time to switch between the normal and wide-angle lens of the G6’s dual-camera. As far as image quality go, however, the G6 does seem to be a pretty capable shooter, although only a full review can reveal the true potential – or weakness – of the camera.

The LG G6 is not a perfect flagship smartphone, but I do think it is (by far) one of the most exciting LG smartphones yet. I love the fact that it’s water-resistant – it’s the first G series phone to boast an IP68 rating – and the G6’s unique display is a very interesting piece of hardware. Hopefully, it won’t take LG too long to bring the G6 into Malaysia – time is of the essence, especially for a Snapdragon 821 device.