Smartphone lg k7 golden review. LG K7 - Specifications
Today we present to your attention a review of the LG k7 2017. What will please us with a fresh smartphone from a well-known company? Is it worth purchasing it for the price offered in the networks? Let's deal with everything in order.
The phone comes in a minimalistic white box with the model name printed in black on the front and characteristics LG k7 x230 2017. The kit includes:
- Smartphone. The transport film indicates some of the device's functions: support for 4G, LTE, stylish design and shooting by hand gesture.
- Instructions in Russian.
- Warranty card.
- Battery bag.
- Power adapter with top outlet.
- MicroUSB cable for connecting to a computer and charging.
There are no headphones included. They will have to be purchased separately if they are needed.
Appearance
Lji K7 looks very stylish thanks to the corrugated plastic on the back. Previously, such surfaces were made, for example, by Samsung in their mobile devices. Thanks to this solution, the phone practically does not slip in the hand.
A glossy plastic edging runs along the perimeter of the gadget, which greatly reduces the cost of its appearance. On the left side there is a volume button. The right side was left completely empty by the engineers' decision. On top is a 3.5mm headphone jack and an additional microphone. At the bottom there is a MicroUSB port and the main microphone for calls.
On the front there is a 5-inch display, earpiece, front camera and proximity and light sensors. At the bottom of the display is the company logo. The front part is covered with Gorilla Glass to protect it from light scratches.
At the back you can find:
- main camera;
- LED flash;
- button to turn the phone on and off (a very unusual solution);
- Company `s logo;
- slot for speaker.
The back cover of Lzh k 7 is removable. Under it there is a battery of only 2500 mAh, which is quite small now. But the advantage of removable mode is that, if necessary, you can change the battery yourself without going to a workshop. In addition, there are also two slots for NanoSim cards and a slot for a MicroSD card to expand the internal memory.
In general, the appearance of the smartphone is very pleasant and unusual.
Screen
LG k7 x230 has a display with TFT technology. The resolution is 854*480 pixels, which is very small for a 5.5-inch size. Apart from this, there are, of course, other complaints about the quality of the screen. At some angles the contrast drops, while at others there is a slight inversion. Then the screen on top turns yellow. "Multi-touch" for only 5 touches.
There are large black frames around the display, which not only looks outdated, but also cheapens the overall appearance. Even inexpensive gadgets from Chinese manufacturers do not have such frames, but here is LG.
Processor and operating system
The budget phone from LG is equipped with a quad-core Mediatek MT 6737m processor, which operates at a frequency of 1.1 GHz. It interacts with the video accelerator - Mali T720. When purchasing, you can only count on 1 GB of RAM. Again, extortionately little. Built-in memory is only 8 GB. Of these, approximately 5 GB are available to the user. You can expand using MicroSD.
How well does this hardware perform in modern games? In Real Racing 3, there is a display in the rearview mirrors. This indicates that the graphics here are at least at an average level. The rendering of the surrounding world is not very detailed.
In D-Trigger-2 the device works normally at the average graphics level, and this is already good. On most mid-range and low-end Android devices, this game runs at minimum settings. The graphics are also at a good level. The smoothness of the process is quite good. At medium settings, the device will run GTA San Andreas, as well as most other “heavy” games.
Games slow down a bit and don’t run as expected. There is a slight drop in fps, but, in general, you can play at low-medium settings.
The pre-installed operating system is Android 6.0, which will not cause any problems. The experience is smooth and the apps are responsive.
If we talk about autonomy, then there are no surprises. LG k7 “holds” the battery the same way as most modern devices - no more and no less. That is, the owner can count on a state employee working from morning to evening and put it on charge at night, unless, of course, you overloaded it with games or watching videos online.
Camera
And finally, let's go through the cameras. There are usually two of them here: the main camera is 8 megapixels and the front camera is 5 megapixels. You can get some decent daytime shots, but nothing special. This smartphone cannot boast of super-quality images. At dusk or at night, everything turns into a noise mess. The cameras are no worse or better than most competitors in their price segment.
An example of a photo taken with the main camera can be seen below.
conclusions
The cost of LG k7 x230 (2017) now fluctuates around 7,000 rubles. Quite a hefty price for such very budget specifications in the form of 1 GB of RAM and a very average processor. You can look for more delicious options from Chinese competitors.
But if you want to buy a good, inexpensive phone from a well-known brand with a stylish appearance without much desire to play mobile games, then the LG k7 is worth a closer look.
Video
For quite some time now, LG has been releasing similar smartphones one after another, both in terms of characteristics and appearance. The names and some specifications change. The hero of today's review does not differ in anything fundamentally new from his “brothers”. LG K7 X210DS is positioned by the manufacturer as a selfie phone. It has an alternative name - LG K7 3G. This indicates that there are other versions of this device that differ in some characteristics and the presence of 4G.
The smartphone went on sale in 2016. Large, well-known retailers sell it at a price of 136 USD. The price is current at the time of writing this review. What LG offers us for this money, see the review.
Absolutely all the technical characteristics of this smartphone indicate that this is an entry-level budget phone.
Design
The smartphone comes in black, white and gold colors. The side frames are painted to look like metal, although in fact the body material is plastic. The back cover has a rough surface, so the smartphone does not try to slip out of your hands. There are no buttons on the side edges: the volume rocker and power button are located on the rear panel. Back and Home buttons are missing on the front panel. They are transferred programmatically to the display. The body has a collapsible design. Case dimensions: 72.5 x 143.6 x 9.05 mm, weight - 158 g.
CPU
The MediaTek MT6580M system-on-chip is responsible for the performance of the smartphone. The chip consists of 4 Cortex-A7 cores, which can operate at a maximum frequency of 1.3 GHz. The graphics chip is Mali-400MP2. In the synthetic performance test, the LG K7 scores about 23 thousand points. This is a typical result for budget smartphones.
In operation, the device demonstrates good performance. The power of the installed hardware is enough to ensure fast operation of the interface and running applications. There is enough performance for navigation, browser and other things. Moreover, the smartphone can handle 3D games without any problems. Naturally, the most hardware-demanding games will only work normally with reduced graphics settings.
Memory
The amount of RAM is 1 GB. The required minimum for comfortable use of the device, and a typical indicator for most budget smartphones. The built-in memory is only 8 GB, of which about 4 is available to the user, the rest is used for system needs. Under the cover there is a slot in which you can place a memory card up to 32 GB.
Autonomous operation
The battery capacity is 2125 mAh. You shouldn’t count on more than a day of moderately active use of the device. This is quite an expected result for such a battery. The power supply is removable, so if something happens it can be easily replaced. The standard included charger has a current of 2A.
Camera
An 8 MP CMOS sensor is installed as the main camera. There is a flash and autofocus. The camera application is standard for Android, that is, LG did not traditionally change the interface. The camera can record video with a maximum resolution of Full HD (1920 x 1080), frame rate is 30 FPS. You can shoot with one touch while manually focusing.
The quality of the resulting photographs is acceptable if the shooting is carried out during the day, in good lighting. When there is insufficient lighting, at night and indoors, noise will be clearly visible in photographs.
The front camera can take photos with a resolution of 5 MP. Since the smartphone is geared towards taking selfies, the front camera has received expanded capabilities. The first option is to shoot with a gesture. After turning on the front camera, just make a gesture with your palm (clench and unclench your fist). A three-second countdown will begin, during which the user must prepare for automatic shooting (take the desired pose, make the necessary facial expression). But this is in theory. In practice, this function does not always work.
An equally interesting feature is the “virtual flash”. When activated, most of the screen turns white and the backlight increases to its maximum level. This makes it possible to photograph yourself even in complete darkness. Naturally, such a solution will not replace a real flash, but it is better than nothing.
Display
The smartphone has a 5-inch display with a resolution of FWVGA (854 x 480), with a pixel density per inch of 196 PPI. For a 5” screen this is a rather modest figure. But the load on the graphics chip is reduced. Matrix type - TFT, using On-Cell Touch technology, which in theory should have a positive effect on image properties. The viewing angles of the screen in this model are not maximum. But not the worst. That is, with a slight tilt, the image remains visible, the colors are not inverted. This is enough for work. The touch perceives 2 touches simultaneously.
The protective glass is called Ark Glass. Its edges are slightly rounded using 2.5D technology. There is little practical use, but it feels nice to the touch and looks good. There is an oleophobic layer on the glass.
Network communications
The smartphone has two slots for nano-SIM. The LG K7 X210DS smartphone can operate on 2G and 3G networks. A separate version of this device is designed to work in fourth generation networks. There is a GPS module with support for A-GPS. Wireless data transfer interfaces are represented only by single-band Wi-Fi with support for Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth version 4.1.
Sound
The main speaker is located on the back of the case. There are no complaints about the sound quality; no creaks were noticed when playing the melody. The volume is not the most outstanding, but it is enough for watching movies, alarm clocks and ringtones. The conversational speaker does not cause any complaints.
Software
The preinstalled version of the operating system is Android 5.1 Lollipop. LG K7 is different in that it does not have a proprietary shell from LG. That is, the user gets a smartphone with a “pure” version of Android. Perhaps someone will like this solution. But, on the other hand, the interface becomes boring and uninteresting.
Additional features
The features of the smartphone include the so-called “virtual flash” of the front camera.
Pros and cons of LG K7 X210DS
Pros:
- nice design and comfortable body shape;
- Pretty good front camera compared to other budget devices.
Minuses:
- low screen resolution;
- inadequate price.
Our review of the LG K7 X210DS
We have before us another entry-level dual-SIM smartphone. Nothing bad can be said about it, especially since LG makes high-quality, reliable smartphones. However, in terms of characteristics and capabilities, the LG K7 X210DS corresponds to Chinese devices that are in the $70 price category. The overpayment is quite significant. However, the LG K7 is suitable for those people who do not want to deal with Chinese devices and would like to purchase a relatively inexpensive smartphone for making calls, surfing the Internet, watching videos, and, of course, taking selfies.
Video review of LG K7 X210DS
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Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 72.4 mm (millimeters) 7.24 cm (centimeters) 0.24 ft (feet) 2.85 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 143.5 mm (millimeters) 14.35 cm (centimeters) 0.47 ft (feet) 5.65 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 9.05 mm (millimeters) 0.91 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.36 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 158 g (grams) 0.35 lbs 5.6 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 94.02 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.71 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black |
| Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body. | Plastic |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | MediaTek MT6580M |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | ARM Cortex-A7 |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 512 kB (kilobytes) 0.5 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 4 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1300 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc. | ARM Mali-400 MP2 |
| Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications. | 2 |
| GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 416 MHz (megahertz) |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 1 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR3 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates. | Single channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data. | 533 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | IPS |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.45 in (inches) 62.23 mm (millimeters) 6.22 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.36 in (inches) 110.71 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.779:1 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail. | 480 x 854 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail. | 196 ppi (pixels per inch) 77ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. | 66.52% (percentage) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| 2.5D curved glass screen |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Rear camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.
| Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc. | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions. | 2560 x 1920 pixels 4.92 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps. | 30fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera. | Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode |
Front-camera
Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
| Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, and making devices easier to discover and connect. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 4.1 |
| Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols that provide faster data transfer, energy savings, improved device discovery, etc. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here. | A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile) DIP (Device ID Profile) HDP (Health Device Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP/PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) SPP (Serial Port Protocol) |
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser. | HTML HTML5 CSS 3 |
Audio file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 2125 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| 2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 5 hours 30 minutes 5.5 h (hours) 330 min (minutes) 0.2 days |
| 2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 350 h (hours) 21000 min (minutes) 14.6 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 7 h (hours) 420 min (minutes) 0.3 days |
| 3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 350 h (hours) 21000 min (minutes) 14.6 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Removable |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.
| Head SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device close to the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the guidelines of ICNIRP 1998. | 0.549 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
| Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards. | 0.978 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
| Head SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are regulated by the CTIA, and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.435 W/kg (Watt per kilogram) |
Recently, the struggle in the smartphone market between various manufacturers has become increasingly intense, but everyone can see the fact that there is a shortage of ideas. That is why many brands began to update previously released phones after some period, simply improving their technical characteristics. The South Korean company LG was no exception, which recently presented updated mobile devices, including a smartphone called LG K7. Today he will become the main character of our review, which will be quite interesting.
LG from South Korea is one of the most famous and largest electronics manufacturers in the world. It has a large number of divisions and subsidiaries, which are united into a conglomerate called LG Group. The company's headquarters is located in the capital of South Korea - Seoul. The company has more than 120 representative offices in 95 countries. Its enterprises employ more than 50 thousand people, and its capitalization exceeds $50 billion. The founding date of LG is considered to be 1947.
The production of mobile phones is carried out by the LG Mobile Communications division. It should be said that in a number of aspects it turned out to be a kind of pioneer. For example, it was LG that was able to release the world's first smartphone with a 3D screen. It became LG Optimus 3D. Also, it was LG who managed to create a smartphone with the brightest display to date - LG Optimus Black. In addition, the company has another innovative device - a tablet with a built-in 3D camera, which also supports playback of photos and video files in 3D format - LG OptimusTab. In general, we can say that the LG company makes high-quality and innovative products and rightfully occupies its niche in the mobile device market.
About appearance
The phone has a fairly streamlined body shape with smoothed corners. The texture of the back cover of the LG K7 2017 is somewhat similar to wicker. In terms of the arrangement of the elements, everything is quite standard. There are no physical buttons under the display, only the manufacturer's logo. All the keys here are soft and there are three of them as standard - “Home”, “Back” and “Menu”. Above the display is the speaker grille, as well as light and proximity sensors and the front camera eye. There are no keys on the side faces. The power button, as in the previous model, is located on the back side. By the way, it also houses the main camera lens and the flash eye. In the lower left corner there is a speaker grille hole. In general, if we talk specifically about appearance, then compared to last year’s model, the changes are simply minimal. The dimensions of this model are 145 by 74 by 8.1 mm. LG K7 LTE will be available in two colors:
- mocha;
- silver.
About the display
If we talk about the display, its characteristics are as follows: a 5-inch display built on FWVGAIPS technology. The resolution here is 854 by 480 pixels. Their density per inch is 196 ppi. In general, for a 5-inch display this is not enough. But we should not forget that after all, this is a phone that belongs to the budget segment. True, this reduces the load on the graphics chip. It was decided to use IPS technology to improve image quality. The viewing angles of the smartphone are not the greatest, but they cannot be called bad. When the smartphone is slightly tilted, the colors are not inverted and the image remains visible. This is quite enough for work. There is also support for multi-touch technology, which can recognize up to 2 touches simultaneously. Of course, this is quite a bit, but it’s already something.
Specifications
We continue our LG K7 review and next we have the technical characteristics of the smartphone. This version of the smartphone is based on a processor from MediaTek, model MT6737M. It belongs to the quad-core family and its frequency is 1.1 GHz. If we talk about RAM, then there is only 1 gigabyte of it, which is quite enough for stable operation of the smartphone. But if we talk about the physical drive, then here it is equal to only 8 gigabytes. Of these, about five are available to the user. But, naturally, the manufacturer has provided the possibility of expanding the memory through the use of MicroSD memory cards up to 32 gigabytes.
The phone scores about 30 thousand parrots in the Antutu benchmark, which is a pretty good indicator. In operation, the device demonstrates excellent performance. The power of the installed components is enough to do everything you need - to ensure high-quality speed of the interface, as well as launched applications. The smartphone has more than enough power for web surfing and navigation. Also, the phone copes well with 3D games. Yes, maybe not the most demanding, but still. For the most demanding applications or games, it is best to select low performance settings.
Software characteristics
Let's continue the description of the smartphone by talking about the software. If we talk about the operating system, then 6.0 Marshmallow is installed here. There is no proprietary shell from LG, and therefore users are essentially given a stock Android, which can be called an advantage rather than a disadvantage. True, of course, the variety of interface here is significantly less than in the same K8 or K10. In general, you shouldn’t expect any special features from this budget smartphone.
About the camera
Now let's turn our attention on one of the most important elements of any smartphone of our time - the camera. There is a front camera with an 8-megapixel sensor installed here. It also has auto focus and flash. The camera application can be described as standard. The manufacturer decided not to modify it or touch it. It is important that the camera can record video with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. It is also important that the phone can take pictures with one touch and manual focus.
The quality of the resulting photographs can be characterized by: as quite acceptable if shooting is done during the day and in good lighting. If there is a lack of lighting, for example, at night, then noise will be clearly visible in the photographs. It would be strange to demand something more from a budget camera.
The phone also has a 5 megapixel front camera. It’s interesting that the front-facing camera has received quite wide capabilities, as for a state employee. This happened because this model is aimed specifically at taking selfies. For example, the first important feature is the ability to take pictures using gestures. When you turn on the front camera, you just need to make a gesture with your palm (clench and unclench your fist). After this, a three-second countdown will begin, during which the user must prepare for automatic shooting. But this is, let's say, a theory. In practice, this does not always work out, since this function can work every other time.
The phone also received another interesting feature - “virtual flash”. The point is that when it is activated, most of the screen turns white, after which the backlight level increases to the maximum. This makes it possible to photograph yourself even in complete darkness. It is clear that such a solution cannot completely replace the flash, but it will still be better than having nothing at all.
About sound and multimedia
The main speaker is located on the back of the case. There are no complaints about the sound quality - everything is at its best, as for a budget model. When playing tunes through an external speaker, no squeaks were noticed. The volume, of course, cannot be called outstanding, but it is enough for watching movies, alarm clocks and ringtones. Also, the performance of the earpiece speaker is not satisfactory.
There is also an FM radio that only works when headphones are connected to the phone. In addition, there is support for all the most common music formats: MP3, MID, AMR, M4A, AAC, WAV, OGG, FLAC and so on. The headphones are connected to the phone via a standard 3.5 mm jack.
About wireless communications
When it comes to wireless communications, It should be noted that the phone has two slots for Nano-Sim cards. The smartphone in question can work not only in 2G and 3G networks. It also has support for LTE\4G networks.
Also, the device has a Bluetooth module version 4.2, providing a stable Bluetooth connection with other devices. Also, the smartphone in question has an 802.11 Wi-Fi module that works with all modern b/g/n protocols. Also, the Wi-Fi module supports the Wi-Fi Direct function.
Also, it should be noted that the smartphone has support for navigation modules. In particular, we are talking about GPS and systems, but for some reason the manufacturer did not announce support for systems such as GLONASS and Beidou.
The smartphone model in question also lacks an NFC module. That is, it is not technically possible to make payments simply using a telephone. Also, it should be noted that there is a USB version 2.0 connector, which at the same time for some reason does not support the USB-OTG function, which will upset fans of “dumping data to regular flash drives.”
Also, the LG K7 has all the necessary sensors:
- illumination;
- accelerometer;
- approaching.
Support for sensors such as gyroscope and compass was not announced by the manufacturer.
About battery life
If we talk about battery life, this model has a removable 2500 mAh battery. The smartphone can work up to 320 hours in standby mode on a single battery charge. Also, the manufacturer claims that the smartphone can work in talk mode for up to 12.5 hours on a single charge. In general, you should not count on more than a day with moderately active use of the device, which is quite an expected result, so you may need to extend the operation of the gadget if necessary. Also, I would like to say that the charger that comes with the smartphone has a current of 2 amperes.
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Let's sum it up
Generally speaking, it cannot be said that the LG K7, introduced in 2017, differs in any way from its predecessor. Yes, the processor was replaced with a more powerful one and some more “cosmetic” changes were made, but that’s where the list of improvements ends. It looks like a standard rebranding of the presented model, which many companies have been doing lately.
At the same time, the model under consideration cannot be called an unsuccessful solution. This smartphone is intended primarily for people who are looking for a simple but effective solution for little money. It should also be noted that the model from LG is suitable for those who do not need serious power in a smartphone, but need to always stay in touch and find something to do with themselves if they have free time.
If we talk about the advantages of this model, we should highlight:
- high-quality quad-core processor;
- the presence of a good 8-megapixel camera;
- rich and bright IPS display;
- availability of a modern version of the operating system;
- high-quality speaker;
- support for 3G and LTE networks;
- Availability ;
- the latest version of the bluetooth module.
If we talk about the shortcomings of the smartphone, we should highlight:
- small amount of RAM;
- small amount of built-in memory;
- small battery capacity;
- lack of NFC support;
- lack of USB-OTG support;
- low screen resolution.
As you can see, although the smartphone has a number of advantages, it clearly has no less disadvantages. That is why this model can be called narrowly focused only on a certain category of users. If you need a smartphone that can perform a task of any complexity and will combine the functions of a multimedia center and a telephone, then this particular solution is definitely not for you. But overall, we can say that the update of this model from LG turned out to be successful.
A fast and reliable smartphone for less than 6 thousand rubles, with a high-quality screen and ample communication capabilities - is this possible? Yes, if we are talking about the updated LG K7 (X230).
Stylish and monolithic budget employee
As a rule, manufacturers do not pay much attention to the appearance of budget models. However, the 2017 LG K7 continues to adhere to the South Korean brand's tradition of stylish design. The textured back panel in mocha or titanium is complemented by eye-catching metal inserts on the rounded edges. The smartphone feels great in the hand and can be easily controlled with one hand.
It is worth noting a very interesting engineering move - the gadget is turned on using a round button under the camera. At first it’s a little unusual, but you get used to this solution in a matter of minutes.
It’s worth buying a smartphone just for the excellent build quality. All parts are tightly fitted to each other, even with strong compression there are no backlashes or creaks. Although the LG K7 does not provide protection against damage, thanks to its solidly assembled body, it is not afraid of falls from a small height.
Strong hardware, clean software
The smartphone runs on the well-proven quad-core MediaTek MT6737M with a maximum clock frequency of 1.1 GHz. This chipset features ultra-low power consumption and stable operation even with large applications. Work processes are controlled by pure Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the most necessary pre-installed utilities.
Thanks to optimized software and an energy-intensive chipset, a removable 2500 mAh battery can hold a charge under heavy loads throughout the day.
Advanced camera
Along with the appearance update, the LG K7 also received an upgrade to 8 and 5 megapixel cameras. The photo modules of the smartphone are not only capable of producing high-quality images, but also received the functions of more expensive models. Thus, the selfie camera supports shooting by gesture, when you just squeeze your palm, after which the camera will count 3 seconds and take a photo. The cameras also feature virtual flash and one-touch shooting.