LG Q6 review – FullView on budget

The Q6 is LG’s answer to the lack of sales of the G6. It has the typical design characteristics of the LG, and we will definitely see this device more and more often. It bears a striking resemblance to the G6, but with tuned down performances and more affordable price. The thing that sets the Q6 apart in the middle class is the display with curved edges and minimal bezels, which we can find in premium devices. It also has the MIL-STD-810G certificate, meaning that it is fully protected if it falls to the ground. The Q6, however, doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner, which is definitely a disadvantage considering the competition. LG had to remove quite a lot in order to achieve lower price point, so it is powered by a little bit weaker CPU meant for devices of lower middle class. It comes in several color options: Astro Black, Ice Platinum, Mystic White, and Terra Gold, and inside the box we can find all standard equipment such as USB cable and a charging adapter, headphones, a SIM tray tool and user manuals. Let’s now see together what this device really brings us.

 

The display of the Q6 is probably the most interesting thing about it, considering this is a middle class device. I has a 5.5” FullView display with FullHD+ (2160 x 1080) resolution. This results in 442 PPI. The screen-to-body ratio is about 78%, while the aspect ratio of the display is 18:9. While the competitors often step up their game and choose AMOLED displays, LG has opted for the IPS panel for the Q6. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is there to help protect the screen. Due to unusual aspect ratio, LG has prepared App Scaling option, which serves to adapt all applications to different resolutions – Compatibility 16:9, Standard 16.7:9 and Full Screen 18:9.

It is also possible to adjust Comfort View option which releases the stress on the eyes during use, the blue light filter can be set on low, middle and high levels, and there is also the black-and-white option which shuts down all colors. You can also set up the Knock Screen, which is an option that lets you lock and unlock the screen by double tapping on it. The visibility on the sunlight is on a decent level, and color reproduction is great, as well as saturation and sharpness, which all resemble a premium device. It also has a brightness sensor, and if set on Auto mode, it will adapt to all light conditions.
 

The LG Q6 uses the Snapdragon 435 chipset which is made for lower middle class smartphones and tablets. The choice of the CPU is not really ideal considering the resolution of the display, but on the other hand, you won’t have any problems during everyday use of the device. This chipset is based on 28nm process. Heavier use of the CPU can result in sudden overheating of the device, which prompts a drop in performances, but normal use will not put too much stress on it, and the device will work very nicely for a long time with no drops in performances. This is a 64-bit processor which contains 8 ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.4 GHz. Adreno 505 GPU supports OpenGL ES 3.1, and it will execute all tasks rather well, but the resolution definitely poses a challenge for it. LPDDR3 RAM memory has the capacity of 3 GB, and it’s clocked at 800 MHz, which is more than enough for comfortable multitasking, and there is also 32 GB of storage which is, in theory, expandable up to 2 TB. This device runs of Android 7.1.1 Nougat firmware. LG has chosen to omit the fingerprint scanner in this device, which is a shame since most competitors have it implemented in their devices. The device operates perfectly smoothly. Home screen and lock screen, as well as themes, are heavily customizable, as are the software buttons, which you can freely adjust, and it’s also possible to add an additional, fourth button, which will serve as a screenshot shortcut.

The 13MP main camera on the back provides pretty good photos, with nice sharpness and vivid colors. Next to the camera, there is an LED flash, the aperture is f/2.2, and it will allow plenty of light reach the CMOS sensor. We could also see one of the options that were present in the G6, the “square mode” which will separate the display into two halves, and offer viewing of photos from the gallery on one side, while simultaneously offering live shooting on the other. It supports Auto, Panorama, and Food modes. There are also some little green squares, which are, in fact, autofocus points. HDR is supported, and videos are captured in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. If you’re on the move, the “Steady recording” option will stabilize the recordings, since this is optical stabilization which is far more advanced than the electronic stabilization. The front facing camera covers an angle of 100°, and it provides very nice wide angle photos and videos.

Since the device we have in our test is SingleSIM, the SIM tray contains only one nanoSIM card slot, and next to it one microSD card slot. Of course, DualSIM options are also available. The obsolete MicroUSB 2.0 port is used for charging and data transfer, and it supports OTG. 4G networks are also supported, as is the NFC, which is definitely a nice addition to the whole package. Supported wireless connections are:

Supported frequencies are:

 

The Lithium-Polymer battery is very close to the one in the G6, having the capacity of 3000 mAh and being non-removable. The Q6 sadly doesn’t support fast charging, so charging it up can take a few hours. Thanks to the slightly weaker chipset, the device can last a full day of normal use, and as stated by LG themselves:

 

The LG Q6 leaves a good impression on users predominately because of its premium display. Those who make up their mind to get this phone will definitely not be disappointed. One of the disadvantages of this phone, however, is that the back of it is made of plastic, and it get scratched pretty easily. All in all, the hardware is decent, which will provide most users with a comfortable user experience. The hardware will also provide longer battery life, which is honestly very welcome since the USB port is obsolete, and charging really takes a while. The Q6 steps ahead of the competitors in the middle class with its remarkable design, and with a reasonable price.

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LG Q6 Specifications