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Alright. So, MWC 2017 came and went and it left me feeling pretty underwhelmed. Yeah, I was a bit excited to see what LG was doing with its latest flagship, but it wasn’t anything to push me over the top. Then something funny happened – I started reading about it.
More and more publications (including Phandroid) were talking about the G6. The buzz was mostly good, but feelings were generally mixed across the board. A lot of this had to do with the fact that LG decided to forge ahead with the Snapdragon 821 — not the SD835 — with rumors that Samsung may have been sucking up all the supply with the Galaxy S8.
So, despite not tested the LG G6 yet, here are a few reasons why I’m having a difficult time holding back my money from LG. But not without a bit of a back story.
The Backstory
My first love
Before going further, it’s important to give you a bit of a backstory. I’m a technology enthusiast first and foremost, meaning if it has an electrical charge running through it, it already has my interest. But the first time I truly fell in love with Android devices was with the LG G2. The rear-placed buttons and the double tap-to-wake features — I was enamored to the point where I couldn’t resist snagging one for myself.
Coming from being a die-hard iPhone user who was used to a premium glass and metal, the LG G2’s all-plastic design certainly took some getting used to, but I didn’t care. I had a big, gorgeous display, awesome camera, and expandable storage. The G2 was everything I never knew I wanted, and more.
The LG G3
Fast forward to the launch of the LG G3, and I stayed true to my new-found love for LG and snagged their latest and greatest. Plus LG threw in a removable battery into the mix. Same went with the LG G4, however, things started changing a bit in my smartphone needs and desires. I stopped caring about having the absolute latest and greatest devices.
Change is Good
By the time the LG G5 came around, I saw the LG’s attempts at modularity and looked the other way. I didn’t care for the design (it looked like a rounded block of cheese), and the dual-cameras didn’t entice me enough to switch. But when I saw LG change their design cues again with the G6, it looked almost like a puppy when you’re trying to talk to him and I got sucked back in.
So now that LG is moving away from the failed modularity aspect of smartphones, they are seemingly going back to their roots. Roots, which have been updated with the times as they move away from plastic and onto glass and metal.
Ooh. So shiny
The G5 had a plastic-covered metal, but for all accounts it still felt like a plastic and that’s not something I want nowadays. I expect it from some OEMs, but not from the likes of a company trying to throw punches with the likes of Samsung.
The removable battery may be a point of contention, but truth is, I haven’t had a removable battery since the G4. I’m accustomed to living the life of carrying around a portable charger in my back pocket or my laptop bag. Plus, I don’t need to carry around another tiny battery (insert obligatory Galaxy Note 7 joke) and hope that I remembered to charge it.
No more gimmicks
I know the Galaxy S8 is coming, I’ve seen what Sony’s presented, and don’t get me started on whatever in the hell HTC is doing. I just don’t care. The Galaxy S8 is going to be swell for awhile, and everyone will run over each other to get one, but the same sentiment doesn’t fall with me.
Who does that?
Samsung’s latest and greatest is just a few days away from being introduced, and I have no desire for it. Samsung’s got an all-new design too, but an awkwardly-placed fingerprint scanner already makes me want to shake my head.
You can say “hey, Sammy is giving us thinner bezels too”, and that’s true. But I just don’t really care to purchase a Samsung device with my own money. Plus, there will be a bunch of extra “features” packed into the device which will just make it bog down after a few months anyways.
Dem Bezels Doe
The G6 seems to offer everything that I could possibly want in a smartphone upgrade. I’ll take the glossy glass front and back, with the metal frame. I’ll take the new 18:9 display ratio, so I can try and stretch my fingers even further up the screen to pull down the notification tray.
I’m willing to give up a bit of space to accommodate the on-screen nav buttons, as long as the “big chin” is gone. The G6’s display looks like it will hit a sweet spot for me in terms of display size. Thinner bezels, more screen real-estate, which turns into a more enjoyable experience with my smartphone.
Dual Cameras 4 Lyfe
Alright. Admittedly, I’m not a “super geek” when it comes to taking pictures on my smartphone. However, I do have to hold my nose when it comes to smartphones with subpar cameras. That’s why I love my iPhone 7 Plus so much.
Dual-Camera Love
When I want to take pictures I want them to be crisp, clean, and without blur. The secondary camera offers users the ability to zoom in a bit without having to move closer to the object, while keeping a crisp image.
From the sample images that I’ve seen so far, it looks like the G6 hits the mark. Being able to take pictures with a wider angle, will make those group pictures with the guys, that much better. Plus, I won’t have to worry about being super far away if I want to take a picture while I’m out sight-seeing in the mountains of Virginia.
I also think that the flash centered between the two cameras will ensure that there won’t be any issues if the object/subject needs lighting. I’ll have to see how this plays out for myself, but it’s just something else that is getting me excited. Plus, I’d love to do a camera shootout between the 7 Plus and the G6, just for fun.
No More Cables!
As with just about every other major phone being released nowadays, LG is including USB Type-C for charging and data transfer. This is cool, as I started transitioning to Type-C when I first got the Nexus 6P. However, something I haven’t had in a long time is wireless charging.
I can’t remember the last time I really took advantage of wireless charging, but I’ve wanted it for a long time. I was hoping Apple or OnePlus would surprise everyone and include this functionality but I was disappointed again. Guess Apple didn’t have that much “courage”.
But with the G6, I’ll return the land of no cables. I’ll be able to come home at the end of the day, plop my G6 on a wireless charger, and leave it there until the next morning. And if I need to charge on the go, I can use my USB Type-C portable charger and get some quick juice on the go.
The latest isn’t always the greatest
LG finally seems to be making a move in the right direction, with its “back to basics” approach. I don’t need Qualcomm’s latest processor, and I don’t need 6GB of RAM in a device. Give me a gorgeous display, a great camera, and a fingerprint sensor that isn’t slow as molasses, and I’ll be good to go.
LG realized it wouldn’t have the Snapdragon 835 in time to release its early 2017 flagship, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m running a OnePlus 3T with the same SD821, and it chugs along just fine. Sure, there is an extra 2GB of RAM in the 3T compared to the G6, but that’s something minor for me.
The Snapdragon 821 will perform just fine for the rest of this year and into 2018. By that time, we’ll be talking about another device that is wow-ing us, but also gives me enough time to enjoy what I have.
The freebies
Oh, and for the carrier that I’m with (Sprint), there are some pretty big freebies to go along with the LG G6. That is, a free LG HDTV and a free Google Home. It’s cool that carriers are trying to entice us to get the G6 and they did just that.
Admittedly, I don’t need the free TV or Google Home, but hey, I’ll take ’em. It’s just adding to the excitement.
Wrap-Up
The G6 is far from perfect for everyone, but for me, it might be the best phone of 2017. As long as the hype follows through, and there aren’t any stupid software bugs or bootloop issues, then everything will be just fine and dandy. I’ll take my SD821 and live the life of being content.
Yeah, I have an iPhone 7 Plus and a OnePlus 3T, and both devices are still serving their respective purposes just fine, but looking back to the G6 and I’m getting a feeling that I haven’t had since the days of the OnePlus 2. I really want one. I feel like I need it. I know It’s probably stupid, but that’s the cost of being in the world of a technology obsessed enthusiast.
If you want to check out some of Phandroid’s coverage on the G6, hit the links below and let us know what you think about the latest device from LG.
Recommended Reading
- LG G6 Caveats Before Buying
- LG G6 Wallpapers
- LG G6 First Look
- LG G6 Camera Gallery
- LG G6 vs iPhone 7: Camera Shootout
- Top Reasons to Buy the LG G6
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