G7 - Initial impressions after a week

[neil74]

I am liking the G7 the more and more I use it. There are annoyances though and I still await my perfect phone on either platform, after a week of use here are my initial thoughts:

+ I like the size. Don’t be fooled into thinking a 6” screen means it is the same as the V30 it is not the 6” includes the notch I think so the G7 is slightly smaller. I thought that the V30 was goldilocks sized but the slightly smaller G7 may just be even better, marginally bigger than an iPhone X but with a big enough screen that can be used one handed. I like!

+ I like the screen, it is bright, sharp and not worrying about burn in is nice too, I have also grown quite used to a notch on phone, don’t tell anyone but I am starting to like it.

+Camera is decent even in low light so far.

+The Google assistant button is actually quite useful.

+ Standby battery is excellent, I spent some initial time disabling stuff and setting the restrict background running and even with the AOD running I have seen > 2 hours before it drops even 1%. On a par with the V30 and 2XL for sure and noticeably better than the S9+ and better than the OnePlus 6 too. Only the beast that is the Mate 10 pro (and an iPhone 7/8+) have shown better standby performance for me

+ I find Bluetooth audio better than on the V30 (subjective) not sure if the BT hardware is different or not but overall I think it sounds better

-I do find that the lack of any media volume sync annoying (have to set volume on device and headphones independently) Really do not like this!

- I continue to be underwhelmed by the quad DAC, for wired use even with the quad DAC I still find the volume lacking on all of my wired headphones

-In actual use the smaller battery does show. It is not terrible, just not great. Personally I could not care less about the boom box (or big speakers on any phone for that matter) as for any serious listening I use headphones or speakers and a cheap as chips £10-£20 Bluetooth speaker will still sound louder and better than any built in speaker. Would rather LG use that extra space for a larger battery. YMMV

- Performance is ok as it should be with a SD845 on board but not great, to be honest I have found the S9+ and OnePlus 6 zippier and even older SD835 endowed phones like the Pixel 2 XL and OnePlus 5T or the Kirin Mate 10 pro imo all offer a smoother experience. There is the odd bit of lag and instances where apps take longer than I would expect to open, there is also the annoying (to me) app switcher delay I have seen also on the G6 and V30 when accessing some of the settings menus, also the app settings has a delay of sometimes 5 seconds before loading and then stutters a little when scrolling once it does, again I have also saw this on the G6 and V30 . Sorry but IMO LGs software is the worst I have seen on android, I even prefer EMUI TBH.

Neutral – Did not launch with the latest version of Android which is a shame so the jury is out on updates, unlike Samsung (who I honestly think do not give a damn) LG are at least making the right noises about updates so let’s see how project treble works out. P beta would have been nice too but I guess that is just being greedy!

 

[jimbo1mcm]

Here's my one week review: I'm selling my Pixel 2.

 

[B0WIE]

Thx for the review.
Not sure how the best headphone amp and converter in the industry comes through as "underwhelming" (I'm curious as to what is supposedly better) but if you're running out of vol, maybe either your headphones are high impedance or your hearing requires unusually high volumes. I work in the audio field and everyone's hearing is different so I respect that. There's really nothing better in this area though so to list it under the negatives is odd to me.

 

[recDNA]

I am liking the G7 the more and more I use it. There are annoyances though and I still await my perfect phone on either platform, after a week of use here are my initial thoughts:

+ I like the size. Don’t be fooled into thinking a 6” screen means it is the same as the V30 it is not the 6” includes the notch I think so the G7 is slightly smaller. I thought that the V30 was goldilocks sized but the slightly smaller G7 may just be even better, marginally bigger than an iPhone X but with a big enough screen that can be used one handed. I like!

+ I like the screen, it is bright, sharp and not worrying about burn in is nice too, I have also grown quite used to a notch on phone, don’t tell anyone but I am starting to like it.

+Camera is decent even in low light so far.

+The Google assistant button is actually quite useful.

+ Standby battery is excellent, I spent some initial time disabling stuff and setting the restrict background running and even with the AOD running I have seen > 2 hours before it drops even 1%. On a par with the V30 and 2XL for sure and noticeably better than the S9+ and better than the OnePlus 6 too. Only the beast that is the Mate 10 pro (and an iPhone 7/8+) have shown better standby performance for me

+ I find Bluetooth audio better than on the V30 (subjective) not sure if the BT hardware is different or not but overall I think it sounds better

-I do find that the lack of any media volume sync annoying (have to set volume on device and headphones independently) Really do not like this!

- I continue to be underwhelmed by the quad DAC, for wired use even with the quad DAC I still find the volume lacking on all of my wired headphones

-In actual use the smaller battery does show. It is not terrible, just not great. Personally I could not care less about the boom box (or big speakers on any phone for that matter) as for any serious listening I use headphones or speakers and a cheap as chips £10-£20 Bluetooth speaker will still sound louder and better than any built in speaker. Would rather LG use that extra space for a larger battery. YMMV

- Performance is ok as it should be with a SD845 on board but not great, to be honest I have found the S9+ and OnePlus 6 zippier and even older SD835 endowed phones like the Pixel 2 XL and OnePlus 5T or the Kirin Mate 10 pro imo all offer a smoother experience. There is the odd bit of lag and instances where apps take longer than I would expect to open, there is also the annoying (to me) app switcher delay I have seen also on the G6 and V30 when accessing some of the settings menus, also the app settings has a delay of sometimes 5 seconds before loading and then stutters a little when scrolling once it does, again I have also saw this on the G6 and V30 . Sorry but IMO LGs software is the worst I have seen on android, I even prefer EMUI TBH.

Neutral – Did not launch with the latest version of Android which is a shame so the jury is out on updates, unlike Samsung (who I honestly think do not give a damn) LG are at least making the right noises about updates so let’s see how project treble works out. P beta would have been nice too but I guess that is just being greedy!

As a V20 user I can tell you LG is no better on updates. Much older Samsungs already rocking oreo.

 

[B0WIE]

As a V20 user I can tell you LG is no better on updates. Much older Samsungs already rocking oreo.

How are they about security updates? I honestly don't care about the latest android versions (they actually annoy me because it usually means something stops working) but having had HTC phones for 6 years, I'm spoiled on getting security updates frequently.

 

[recDNA]

How are they about security updates? I honestly don't care about the latest android versions but having had HTC phones for 6 years, I'm spoiled on getting security updates frequently.

Haven't gotten May yet.

 

[TheDonJ77]

Here's my one week review: I'm selling my Pixel 2.

Really.......I saw a G7 today and really liked the look of it, a lot.

 

[idon12no]

I'm really liking it too. I think the DAC makes my cheapo Bluetooth headphones sound quite nice, and it's nice to adjust the sound to be in front of you our around you.

The one thing I've noticed is kind of strange is that the option to resize your screen on the fly like the G6 seems to be gone.

The other thing that bugs me is that you have a pretty large amount of theming options, lock screen, icons, whatever, when you use the stock theme, but a bunch of those options, like choosing colors on the lock screen, go away when you use an LG theme. Why not just leave the options?

 

[digitalbreak]

How do you like the software? That was the first thing in my G6 and ended up selling it sooner than expected as the LG UX sucked big time!

 

[idon12no]

I grew to like the G6 UI without a tray. The main thing that would make it better for me would be the ability to fill the entire screen with icons instead of having a gap between the rows of icons at the bottom of the screen.

 

[neil74]

The DAC will not do anything for Bluetooth audio by the way.

To qualify my comment on the DAC though, I acknowledge that I do not have expert ears but I am not seeing them as being any better than the S9 definitely not bad just not blowing my socks off, mind you I also struggle see the benefit of FLAC files over good high bitrate AAC so my opinion should maybe be ignored here. Regarding volume with the wired headphones I have tried which are 1more triple drivers and MK802, Onkyo E700ms, Soundmagic E80s and Sennheiser M2s (non-wireless) and my wireless WH1000s in wired mode, If I use the high impedance mode trick the volume does increase.

Not had any updates yet and as I said I think the LG software is really poor. Regarding updates I did read somewhere that LG has committed to faster updates even putting in place a dedicated team so things may improve? I am totally certain that the S9 for example will not see P in 2018 and probably not until March or April again with LG the jury is out but let’s see if they improve.

Honestly and I have said this before but Google still has an open goal this year IMO, not blown away by the renders I have seen so far but they really do not have to change that much to blow everyone else away, especially now that Apple has decided to go with iOS 11.5 but call it iOS12 this year.

 

[bhatech]

I'm not falling for their fake promises. They can say we have a new software center dedicated for updates etc but not going to believe them until they show they are pushing regular security updates and then platform updates in a timely manner. Top of that useless US carriers are in the way for them to push updates quickly in the US.

 

[idon12no]

The DAC will not do anything for Bluetooth audio by the way.

To qualify my comment on the DAC though, I acknowledge that I do not have expert ears but I am not seeing them as being any better than the S9 definitely not bad just not blowing my socks off, mind you I also struggle see the benefit of FLAC files over good high bitrate AAC so my opinion should maybe be ignored here. Regarding volume with the wired headphones I have tried which are 1more triple drivers and MK802, Onkyo E700ms, Soundmagic E80s and Sennheiser M2s (non-wireless) and my wireless WH1000s in wired mode, If I use the high impedance mode trick the volume does increase.

Not had any updates yet and as I said I think the LG software is really poor. Regarding updates I did read somewhere that LG has committed to faster updates even putting in place a dedicated team so things may improve? I am totally certain that the S9 for example will not see P in 2018 and probably not until March or April again with LG the jury is out but let’s see if they improve.

Honestly and I have said this before but Google still has an open goal this year IMO, not blown away by the renders I have seen so far but they really do not have to change that much to blow everyone else away, especially now that Apple has decided to go with iOS 11.5 but call it iOS12 this year.

Well, I don't know if it's the DAC or what, but my Bluetooth headphones reflect the three directional sound settings, and I like it.

 

[flyingkytez]

I am liking the G7 the more and more I use it. There are annoyances though and I still await my perfect phone on either platform, after a week of use here are my initial thoughts:

+ I like the size. Don’t be fooled into thinking a 6” screen means it is the same as the V30 it is not the 6” includes the notch I think so the G7 is slightly smaller. I thought that the V30 was goldilocks sized but the slightly smaller G7 may just be even better, marginally bigger than an iPhone X but with a big enough screen that can be used one handed. I like!

+ I like the screen, it is bright, sharp and not worrying about burn in is nice too, I have also grown quite used to a notch on phone, don’t tell anyone but I am starting to like it.

+Camera is decent even in low light so far.

+The Google assistant button is actually quite useful.

+ Standby battery is excellent, I spent some initial time disabling stuff and setting the restrict background running and even with the AOD running I have seen > 2 hours before it drops even 1%. On a par with the V30 and 2XL for sure and noticeably better than the S9+ and better than the OnePlus 6 too. Only the beast that is the Mate 10 pro (and an iPhone 7/8+) have shown better standby performance for me

+ I find Bluetooth audio better than on the V30 (subjective) not sure if the BT hardware is different or not but overall I think it sounds better

-I do find that the lack of any media volume sync annoying (have to set volume on device and headphones independently) Really do not like this!

- I continue to be underwhelmed by the quad DAC, for wired use even with the quad DAC I still find the volume lacking on all of my wired headphones

-In actual use the smaller battery does show. It is not terrible, just not great. Personally I could not care less about the boom box (or big speakers on any phone for that matter) as for any serious listening I use headphones or speakers and a cheap as chips £10-£20 Bluetooth speaker will still sound louder and better than any built in speaker. Would rather LG use that extra space for a larger battery. YMMV

- Performance is ok as it should be with a SD845 on board but not great, to be honest I have found the S9+ and OnePlus 6 zippier and even older SD835 endowed phones like the Pixel 2 XL and OnePlus 5T or the Kirin Mate 10 pro imo all offer a smoother experience. There is the odd bit of lag and instances where apps take longer than I would expect to open, there is also the annoying (to me) app switcher delay I have seen also on the G6 and V30 when accessing some of the settings menus, also the app settings has a delay of sometimes 5 seconds before loading and then stutters a little when scrolling once it does, again I have also saw this on the G6 and V30 . Sorry but IMO LGs software is the worst I have seen on android, I even prefer EMUI TBH.

Neutral – Did not launch with the latest version of Android which is a shame so the jury is out on updates, unlike Samsung (who I honestly think do not give a damn) LG are at least making the right noises about updates so let’s see how project treble works out. P beta would have been nice too but I guess that is just being greedy!

Kinda strange you feel the OS is a bit slow, I find the opposite to be true. The Galaxy S7 & S8 was indeed a bit choppier than my V20. Research has been done on this and it seems like Samsung uses high resolution icons which causes the infamous TouchWiz lag. Try turning off animations in developer mode, super speedy and snappier. You don't really need it anyways unless you like that special effect when opening apps and menus. SD 845 + 6GB + Android O is already an overkill, not sure what you mean by slow, if it is slow it's probably something else.

About the low volume of the DAC, I find it quite loud, any louder you'll damage your ears. The volume is boosted from the DAC, it only works if you're using wired headphones. Bluetooth will never sound better than wired because the sound data is traveling through a wireless signal, therefore losing quality. I guess it depends on your headphones/speakers you're using, cheap wires will produce distortion. If you're using earbuds then maybe that's the reason.

Glad you are enjoying the phone however, nice to know it's pretty impressive so far!

 

[neil74]

Other than the specific areas I mentioned I don’t think it is slow, just think other phones feel smoother.

Continue to really like the G7, spent a couple of days back on the iPhone as I could not resist the ios12 beta but back on the G7 now.

 

[co.ag.2005]

How do you like the software? That was the first thing in my G6 and ended up selling it sooner than expected as the LG UX sucked big time!

It seems a bit refined over the G6 but not a whole lot. But the phone in general is a heck of a lot "snappier" and "quicker" than the G6. My G6, no matter what I tried, was pretty slow and laggy. My g7 flies! I'm also using Nova launcher, so I don't have any experience with the LG launcher design or fluidity.

 

[idon12no]

The upgrades on this phone kind of sneak up on you. I've slowly noticed how much better the camera is, all the new audio controls, the brighter screen, snappier performance, like you said. I even picked up my G6 the other day and thought how much more comfortable the G7 is to hold.

 

[neil74]

Just wanted to update on this as despite really liking the G7 I ended up selling it. As someone who uses bluetooth headphones daily I just found the lack of volume syncing between phone/headphones too annoying, it seems that it does work for some people but for me on all of my headphones it never did.

It is a shame as whilst I was no fan of the LG UI the G7 was close to ticking all the boxes for me. Currently using a Pixel 2 XL, maybe the Pixel 3 will be 'The One' ?

 

[Ware52]

Well, I've had the G7 for just under a week.

Coming from a day one Nexus 6P (with a failing battery), I can say that - for my uses, the battery is absolutely fine. Even with heavier use - given it's getting played with more often, as it's a new phone - I'm going to bed with around 30% left (and I'm up at 5 every day).

The camera seems very capable. I wanted the wide-angle for landscapes as we tend to go on walking / nature holidays. We're off to North Wales next week - so I'll drop in and let you know my impressions.

The UI is excellent in my opinion, it does everything I need with a few nice touches. I've not come across anything annoying yet.

So yes, so far so good. If you want a flagship without spending crazy prices - the G7 is a good option.

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[huungryshark]

Got burned with updates on three devices from LG, it's a shame as I like the G7.

Does it get monthly security updates?

If not.. I'll stay with Sony because they care after you bought their products and I get upates every month.

Got a nice offer for a LG G7 plus but worth nothing w/o updates.

Like I said I got burned heavily THREE times now from LG, would give them another chance but want get sure before pulling th trigger.

If not : Hello SONY again.