In the price conscious Indian smartphone market, the sub 15K segment has been dominated by Xiaomi and Lenovo. Following the trend LG launched its Q6 smartphone for the Indian consumers at a price of Rs 14,999. With the new Q series the company plans to break the shackles and offer high-end features at a lower price. The latest Q6 highly borrows from the flagship G6, including the FullVision display with 18:9 aspect ratio and uses the facial recognition technology for security.
The uncanny similarity of the smartphone with the G6 might be what will attract users towards the Q6, but borrowing the marquee features cannot change the fact that the smartphone is sans the fingerprint sensor, which is a norm at this price point.
Considering the appealing features of the LG Q6, is it a winner at this price point? Let’s find out:
Design
Let’s kick-off with the design element of the smartphone. The LG Q6 is basically the downsized version of the Q6 in design, specs and lot more. It is one of the most comfortable 5.5-inch we have seen in the recent time, thanks to its near bezel-less body. It measures 142.5 x 69.3 x 8.1mm and weighs 149 grams and uses the ultra-strong 7000 series aluminum frame for its unibody design.
The device has rounded edges in symmetry to the display. The rear panel is glossy plastic that acts as a smudge magnet and attracts fingerprints, making it look a bit unattractive. The handset is also prone to scratches, so the users will have to take extra care of the display. However, the device is sturdy and can resist shocks and drops from a waist level height.
For some reason LG decided to omit the fingerprint sensor and use the facial recognition technology to unlock the device. The face unlock works fine but it is yet to reach the level of accuracy that a fingerprint sensor offers. The facial recognition feature is a tad sluggish and disappoints in low light conditions. Also, the system can be fooled just by holding a picture of the user. However, if you turn to ‘Advanced face-recognition’ feature, a 2D picture won’t be able to unlock the device.
Design wise, the Q6 qualifies as a decent one; it is sturdy and has an attractive look, all thanks to its display. Users will still feel the absence of a fingerprint sensor, notification light and Type-C USB port.
Display
The biggest highlight of the LG Q6 is the 5.5-inch FullVision display. LG has made a brave decision by bringing a beautiful near bezel-less display to a mid-range device.
The display comes with a 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution and takes the aspect ratio from the standard 16:9 to 18:9. Apart from offering a brilliant look, the FullVision display also cuts down the footprint of the device. The display is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to prevent it from scratches.
As for the display quality, the Q6’ screen offers excellent colour reproduction with ample amount of brightness and good viewing angles. Users can manually tweak app setting to make full use of the bigger screen. Unfortunately, not all apps support the full screen mode. Well, LG is an early adopter of this aspect ratio, so we can expect app developers to make apps for this resolution once there is a bunch of smartphone with this aspect ratio.
The FullVision display is easily the biggest USP of the Q6, it offers great colours, brightness with a complementing overall design.
Camera
The LG Q6 comes equipped with a 13MP rear camera with an LED flash and a 5MP front facing snapper that packs 100-degree wide angle lens. The pictures taken in a well-lit environment are really impressive with good amount of detail. Low light images were a bit grainy and lacked detail.
The camera app is easy to navigate and offer users to take pictures in either full screen or the Square mode, that allows you to take a snapshot and preview it right away. The camera app also allows you to share the pic on social media instantly. Apart from the food and panorama mode, the device doesn’t allow you to customise the camera functionality. The front facing 5MP camera does a decent job taking selfies, but then again you shouldn’t expect too much from a 5MP front snapper.
Here are few shots we took from the LG Q6’s camera:
Performance
The LG Q6 has a Snapdragon 435 processor at its heart which is backed by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which is expandable. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi b/g/n, USB-OTG, FM radio, and 4G VoLTE.
It runs on Android Nougat and comes with a lot of bloatware. These pre-installed apps not only eat up the space on your phone but also clamps down the update process in the future.
The performance of the device is sluggish, and lagging while navigation or playing games is a normal thing. Also the metal frame of the device heats up quickly while gaming, resulting in stutter. The 3000mAh battery provides enough power to fuel the device for a day after moderate usage. It also has a battery saver mode that lowers the brightness of the phone and shuts the apps running in the background.
If you are someone who doesn’t use their smartphone for heavy gaming or intensive tasks, then the overall experience would be good enough for you. But if you are seeking high productivity from the device, then sadly the Q6 is not your cup of tea.
Wrap up
Overall, the LG Q6 qualifies as a decent offering in the mid range segment which is stuffed with a lot of Chinese smartphone makers. The Q6 lacks the fingerprint sensor but in turn offers the budding facial recognition technology. Performance of the device is a big area of concern, especially in a time where we are witnessing phones that can handle rigorous tasks with ease. However, if you look beyond the flaws you get a brilliant display and a decent set of cameras.
The LG Q6 is surely a device you can put your money on if you care more about the look and feel of the phone than its innards. But if you are more inclined towards the performance of the device, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 can be a good alternative.
