The LG X Power Review
by Brandon Chester on August 31, 2016 9:03 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- LG
- LG X Power
Camera Quality
The camera is another aspect of the LG X Power that differs between the international and North American models. The international model sports a 13MP camera with a f/2.2 aperture and 1.12µm pixels, while the North American model drops down to an 8MP sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The North American model also gives up 1080p video support and can only record at 720p, which is honestly sad for a smartphone launching in late 2016. The reason for this is simply a limitation of the SoC's image signal processor, and so it's just another situation where the North American model is crippled as a result of its SoC.
I'm really not a fan of LG selling two different phones under the exact same name just because they look the same, but I can really only work with what I have. I've done two photo comparisons with the LG X Power just to get an idea of what one can expect from the 8MP rear-facing camera on the North American model.
I actually haven't reviewed many phones in the $100-150 price bracket lately, so it's difficult to find direct comparisons to the LG X Power as far as camera quality goes. The 2015 Moto G is now available for around $150, so it's a decent point of comparison even if it has been replaced by a newer but not really better model. In this situation, the LG X Power's image quality leaves much to be desired. The overall sharpness isn't really any better than the 5MP Moto E from early 2015, and it's not near as good as the 2015 Moto G with its 13MP IMX 214 sensor from Sony. LG is likely running into ISP limitations as well, but that's what happens when you put an SoC for $50 phones in a $150 phone.
Low light photos on the LG X Power actually aren't that bad considering the phone's price. In this scene it's able to hit focus, which is something other phones actually struggle with. There's clearly chroma noise throughout the frame, but detail isn't being washed away by heavy noise reduction like it is in the Moto G4's photo. I think the quality and overall exposure is actually very similar to that of the 2015 Moto G despite the difference in resolution between the two. As far as low-end smartphones go, the LG X Power actually isn't half bad shooting in the dark, although it's not going to be at the level of a $250 smartphone like the Moto G4 Plus.
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IUU - Friday, September 9, 2016 - link
For me, a mobile phone must have a good battery life. The longer , the better. And they have a long way to go so they seem acceptable to me. If they have a screen you can read from easily enough, just enough RAM so that they do not hung hopelessly, they are good. Mobility requires that you don't run out of cyber assistance when you need it the most and this means long periods between charges.Weight is no issue today, by any means. Those who complain about weight they adhere too much into needless details. It does have to be the prettiest. What do you need the looks for in a device that is mostly a tool ? It doesn't have to be the fastest. Technology advances at such a pace that the flagship of today rapidly becomes the baseline of tomorrow. Chances are that you will replace your device in some years at the most. So buying them for the premium quality "feel" is a moot point.
Conclusion is , battery life is quintessential, and it's about time manufacturers wake up from the fairy tale of fashionable and sleek devices.
fuelvolts - Monday, September 12, 2016 - link
Top notch review, thanks for reviewing a budget phone! I've been using this phone for a few days now, and I got to say, I really appreciate what you mention. This phone has 2014 budget phone specs in a 2016 world. However, I'll say this: using it daily (and not in a "review" sort of method), it's not horrible to use. The screen is decent for a 720p device (it's a much better screen than the Blu R1 HD, i.e. the Amazon phone) and Knock On is really useful. The performance is "alright" to me. I'm more of a purpose user. I unlock my phone to use 1 application, then I usually lock it and move on with my life.I'll say the worse app to open is GMail. That always takes forever to load for some reason. Everything else seems to work fine, even Chrome. It's a decent phone, and if you're a Cricket user, this phone is only $50 after MIR, so for a $50 phone, it's a fantastic deal. The battery life is astounding. I got 10.5 hrs SOT the first day I charged it up. I purposefully was trying to kill the battery, and when I finally went to bed, I still had about 16% battery left with that much SOT. Amazing; makes it almost worth the hassle.
This is a temporary/backup phone while I wait for the Nexus/Pixel phones.
FalconZ - Sunday, January 29, 2017 - link
So many variants under single name ? LG This is horrible, dont give them same names pls and specify the lte bands supported on the website.Sammisam - Monday, February 6, 2017 - link
It sucks bad I got stuck wit snapdragon. It's just my luck this would happen to me. Unfair both phones should`ve been the same. I feel like a elementary kid who got picked last for softball game type way. Lame LG!Sammisam - Monday, February 6, 2017 - link
Sucks I get stuck wit snapdragon. Just my luck. Both phones should've been the same. I feel like a elementary school girl that got picked last to be on the softball game type way. How can they get away with selling this phone two difference types.Seems like they would lose money over this. No one I know wouldve bought this phone if they knew this. If I knew it I would've just bought an iPhone 6 plus.Max.racer94 - Saturday, March 11, 2017 - link
Cheap quality screen. Haven't owned the phone for more then a week and the screen crack in numerous places from being in my tight jeans pocket.Did not hit it against nothing, didn't drop it, just had it in my pockets and was walking some stairs and craaack!
Very fragile screen!
Williepeck99 - Saturday, April 8, 2017 - link
Interestingly my LG X Power came with a mediatek MT6755 octacore that clocked at 1.81 GHz and comes with 2GB of RAM. It's fairly fast and quite responsive. mine was bought as a Virgin Mobile phone.c21secco - Thursday, August 10, 2017 - link
I own an lg xpower cellphone. I love the phone. I had a samsung s4 till feb 2017 lol at&t. I changed to boostmobile because unlimited data. The phone was part of the service, is awesome. Even though yes lots of its core is reduced. Still works great. The battery is super. My question here. I can't find info of the xpower connectivity to hdmi tv. Probably not available!!. Does anyone have Info on this xpower to hdmi tv connectivity?