Saturday, June 30, 2018

DirecTV Now to increase its prices in August

Get ready to pay more on all of DirecTV Now's plans, folks.

From our friends at CordCutters.com: DirecTV Now is increasing each of its its plans by $5 a month, starting in August. That's according to marketing emails sent out to customers late Saturday evening. (You know, when people are expecting to learn about price increases.)

This is the first price increase since AT&T merged with Time Warner. Surely, a coincidence.

From CordCutters:

This is coming from AT&T/DirecTV Now marketing and not PR, so that's all we've got for now. But the email we received does mention that we can now add a third simultaneous stream for another $5 a month, and it mentions the new Spanish-language plans DirecTV Now rolled out earlier in June.

Also, we can expect to see in future releases: An option for 100 hours of cloud-based DVR. (Currently 20 hours is free); Parental controls; "More ways to stream on your favorite devices"; And more local channels.

DirecTV Now is available on Apple TV, Roku, in web browsers, and through Chromecast. (There's still no official Android TV app.)

Get the full lowdown at CordCutters.com



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Best Large Screen (Phablet) Android Phone in 2018

When you need a big screen, you have tons of choices.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S9+

See at Amazon

The Galaxy S9+ is all about giving you the most features in the most beautiful package with a really big screen to take it all in. You get top-end specs across the board, plus all of the hardware features you expect: waterproofing, wireless charging, an SD card slot, a headphone jack and more.

The camera is all-new this year, with a sensor that does fantastic processing to remove noise and sharpen fine detail. It's aided by a dual-aperture lens to get the best combination of light and detail in different shots, and is paired with a secondary telephoto lens for zoom and portrait mode shooting.

You don't get the clean and simple software experience of the Pixel 2 XL, which may take some extra customization and tweaking on your part, but the Galaxy S9+ is far less polarizing overall — just about anyone looking for a high-end phone will love using it.

Bottom line: The Galaxy S9+ doesn't require much thought — it can do everything, and looks great doing it, with few real downsides.

One more thing: You may be tempted by the Note 8 (or upcoming Note 9), but unless you really need the S Pen you should just stick with the Galaxy S9+.

Why the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is the best large screen (phablet) Android phone

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ builds on years of Samsung's excellence making some of the most popular and best-selling phones around the world. It starts with a gorgeously sculpted metal and glass body, available in three colors, that's waterproof but still includes great features like dual speakers, a headphone jack and an SD card slot. Inside are the latest and greatest specs, plus a standout pair of cameras on the back and the best display on the market around front.

Samsung designs its phones to be appealing to the widest possible audience.

Samsung designs its phones to be appealing to the widest possible audience, and that makes the Galaxy S9+ a great device for just about anyone. It has a big and beautiful display that's quite simply the best in the industry, but with very small bezels and curved edges it fits into a relatively compact size.

Internally, it has all of the latest specs to handle any app or task you need. It also has a pair of cameras on the back that are in the mix as the best available today. Samsung has also kept around crowd-pleasing features like wireless charging, waterproofing, an SD card slot and a headphone jack. Really, the Galaxy S9+ does a great job at being all things to all people.

Best of all, if you don't care for the larger size of the Galaxy S9+ for whatever reason, you can simply buy the smaller and less expensive Galaxy S9 instead and get the same core experience with only a few changes.

Is it a good time to buy?

Yes. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ launched the first week of March 2018, meaning it is still the latest and great phone that Samsung makes. The Galaxy Note 9 is expected to be on sale in late August 2018, which will likely be only a marginal improvement over the Galaxy S9+, and the Galaxy S9+'s successor will not be unveiled until March 2019.

8 reasons to buy

  • Big, best-in-class display by all measures
  • Sleek and beautiful hardware in multiple color options
  • Top-notch specs, waterproofing, wireless charging and more
  • Up to 256GB of storage available, plus an SD card slot
  • Fantastic dual cameras that take great photos
  • Every software feature you could ask for
  • Dual speakers and a headphone jack
  • Available in just about every region on every carrier imaginable

3 reasons not to buy

  • Lots of unnecessary apps and features
  • Long-term software update speed is a concern
  • Curved screen can be difficult for some to use

Runner-up

Google Pixel 2 XL

See at Best Buy

No phone is perfect for everyone's needs, and if you find the Galaxy S9+'s software to be overwhelming or grating, you'll want to look at the Google Pixel 2 XL instead.

Google's take on Android is clean, fast and a pleasure to use every day — as you'd expect, it also perfectly integrates with Google's apps and services. The Pixel 2 XL doesn't have a fantastic screen or headphone jack like the Galaxy S9+ does, but that's one of the trade-offs you make in order to get this fantastic software experience. The screen is physically smaller as well, at just 6-inches to the Galaxy S9+'s 6.2.

The camera on Google's flagship is just as good, though, and some would say that the overall experience, aided by that great software, is more consistent and approachable. You also get three years of guaranteed software updates, which provides excellent peace of mind.

Bottom line: The best Android software experience comes straight from Google. Top-notch performance and camera add to the experience, but the screen and more limited availability detract.

One more thing: Even though we recommend the larger Pixel 2 XL, the smaller and cheaper Pixel 2 is just as good, and easier to use with one hand.

Best value

OnePlus 6

See at OnePlus

These top-end phones are expensive, but that doesn't mean you're stuck paying top-dollar for your next upgrade. The OnePlus 6 provides nearly the same experience as these other devices at a substantial discount — just $529.

Even with the lower price, the screen is still very big at 6.28-inches diagonally, though it does have a display notch to take up a tiny bit of that top portion.

You get all of the latest specs inside, and it's wrapped up in a beautiful metal-and-glass frame not unlike the Galaxy S9+. There are a few shortcomings, like an average display, basic speaker and subpar vibration motor, but the software experience is more akin to the Pixel 2 XL than the Galaxy S9+ — and that's a good thing.

OnePlus has dramatically improved its camera offering to where the OnePlus 6 is just a stone's throw away from the top-of-the-line phones, which just adds to the great value this phone offers.

Bottom line: The OnePlus 6 is the phone to buy if you want something cheap, fast, and stylish that still has a huge screen.

One more thing: The OnePlus 6 doesn't work on Verizon or Sprint, and is only available directly from OnePlus.

Amazing camera

Huawei P20 Pro

See at Amazon

You may think that the "Leica" branding is a bit of a joke at first, but don't let that turn you away — the Huawei P20 Pro has an amazing set of cameras that can produce the best photos of any smartphone today. The combination of a 40MP main sensor, an 8MP telephoto camera and a 20MP monochrome sensor give you unending shooting options, and the software pulling it all together knows all of the tricks to create stellar photos.

The screen comes in at 6.1-inches diagonal, which is a tad smaller than the Galaxy S9+, and it also has a display notch at the top that takes up a bit more screen real estate as well.

The rest of the phone experience isn't subpar, either — Huawei's built a beautiful phone here with powerful specs. It's just let down as ever by the Huawei software that heavily tweaks and modifies Android — to a fault. Some can look past that to get those wonderful cameras, though, and will even go so far as to import an international version to the U.S.

Bottom line: With three rear cameras that are all amazing and EMUI software that's more than tolerable, get this phone for the photos, stay for everything else.

One more thing: The P20 Pro has a 4000mAh battery that should last nearly two days if you go easy on it.

Best with a stylus

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

See at Amazon

Just 6 months after launching, the Galaxy Note 8 was almost entirely supplanted by the Galaxy S9+ — which is of course our top pick here. The Note 8 is a fantastic phone, but with the addition of features and specs, the Galaxy S9+ is the same or better across the board with a larger battery, newer camera, faster processor and slightly more compact body.

The only trump card the Note 8 can play is that it has a stylus, which is obviously a big deal for a small number of faithful Note owners. For some, having a big screen without the precise input of a stylus is worthless, so the Note 8 lives on for those who need that feature.

Bottom line: If you have to have a stylus, there's no substitute for the Galaxy Note 8.

One more thing: The Galaxy Note 9 will be announced on August 9 — if you can wait to buy and want the latest and greatest, we recommend that you hold off until then.

Conclusion

The best large screen (phablet) Android phone for most potential buyers is the Samsung Galaxy S9+, as it provides the best experience and most features with a big screen — it's also available everywhere, from any carrier or retailer you could imagine.

If you're a bit more discerning about the software experience, you'll want to look at the Google Pixel 2 XL instead — you'll have to buy from Verizon or unlocked, and get a little smaller display, but that Google software is worth it for many people. For less money, the OnePlus 6 gives you a near-flagship experience and also has great clean software on a large display. The most versatile camera imaginable can be found in the Huawei P20 Pro, and the rest of the phone isn't exactly bad — you'll just have to put up with some software quirks to take advantage of that great imaging.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S9+

See at Amazon

The Galaxy S9+ is all about giving you the most features in the most beautiful package with a really big screen to take it all in. You get top-end specs across the board, plus all of the hardware features you expect: waterproofing, wireless charging, an SD card slot, a headphone jack and more.

The camera is all-new this year, with a sensor that does fantastic processing to remove noise and sharpen fine detail. It's aided by a dual-aperture lens to get the best combination of light and detail in different shots, and is paired with a secondary telephoto lens for zoom and portrait mode shooting.

You don't get the clean and simple software experience of the Pixel 2 XL, which may take some extra customization and tweaking on your part, but the Galaxy S9+ is far less polarizing overall — just about anyone looking for a high-end phone will love using it.

Bottom line: The Galaxy S9+ doesn't require much thought — it can do everything, and looks great doing it, with few real downsides.

One more thing: You may be tempted by the Note 8 (or upcoming Note 9), but unless you really need the S Pen you should just stick with the Galaxy S9+.

Update June 2018: Keeping in like with our overall best Android phones picks, the Galaxy S9+ takes over the top spot here on account of its wide availability and broad appeal. The Pixel 2 XL remains as a solid backup choice, and we've added the Huawei P20 Pro as an option with an amazing camera. The Note 8 remains, for now, as the choice for people who want a stylus.



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Best Philips Hue Alternatives in 2018

What's the best alternative to Philips Hue? Here are our favorites!

Philips Hue smart lights are some of the coolest on the market and they're definitely some of the most popular, but they can be quite expensive, especially once you get into colored bulbs. If you're looking for a less expensive alternative or just something other than what's popular, then check out these other awesome options.

GE Link Starter Kit

This starter kit from GE features two A19 LED bulbs and a link hub, allowing you to control all GE bulbs through the Wink mobile app. Although these bulbs only come in a soft white, they're great for general use around your home, while still having complete control over scheduling. The GE Link starter kit is also compatible with Amazon Echo, but requires the Wink hub. Pricing starts around $60 for the bundle.

See at Amazon

LIFX A19 Wi-Fi Smart Bulb

The LIFX Wi-Fi bulb provides 16 million colors and 1,000 shades of white, connecting over your Wi-Fi network without the need for a hub. Simply download the LIFX app and gain control of lighting effects and custom schedules to suit your needs. Each A19 bulb only consumes 17 watts of energy and has a lumen count of 1017. LIFX bulbs even work with Nest Protect and Thermostat, flashing the lights when smoke is detected or switching the lights on and off automatically to make it appear as if someone is home while you're away on vacation. You can order the LIFX bulb starting at $60 for one. LIFX bulbs are Amazon Certified to work with Alexa.

See at Amazon

Lucero A19 Smart Bulb

This colorful LED Bluetooth bulb from Lucero can be customized through the Lucero Smart Bulb app, where you can sync with your music and even control up to 50 bulbs in various groups (up to five). With over 16 million colors, there are plenty of options to suit your mood while managing to stay energy efficient at only 7.5 watts. These affordable smart bulbs are available for just $35 each.

See at Amazon

Cree A19 LED Bulb

The daylight (5000K) dimmable Cree LED bulb is compatible with multiple platforms, including Amazon Echo, Wink, WeMo, and more. After setting up with a compatible hub, you can schedule your Cree bulbs to turn on and off at any specific time, adjust brightness, or even customize them to work while you're away from home as an extra security measure. Each Cree bulb is only 11.5 watts and is available for about $15 — not bad for its 22-year lifespan.

See at Amazon

Sylvania Lightify by Osram

The best feature of the Lightify bulbs by Osram is that they're compatible with Alexa. If you have an Echo in your house, then these will work right out of the box (so long as you have a hub), so you can control your lights with just your voice!

Lightify comes in RGBW, tuneable white, and soft white, so you have your choice of light temperature to best suit your room. Just download the Lightify app, and you're on your way. These bulbs fit into standard sockets, and you can adjust color temperature in the RGBW and tuneable white bulbs to best fit your mood or needs (soft white when it's time to chill, daylight to help you stay awake). Pricing starts at $34 for a color bulb, but you can get a 2-pack for $65.

See at Amazon

Flux Bluetooth Smart LED bulb

Flux bulbs are color-changing bulbs that work via Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi like the other bulbs on this list, which means you won't be able to control them with you're not at home. That being said, you can still schedule actions, like having the bulbs turn on when you're away from home or to wake you up in the morning.

Flux bulbs feature over 16 million colors, which you control directly from the Flux app. You can control the mode (strobe, shifting colors, etc.), and these will even sync with music on your phone to add some extra atmosphere to your dance party.

Flux bulbs come in 7- or 10-watt (60-watt equivalent) iterations and are available for around $34.

See at Amazon

IKEA Tradfri

Believe it or not, IKEA has some pretty rad smart bulbs that are inexpensive (around $18/bulb) and work well. They have a brightness equal to roughly a 70-watt incandescent bulb and are dimmable using the Tradfri remote. In fact, you can control up to 10 bulbs, panels, or light doors, which are all dimmable as well. You can also switch from warmer-colored light to cooler hues depending on your mood and the time of day.

Thanks to community member snapphane for the tip!

See at IKEA

Eufy Lumos

Eufy's tunable Lumos bulbs are rather affordable at roughly $21 (if you don't want tunable, you can opt for straight soft white for about $20), and the ability to adjust from warm to cool light is perfect for setting the right mood and ambiance.

You can adjust everything right in the Eufy app, and these bulbs are Amazon certified to work with Alexa, as well as compatible with Google Assistant. You can set schedules, turn the bulbs off from anywhere there's an internet connection, and you get an 18-month warranty should anything go wrong. Best part is that there's no hub needed!

See at Best Buy

Nanoleaf Aurora Rhythm Smarter Kit

It's kind of a travesty that I've left this off the list for so long. The Nanoleaf Aurora isn't just a smart lighting setup; it's wall art. Gorgeous, light-up wall art. The best part is that "rhythm" isn't just in the name. The Aurora's nine-panel system lights up along with your favorite tunes, and you can orient the panels in anyway you like. For $230, you get the nine LED panels, an upgrade module, panel links, mounting stencils, pads, a power supply, and a controller unit.

See at Best Buy

Z-Wave

Z-Wave isn't a bulb, but a technology that allows many switches to be used to wirelessly control normal, everyday lightbulbs. With any Z-Wave switch, you can control not-smart bulbs via a great smart home hub — no need to pay through the nose for smart bulbs that last decades (though they are a pretty solid investment).

The light of your life

Which smart lights do you use? Sound off in the comments below!

Updated June 2018: Updated pricing for each item and added the Nanoleaf Aurora Rhythm Smarter Kit.



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What you missed this week on CordCutters.com

It's all Amazon Fire TV, all the time. OK, a lot of the time. Some of the time.

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is now shipping, and we've reviewed the little box. The short version? It's really good, actually. But definitely not perfect, and maybe not for everyone. But there's a real reason to give it a good look.

Have a taste:

In hindsight, it's pretty clear exactly what we should have expected. Amazon Fire TV is a known entity. We've used it for years, and it's a great option for streaming TV. Amazon Echo is a great hands-free voice assistant thing. We've used Alexa for years.

Combine the two in cube form, and we've got the Amazon Fire TV Cube. It sits atop the three current models of Fire TV, and is sort of an offshoot in the Echo line. A more capable Echo Dot, if you will. You plug it into your TV, teach it a little bit about what all you have hooked up, and it controls things reasonably well. Your display, speakers or sound bar, other devices.

What else did you miss this past week?



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Dragon Quest 11 for PlayStation 4: Everything you need to know

PlayStation and JRPGs are synonymous, and Dragon Quest 11 is the ultimate one.

Square Enix's announcement of Dragon Quest 11 delighted many-a JRPG fan. The game's western debut marks the first time in over a decade that we've seen a Dragon Quest title made for a major console.

With that comes a whole new opportunity to get fans of the series back into the game, as well as an original story for newcomers to enjoy. If you haven't already imported Dragon Quest 11, this is one awesome game to keep your eye on. Here's everything you need to know about it.

What is Dragon Quest 11?

If ever you needed an example of a Japanese RPG, Dragon Quest is perhaps the purest. It's a high-fantasy game that features exploration, an overwhelmingly charming cast, character progression, and - you guessed it - turn-based combat.

It's a style of game that's become increasingly rare as the industry moves toward more action-oriented gameplay systems to keep players' adrenaline rushing. Square Enix has remained committed to keeping this beloved genre alive.

Dragon Quest 11 will be no different in that regard. This launch is particularly exciting because it'll be the first Dragon Quest game to launch on major gaming platforms in more than a decade. Yeah, there were the handheld titles, but those tiny screens just don't do the beauty of the game justice.

Available in Japan as far back as July 2017, Dragon Quest 11 is set to make its western debut where it will get something that not even the Japanese crowd will: fully voiced cutscenes.

What's the story?

Dragon Quest 11 takes place in the fantasy world of Lotozetasia. It's beautiful realm that's not quite open world, but certainly is chock full of expansive regions to explore. The region you start off in is Cobblestone.

That figures to be the homeplace of the main character, who pretty much goes unnamed, but is commonly referred to as a Luminary. Luminaries are basically bringers of light and harness great power. The character is the descendent of a legendary hero, and he doesn't talk - go figure. Thus, it's up to you to imagine the personality and traits of your character, a bit of a lost art in gaming.

The story begins with your coming-of-age trial, which is to climb God's Rock and visit the spirits of the earth. The trial mostly serves as a tutorial and an introduction to the gameplay systems, but you get into the thick of things soon after.

Your first stop after that is Heliodor. It's here where King Carnelian places you in jail for simply being a luminary. That's because he believes Luminaries to be people who collude with dark forces (because light casts shadow when it shines on things, maybe). The antagonist seems totally unreasonable, but it's up to you to escape and fight against the darkness to prove you're a good guy.

All in all, you're looking at about 60 hours to get the most out of Dragon Quest 11. Much of that time will be spent talking to party members and villagers to learn about your past, as well as their own.

Gorgeous art style

Dragon Quest has become known for its breathtaking art style. The series has favored a cel-shaded approach over the years. Dragon Quest 11 takes that up to, well, 11.

Leading artist Akira Toriyama is responsible for the look, and while we don't know whether he had a direct hand in this particular release, we know Square Enix at least looked to imitate it as closely as possible. Traits include broad strokes of vibrant color and an anime-like approach to both character and world design.

Gameplay details

As we mentioned before, Dragon Quest 11 is as pure a JRPG you can find. That means there's turn-based combat, and combat typically revolves around a system of strengths and weaknesses, meaning enemies will be weaker or stronger against specific attacks.

That's where the party system comes in. You can have a whole gang of companions with you, each serving a specific purpose in your group. One can be a healer, while another can do the bulk of the fire damage you need, and so on and so forth. Each of these heroes has a unique upgrade tree, and they can either be controlled by the player or left to make their own battle decisions. Some of your characters can even combine attacks to make for a powerful combo, so long as they're both in the "Zone," a new mechanic that buffs your attributes and abilities.

You'll be fighting the usual array of Dragon quest enemies, including skeletons, dragons, and even those cute little slimes that you often hate to kill.

You make your characters stronger by way of weapons, armor, and items. These things can be found on enemies and given as quest rewards. You can also buy them from vendors or craft them at campfires. In Dragon Quest 11, crafting will be less of a menu-diving affair and one with a tad more substance, as you'll have to go through relatively easy mini games to make it a successful affair.

As far as traveling is concerned, you primarily move around on your horse, which can be called on at various outposts if you don't want to slog through the expansive regions in the game. You still encounter enemies while on horseback, and you can even pick up items. The horse also makes it possible to run away from an enemy if you don't want to deal with fighting it.

Square Enix saw fit to add a dash button for when your character is on fit. He moves painfully slow otherwise, so it's a nice tool for making your way through towns when you need to talk to some people or do some general housekeeping. Another keen addition is the ability to climb up on roofs and walk on tightropes, giving you another perspective to take in the breathtaking scenery.

Where to pre-order Dragon Quest 11

There are a few different pre-order options available if you're excited to get your hands on Dragon Quest 11. Standard edition pre-orders get a lanyard when bought through Square Enix, or a PS4 theme when bought digitally on the PlayStation 4. If you're early enough on the pre-order train, you'll also be in for the Edition of Light digital content, which includes experience skill seeds and replenishment items for mana and health.

See at Amazon

Opt for the $150 "Edition of Lost Time" copy and you'll be landing yourself all the Edition of Light content, plus a 128-page hardback book featuring information and artwork, a two-disc original soundtrack, a cloth map, more experience seeds, and an in-game pep pop potion.

See at Square Enix

When can you play it?

Dragon Quest 11 launches in western markets on September 4th, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and PC. Those feeling particularly martyrous can import the Japanese copy to play on any region-free PlayStation 4 console right now. Just note that this version only includes Japanese for its language track.

See at Amazon



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LG G7 ThinQ review: Wide angle, narrow appeal

LG's new flagship is rarely exciting, but look past that and you'll find a great little phone with an audiovisual focus.

The G7 may be a tough sell at its $750 launch price, but there's not much to complain about here. The new LG flagship gets most of the fundamentals right, and offers stand-out features in the form of a Quad DAC-powered headphone jack, and the best wide-angle camera.

LG G7 ThinQ

Price: $750

Bottom line: This isn't the most exciting Android around, but LG is still the only place to get a good wide-angle camera and the best in smartphone audio.

Pros:

  • Great all-round performer
  • Dependable all-day battery life
  • A lot of screen in not a lot of space
  • Wide-angle camera continues to impress

Cons:

  • Hefty SIM-free price
  • 6/128GB model unavailable in the U.S.
  • AI features largely forgettable

See at Amazon See at Sprint See at T-Mobile See at Verizon

LG G7 ThinQ Prelude

Back in January I didn't expect to be reviewing an LG G7 this year. The phone was supposed to be dead, killed off by a change in top-level management at the Korean firm. In the following months, it became clear that LG was instead giving the G7 a final spit-polish before unveiling it to the world.

Who knows what the G7 would've looked like had LG stuck to its original timeline and launched around Mobile World Congress in February. But as for the product we have today, I'm glad LG took its time, and I'm glad it didn't just abandon the G7, as was originally rumored.

This is a decent, competitive phone that deserves to exist. In typical LG style, it's way overpriced at launch.

About this review

We're publishing this review after just over a week with a final, retail-ready LG G7 ThinQ. I (Alex Dobie) have been using an SKT-branded Korean G7 (LG-G710N) with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage on the Chunghwa Telecom network in Taipei, Taiwan. The device was running software version 10N.

In the run up to the G7's retail release, I had also been using a pre-production U.S. model G7 running uncertified firmware. This review is based on the final G7, not the pre-production unit. The biggest difference I've noticed going from the early G7 to the production model is a significant bump in battery life.

LG G7 ThinQ Full Review

Externally, the G7 is not a phone that rocks the boat. Design-wise, LG's new handset plays it relatively safe, with an aesthetic combining the characteristics of the V30 and G6 (OK, and maybe a certain other phone as well). It's a far cry from the old, crazy LG, which would flail from leather-backed plastic one year to modular nonsense the next.

LG's newfound design sobriety has been mostly a positive step. The G6 and V30 were both good, solid phones without any serious flaws, and the same applies to the G7. The new problem for LG is how to stand out when it's producing this kind of phone, because absolutely everyone is producing this kind of phone.

LG's design sobriety continues, as the company pushes audio and AI in the G7.

LG's answer is to ship an impressive wide-angle camera, a headphone jack powered by a beastly Quad DAC, and a roaring boombox speaker system. And because this is a ThinQ phone (pronounce it "thin cue," not "think"), there's an Artificial Intelligence angle as well. But you can probably forget about the AI gimmickry, which expands the AI shooting modes first seen in the V30 S and builds out a few tepid predictive features elsewhere in the software.

You'll see the cringey ThinQ brand every time you turn the G7 over, but I've largely ignored it related features in my use of the phone. Instead of getting high on AI, I've been enjoying the G7 because it gives me a small-ish phone with great audio and a wide-angle camera experience I can't get anywhere else.

The size is perfect for one-handed use, and the sharp chamfers and thicker sides make for an easier grip than a similarly-sized Samsung phone. LG's color options are a little dull, but at least there's some variety to be seen in the G7 palette. There are boring black and grey versions, but I've spent most time with the moroccan blue and raspberry rose hues, which add a splash of color while still looking reserved compared to a flame red HTC U12+ or twilight Huawei P20.

The back has a subtle lustrous effect that gives the red G7 an amber-like accent, and introduces hints of green to the blue G7 when it catches the light. The rear of the phone lacks any kind of oleophobic coating, however, which makes it easier to grip at the cost of being a fingerprint magnet. The aluminum side walls have a similar gloss to them, but aren't anywhere near as greasy.

The G7's super-bright display is a bigger deal than its use of a screen notch.

Before we go any further, let's at least acknowledge the presence of a screen notch. Yep, it's there. Nope, as we've established before, the notch isn't a huge deal if it's done right. LG's implementation refers to the display cutout as a "new second screen," which is bizarre, because unlike the V-series namesake you can't actually do anything useful with it. It is possible, however, to black out the background color in LG apps if the irregular shape bothers you. (Unlike Huawei and OnePlus's models, you can't eliminate the notch in all apps.)

Either way, I've come across no major compatibility issues around the notch, and I appreciate the extra vertical space provided by LG's super-tall 19.5:9 panel. This screen is a major improvement upon the G6's LCD in just about every way. It's an RGBW panel, with an extra white subpixel for extra brightness, in addition to the red, green and blue subpixels that all normal LCDs have, for extra brightness. The backlight can go all the way up to 1000 nits in its boosted brightness mode, but weirdly you need to enable this manually, it won't trigger by itself in very bright daylight like it does on Samsung phones.

The rest of the spec sheet is standard 2018 flagship stuff, with a Snapdragon 845 processor plus 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage in most markets, plus microSD. And it's water resistant too, rated IP68.

Category Spec
Operating System Android 8.0 Oreo
Display 6.1-inch LCD
3120x1440
Gorilla Glass 5
Dolby Vision, HDR10
1,000 nits brightness
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Storage 64GB / 128GB (Plus model)
Expandable microSD up to 2TB
RAM 4GB / 6GB (Plus model)
Camera (Main) 16MP (IMX351), 1.0µm pixels, ƒ/1.6, OIS
71° lens, Super Bright Mode
Camera (Wide) 16MP (IMX351), 1.0µm pixels, ƒ/1.9
107° lens, fixed focus
Front Camera 8MP, ƒ/1.9
80° lens, fixed focus
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC
USB-C 3.1
Audio 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC
Boombox speaker
Headphone jack
Battery 3000mAh
Non-removable
Charging USB-C
Quick Charge 3.0
Qi wireless
Water resistance IP68
MIL-STD 810G certified
Security Rear fingerprint sensor
Face unlock
Dimensions 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm
Weight 162 grams
Colors New Moroccan Blue, New Aurora Black
Raspberry Rose, New Platinum Gray

The one thing that might jump out at you is the 3,000mAh battery, which numerically is on the low side compared to the competition. Quick side note: Before getting a final, retail G7, LG gave us a pre-production device to play with, running pre-release software. This preview device had pretty bad battery life, and I didn't expect a huge difference in the retail version. But I was wrong. The production G7 manages fantastic longevity from a relatively small battery. I'd regularly get around 17-18 hours per charge, with 4.5-5 hours of screen-on time. That's more than I reliably get from the Galaxy S9+, and not far off the Pixel 2 XL.

Plus you get Quick Charge 4 support -- though the bundled plug only does Quick Charge 3. For easier opportunistic top-ups, LG, finally, includes Qi wireless charging in all G7 models. Bottom line between the pretty strong battery life and plentiful refill options, is that've never had to worry about battery life on this phone. This is with normal use involving music streaming and photography, not babying the phone.

Many high-end phones boast powerful speakers, but the G7 far exceeds the baseline, bringing features that'll please audiophiles -- as well as the rest of us, who just want our their music to sound great, and our podcasts loud and clear. In short, the G7 is the most audio-centric Android flagship I've used. The fact that there's still a headphone jack at all is noteworthy, but LG also includes its Quad DAC, which we've seen in a few generations of LG phones now, to put more power behind the headphone port.

This is the best speaker setup in any smartphone.

What's new this time around is that same engineering attention has been given to the G7's built-in speaker system. The new boombox setup is the loudest and best-sounding smartphone speaker I've used, with sound that's full and bassy and not just loud and scratchy like most phones. The magic behind the G7 speaker's legendary audio is that it uses the entire body of the phone has a speaker chamber. At higher volume levels you can really feel the glass back vibrating, which in turn lets you amplify the audio even further if it's sat on any other acoustic structure, like a guitar or a wooden box.

I sometimes take a small Bluetooth speaker with me when I travel for podcasts and the like, but with the G7, I really don't need to. The audio from the main speaker is loud, bassy and clear enough for my needs, and comfortably superior to any competing phone speaker.

For wired audio, the Quad DAC hasn't changed since we last saw it in the V30, but it's worth revisiting briefly. In short, the DAC provides a stronger signal to any headphone or speaker system that's plugged into the phone. Combined with a good set of studio headphones, or even the pretty great set of earbuds LG includes in the box, it's the sort of thing that can ruin you for music on most other phones.

What's more, LG's software provides a wealth of fine-tuning possibilities to get things sounding just right.

The rest of LG's software hasn't been radically changed in this iteration. It looks a little different to the company's 2017 loadout, but if you were hoping for the LG UI to be overhauled, then you'll be disappointed. Mainly we're looking at visual tweaks to make the icons more uniform, as well as some new widgets that look a bit like what you'll find on a Samsung phone.

It's customized, with its own distinctive look, but not too overbearing. Staple LG features return, including KnockOn to quickly wake the device with a double-tap, as well as the reliable face unlock features from the V30. I have no real issues with the aesthetics of LG's software, and while it would've been nice to see Android 8.1 on here as opposed to the older 8.0, it's not the end of the world.

Performance has been fine overall. 4GB of RAM mostly gets the job done, though I would've preferred the extra breathing room that 6GB provides for multitasking. While it wasn't enormously bothersome, it definitely is possible to see apps being bumped out of memory more quickly on a 4GB device like the G6, compared to Samsung and HTC phones with the extra two gigs.

I'm more concerned about a few smaller usability issues I've run into. With a phone this tall, reaching the top to pull down the notification shade can be tricky. Yet the very common swipe-down gesture on the fingerprint scanner, used by many other Android phones, isn't supported. At the same time, LG's mini view one-handed mode is unreliable and clunky, with the swipe gesture sometimes failing to register.

Aside from AI CAM, the G7's artificial intelligence tricks are dull and forgettable.

Because this is a ThinQ phone, LG has gone to great lengths to build out AI features in the software. Plus you've got the Smart ThinQ app preloaded for any other LG ThinQ appliances you might own. But outside of the camera, most of the AI stuff is half-baked and uninteresting. The "Smart Bulletin" area to the left of the main home panel is mostly useless, and simple re-frames automation features many of which have been been around the LG G3 in 2014. The things it suggests are rarely useful, and fail to justify its occupation of this premium piece of smartphone real estate.

We do at least have a Google Assistant key, though, which is more useful and less annoying than Samsung's Bixby key -- because it's located further away from the volume rocker, and of course because it launches Google Assistant and not Bixby.

A single tap launches Assistant, or you can hold it down for a walkie-talkie mode. And double-tap launches you into Google Lens. Unfortunately, though, Lens is often slower to launch and more buggy on the G7 than it is on the Pixel 2 XL, despite the faster processor. I've had several instances of Lens either getting bogged down while loading, or loading and failing to activate the camera properly.

The Assistant key isn't a huge deal either way. It's moderately useful, but I don't miss it when I use other phones. While you can disable it, it's annoying that you can't remap it to serve another function, like a dedicated camera key.

The camera setup of the LG G7 is an odd half-step upgrade from last year's V30 cameras. The front camera and wide-angle cameras have both gotten much-needed upgrades, and that's great. The main camera has not, and that's a big competitive disadvantage for this phone.

Around the back the G7 sticks with the same main camera as the V30, a 16-megapixel sensor with 1-micron pixels, behind an f/1.6 lens, with optical stabilization. The wide camera this time is that same 16-megapixel sensor, Sony's IMX 351, behind an f/1.9 lens, but with no OIS. The wide-angle camera has been reduced to 107 degrees though, down from the V30's 120. In my view, though, that's a fair trade-off considering the improvement in image quality from the new wide camera.

The upgraded wide-angle camera impresses, but the main sensor needs an upgrade.

Wide camera remains one of the most enjoyable things about using an LG phone, letting you capture dramatic looking scenes that aren't quite like any other smartphone photo. At the same time, I appreciate the much-improved selfie camera of the G7, now an 8-megapixel unit. (Though let's be honest, it wouldn't be hard to raise the bar from the dismal 5MP shooter of the V30.)

On the other hand, the main camera clearly hasn't kept pace with the competition. It's not a bad camera, just a decidedly mediocre one, considering this is a $750 phone. Even with the faster Snapdragon 845 processor, the main shooter can't compete with the likes of the Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 or Pixel 2. Dynamic range isn't as good as these phones, nor is low-light photography, even with LG's new Super Bright Mode.

Super Bright Mode, first seen in the V30 S, uses pixel binning to get a brighter 4-megapixel image out of the 16-megapixel sensor. It's the same technique used to awesome effect in the Huawei P20 Pro, but the difference is Huawei uses a 40MP sensor LG's 16MP doesn't have the resolution to make this work well. The result, often, is a lower-res image that looks OK on a phone screen, but gross and blotchy once you zoom in.

The G7 inherits the V30 S's AI shooting modes, which I've enjoyed more through playing with the neat little word cloud that pops up in use than through the photos it takes. I assume LG's AI is doing something to tune photos according to where I am and what I'm shooting. But more often than not, pics taken in AI CAM mode just look different, and not necessarily better. Plus, scrolling through the many AI-inspired filters that are offered in AI CAM can be confusing and time-consuming.

To top it off, LG's app is also slow switching between the wide camera and the main camera, and the app itself isn't as intuitively designed as rivals, with core features like Pro mode and HDR hidden behind unnecessary layers of menus.

LG has a lot of great camera features here, but I think they need beefier camera hardware to come into their own. I'd like to see what Super Bright Mode could do with a bigger sensor. And I'd love to be able to use the wide-angle camera without being disappointed when I take a low-light shot with the main shooter.

Hopefully upgrades like this will be coming in the V40 later this year, which is rumored to pack a new triple-rear-camera setup

3.5 out of 5

And that leaves us with the question of who should buy a G7 today. This is not really a phone for enthusiasts. At $750 US, this is not a phone that you should pay full retail price for. Instead, the G7 makes most sense as an on-contract buy for someone who just wants a decent, small-ish phone with an emphasis on audio, and some neat camera features to play around with.

I've enjoyed using the G7 and I'm glad LG didn't just cancel it, as was rumored back in January. But personally, I'm willing to wait and see what LG's cooking up for the fall. Maybe the V40 will excite me in ways that the G7 just doesn't quite manage.

But if you value great audio and a fun wide-angle camera, you could do a lot worse than the LG G7.

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