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LG L Fino Smartphone Review

Cool deal. The LG L Fino is a compact entry-level smartphone with a 4.5-inch display, Qualcomm quad-core SOC, as well as UMTS and NFC. For around 160 Euro (~$200) MSRP, the phone comes nicely equipped. We subject the LG L Fino to our battery of tests to get an idea of the performance.

 

For the original German review, see here.

"Smartphone fun at its best" - that's how the manufacturer from South Korea advertises their new smartphone L Fino on their German website. LG positions the new offering as a well-equipped, compact entry-level smartphone with an MSRP of 159 Euro (~$200). The specs look promising: 4.5-inch IPS display, 1.2 GHz  Qualcomm quad-ccore SoC, 1 GB of RAM, as well as UMTS and NFC. 

Of course, there are plenty of entry-level smartphones that compete in the price range of up to 200 Euro (~$250), including the Alcatel One Touch Pop C7, HTC Desire 310, Kazam Thunder Q4.5, Motorola Moto G2 and the Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ.

Case

The case of the LG L Fino is made from polycarbonate and is very sturdy, which is a pleasant surprise considering the price. Even strong localized pressure or twisting attempts had no noticeable affect, although there's a tiny bit of creaking when pushing down on the back cover. The build quality and the tight tolerances also give no reason for complaints. In addition, the smartphone is easy to hold thanks to rounded corners and a curved back. The display is a bit of a weak point, as strong pressure distorts the picture slightly. The design is based on the upper-class LG G3. Our review smartphone comes with a matte-black, textured  back cover, which improves the grip nicely. We are less impressed with the material used for the back cover, however, because our phone already had some small scratches at the beginning of the review. LG also sells the smartphone in white, red, and green.

The LG L Fino weighs in at 145 g and is thus a bit heavier than most competing smartphones, although the Motorola Moto G2 and the Alcatel One Touch Pop C7 are a bit heavier still. The phone isn't exactly thin either at 11.9 mm - all the competitors are slimmer.

The LG L Fino is stylish and sturdy.
The LG L Fino is stylish and sturdy.
No connectivity on the left and right edges.
No connectivity on the left and right edges.
Top: microphone, 3.5 mm jack; Bottom: microphone, Micro-USB 2.0
Top: microphone, 3.5 mm jack; Bottom: microphone, Micro-USB 2.0
141.5 mm / 5.57 inch 70.7 mm / 2.78 inch 11 mm / 0.4331 inch 150 g0.3307 lbs141 mm / 5.55 inch 71.8 mm / 2.83 inch 9.9 mm / 0.3898 inch 162 g0.3571 lbs136 mm / 5.35 inch 64.6 mm / 2.54 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 137 g0.302 lbs132.4 mm / 5.21 inch 68 mm / 2.68 inch 11.25 mm / 0.4429 inch 140 g0.3086 lbs127.5 mm / 5.02 inch 67.9 mm / 2.67 inch 11.9 mm / 0.4685 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs128.9 mm / 5.07 inch 65.8 mm / 2.59 inch 9.1 mm / 0.3583 inch 126 g0.2778 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The LG L Fino is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212 quad-core SoC, which comes with an integrated Adreno 302 GPU. In combination with 1 GB of RAM, most day-to-day applications shouldn't be much a problem for the smartphone. Storage is a bit meager at 4 GB - especially since only 1.4 GB are usable. Not so great: although a microSD card (up to 64 GB) can be used for applications, larger apps can't be installed at all if the main storage flash is out of space. The physical ports - limited as typical for this entry-level device - include an audio combo-jack up top and a USB 2.0 port on the bottom.

Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Android 4.4.2 KitKat

Software

The L Fino runs Android 4.4.2, which has been modified slightly with LG's EasyUI interface. Changes include the unlocking of the phone via "Knock Code", which requires tapping a personalized pattern anywhere on the screen, and neatly arranged settings. A Guest Mode allows the user to lock certain functions and applications. For more information on the EasyUI interface please check our review of the  LG G3. We appreciate the fact that there's a limited amount lot of bloatware; preinstalled apps can be removed easily as well if so desired.

Communication & GPS 

LTE is not included, but that's understandable given the price bracket. Only the Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 supports the faster technology. The LG L Fino works with UMTS dual-band (900/2100 MHz) and GSM quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz). The former supports downloads of up to 21 MBit per seconds. WLAN 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 are on board as well, which is standard for the class. The smartphone showed decent receptions about 10 meters from the router through three walls without any drops in quality or disconnects.

GPS Test
GPS Test

A-GPS handles the location services. During a test outside, the smartphone quickly established connection to a few satellites and allowed us to determine our location very accurately within a few meters.


Telephone & Sound Quality

The phone app is - aside from a subtle change to the graphics - identical to Google's standard phone application and all important functions like call lists, favorites, or groups are therefore available. The phone app can, if so desired, set to float in a window above all other applications so it can be easily accessed.

Making phone calls is easy thanks to the intuitive interface and the decent sound/speech quality. Our call partners also had no issues with the transmission and could understand us well. The phone doesn't do a very good job filtering out background noises, however. The speakerphone doesn't get overly loud and the sound is a bit tinny, but overall the quality is good enough for phone conversations in suitably quiet environments.

Cameras & Multimedia

The main camera sits on the back and features a resolution of 8 MP, which is comparatively high. The camera features autofocus and an LED flash and supports features like panorama, voice control, and geotagging. We also enjoyed the "Touch & Shoot" functionality, which allows the user to focus and take a picture by tapping on the desired area on the display. As long as the brightness is adequate, the resulting photos are sufficiently sharp with low pixelation. Under low light conditions, the noise increases significantly, however - to the point where even the rather weakly flash can't help. Considering the price bracket, the performance is still more than acceptable.

The camera up front only supports VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels) and isn't suited well to picture-taking, so selfies and group selfies lack a little, even though "Gesture Shot" is ideal for this purpose. Here, the user can start a countdown timer when making a fist in front of the camera. The intelligent "flash", which decreases the Live View area and uses the rest of the display as a light, doesn't help much, however.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3Scene 4
click to load images

Input & Operation

The capacitive touchscreen is easy to operate, very precise and is very sensitive even in the corners. Multi-touch gestures like zooming are also no problem. A cool feature is the "Knock Code", which makes it easy to wake up the phone from standby with a personalized pattern.

Just like on the LG G3, the physical buttons are located on the back of the smartphone. The buttons have a well-defined click-point and work without any problems.

Considering the size of the screen, the virtual keyboard is a tad too small, although the user can make various modification to allow a speedy and intuitive operation. The buttons in the bottom row can be adjusted and the entire key panel can be resized vertically.

The keys can be adjusted both in color...
The keys can be adjusted both in color...
...and size.
...and size.
Not a lot of space is left in landscape mode.
Not a lot of space is left in landscape mode.

Display

The 4.5-inch IPS display has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, which is slightly lower than what most competitors offer, although still within expectations. Only the Motorola Moto G2 offers a significantly higher 1280 x 720 pixels on its 5-inch display. Evidence of the fact that the resolution is slightly behind the times is the somewhat fuzzy picture.

With a maximum of 318 cd/m², the brightness also leaves to be desired, as only the HTC Desire 310 is dimmer still. The brightness distribution of 93 % is very even and only the Motorola Moto G2 is slightly better.

318
cd/m²
300
cd/m²
305
cd/m²
302
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
297
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
309
cd/m²
303
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 318 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 303.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 299 cd/m²
Contrast: 598:1 (Black: 0.5 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.41 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.44 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.23
LG L Fino
Adreno 302, 200 MSM8212, 4 GB Flash
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
Mali-400 MP2, MT6582M, 4 GB Flash
HTC Desire 310
Mali-400 MP2, MT6582M, 4 GB Flash
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
Mali-400 MP2, MT6582, 4 GB Flash
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
Adreno 305, 400 MSM8226, 8 GB SSD
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB SSD
Screen
-13%
-48%
33%
21%
12%
Brightness middle
299
351
17%
272
-9%
525
76%
349
17%
336
12%
Brightness
303
329
9%
255
-16%
521
72%
348
15%
339
12%
Brightness Distribution
93
88
-5%
85
-9%
87
-6%
96
3%
92
-1%
Black Level *
0.5
0.44
12%
0.5
-0%
0.49
2%
0.4
20%
Contrast
598
798
33%
544
-9%
1071
79%
873
46%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.41
9.86
-82%
12.13
-124%
6.39
-18%
3.74
31%
5.19
4%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.44
9.33
-72%
14.77
-172%
3.97
27%
4.52
17%
3.75
31%
Gamma
2.23 99%
2.19 100%
2.42 91%
2.24 98%
2.63 84%
2.36 93%
CCT
7400 88%
10114 64%
17097 38%
7310 89%
7336 89%
7152 91%

* ... smaller is better

Although the black level of 0.5 cd/m² is up to par with the competition, the contrast of 598:1 is somewhat low. Subjectively, the picture looks three-dimensional and blacks are dark, but the colors are not very vivid.

Our analysis with the CalMan software reveals a very minimal bluish cast, which is especially noticeable when looking at lighter grays. The color accuracy is decent, only blues and reds deviate a little more from the ideal values. Overall, the color reproduction is pleasant - especially at this price  point.

CalMan Graylevels
CalMan Graylevels
CalMan Color Accuracy
CalMan Color Accuracy
CalMan Color Management
CalMan Color Management
CalMan Saturation
CalMan Saturation

Like all smartphones, the LG L Fino suffers from a highly reflective display, which makes viewing the screen outdoors more difficult. The maximum brightness is sufficient enough to ensure the display remains readable. Direct sunlight is best avoided, however.

Since the display makes use of IPS technology, the viewing angle stability is high. At very shallow angles, the screen content gets darker, although the colors remain stable for a long time.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Exposed to direct light
Exposed to direct light
Viewing angle stability
Viewing angle stability

Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212 is a quad-core SoC which operates at 1.2 GHz and comes with an integrated Adreno 302 GPU. In combination with 1 GB of RAM of system RAM, the LG L Fino offers enough performance to handle most daily tasks. Starting apps or opening menus does take a brief second, however.

The competition offers slightly better processor performance according to Geekbench 3. The Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 outperforms the other phones when running this benchmark.

The synthetic graphic tests show mixed results: the LG L Fino can hold its own for the most part compared to the HTC Desire 310 and the Kazam Thunder Q4.5Test Kazam Thunder Q4.5 Smartphone, which is evident when looking at the results of the GFX Benchmark. The Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 once again offers more performance across the board.

Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG L Fino
1113 Points
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
1179 Points +6%
HTC Desire 310
1182 Points +6%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
1153 Points +4%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
1133 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
1413 Points +27%
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG L Fino
329 Points
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
350 Points +6%
HTC Desire 310
353 Points +7%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
353 Points +7%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
341 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
474 Points +44%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG L Fino
7961 Points
HTC Desire 310
8611 Points +8%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
8022 Points +1%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
7904 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
9304 Points +17%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG L Fino
3543 Points
HTC Desire 310
2441 Points -31%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
2450 Points -31%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
4265 Points +20%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
3985 Points +12%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG L Fino
4041 Points
HTC Desire 310
2903 Points -28%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
2897 Points -28%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
4751 Points +18%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
4565 Points +13%
GFXBench 3.0
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
LG L Fino
1.3 fps
HTC Desire 310
0 fps -100%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
1.8 fps +38%
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
LG L Fino
6.8 fps
HTC Desire 310
0 fps -100%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
4 fps -41%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
8.2 fps +21%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
LG L Fino
13.3 fps
HTC Desire 310
8.8 fps -34%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
8.9 fps -33%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
10.8 fps -19%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
15 fps +13%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
LG L Fino
4.4 fps
HTC Desire 310
3.8 fps -14%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
3.8 fps -14%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
5.8 fps +32%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
5.3 fps +20%

Legend

 
LG L Fino Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212, Qualcomm Adreno 302, 4 GB Flash
 
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7 Mediatek MT6582M, ARM Mali-400 MP2, 4 GB Flash
 
HTC Desire 310 Mediatek MT6582M, ARM Mali-400 MP2, 4 GB Flash
 
Kazam Thunder Q4.5 Mediatek MT6582, ARM Mali-400 MP2, 4 GB Flash
 
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226, Qualcomm Adreno 305, 8 GB SSD
 
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 8 GB SSD

When we ran the browser benchmark tests, the LG L Fino scored well when running the slightly older Sunspider benchmark, but failed to impress elsewhere. The performance results can be linked to the Android browser, however: when we used Google's Chrome browser, which is preinstalled as well, pages loaded quicker and the browsing experience improved significantly.

Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
LG L Fino
15616 ms *
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
17941 ms * -15%
HTC Desire 310
15906 ms * -2%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
15699 ms * -1%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
14555 ms * +7%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG L Fino
1938 Points
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
1424 Points -27%
HTC Desire 310
2172 Points +12%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
2117 Points +9%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
2217 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
2555 Points +32%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
LG L Fino
1526 ms *
HTC Desire 310
1331 ms * +13%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
1406 ms * +8%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
1173 ms * +23%

* ... smaller is better

The 4 GB flash storage drive is reasonably fast and the LG L Fino ended up somewhere in the middle of the field when compared to its competitors. Both the Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 and the Motorola Moto G2 perform considerably better.

AndroBench 3-5
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
LG L Fino
0.6 MB/s
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
0.5 MB/s -17%
HTC Desire 310
0.52 MB/s -13%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
0.3 MB/s -50%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
1.6 MB/s +167%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
1.5 MB/s +150%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
LG L Fino
9.5 MB/s
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
12.09 MB/s +27%
HTC Desire 310
12.89 MB/s +36%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
12.1 MB/s +27%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
8 MB/s -16%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
11 MB/s +16%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
LG L Fino
10.79 MB/s
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
7.26 MB/s -33%
HTC Desire 310
10.7 MB/s -1%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
5 MB/s -54%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
13 MB/s +20%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
16 MB/s +48%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
LG L Fino
55.7 MB/s
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
49.13 MB/s -12%
HTC Desire 310
83.2 MB/s +49%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
40.4 MB/s -27%
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
58 MB/s +4%
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
96 MB/s +72%

Games

The GPU is powerful enough to handle many games, even more demanding ones like Dead Trigger 2 or Trials Frontier run without stuttering if the settings are on low. Control via the touchscreen and the position sensor is also easy and very exact.

Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
Trials Frontier
Trials Frontier

Emissions

Temperature

The case of the LG L Fino gets quite warm under continuous load, but not overly so. Some spots on the front reach 38.3 degrees C; the back is not critical at all at a maximum of 33.8 degrees C.

During idle, the review smartphone remains cool throughout. We measured between 27 and 28.5 degrees C on the back and front, respectively.

Max. Load
 31.5 °C
89 F
34.8 °C
95 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 33.8 °C
93 F
38.3 °C
101 F
37.1 °C
99 F
 
 32.7 °C
91 F
36.1 °C
97 F
34.8 °C
95 F
 
Maximum: 38.3 °C = 101 F
Average: 34.9 °C = 95 F
31.2 °C
88 F
33.4 °C
92 F
30.5 °C
87 F
31.6 °C
89 F
33.6 °C
92 F
31.1 °C
88 F
31.9 °C
89 F
33.8 °C
93 F
31.1 °C
88 F
Maximum: 33.8 °C = 93 F
Average: 32 °C = 90 F
Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-350
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.9 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.3 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.8 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.5 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

The single speaker on the back gets quite loud, but sounds somewhat constrained with distorted highs. Lows are almost non-existent. The 3.5 mm headphone jack is very usable and and provides noise-free sound.

Battery Life

The battery has a capacity of 1900 mAH or 7.22 Wh and is larger than the ones found in either the Kazam Thunder Q4.5 (6.66 Wh, 1800 mAh) and the Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 (7 Wh, 1900 mAh). The rest of the smartphones in our comparison have larger batteries. Our review smartphone managed to last 6 hours 47 minutes during the practically relevant WLAN test and 13 hours and 21 minutes during idle, which is not as long as the competition in either case. The LG L Fino will only last the entire work day if used moderately and if the brightness is adjusted accordingly. With a run time of 3 hours 48 minutes, the slightly smartphone outperforms the competition slightly, however.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
13h 21min
WiFi Surfing
6h 47min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 48min
LG L Fino
Adreno 302, 200 MSM8212, 4 GB Flash
Alcatel One Touch Pop C7
Mali-400 MP2, MT6582M, 4 GB Flash
HTC Desire 310
Mali-400 MP2, MT6582M, 4 GB Flash
Kazam Thunder Q4.5
Mali-400 MP2, MT6582, 4 GB Flash
Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068
Adreno 305, 400 MSM8226, 8 GB SSD
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB SSD
Battery Runtime
15%
28%
-16%
56%
41%
Reader / Idle
801
853
6%
1210
51%
1195
49%
1452
81%
WiFi
407
566
39%
542
33%
347
-15%
904
122%
594
46%
Load
228
228
0%
230
1%
191
-16%
221
-3%
221
-3%
H.264
941
623

Verdict

In Review: LG L Fino.
In Review: LG L Fino.

The LG L Fino is a solid entry-level smartphone which sells for only 159 Euro (~$200).  The L Fino is a good potential choice for smartphone novices thanks to its bright display with solid viewing angles and good colors. Aided by smartly-designed software and a precise touchscreen, operation of the phone is easy and intuitive. The performance is decent and the phone doesn't heat up too much. The main camera produces decent photos in bright environments. The case is compact, light, and looks quite upscale.

The low display resolution and the sub-par speaker are less appealing. The battery life is also only average.

All things considered, the LG L Fino is a decent choice provided the expectations are not too high and the shortcomings we mentioned above are acceptable. Users who are willing to spend 40 Euro (~$50) more should also take a look at the Motorola Moto G2.

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In Review: LG L Fino. Test model courtesy of LG.
In Review: LG L Fino. Test model courtesy of LG.

Specifications

LG L Fino (L Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212 4 x 1.2 GHz, Cortex-A7
Graphics adapter
Memory
1024 MB 
Display
4.50 inch 16:10, 800 x 480 pixel, capacitive, IPS LCD, 207 PPI, glossy: yes
Storage
4 GB Flash, 4 GB 
, 1.4 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3,5-mm-Klinkenbuchse, Card Reader: microSD (up to 64 GB), Sensors: A-GPS/GPS; acceleration sensor, proximity sensor, digital compass, NFC
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, GSM quad-band (850/900/1.800/1.900), UMTS dual-band (900/2.100); standards: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+; bandwidth (down/uppload): 21 Mbps / 5.76 Mbps (UMTS)
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 11.9 x 127.5 x 67.9 ( = 0.47 x 5.02 x 2.67 in)
Battery
7 Wh Lithium-Ion, 1900 mAh, 3,8 V, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 15 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 11.5 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 345 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 345 h
Operating System
Android 4.4 KitKat
Camera
Webcam: 8.0 MP, AF, LED flash (on the back); 0.3 MP (front)
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker, Keyboard: virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, FM radio, KnockCode, QSlide 2.5, Easy UI, GuestMode, Smart Keyboard, QuickMemo, ThinkFreeViewer, LG Smartworld, RemoteCall Service, Smart cleaning, 24 Months Warranty, SIM form factor: Micro-SIM
Weight
145 g ( = 5.11 oz / 0.32 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
159 Euro

 

The LG L Fino ist a true entry-level martphone.
The LG L Fino ist a true entry-level martphone.
The design is reminiscent of LG's upper-class phones, however.
The design is reminiscent of LG's upper-class phones, however.
In addition to standard black and white, the phone is available in other colors as well.
In addition to standard black and white, the phone is available in other colors as well.
The build quality is good and the smartphone is compact and light.
The build quality is good and the smartphone is compact and light.
The display has no issues with colors,...
The display has no issues with colors,...
...but the resolution is on the low end.
...but the resolution is on the low end.
The main camera is quite useful, the one up front less so.
The main camera is quite useful, the one up front less so.
Lots of configuration options in the software.
Lots of configuration options in the software.
The standard Android keyboard can be modified at least a little.
The standard Android keyboard can be modified at least a little.
The phone app
The phone app
Some apps - for example Google's set - are preinstalled.
Some apps - for example Google's set - are preinstalled.
The usable storage space is only 1.4 GB
The usable storage space is only 1.4 GB

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Pros

+Sleek design
+Solid case and good build quality
+Battery is swappable
+Main camera is quite good
+Good viewing angle stability
+Decent performance
+Fast GPS
+Comprehensive software packet
 

Cons

-Display resolution is low
-Speaker is far from great
-No LTE
-Display is sensitive to pressure

Shortcut

What we like

The LG L Fino is light and pretty sturdy. The main camera produces decent pictures.

What we'd like to see

A slightly higher and more up-to-date resolution and a higher-capacity battery.

What surprises us

The appealing design borrowed from LG's own upper-class phone series.

The competition

Alcatel One Touch Pop C7

HTC Desire 310

Kazam Thunder Q4.5

Motorola Moto G2

Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 SM-G357FZ

Rating

LG L Fino - 11/10/2014 v4(old)
Michael Moser

Chassis
69%
Keyboard
63 / 75 → 84%
Pointing Device
85%
Connectivity
45 / 60 → 75%
Weight
93%
Battery
91%
Display
81%
Games Performance
53 / 63 → 84%
Application Performance
26 / 70 → 37%
Temperature
90%
Noise
100%
Audio
55 / 91 → 60%
Camera
56%
Average
70%
80%
Smartphone - Weighted Average
Michael Moser, 2014-11-21 (Update: 2018-05-15)