LG X power3 Smartphone Review – retro design and a large battery
Long battery runtimes are definitely one of the more important aspects people consider when choosing a smartphone. This is why LG has developed its X power model with particularly long battery runtimes. The past versions LG X power and LG X power2 were very appealing although the price of the LG X power2 was a little too high for what it had to offer.
The LG X power3 is available for 200 Euros (~$230), which is a little more realistic. The new version offers more storage, faster Wi-Fi and a more up-to-date SoC. That sounds like a promising update - let's find out whether it can live up to our expectations in our review.
Our test unit will have to compete against its predecessor, the X power2, and other smartphones in this price range: the Motorola Moto G7 Power, which also has a high battery capacity, the Huawei Y7 2019 that offers a long battery life and the Sony Xperia L3, which can quite simply be described as a good, affordable smartphone.
Case – retro look with 16:9 aspect ratio
The 16:9 aspect ratio makes the LG X power3 appear a little chubby and old-fashioned compared to modern slim displays. The wide bezels above and below the screen have also been out of style for about a year now. The LG X power3 has a lot of similarities with its two-year-old predecessor - only the fingerprint reader and the shiny blue back have livened things up a little.
The device is a few grams heavier than its predecessor but still absolutely acceptable at 171 grams. The plastic case has good workmanship, although we did notice some creaking and pressure points on the screen during our warp test.
The wide smartphone is not ideal for people with small hands but otherwise feels quite comfortable thanks to its rounded edges.
Connectivity – finally more storage for the LG phone
The X power series finally has a model with more internal storage: 32 GB goes quite a bit further than 16 GB. Users can also expand the storage capacity via a microSD card. The phone offers a dedicated microSD card slot in addition to the two SIM slots.
The smartphone handles SD cards that are formatted with exFAT very well. However, the SD card can only be used as external storage, which means that you cannot store apps on it.
2 GB of RAM is a little less than the current standard for this price range. Most similar smartphones now offer 3 GB.
Software – Android not up to date
The LG X power3 is still equipped with Android 8.0 and it doesn't seem like it will be getting an update anytime soon. At least LG has been supplying the smartphone with sufficient security patches. The latest one is dated May 2019 (at the time of writing, June 2019).
LG uses its own interface with differently sorted settings and a slightly different look than stock Android. Luckily the phone comes without any bloatware, although there are a lot of LG tools, most of which can only be deactivated rather than uninstalled. The idea of having a recycle bin for apps is great. It keeps apps for another 24 hours after deleting them, so you can quickly reinstall them if necessary.
Communication and GPS – ac-Wi-Fi not used to full potential
While the predecessor was not yet equipped with 802.11-ac Wi-Fi, the LG X power3 now offers this faster Wi-Fi standard. However, it seems like it cannot make full use of it. We measured higher transfer rates than with other smartphones of this price range using our reference router Linksys EA8500, but the difference is not very big.
The smartphone still only has the most important LTE networks, so users might have difficulties when going further afield to other countries.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
LG X power3 | |
LG X power2 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years) | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
LG X power3 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
LG X power2 |
The phone cannot locate us indoors but is quite fast and precise within three meters outdoors.
Our practical test - a bike ride with the LG X power3 and the Garmin Edge 520 as a comparison device - showed that the LG X power3 is suitable for rough navigation, although it is not very precise in narrow streets, for example. When crossing the bridge, the phone thought we were walking on water. So if you heavily rely on navigation and positioning, you might want to look for a different device. If having a vague idea of where you are is enough, the LG X power3 should do the trick.
Telephone and Call Quality – not particularly loud
LG has installed its own telephone software that has the dial pad at its core. You can reach the call log and contacts via tabs.
The call quality through the earpiece is not particularly loud. The microphone records our voice well - both when speaking loudly and quietly. The included speakers can be used for speakerphone and while the sound is rather weak, we can still understand our call partner. Users should not speak too quietly when using speakerphone, otherwise the microphone will not pick up your voice.
Cameras – phone camera for occasional snapshots
The camera modules have not changed since the power2: There is a 13-MP lens on the back and a 5-MP lens at the front. The LG X power3 doesn't do modern bells and whistles such as dual cameras. But these don't usually increase the camera quality that much on affordable devices anyway, so at least the manufacturer is being honest.
Images taken with the main camera are okay, but users shouldn't expect high dynamics in dark areas. Zooming in will reveal some blurry details. If you zoom in on the clouds, for example, you will notice strongly pixelated color gradients. Photos taken in bad lighting lack sharpness. If you only ever use your smartphone camera for snapshots, you should be happy with the decent pictures that can be taken in good lighting.
Videos can be recorded with the main camera at 1080p. The quality is decent; the lighting adjusts quickly but remains rather dark.
The images of the front camera are good as long as you don't enlarge them too much. Otherwise, you will soon see a significant blurriness in certain areas.
We also tested the camera under controlled lighting to take a look at color reproduction and the sharpness of the main camera. The pictures are quite pale towards the edges of our test chart and black writing is not displayed nicely on red background. There does not seem to be an issue with image sharpness but areas of color turn out too dark and are rather pixelated.
Accessories and Warranty – headset included
Apart from the charger and cable the LG X power3 also comes with a cleaning cloth, a headset and a SIM tool.
LG offers 24 months of warranty on its smartphones.
Input Devices & Handling – fingerprint reader
Like on most current Android smartphones, users can navigate the phone using the touch keys on the screen. LG has included a special key with which you can switch between the two SIM cards. Users can choose to place other keys there, for example to make screenshots or to open the notifications bar. The existing keys for home, back, and app overview can also be rearranged.
The touchscreen is quite precise and responds quickly to our inputs. Fingers glide smoothly over the surface.
LG's keyboard app is rather cluttered and has relatively small keys. Surprisingly, it is quite easy to use, nonetheless.
LG has introduced a fingerprint reader that recognizes our finger quickly and reliably but then takes a second or two to actually unlock the screen.
Display – rather dark
The good news: The screen is brighter than the LG X power2. The bad: It is still significantly darker than those of most affordable smartphones and brightness is not distributed as evenly. Even bright light directed at the brightness sensor cannot improve the maximum brightness of 354 cd/m², which is okay but does not offer as much flexibility in bright surroundings as other smartphones would.
|
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 345 cd/m²
Contrast: 802:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.47 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
75.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.323
LG X power3 IPS, 1280x720, 5.50 | Sony Xperia L3 IPS, 1440x720, 5.70 | Huawei Y7 2019 IPS, 1520x720, 6.26 | Motorola Moto G7 Power IPS, 1570x720, 6.20 | LG X power2 IPS, 1280x720, 5.50 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen | 63% | 27% | 38% | 16% | |
Brightness middle | 345 | 533 54% | 547 59% | 608 76% | 237 -31% |
Brightness | 329 | 533 62% | 543 65% | 585 78% | 237 -28% |
Brightness Distribution | 86 | 89 3% | 94 9% | 92 7% | 92 7% |
Black Level * | 0.43 | 0.25 42% | 0.49 -14% | 0.36 16% | 0.13 70% |
Contrast | 802 | 2132 166% | 1116 39% | 1689 111% | 1823 127% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.47 | 2.8 49% | 4.5 18% | 5.08 7% | 5.5 -1% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 15.12 | 5.1 66% | 7.9 48% | 8.74 42% | 12.7 16% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.5 | 1.9 58% | 5 -11% | 5.9 -31% | 6.1 -36% |
Gamma | 2.323 95% | 2.11 104% | 2.35 94% | 2.219 99% | 2.07 106% |
CCT | 7461 87% | 6149 106% | 7400 88% | 7772 84% | 7943 82% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 100 Hz | ≤ 15 % brightness setting | |
The display backlight flickers at 100 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 15 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 100 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17933 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
At 0.43 cd/m² the black value is rather average, which also results in an average contrast ratio of 802:1. The contrast ratio on the Sony Xperia L3 is three times higher.
Our tests using CalMAN software show a significant blue cast in the grayscales. Blues are not displayed very well in general.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19 ms rise | |
↘ 15 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
60 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 31 ms rise | |
↘ 29 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 95 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms). |
The device can be used outdoors on overcast days, but even this would be easier on the eyes with higher brightness. Thanks to the display's IPS technology, the screen can also be read from side angles without distorting the image.
Performance – faster than before but still slow
The eight cores of the MediaTek MT6750 in our LG X power3 clock at up to 1.5 GHz. This makes the device slightly faster than the LG X power2, but this difference is hardly noticeable in everyday use. We encountered some hiccups and pauses now and again during normal use, but the device was still easy to use in general. Nonetheless, other devices in this price range offer a lot more performance nowadays.
GFXBench 3.0 | |
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
LG X power3 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
LG X power2 | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 (5.6 - 13, n=17) | |
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=184, last 2 years) | |
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
LG X power3 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
LG X power2 | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 (5.3 - 7.1, n=17) | |
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=184, last 2 years) |
GFXBench 3.1 | |
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
LG X power3 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
LG X power2 | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 (3.8 - 10, n=17) | |
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=184, last 2 years) | |
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
LG X power3 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
LG X power2 | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 (3.5 - 4.7, n=17) | |
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=184, last 2 years) |
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
LG X power3 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 (52278 - 56639, n=10) |
The X power3 did not do particularly well in our browser benchmarks. It regularly landed near the bottom of our comparison table and needs some time to load web pages.
WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Huawei Y7 2019 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
Sony Xperia L3 (Chrome 72) | |
LG X power3 (Chrome 74) | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 () |
Octane V2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=210, last 2 years) | |
Motorola Moto G7 Power | |
Sony Xperia L3 (Chrome 72) | |
Huawei Y7 2019 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 (1994 - 3506, n=19) | |
LG X power2 (Chrome 59) | |
LG X power3 (Chrome 74) |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
LG X power3 (Chrome 74) | |
Average Mediatek MT6750 (11708 - 22627, n=19) | |
LG X power2 (Chrome 59) | |
Sony Xperia L3 (Chrome 72) | |
Huawei Y7 2019 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=172, last 2 years) |
* ... smaller is better
The internal storage reaches average speeds, which in this price range means not particularly fast. The Motorola Moto G7 Power is quite a bit faster.
The microSD card reader in our test unit has no difficulties dealing with our reference microSD, the Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, and it reaches decent transfer rates.
LG X power3 | Sony Xperia L3 | Huawei Y7 2019 | Motorola Moto G7 Power | LG X power2 | Average 32 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AndroBench 3-5 | 11% | 41% | 152% | -15% | 24% | 1267% | |
Sequential Read 256KB | 258.7 | 290.9 12% | 305 18% | 292.4 13% | 243.8 -6% | 242 ? -6% | 1505 ? 482% |
Sequential Write 256KB | 71.5 | 87.5 22% | 88.8 24% | 215.2 201% | 41.7 -42% | 100.5 ? 41% | 1112 ? 1455% |
Random Read 4KB | 38.1 | 28.83 -24% | 83.5 119% | 67.5 77% | 25.3 -34% | 43.2 ? 13% | 247 ? 548% |
Random Write 4KB | 10.1 | 16.36 62% | 17.48 73% | 72 613% | 10.7 6% | 22.4 ? 122% | 271 ? 2583% |
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 83.6 ? | 80.9 ? -3% | 86.4 ? 3% | 86.7 ? 4% | 76.6 ? -8% | 71.8 ? -14% | |
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 62.3 ? | 61.7 ? -1% | 65.8 ? 6% | 65.4 ? 5% | 58.1 ? -7% | 52.9 ? -15% |
Games – very light gaming
Simple games such as Angry Birds 2 can be played easily. If you are hoping to play more-demanding games such as Asphalt 9, you will have to look elsewhere and probably be willing to spend a little more money.
Games can be controlled via the touchscreen and the gyroscope. This works very well, as tested with Temple Run 2.
Emissions – the LG X power3 heats up
Temperature
Unfortunately, the LG X power3 reaches rather high surface temperatures under continuous load: Up to 42.7 °C at the front. This is very noticeable and can become uncomfortable if the device is in your trouser pocket.
The smartphone only heats up slightly while idling.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.7 °C / 109 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 42.4 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The speaker is positioned on the back of the smartphone. This isn't ideal as it can easily be muffled when lying on a soft surface or in your hand. The sound produced by the speaker seems a little more balanced than that of its predecessor but still isn't ideal. It's enough to occasionally listen to a song, though.
The 3.5-mm audio jack and Bluetooth can be used to connect external speakers or headphones. Both transmit sound nicely.
LG X power3 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 76.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 76.2% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 76.2% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (117.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 6% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
LG X power2 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 42.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (1.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 13.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (31.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 78% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 88% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 9% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery Life – good stamina
Power Consumption
The power consumption of this smartphone is average and similar to that of the LG X power2. We noticed some peaks under high load.
Off / Standby | 0 / 0.1 Watt |
Idle | 0.7 / 1.5 / 1.6 Watt |
Load |
5.7 / 7.6 Watt |
LG X power3 4500 mAh | Sony Xperia L3 3300 mAh | Huawei Y7 2019 4000 mAh | Motorola Moto G7 Power 5000 mAh | LG X power2 4500 mAh | Average Mediatek MT6750 | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 23% | 17% | -24% | 3% | -25% | -7% | |
Idle Minimum * | 0.7 | 0.57 19% | 0.51 27% | 1.1 -57% | 0.63 10% | 1.13 ? -61% | 0.897 ? -28% |
Idle Average * | 1.5 | 1.5 -0% | 1.7 -13% | 1.9 -27% | 1.42 5% | 2.02 ? -35% | 1.452 ? 3% |
Idle Maximum * | 1.6 | 1.51 6% | 1.85 -16% | 2.8 -75% | 1.47 8% | 2.42 ? -51% | 1.629 ? -2% |
Load Average * | 5.7 | 3.09 46% | 3.17 44% | 4.1 28% | 5.89 -3% | 5.21 ? 9% | 5.55 ? 3% |
Load Maximum * | 7.6 | 4.15 45% | 4.44 42% | 6.9 9% | 7.85 -3% | 6.56 ? 14% | 8.31 ? -9% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
At 16:34 hours, the battery life the X power3 reached in our Wi-Fi test is almost exactly the same as that of its predecessor. This is not surprising as the battery capacity has not been increased. This is good, but it cannot keep up with the phenomenal runtime of the Motorola Moto G7 Power and even the Huawei Y7 2019 can keep going for another 2 hours.
The device can keep going for two workdays even when browsing the web continuously. This means that users with average needs should even get three or four days out of the phone before having to recharge. The smartphone can also be taken on a day trip without worrying about it being fully charged.
The LG X power3 does well in its core discipline but has nonetheless been surpassed by some of its competitors. At least it is equipped with a fast-charging AC adapter that recharges the device in about 1.5 hours.
LG X power3 4500 mAh | Sony Xperia L3 3300 mAh | Huawei Y7 2019 4000 mAh | Motorola Moto G7 Power 5000 mAh | LG X power2 4500 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | -36% | 12% | 116% | -1% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 994 | 641 -36% | 1113 12% | 2143 116% | 982 -1% |
Reader / Idle | 2127 | 2350 | 2720 | ||
H.264 | 750 | 938 | 1226 | ||
Load | 242 | 296 | 513 | 384 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – outdated but reliable
The LG X power3 could almost be described as a retro smartphone. Its 16:9 aspect ratio is very unusual nowadays. But this is not necessarily a disadvantage - after all, most video content still has a 16:9 ratio, which most smartphones have to compensate for by adding black strips at the sides. Still, the screen would need to be brighter and have a better contrast ratio to be considered good. Blues also appear rather undersaturated on it.
The device can offer a slightly higher performance than its predecessor, but the battery capacity has not changed so the X power3 is more or less on par with its predecessor. At least the fingerprint reader makes the smartphone more up to date while the 802.11-ac Wi-Fi protocol only improves Wi-Fi speeds slightly.
Most of the newest features currently found on the smartphone market have not been implemented in the LG X power3.
The LG X power3 is a decent update of the LG X power, although it has failed to keep up with developments in terms of battery runtimes. At least LG has chosen a decent starting price for this version. If you are interested in a smartphone that will keep going for as long as possible but doesn't have to look particularly modern, the LG X power3 might be the right phone for you.
LG X power3
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06/21/2019 v6(old)
Florian Schmitt