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LG G6 Smartphone Review

Tough shell! The LG G6 marks the end of the modular smartphone from the Korean manufacturer. Instead, we get a robust chassis, new screen ratio, improved cameras, and a bigger battery. Sounds like a good combination. Update: facial recognition is now available.

For the original German review, see here.

The LG G5 from the South Korean manufacturer was an interesting experiment about a modular smartphone. Unfortunately, the modules were limited, and the customers did not really accept the concept. This is supposed to change with the LG G6, which got a complete overhaul.

LG waived the modular design for its latest flagship device completely and even removed the replaceable battery for the first time. The battery capacity grew from 2800 mAh to 3300 mAh in return, and the other specifications are also good, although not all of them meet the high-end claim.

This is especially true for the SoC, because the Snapdragon 821 is a last year's model, while the upcoming rivals will most likely use the newer Snapdragon 835 or the Exynos 8895 for the Galaxy S8 models, respectively. Bluetooth 5.0 is therefore not available on the new LG smartphone. 4 GB RAM and 32 GB UFS storage are decent though. You also get LTE Cat. 11 as well as a reworked dual-camera. The storage is still expandable and the case of the LG G6 turns out to be a small tank. 

LG uses different regional models for the G6, which is unfortunate. They are supposed to be adjusted to the requirements of the specific markets. The European model, for example, does not get wireless charging or the improved DAC chip.

Rivals for the LG G6 are all high-end models including the Samsung Galaxy S8Huawei P10iPhone 7HTC U UltraGoogle Pixel XLXiaomi Mi 5sLenovo Moto Z, and Sony Xperia XZ.

Update 12/04/2017: LG has published a software update for the G6 featuring facial recognition. Further details can be found in the Software and Input Devices & Handling sections.

LG G6 (G6 Series)
Processor
Graphics adapter
Qualcomm Adreno 530, Core: 653 MHz
Memory
4 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
5.70 inch 2:1, 2880 x 1440 pixel 565 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS LCD, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash, 32 GB 
, 22.05 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: headphones and microphone combo (3.5 mm), Card Reader: microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot) - single SIMmicroSD, up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot) - dual SIM, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: proximity sensor, acceleration sensor, color spectrum sensor, and G sensor, barometer, digital compass, Wifi Direct, OTG
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM/GPRS/Edge (850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+ (Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8), LTE Cat. 11 (Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 28, 38, 40), LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.9 x 148.9 x 71.9 ( = 0.31 x 5.86 x 2.83 in)
Battery
12.54 Wh, 3300 mAh Lithium-Ion, 3.8 Volt
Operating System
Android 7.0 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix 13MP Wide (F2.4 / 125°) / 13MP Standard OIS 2.0 (F1.8 / 71°)
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix Wide (F2.2 / 100°)
Additional features
Keyboard: virtuell, LG UX 6.0, Google Assistant, 24 Months Warranty, water and dust resistant / Dolby Vision / HDR10 / Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 / USB Type-C / Head-SAR: 0.393 W/Kg, fanless
Weight
163 g ( = 5.75 oz / 0.36 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

LG G6: Color choices
LG G6: Color choices

The aluminum chassis of the LG G6 comes in three different color choices: Mystic White, Ice Platinum, and Astro Black. We review the black model, which looks very good thanks to its particularly deep, black color. The aluminum frames also have different colors depending on the choice. The white model gets a slightly pink, and the bluish model a silver frame.

The LG G6 feels great in the hand and is noticeable narrower than the LG G5, and also a bit shorter, but the new model is 0.2 mm thicker. The visible metal frame and the glass surfaces leave a sophisticated impression, but the glass is a real fingerprint magnet, which is particularly noticeable on our black unit. LG uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3 at the front and Gorilla Glass 5 at the rear. This decision was made due to different bending characteristics since the glass at the rear is rounded, but flat at the front. LG does not use 2.5D edges, either, which is supposed to reduce strain on the hands.

The build quality of the LG G6 is excellent: gaps are consistently small, and the material transitions are precise. Twisting attempts are no problem for the smartphone and only a lot of pressure will create some ripples on the screen. Both the microSD and the Nano SIM are unfortunately located in a tray made out of plastic. Fans of replaceable batteries will be disappointed because LG is now one of the last manufacturers switching to a non-removable battery for its high-end smartphone.

In return, the G6 is now protected against dust and water according to IP68 and passed 14 tests according to the American MIL-STD 810G against drops, rain, salt spray, humidity, temperature shock, vibration, sunlight, deep pressure, sand and dust, submerging in water, as well as two different test methods for resistance against heat and cold. LG does not reveal any details, but the G6 survives multiple drops from a height of 1.2 meters (~4 feet), 4 hours at a temperature of 63 °C as well as a full day at -21 °C. This is a really tough smartphone.

From left: LG G3, LG G6, LG G5
From left: LG G3, LG G6, LG G5
From left: iPhone 6s Plus, LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8
The LG G6 is waterproof for up to 30 minutes in a depth of up to 1.5 meters.

Size Comparison

158.2 mm / 6.23 inch 77.9 mm / 3.07 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 188 g0.4145 lbs156.4 mm / 6.16 inch 77.4 mm / 3.05 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 172 g0.3792 lbs154.7 mm / 6.09 inch 75.7 mm / 2.98 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 168 g0.3704 lbs155.3 mm / 6.11 inch 75.3 mm / 2.96 inch 5.19 mm / 0.2043 inch 136 g0.2998 lbs149.4 mm / 5.88 inch 73.9 mm / 2.91 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 159 g0.3505 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 68.1 mm / 2.68 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 71.9 mm / 2.83 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 163 g0.3594 lbs145.6 mm / 5.73 inch 70.3 mm / 2.77 inch 8.25 mm / 0.3248 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs145.3 mm / 5.72 inch 69.3 mm / 2.73 inch 6.98 mm / 0.2748 inch 144 g0.3175 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

Similar to the LG G5, the G6 supports DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast, and Android Beam. The USB port once again uses the modern Type-C connector, but is still limited to the 2.0 standard. It supports OTG for the attachment of external drives and peripherals, but HDMI output via SlimPort adapter is not possible. NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, and an FM radio are included, but the infrared transmitter is gone.

The card tray carries one Nano SIM as well as a microSD card. Replacing the SIM card automatically results in a restart of the smartphone. The microSD slot supports all common standards, and the current maximum capacity on the market is 256 GB with a theoretical maximum of 2 TB for the SDXC standard. Memory cards cannot be formatted as internal storage, but app files can be transferred there.

Top: Microphone, stereo jack
Top: Microphone, stereo jack
Left: Volume rocker
Left: Volume rocker
Right: Card slot
Right: Card slot
Bottom: Speaker, USB, microphone
Bottom: Speaker, USB, microphone

Software

LG ships the G6 with Google's Android 7.0 Nougat with LG's own user interface. It lacks an app drawer, but the adjustments are otherwise limited to the design. The manufacturer also installs some tools, including LG Health, HD Audio Recorder, Smart Doctor, LG Smart World, QuickMemo+, and others we already know from previous models. There are only three third-party apps: Evernote, Facebook, and Instagram. All of them, except for the Notes app, can be removed.

LG also includes in-game items for selected games for $200, which is a nice bonus for smartphone gamers.

Update 12/04/2017: After sending in our review unit to LG in order to have our pre-production firmware replaced with the current one we have noticed, that Google’s security patches have been updated to 07/01/2017. In addition, a facial recognition feature similar to what some Samsung phones offer has now been added as well. Details can be found in the Input Devices & Handling section.

LG G6: Home screen
LG G6: Preloaded apps
LG G6: Notification Center
LG G6: Smart Doctor
LG G6: Smart Settings
LG G6: Included in-game items
LG G6: Included in-game items
LG G6: Included in-game items
LG G6: FM radio
LG G6: Software information

Communication and GPS

Mobile Internet connections can be established via LTE Cat. 11 on the LG G6, which covers a wide range of frequencies. Even travelers should not have any problems to get a signal. The number of GSM and 3G bands is also very good. In a metropolitan area, we usually had a stable LTE connection and no signal quality problems. The fast LTE module supports download speeds of up to 600 Mbps and upload speeds of 75 Mbps.

The WLAN module of the LG G6 supports the IEEE 802.11 standards a/ac/b/g/n in 2.4 as well as 5 GHz networks. We tested the transfer rates with our reference router Linksys EA8500. The results are good, but they could be better. It looks like LG does not use the MIMO antenna technology. The dampening in the 2.4 GHz network is excellent at -30 dBm in close proximity to the router and it is just slightly stronger in a 5 GHz network. The dampening never surpasses -62 dBm, even at a distance of ten meters (~33 feet) to the router and with one wall in between. Of our reviewed devices, few have such good results.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Samsung Galaxy S8
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
651 MBit/s +196%
Huawei P10
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
343 (154min) MBit/s +56%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
Adreno 530, SD 821, 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
271 MBit/s +23%
LG G6
Adreno 530, SD 821, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
220 MBit/s
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
Adreno 530, SD 821, 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
75.5 MBit/s -66%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy S8
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
329 MBit/s +1%
LG G6
Adreno 530, SD 821, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
325 MBit/s
Xiaomi Mi 5s
Adreno 530, SD 821, 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
312 MBit/s -4%
Huawei P10
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
308 (48.8min) MBit/s -5%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
Adreno 530, SD 821, 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
70.4 MBit/s -78%
GPS Test: Outdoors (LG G6)
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Indoors (LG G6)
GPS Test: Indoors

The LG G6 can locate its position via GPS, BeiDou, Galileo, and GLONASS satellite networks. The process is extremely fast outdoors and also pretty precise at 5 meters (~16 feet). The situation is similar indoors, but the satellite fix is not quite as fast and takes about 5 seconds.

We took the smartphone on a bicycle ride and compared the accuracy with the Garmin Edge 500. The performance of the LG G6 is unfortunately on par with many smartphones and there is too much time between the locations, so there are occasional shortcuts. However, many other smartphones are worse, either, and the performance is sufficient for everyday navigation purposes. Still, rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S8 show that GPS modules in smartphones can be more precise.

GPS: Garmin Edge 500
GPS: Garmin Edge 500
GPS: Garmin Edge 500
GPS: Garmin Edge 500
GPS: Garmin Edge 500
GPS: Garmin Edge 500
GPS: LG G6
GPS: LG G6
GPS: LG G6
GPS: LG G6
GPS: LG G6
GPS: LG G6

Telephone Functions and Voice Quality

Phone app LG G6

LG only changed the visuals for the phone app compared to the default Android version. It is very simple to use.

The two AOP microphones leave an excellent impression and help to reach the good voice quality of the LG G6. There is absolutely no criticism when you hold the smartphone against your ear; both sides are easy to understand. There are some reverberations in the hands-free mode, but it is generally no problem to place the smartphone on the desk next to you. Our test sample was unfortunately shipped without the usual headset, so we cannot say anything about it.

Cameras

Picture with the front camera of the LG G6
Picture with the front camera

One step back for the front camera: LG only ships the G6 with a 5 MP sensor at the front, while the G5 took selfies at up to 8 MP. The other pixels are probably reserved for the wide-angle feature, because the sensor can take pictures at 82° as well as 100°. The light sensitivity is okay at an aperture of f/2.2, but the pixels are not very large at just 1.12 μm. The front camera only has a fixed focus, but supports automatic HDR and can record 1080p videos. The quality of the pictures is actually decent in good lighting conditions, despite the low resolution, but backlight is a problem for the camera.

The main camera is once again equipped with two lenses, and both of them have 13 MP sensors. The pixels are once again small at just 1.12 μm. While the standard lens (71°) has an aperture of f/1.8, the wide-angle (125°) captures less light at f/2.4. Most features like optical and electronic image stabilization are reserved for the standard lens. There is also a difference in the Pro mode because you cannot select the focus point manually for wide-angle shots. You can manually adjust the ISO value (ISO 50-3200), white balance, and shutter speed (1/3200 - 30s). RAW pictures are also reserved for the manual mode. The so-called "Square Mode" is a new feature and includes four functions (see screenshots) and is certainly interesting for social media purposes.

LG G6: Square camera feature
LG G6: Square camera feature
LG G6: Manual picture mode
LG G6: Manual picture mode
LG G6: Manual video mode
LG G6: Manual video mode

Sample picture LG G6: Standard camera 71° on the left, wide-angle 125° on the right

The pictures of the LG G6 are extremely sharp, and this does not change when you enlarge the picture. This creates great pictures in daylight. The handling is simple and quick thanks to the high trigger speed and the good automatic HDR mode, so the LG G6 is an excellent device for snapshots. The camera also makes most of darker environments, more than we actually expected based on the specs, and still takes good pictures. It does not capture as much light as the Galaxy S8, but the results look very balanced. The wide-angle is not so convincing in low-light situations and the pictures lack details in a direct comparison, but the additional lens is a nice feature in general, which adds value for nature and architectural pictures in particular.

We really like the manual video mode, which offers plenty of settings. You can change the white balance, shutter speed, video size, frame rate, bit rate, as well as the sound quality. You can select anything from 16:9, 18:9 or even 21:9 for HD, only UltraHD (up to 51 Mbps) is limited to 16:9 at 30 frames per seconds (also 1, 2, or 24 FPS). 1080p videos can be recorded at up to 60 FPS and the smaller HD format up to 120 FPS. These resolutions can be combined with lower frame rates as well. Both the video stabilization and the tracking focus are only available up to 1080p (30 FPS). We like the quality of recorded video and the sensor handles fast movements and sudden lighting changes very well. Sound can be recorded in Hi-Fi stereo and sounds really good since the AOP microphones (Acoustic Overload Point) do a good job. Their highlight is the ability to record clear sound in loud environments (up to 129 dB(A)), and they support a wide range of frequencies.

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 3
click to load images
Sample picture LG G6
Sample picture LG G6
Sample picture LG G6
Sample picture LG G6
Sample picture LG G6
Sample picture LG G6
Sample picture LG G6
ColorChecker standard lens: The original colors are displayed in the power half of each patch.
ColorChecker standard lens: The original colors are displayed in the power half of each patch.

We have another look at the main camera of the LG G6 under controlled lighting conditions. We check the color accuracy with the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport and the result is good. Colors are slightly oversaturated, the grayscale is a bit brighter, and the white balance is a tad warm. Yellow is almost identical to the ColorChecker and looks very rich.

We also take a picture of the test chart under identical lighting conditions and the impression of the LG G6 is once again good, and even the smallest details in the center are visible. The level of detail drops a bit towards the edges, but is still very good. The wide-angle lens is not quite as sharp, but handles the color gradients better. You can also see the fisheye characteristics caused by the lens curvature, because the content in the corners is heavily rounded.

Test chart: LG G6 standard angle (71 °)
Test chart: LG G6 standard angle (71 °)
Test chart: LG G6 wide-angle (125 °)
Test chart: LG G6 wide-angle (125 °)
Test chart: LG G6 standard lens (71 °) - section

Accessories and Warranty

Besides the usual pamphlets (warranty, safety, quick-start guide), the G6 is shipped with a modular power adapter (9.0/5.0V, 1.8A), USB cable (Type-A to Type-C), SIM tool, headset, and a suede leather cloth. LG does not offer any specific accessories for the smartphone.

The warranty period is 24 months and cannot be expanded. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling

The capacitive touchscreen of the LG G6 recognizes up to ten inputs simultaneously. Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 surface provides excellent gliding capabilities and executes inputs very precisely and reliably. Nothing changed for the onscreen keyboard and you get the familiar LG layout. It is also possible to download other keyboards from the Play Store.

The power button is located at the back and also accommodates the fingerprint scanner. The latter unlocks the smartphone quickly, but is not always reliable. Especially a moist finger can be a problem for the scanner. Other unlocking methods are PIN, pattern and knocking code. You can also activate the display or activate standby via double tap on the screen, which is very handy when the smartphone is sitting on a table.

Google's Assistant, which is already familiar from the Google Pixel XL, is also preloaded on the LG G6. The volume buttons are perfectly integrated into the chassis and also act as quick access buttons for the Notes app and the camera. It is unfortunately not possible to reassign them. One thing we miss on the G6 is a one-hand operating mode.

Update 12/04/2017: The new facial recognition feature is fairly straightforward to setup. However, it is not included in LG‚’s initial setup when first starting the phone and disregarded in favor of the fingerprint reader or a regular PIN code. Activation and setup can be found under screen lock settings instead of security. During setup, LG states that facial recognition is less secure and easier to bypass than other methods. Once activated facial recognition worked very well and reliable, and took around one second to unlock our phone and preset us with the home screen. A setting, where the phone unlocks but remains in the lock screen is also available. Various lighting situation had almost no effect on facial recognition except for a slightly longer duration. Only in very dark environments did facial recognition fail us. Infrared sensors, such as the iPhone X uses for facial recognition, are clearly at an advantage in situations like these.

Display

LG G6: Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The LG G6 is one of the first smartphones with the new aspect ratio 2:1 (or 18:9, respectively). The advantage is that the smartphone gets more screen surface without getting wider. LG's G6 has a 5.7-inch panel with 2880x1440 pixels (QHD+), and the high pixel density (565 PPI) ensures a crisp picture.

The comparatively large panel surface is not comparable to common 16:9 models, because the displays are wider and therefore offer more panel surface at the same diagonal size. The display of the Moto Z (5.5") is not much smaller than the new device. The following table shows different panel sizes:

Smartphone LG G6 Galaxy S8 LG G5 Huawei P10 Huawei Mate 9 Xiaomi Mi 5s Moto Z 5.7" (16:9)
Panel area 83.84 cm² 85.38 cm² 77.44 cm² 71.70 cm² 95.96 cm² 73.12 cm² 83.39 cm² 89.57 cm²
The LG G6 has a blue light filter, which is easier on the eyes in the evening.
Blue light filter
The LG G6 is once again equipped with an always-on display.
Always-on display

LG once again uses an IPS panel, which is called Univisium display. Besides the new shape, and the rounded corners, it also supports Dolby Vision as well as HDR10. It is one of the few smartphone displays certified for the new display technologies.

We tested the luminance of the panel with activated brightness sensor on a pure white background. The G6 manages 611 nits on average in combination with a decent brightness distribution of 89%. The more practical APL50 measurements with evenly distributed dark and bright contents, determines a similar result at 610 nits in the center of the screen. The maximum luminance is, however, lower when you deactivate the sensor. The manual control only reaches up to 549 nits, although this is still very bright. There is no visible clouding. There is no backlight bleeding.

We can detect PWM for the brightness control, which is rather unusual for IPS smartphone displays. This is unfortunate, but the frequency is very high, so even sensitive users should not have any problems.

576
cd/m²
640
cd/m²
610
cd/m²
592
cd/m²
646
cd/m²
611
cd/m²
593
cd/m²
612
cd/m²
618
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 646 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 610.9 cd/m² Minimum: 4.11 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 646 cd/m²
Contrast: 2809:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.05% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.74% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
73.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
73% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.27
LG G6
IPS LCD, 2880x1440, 5.70
LG G5
IPS Quantum, 2560x1440, 5.30
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.70
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
Super AMOLED, 2960x1440, 6.20
Lenovo Moto Z
AMOLED, 2560x1440, 5.50
Huawei P10
LTPS, 1920x1080, 5.10
Screen
-19%
10%
4%
25%
17%
-20%
Brightness middle
646
784
21%
557
-14%
464
-28%
560
-13%
485
-25%
547
-15%
Brightness
611
774
27%
553
-9%
468
-23%
562
-8%
490
-20%
556
-9%
Brightness Distribution
89
91
2%
97
9%
85
-4%
93
4%
92
3%
86
-3%
Black Level *
0.23
0.43
-87%
0.35
-52%
0.43
-87%
Contrast
2809
1823
-35%
1591
-43%
1272
-55%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.5
6.5
-44%
1.4
69%
3.2
29%
1.7
62%
2.1
53%
4.8
-7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.3
11.7
-41%
3.1
63%
10.5
-27%
3.4
59%
5.5
34%
8.8
-6%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6
8
-33%
1.3
78%
1.4
77%
1.6
73%
2.6
57%
4.5
25%
Gamma
2.27 97%
2.22 99%
2.21 100%
2.27 97%
2.13 103%
2.23 99%
2.39 92%
CCT
7996 81%
8699 75%
6667 97%
6590 99%
6435 101%
6843 95%
7194 90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
67.74
68.08
1%
63.1
-7%
81.57
20%
88.14
30%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.05
97.46
-2%
99.83
1%
99.87
1%
100
1%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 2410 Hz ≤ 35 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 2410 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 35 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 2410 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The black value of the LG G6 is excellent at just 0.23 cd/m² and is superior to any other rival with an LC display. This, combined with the high luminance, results in a great contrast ratio of 2809:1. LG clearly has the edge in this category and is only beaten by OLED screens, which can show pure black since individual pixels can be turned off.

We checked the color accuracy of the Univisium display with a spectrophotometer and the analysis software CalMAN. There is a clear improvement compared to the LG G5, but the results are mediocre for a high-end smartphone. The grayscale shows deviations of up to 8.2 and brighter shades reveal a blue cast, but it is not annoying in practice. The situation is similar for the colors; we can measure a DeltaE of up to 14.8 depending on the target color space. The LG G6 uses an extended sRGB color space, which is close to the P3 gamut, but cannot cover the latter.

Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: AdobeRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: AdobeRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: P3)
ColorChecker (target color space: P3)
vs. sRGB: 99.05%
vs. sRGB: 99.05%
vs. AdobeRGB: 67.74%
vs. AdobeRGB: 67.74%

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
23.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11.6 ms rise
↘ 11.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 47 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
39.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.2 ms rise
↘ 20.4 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. » 55 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The very bright panel is a big advantage outdoors, just like the high contrast ratio. Even sunny days are not a huge issue and the content is always visible. Only reflections of the panel glass can be annoying under direct sunlight.

The viewing angle stability of the IPS display in the LG G6 is really good and does not leave much room for criticism. The brightness drop is minimal even from very flat angles, and we did not see any color inversions. There is no IPS glow effect, even on large dark areas.

Viewing angles LG G6
Viewing angles LG G6

Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 in the LG G6 is a high-end SoC from last year. The differences compared to the Snapdragon 820 from the LG G5 are small; both the CPU and GPU got small speed bumps. The SoC is supported by 4GB LPDDR4-RAM. Considering the newer Snapdragon 835, which is manufactured in 10 nm and promises better efficiency, the 821 already looks a bit outdated. It is certainly not as fast, but especially the lack of additional features like Bluetooth 5.0 is unfortunate.

All our benchmarks show the expected performance for this SoC. This means the LG G6 is a powerful device, and this is supported by the smooth system performance, but some rivals perform better in the benchmarks, including the Huawei P10 and the Lenovo Moto Z. 

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG G6
151751 Points
LG G5
124244 Points -18%
Google Pixel XL 2016
138641 Points -9%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
165399 Points +9%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
154126 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy S8
171884 Points +13%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
148698 Points -2%
Huawei P10
140084 Points -8%
Lenovo Moto Z
129197 Points -15%
HTC U Ultra
139017 Points -8%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
LG G6
2496 Points
LG G5
2079 Points -17%
Google Pixel XL 2016
2378 Points -5%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3097 Points +24%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
2501 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3277 Points +31%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
2345 Points -6%
Huawei P10
2621 Points +5%
Lenovo Moto Z
2356 Points -6%
HTC U Ultra
2078 Points -17%
System (sort by value)
LG G6
3646 Points
LG G5
2925 Points -20%
Google Pixel XL 2016
3889 Points +7%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
6582 Points +81%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
3763 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S8
5386 Points +48%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
3387 Points -7%
Huawei P10
3830 Points +5%
Lenovo Moto Z
3398 Points -7%
HTC U Ultra
2834 Points -22%
Memory (sort by value)
LG G6
1930 Points
LG G5
1478 Points -23%
Google Pixel XL 2016
1677 Points -13%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
1319 Points -32%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
2051 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3039 Points +57%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
1740 Points -10%
Huawei P10
2778 Points +44%
Lenovo Moto Z
2190 Points +13%
HTC U Ultra
1581 Points -18%
Graphics (sort by value)
LG G6
5138 Points
LG G5
4807 Points -6%
Google Pixel XL 2016
5017 Points -2%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
6875 Points +34%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
4467 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6096 Points +19%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
5033 Points -2%
Huawei P10
4115 Points -20%
Lenovo Moto Z
4321 Points -16%
HTC U Ultra
4591 Points -11%
Web (sort by value)
LG G6
1073 Points
LG G5
900 Points -16%
Google Pixel XL 2016
977 Points -9%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
1542 Points +44%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
1136 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1156 Points +8%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
1020 Points -5%
Huawei P10
1077 Points 0%
Lenovo Moto Z
959 Points -11%
HTC U Ultra
907 Points -15%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G5
1674 Points
Google Pixel XL 2016
1513 Points
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3476 Points
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
1482 Points
Samsung Galaxy S8
1970 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5s
1728 Points
Huawei P10
1935 Points
Lenovo Moto Z
1480 Points
HTC U Ultra
1643 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G5
3833 Points
Google Pixel XL 2016
4167 Points
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
5630 Points
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
4045 Points
Samsung Galaxy S8
6300 Points
Xiaomi Mi 5s
4292 Points
Huawei P10
6036 Points
Lenovo Moto Z
3946 Points
HTC U Ultra
3983 Points
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G6
1831 Points
LG G5
1662 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1997 Points +9%
Huawei P10
1899 Points +4%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G6
4369 Points
LG G5
3956 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6711 Points +54%
Huawei P10
6521 Points +49%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG G6
29276 Points
LG G5
28730 Points -2%
Google Pixel XL 2016
27766 Points -5%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
37746 Points +29%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
34290 Points +17%
Samsung Galaxy S8
31532 Points +8%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
30606 Points +5%
Huawei P10
27692 Points -5%
Lenovo Moto Z
25135 Points -14%
HTC U Ultra
29668 Points +1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG G6
32128 Points
LG G5
32109 Points 0%
Google Pixel XL 2016
32652 Points +2%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
63386 Points +97%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
40761 Points +27%
Samsung Galaxy S8
36347 Points +13%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
34202 Points +6%
Huawei P10
35964 Points +12%
Lenovo Moto Z
26659 Points -17%
HTC U Ultra
33446 Points +4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG G6
22335 Points
LG G5
20997 Points -6%
Google Pixel XL 2016
18222 Points -18%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
15626 Points -30%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
22044 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S8
21543 Points -4%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
22372 Points 0%
Huawei P10
15341 Points -31%
Lenovo Moto Z
20948 Points -6%
HTC U Ultra
21263 Points -5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
LG G6
3282 Points
LG G5
3277 Points 0%
Google Pixel XL 2016
3180 Points -3%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3034 Points -8%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
3668 Points +12%
Samsung Galaxy S8
4015 Points +22%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
3580 Points +9%
Huawei P10
2649 Points -19%
Lenovo Moto Z
3023 Points -8%
HTC U Ultra
2947 Points -10%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
LG G6
4121 Points
LG G5
4468 Points +8%
Google Pixel XL 2016
3935 Points -5%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
4235 Points +3%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
4694 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy S8
4923 Points +19%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
4746 Points +15%
Huawei P10
2816 Points -32%
Lenovo Moto Z
3718 Points -10%
HTC U Ultra
3807 Points -8%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
LG G6
1961 Points
LG G5
1695 Points -14%
Google Pixel XL 2016
1902 Points -3%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
1522 Points -22%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
2078 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S8
2440 Points +24%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
1927 Points -2%
Huawei P10
2193 Points +12%
Lenovo Moto Z
1828 Points -7%
HTC U Ultra
1646 Points -16%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
LG G6
2669 Points
LG G5
2478 Points -7%
Google Pixel XL 2016
2560 Points -4%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
2682 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3194 Points +20%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
2598 Points -3%
Huawei P10
2274 Points -15%
Lenovo Moto Z
2190 Points -18%
HTC U Ultra
2225 Points -17%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
LG G6
2980 Points
LG G5
2833 Points -5%
Google Pixel XL 2016
2820 Points -5%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
2944 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy S8
3472 Points +17%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
2933 Points -2%
Huawei P10
2409 Points -19%
Lenovo Moto Z
2336 Points -22%
HTC U Ultra
2405 Points -19%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
LG G6
1955 Points
LG G5
1723 Points -12%
Google Pixel XL 2016
1935 Points -1%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
2046 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy S8
2494 Points +28%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
1857 Points -5%
Huawei P10
1902 Points -3%
Lenovo Moto Z
1797 Points -8%
HTC U Ultra
1763 Points -10%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G6
46 fps
LG G5
47 fps +2%
Google Pixel XL 2016
55 fps +20%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
57.7 fps +25%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
59 fps +28%
Samsung Galaxy S8
60 fps +30%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
60 fps +30%
Huawei P10
55 fps +20%
Lenovo Moto Z
53 fps +15%
HTC U Ultra
46 fps 0%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G6
75 fps
LG G5
74 fps -1%
Google Pixel XL 2016
91 fps +21%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
92 fps +23%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
96 fps +28%
Samsung Galaxy S8
121 fps +61%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
93 fps +24%
Huawei P10
69 fps -8%
Lenovo Moto Z
77 fps +3%
HTC U Ultra
74 fps -1%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
LG G6
27 fps
LG G5
30 fps +11%
Google Pixel XL 2016
30 fps +11%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
55.2 fps +104%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
48 fps +78%
Samsung Galaxy S8
41 fps +52%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
48 fps +78%
Huawei P10
32 fps +19%
Lenovo Moto Z
26 fps -4%
HTC U Ultra
23 fps -15%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G6
38 fps
LG G5
42 fps +11%
Google Pixel XL 2016
48 fps +26%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
58.7 fps +54%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
49 fps +29%
Samsung Galaxy S8
62 fps +63%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
49 fps +29%
Huawei P10
30 fps -21%
Lenovo Moto Z
41 fps +8%
HTC U Ultra
26 fps -32%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G6
16 fps
LG G5
17 fps +6%
Google Pixel XL 2016
17 fps +6%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
41.5 fps +159%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
32 fps +100%
Samsung Galaxy S8
23 fps +44%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
32 fps +100%
Huawei P10
25 fps +56%
Lenovo Moto Z
15 fps -6%
HTC U Ultra
12 fps -25%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G6
29 fps
LG G5
31 fps +7%
Google Pixel XL 2016
32 fps +10%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
41.3 fps +42%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
32 fps +10%
Samsung Galaxy S8
24 fps -17%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
32 fps +10%
Huawei P10
24 fps -17%
Lenovo Moto Z
27 fps -7%
HTC U Ultra
12 fps -59%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G6
11 fps
LG G5
11 fps 0%
Google Pixel XL 2016
11 fps 0%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
19 fps +73%
Samsung Galaxy S8
13 fps +18%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
19 fps +73%
Huawei P10
16 fps +45%
Lenovo Moto Z
9.8 fps -11%
HTC U Ultra
8.4 fps -24%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G6
20 fps
LG G5
18 fps -10%
Google Pixel XL 2016
19 fps -5%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
19 fps -5%
Samsung Galaxy S8
25 fps +25%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
19 fps -5%
Huawei P10
15 fps -25%
Lenovo Moto Z
16 fps -20%
HTC U Ultra
15 fps -25%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
LG G6
5703 Points
LG G5
5581 Points -2%
Google Pixel XL 2016
4739 Points -17%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
4940 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S8
6035 Points +6%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
5121 Points -10%
Huawei P10
7341 Points +29%
Lenovo Moto Z
7637 Points +34%
HTC U Ultra
5217 Points -9%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
LG G6
5152 Points
LG G5
4966 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S8
5370 Points +4%
Huawei P10
6206 Points +20%
HTC U Ultra
5217 Points +1%
Storage score (sort by value)
LG G6
3869 Points
Samsung Galaxy S8
4420 Points +14%
Computer Vision score (sort by value)
LG G6
2947 Points
Samsung Galaxy S8
2730 Points -7%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
LG G6
647 Points
LG G5
543 Points -16%
Google Pixel XL 2016
621 Points -4%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
1177 Points +82%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1276 Points +97%
Huawei P10
664 Points +3%
Lenovo Moto Z
542 Points -16%
Basemark X 1.1 - High Quality (sort by value)
LG G6
35449 Points
LG G5
25532 Points -28%
Google Pixel XL 2016
30724 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S8
42183 Points +19%
Huawei P10
37968 Points +7%
Lenovo Moto Z
33028 Points -7%
Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value)
LG G6
24.34 fps
LG G5
25.26 fps +4%
Samsung Galaxy S8
30.64 fps +26%
Huawei P10
23.56 fps -3%
Lenovo Moto Z
24.33 fps 0%

Legend

 
LG G6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
LG G5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Google Pixel XL 2016 Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Apple iPhone 7 Plus Apple A10 Fusion, Apple A10 Fusion GPU / PowerVR, 128 GB NVMe
 
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S8 Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa, ARM Mali-G71 MP20, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Xiaomi Mi 5s Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Huawei P10 HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Lenovo Moto Z Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC U Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB eMMC Flash

We performed the browser tests on the LG G6 with the preloaded Google Chrome. The test model is average within the comparison group without setting any highlights or revealing any problems. Subjectively, browsing the Internet is smooth and even complex websites are opened quickly.

WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value)
LG G6
122 Points
LG G5
108 Points -11%
Google Pixel XL 2016
126 Points +3%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
204 Points +67%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
107 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy S8
194 Points +59%
Huawei P10
136 Points +11%
Lenovo Moto Z
112 Points -8%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG G6
9113 Points
LG G5
9731 Points +7%
Google Pixel XL 2016
8690 Points -5%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
26053 Points +186%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
10007 Points +10%
Samsung Galaxy S8
12941 Points +42%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
9378 Points +3%
Huawei P10
10236 Points +12%
Lenovo Moto Z
7771 Points -15%
HTC U Ultra
5511 Points -40%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG G6
56.6 Points
LG G5
49.7 Points -12%
Google Pixel XL 2016
55.4 Points -2%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
168.1 Points +197%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
59.8 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S8
65.8 Points +16%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
57 Points +1%
Huawei P10
57.9 Points +2%
Lenovo Moto Z
47.5 Points -16%
HTC U Ultra
45.08 Points -20%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
LG G6
2464 ms *
LG G5
3461 ms * -40%
Google Pixel XL 2016
2654 ms * -8%
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
1103 ms * +55%
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
2400 ms * +3%
Samsung Galaxy S8
1887 ms * +23%
Xiaomi Mi 5s
2580 ms * -5%
Huawei P10
3129 ms * -27%
Lenovo Moto Z
3155 ms * -28%
HTC U Ultra
4141 ms * -68%

* ... smaller is better

European customers only get the 32 GB (UFS 2.0) model, while 64 GB is limited to other regions including South Korea. The storage solution is not as quick as newer UFS 2.1 modules, but still pretty good. Users get 22.05 GB free storage after the initial launch, but this number drops to 21 GB after all updates.

We tested the performance of the microSD card reader with our reference card from Toshiba (Exceira Pro M401, max. read up to 95 MB/s, write up to 80 MB/s). The results are good, but the reader cannot fully utilize the performance of the microSD.

LG G6LG G5Google Pixel XL 2016Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KLSamsung Galaxy S8Huawei P10Lenovo Moto ZHTC U Ultra
AndroBench 3-5
-1%
-23%
6%
25%
159%
67%
6%
Sequential Read 256KB
428.7
427.6
0%
258.2
-40%
409
-5%
793
85%
738
72%
439.7
3%
423.9
-1%
Sequential Write 256KB
122.8
141.3
15%
83.4
-32%
163.1
33%
193.2
57%
189.8
55%
168.3
37%
164.7
34%
Random Read 4KB
95.2
89.3
-6%
87.7
-8%
100.9
6%
127.2
34%
168.4
77%
117.2
23%
84.2
-12%
Random Write 4KB
16.58
16.22
-2%
14.56
-12%
14.55
-12%
15.25
-8%
152.3
819%
74.9
352%
13.7
-17%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
77.6
78.5
1%
77.8
0%
63.9
-18%
54.2
-30%
78.5
1%
82.8
7%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
53.3
45.53
-15%
59
11%
53.5
0%
32.19
-40%
45.64
-14%
67.6
27%

Games

The Qualcomm Adreno 530 is still a very powerful graphics unit, which is very similar to the previous G5, but got a slight speed bump. The GPU also supports all common graphics interfaces like OpenGL ES 2.0 and Vulkan. This means the smartphone is powerful enough to play all games from the Play Store at the highest details.

This is supported by our benchmarks. Both Asphalt 8 and Dead Trigger 2 run at 30 FPS on the LG G6, and even longer gaming sessions are no problem for the smartphone. The frame rate stays steady after 50 minutes. Asphalt 8 is already a very demanding title for the SoC thanks to its nice graphics, but we also tested the hack and slay title HIT. It also runs very well at 30 FPS, but the frame rate can drop to 24 FPS when there are some enemies and special attacks, so you will notice some stutters.

Both the touchscreen and the position sensors work well. The position of the speaker is not perfect though because you can easily cover it with a hand when you play in landscape mode.

Asphalt 8: Airborne
Asphalt 8: Airborne
HIT - Heroes of Incredible Tales
HIT - Heroes of Incredible Tales
Asphalt 8: Airborne
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps
 very low30 fps
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps

Emissions

Temperature

GFXBench Battery Test "T-Rex" on the LG G6
T-Rex
GFXBench Battery Test "Manhattan" on the LG G6
Manhattan

The surface temperatures of the LG G6 are conveniently low while idling and only some spots surpass 30 °C (86 °F). The smartphone gets warmer under sustained workloads, but is still not lukewarm at up to 33.7 °C (~93 °F).

We also checked whether the SoC of the LG G6 throttles under load with the GFXBench battery tests. The simpler T-Rex Test (OpenGL ES 2.0) performs well for a while, and we can only see a real performance drop of ~20% after 21 runs. The more challenging Manhattan Test (OpenGL ES 3.1) starts to produce lower results after the eighth run and then levels off at this point, which translates to a 19% deficit. This sounds more serious than it actually is because users will hardly notice it. We played Asphalt 8 for one hour and did not notice any performance issues.

Max. Load
 33 °C
91 F
33.5 °C
92 F
31.6 °C
89 F
 
 33.2 °C
92 F
33.5 °C
92 F
33 °C
91 F
 
 32.6 °C
91 F
32.8 °C
91 F
33.7 °C
93 F
 
Maximum: 33.7 °C = 93 F
Average: 33 °C = 91 F
29.8 °C
86 F
30.6 °C
87 F
31.9 °C
89 F
30.2 °C
86 F
30.7 °C
87 F
31.8 °C
89 F
30.2 °C
86 F
30.5 °C
87 F
31.4 °C
89 F
Maximum: 31.9 °C = 89 F
Average: 30.8 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  26.1 °C = 79 F | Room Temperature 21.3 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33 °C / 91 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 33.7 °C / 93 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 31.9 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
LG G6 under load. Picture taken with a Flir thermal camera.
LG G6 under load. Picture taken with a Flir thermal camera.

Speakers

LG G6: Pink Noise diagram
Pink Noise diagram

The mono speaker of the LG G6 is similar to the predecessor G5 and this is not a bad thing because it works well. There is a bit too much emphasis on the high tones, but medium tones are still very linear. Deep tones are missing due to the lack of volume. The speaker performance is actually sufficient for some multimedia entertainment.

A better sound experience is possible via, among others, Bluetooth connection, because it supports aptX and can transmit audio signals with higher quality compared to audio CDs for example. You also get a 3.5 mm stereo jack, and the signal is subjectively almost free of noise.

The LG G6 is also a very good solution for audio recordings. The two AOP microphones (Acoustic Overload Point) are really good and there are numerous settings via HD Audio Recorder. Recorded audio files can be stored as MP3, WAV, or FLAC. The G6 works well as a dictation device or even to record concerts since the microphones work up to a maximum volume of 129 dB(A).

LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
LG G6 HD Audio Recorder
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.6372525.434.13125.333.64032.932.55033.630.56331.631.88028.428.41002724.912520.829.61602242.220021.352.625020.859.731521.260.440019.459.950019.56263017.766.680017.967100017.866.1125017.368.1160017.468.8200016.771.6250017.271.6315018.270.4400017.970.3500017.667.9630017.762.2800017.856.71000017.953.51250018.1511600018.238.1SPL3080.4N1.345.9median 17.9median 62Delta1.48.931.633.925.429.825.32632.928.833.627.631.627.328.425.72730.320.834.22241.121.349.220.855.321.260.819.462.119.566.617.770.217.97217.873.417.373.617.474.416.773.317.274.118.273.217.969.817.666.917.769.617.863.817.953.818.15118.244.73082.91.356.6median 17.9median 66.61.41133.836.432.433.831.829.931.331.832.732.731.732.732.333.12632.345.446.139.445.429.630.736.229.629.525.228.629.525.923.125.425.925.623.421.325.637.124.723.337.150.127.122.550.156.234.622.456.261.840.421.361.864.74318.464.769.648.717.569.668.847.117.568.867.647.417.267.672.850.316.872.87552.217.37575.953.717.475.97652.116.67674.849.817.374.874.849.417.674.874.548.917.674.576.251.317.776.275.750.817.475.775.451.917.775.472.55117.972.571.150.518.171.164.247.518.164.286.462.729.886.46816.41.368median 71.1median 48.9median 17.7median 71.18.871.78.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLG G6Samsung Galaxy S8 PlusLG G5
LG G6 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 64% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 40% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

LG G5 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 55% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (Checkboxes select/deselectable!)

Battery Runtime

Power Consumption

LG increased the battery capacity of the G6 to 3300 mAh, but the idle consumption is a bit higher compared to the predecessor, which is most likely a result of the bigger screen. The average load consumption is a bit lower, but higher under maximum load.

The LG G6 supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 and a full charge takes 110 minutes. The battery is already charged to 24% after just 15 minutes, 46% after half an hour and 80% after 58 minutes. The power adapter is quite efficient at the socket and only consumes 0.002 W.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.18 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.62 / 1.43 / 1.48 Watt
Load midlight 5.52 / 10.47 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
LG G6
3300 mAh
LG G5
2800 mAh
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
2915 mAh
Google Pixel XL 2016
3450 mAh
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
3500 mAh
Huawei P10
3200 mAh
Lenovo Moto Z
2600 mAh
Power Consumption
-7%
-17%
21%
-5%
20%
-27%
19%
Idle Minimum *
0.62
0.55
11%
0.77
-24%
0.53
15%
0.85
-37%
0.68
-10%
0.83
-34%
0.66
-6%
Idle Average *
1.43
1.37
4%
2.04
-43%
1.07
25%
1.2
16%
1.13
21%
2.1
-47%
1.01
29%
Idle Maximum *
1.48
2.25
-52%
2.24
-51%
1.12
24%
1.25
16%
1.16
22%
2.18
-47%
1.09
26%
Load Average *
5.52
6.24
-13%
4.69
15%
5.53
-0%
6.97
-26%
4.69
15%
6.57
-19%
3.97
28%
Load Maximum *
10.47
9.12
13%
8.66
17%
6.26
40%
9.74
7%
5.24
50%
9.32
11%
8.34
20%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

Since the consumption did not really change and the battery capacity is just slightly bigger, the battery runtimes are also a bit longer. Overall, the test sample performs really well and manages good runtimes, which are sufficient for a full day.

The tests at an adjusted luminance (150 nits) are very good for comparisons and show even bigger improvements. It is only beaten by the Mate 9 and Galaxy S8+ (bigger batteries) in the WLAN browsing test. The smartphone from Huawei and the Zenfone 3 Deluxe also have more stamina in the video loop (1080p).

There are several power-saving modes if you want to extend the battery runtimes.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
29h 49min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 32min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
12h 59min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 12min
LG G6
3300 mAh
LG G5
2800 mAh
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe ZS570KL
3000 mAh
Google Pixel XL 2016
3450 mAh
Huawei P9 Plus
3400 mAh
Huawei Mate 9
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
3500 mAh
Battery Runtime
-15%
-23%
-24%
-10%
1%
-1%
Reader / Idle
1789
1833
2%
1393
-22%
1333
-25%
1446
-19%
1538
-14%
1565
-13%
H.264
779
600
-23%
799
3%
505
-35%
776
0%
947
22%
742
-5%
WiFi v1.3
692
387
-44%
463
-33%
505
-27%
530
-23%
758
10%
736
6%
Load
252
267
6%
149
-41%
230
-9%
263
4%
219
-13%
275
9%

Verdict

Pros

+ compact design
+ sturdy chassis
+ water and dust resistance
+ good performance
+ great cameras
+ excellent microphones
+ very good voice quality
+ great display with Dolby Vision and HDR10
+ good battery runtime
+ expandable storage

Cons

- display uses PWM
- only wired video output
- only USB 2.0
- throttling under high load
- no dual-SIM
In review: LG G6. Test model courtesy of LG Germany.
In review: LG G6. Test model courtesy of LG Germany.

The LG G6 is not only a simple update of the high-end smartphone, but it follows a completely new concept compared to the LG G5. The plan worked and LG offers a great smartphone, which convinces with its design, good battery runtimes, great cameras, and its sturdy chassis. LG also implemented very good microphones.

LG unfortunately uses a slightly older SoC instead of the new Snapdragon 835, so we do not get features like Gigabit LTE or Bluetooth 5.0 in the G6, either. The manufacturer saved some money in other places, too. The LG G5 was equipped with an IR blaster and supported HDMI video output via USB, but both features are missing on the new G6. The regional differences are also annoying, because customers in Europe do not get the improved audio chip, wireless charging is not supported, and you only get half of the storage.

Not everything about the LG G6 is high-end, but the overall concept is very good and the improved cameras, good runtimes, as well as the compact design result in a very good smartphone.

The LG G6 is still a big step in the right direction and is even available at a lower price compared to many rivals. Important specs like the camera and the battery runtime do not have to hide behind the competition; especially the video features are unrivaled in the Android camp, and only the slightly outdated Lumia 950 XL is even better in this respect.

All in all, the LG G6 is a real smartphone highlight this year and the competition will have a hard time beating it.

LG G6 - 04/28/2017 v6(old)
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
93%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
95%
Connectivity
47 / 60 → 79%
Weight
91%
Battery
94%
Display
88%
Games Performance
60 / 63 → 95%
Application Performance
60 / 70 → 86%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
76 / 91 → 83%
Camera
91%
Average
81%
90%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Daniel Schmidt, 2017-02-27 (Update: 2019-04- 5)