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LG G7 ThinQ Smartphone Review

Radiant. The LG G7 ThinQ is the successor to the G6, one of 2017’s first smartphones with a 2:1 display, frequently referred to as an 18:9 aspect ratio. Notably, LG has followed one of 2018’s smartphone trends in designing the G7 ThinQ with a notch. The display is more than its notch though, with the G7 ThinQ being the first smartphone with an mLC display, which can get extremely bright. LG has improved the camera too and iteratively updated the hardware to Qualcomm’s latest flagship SoC. Find out in this review why the G7 ThinQ falls slightly short of the top-tier of current smartphones.
Update: Cameras reviewed and final rating published.

The LG G6 received plenty of criticism from us for its regional variants that had different hardware and for its outdated processor. LG has sought to make up for these shortcomings with the LG G7 ThinQ, a smartphone equipped with the latest premium Qualcomm SoC, a Hi-Fi Quad DAC and wireless charging. These features are even present in the European variants this time around. The G7 ThinQ is IP67 and MIL-STD-810G rated, which should protect the device from the elements and from most drops. The 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage is standard for premium devices released in 2018, with many manufacturers offering higher volumes. Fortunately, there is support for up to 2 TB microSD cards for those that need more storage.

The ThinQ branding refers to the AI camera support, which LG has already introduced with the LG V30. LG has reduced the battery capacity between generations by 300 mAh to 3,000 mAh. It appears LG favors a slimmer chassis over battery capacity.

The G7 ThinQ sports an mLC display, the first smartphone to do so. This technology not only supports HDR10 but also offers display brightness up to 1,000 nits.

The G7 ThinQ is 100 Euros (~$116) more expensive than its predecessor, retailing for 849 Euros (~$986) at the time of writing.

In this review, we will be comparing the G7 ThinQ against other premium smartphones. These are the Samsung Galaxy S9+, the Huawei P20 Pro, the iPhone X, the HTC U12 Plus, the Sony Xperia XZ2, the OnePlus 6 and the Google Pixel 2 XL.

LG G7 ThinQ (G7 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 8 x 2.8 GHz, Cortex-A75 / A55 (Kryo 385)
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
, LPDDR4x
Display
6.10 inch 13:6, 3120 x 1440 pixel 563 PPI, Capacitive Touchscreen, ten-point multitouch, LG MLCD+, IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, HDR10, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 64 GB 
, 55.4 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: Combined headphone & microphone 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: microSD card support up to 2 TB (SD, SDHC, SDXC), 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, G Sensor, Barometer, digital Compass, BeiDou, Galileo, Miracast, WiFi Direct, WiFi Concurrency, USB-OTG, USB-PD
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 1900 MHz: UMTS/HSPA+ Bands 1,2,4 and 5: LTE Category 18 – Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 46., Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.9 x 153.2 x 71.9 ( = 0.31 x 6.03 x 2.83 in)
Battery
3000 mAh Lithium-Polymer, QuickCharge 3.0, PD 21W, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 15.5 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 100 h
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix Dual 16 MP cameras. Primary sensor: f/1.6, 71 ° viewing angle, 1.0 µm, OIS. Wide-angle sensor: f/1.9, 107 ° viewing angle, 1.0 µm.
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix 8 MP, f/1.9, 80 °
Additional features
Speakers: Single speaker on the underside & an LG Boombox speaker, Keyboard: Virtual keyboard, Cleaning cloth, charger, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, quick start guide, safety instructions, 24 Months Warranty, MIL-STD-810G, IP68 rated, two microphones, DTS:X Surround Audio, LG Boombox speaker, 32 Bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, SAR value: Head – 0.24 W/kg, Body 1.47 W/kg., fanless
Weight
162 g ( = 5.71 oz / 0.36 pounds), Power Supply: 68 g ( = 2.4 oz / 0.15 pounds)
Price
849 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The G7 ThinQ packs a large 6.1-inch display into its relatively small case thanks to its narrow display bezels. The back of the case has the same Corning Gorilla Glass 5 as the front, which is a fingerprint magnet notwithstanding its scratch-resistant qualities. The dual-rear camera system protrudes 0.35 mm from the back case. We would have preferred the camera housing to have sat flush with the back case.  The G7 ThinQ officially measures 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm. We measure our test device as 8.2 mm deep though, which is probably because of the rounded edges at the side.

The G7 ThinQ feels premium and good in the hand. The gaps are even and tight on the front device. Unfortunately, the workmanship isn’t as good on the rear, with some edges not being as close to the frame as we would have liked. Our test device could not be twisted despite our attempts, but we could get the LCD to temporarily distort by applying some pressure to the display. The G7 ThinQ is IP68 and MIL-STD-810G rated like its predecessor and the V30. MIL-STD-810G means that the device successfully passed 14 environmental and climatic tests. It is worth bearing in mind that no independent organization or agency certifies MIL-STD-810 compliance, so take the certification with a pinch of salt.

The G7 ThinQ will be available in Germany in either Aurora Black or Platinum Silver. The black version is not completely black as it has a bluish shimmer depending on the angle at which light hits the device. The G7 ThinQ will be available in Moroccan Blue and Raspberry Rose in other regions like the USA.

The battery is built-in and not user removable. The card tray can either take two nano-SIMs or one SIM card and one microSD card. The tray is made of plastic and feels sturdy. LG has moved the power button from the back to the right-hand side, while the volume rocker and Google Assistant button can be found on the opposite side.

LG G7 ThinQ on the left next to the LG G6
LG G7 ThinQ on the left next to the LG G6

Size Comparison

158.1 mm / 6.22 in 73.8 mm / 2.91 in 8.5 mm / 0.3346 in 189 g0.4167 lbs157.9 mm / 6.22 in 76.7 mm / 3.02 in 7.9 mm / 0.311 in 175 g0.3858 lbs155.7 mm / 6.13 in 75.4 mm / 2.97 in 7.75 mm / 0.3051 in 177 g0.3902 lbs155 mm / 6.1 in 73.88 mm / 2.91 in 7.65 mm / 0.3012 in 174 g0.3836 lbs153.2 mm / 6.03 in 71.9 mm / 2.83 in 7.9 mm / 0.311 in 162 g0.3571 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 in 71.9 mm / 2.83 in 7.9 mm / 0.311 in 163 g0.3594 lbs143.6 mm / 5.65 in 70.9 mm / 2.79 in 7.7 mm / 0.3031 in 174 g0.3836 lbs148 mm / 5.83 in 105 mm / 4.13 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

Little has changed compared to the LG G6. The G7 ThinQ supports wireless media transmission by DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast and Android Beam. The USB Type-C port supports OTG so external storage devices and peripherals can be connected. The Type-C port is USB 2.0, so image output via USB is not possible.

The microSD card cannot be formatted as internal storage. This restricts the microSD card to storing images and other media. It is worth noting that there is a setting that allows app data to be stored on the microSD card, which is buried within Developer Options.

Additionally, the G7 ThinQ is equipped with a dedicated Google Assistant Button, an FM Radio and it supports both NFC and Bluetooth 5.0.

Top: card slot, microphone
Top: card slot, microphone
Left-hand side: Google Assistant button, volume rocker
Left-hand side: Google Assistant button, volume rocker
Right-hand side: power button
Right-hand side: power button
Bottom: speaker, USB Type-C, microphone, 3.5-mm jack
Bottom: speaker, USB Type-C, microphone, 3.5-mm jack

Software

The G7 ThinQ ships with Android Oreo 8.0, on top of which LG adds its own skin. LG installs several additional apps including an HD audio recorder, a radio app, LG Health, McAfee Safe Family, LG SmartWorld, Facebook and Instagram. Third-party apps cannot be uninstalled, but they can be disabled.

The G7 ThinQ supports multiple accounts. These additional accounts are more restricted compared to the primary account. These secondary accounts can also be managed by the primary account.

Our test device arrived with Android security patch level May 1, 2018, which was last month’s security patch at the time of writing. We expect that LG will release two major feature updates for the G7 ThinQ, but this has not been officially confirmed.

We should point out that LG installed pre-release software on our test device that will not receive updates and that is more restricted than the final version. Our test device could not run benchmarks that require an Internet connection for example.

Homescreen
Quick Settings
LG apps
Radio app
Software Information

Communication & GPS

The G7 ThinQ competes with other current high-end smartphones in terms of the communications hardware that LG has included. The G7 ThinQ supports IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi thanks to its MIMO antenna. This allowed our test device to achieve consistent and high transfer speeds with our Linksys EA8500 reference router. The range is impressive too. Our test device managed to stream an HD video without issue when about 10 meters from the router and next to an outer wall. Signal attenuation is equally good on either 2.4 or 5 GHz networks.

The G7 ThinQ is unremarkable in our LTE test. The device supports LTE Cat. 18, which supports up to 1.2 Gb/s download speeds, but LG has limited upload speeds to 75 Mb/s. By contrast, the Qualcomm X20 modem supports up to 150 Mb/s.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
LG G7 ThinQ
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
651 MBit/s
OnePlus 6
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
612 MBit/s -6%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Mali-G72 MP18, Exynos 9810, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
519 MBit/s -20%
Apple iPhone X
A11 Bionic GPU, A11 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
456 MBit/s -30%
Huawei P20 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
437 MBit/s -33%
Google Pixel 2 XL
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
279 MBit/s -57%
LG G6
Adreno 530, SD 821, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
220 MBit/s -66%
iperf3 receive AX12
Apple iPhone X
A11 Bionic GPU, A11 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
939 MBit/s +43%
LG G7 ThinQ
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
656 MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Mali-G72 MP18, Exynos 9810, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
652 MBit/s -1%
Huawei P20 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
635 MBit/s -3%
OnePlus 6
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
609 MBit/s -7%
LG G6
Adreno 530, SD 821, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
325 MBit/s -50%
Google Pixel 2 XL
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
239 MBit/s -64%
GPS test: outdoors
GPS test: outdoors
GPS test: inside
GPS test: inside
GPS test: GNSS
GPS test: GNSS

The G7 ThinQ uses A-GPS, GPS, Glonass, BeiDou and Galileo to provide location services. Our test device manages to locate itself within around four seconds indoors and practically immediately when outdoors. Outdoor GPS accuracy is at approximately three meters.

We took the G7 ThinQ on a bike ride to test its location accuracy against a professional navigation device, the Garmin Edge 500. Our test device performed well, recording the course and only deviating by 10 meters over an 8.77 km ride. Overall, the G7 ThinQ should be suitable for all general navigation tasks and even those where higher precision is required.

GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Bridge
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Bridge
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Loop
GPS test: LG G7 ThinQ - Overview
GPS test: LG G7 ThinQ - Overview
GPS test: LG G7 ThinQ – Bridge
GPS test: LG G7 ThinQ – Bridge
GPS test: LG G7 ThinQ – Loop
GPS test: LG G7 ThinQ – Loop

Telephone Function & Call Quality

Phone app
Phone app

The phone app is well structured and easy to use. Our test device has good call quality at both ends of the call so long as the phone is held to your ear. Using the speaker adds a slight background noise to the call, while voices recognizably echo. This is not that distracting, but it is noticeable.

The G7 ThinQ supports neither VoLTE nor Wi-Fi calling in Germany. While this should not be a problem in practice as the phone signal is plentiful and the call quality is good, we expect to see both in a 2018 device at this price.

Cameras

LG G7 ThinQ: front-facing camera
front-facing camera

The front-facing camera is once more based on an 8 MP sensor (4:3, f/1.9, 80 degree) that at least on paper is supposed to be very bright. Videos are recorded in FHD (1920 x 1080, 30 FPS) and are software-stabilized. The camera also supports a so-called AI-Cam feature which analyzes your photos with AI algorithms and optimizes them accordingly, an AR sticker mode, and a beauty mode. Photos taken with it turned out surprisingly good and kept the person in focus as long as the beauty filter was not applied to liberally. However, it failed to capture different levels of lighting and darkened the background accordingly. The portrait mode further improved selfies, but the transition between the object in focus and the blurry background was far from perfect.

The dual camera at the rear has been improved dramatically when compared to the LG G6, however the result did not always result in a better photo quality. The 16 MP Sony IMX351 sensor with an optically stabilized 71-degree f/1.6 lens took very decent photos rich in detail and focus at the center but significantly less so towards the edges. Dynamic range was very high, although we noticed some clouding in the first scene. Generally speaking this AI Cam improved photo looks more like a painting with less details than expected. The AI obviously went overboard on this photo. It did much better for the second scene even though photo quality was not as high as on the G7’s competitors. Under low-light conditions the device increased brightness drastically, which looked astonishingly beautiful on the display but failed to pass our quality tests at 100 % zoom. Shutter lag was acceptable but we would have preferred a lower latency, especially with AI Cam enabled or when taking several photos back-to-back.

The secondary lens (107-degree wide angle, f/1.9, 16 MP Sony IMX351) did very well by and large, and offered a similar photo quality as the primary lens. When filming, for example, we failed to notice any differences. They did, however, become very noticeable in low-light conditions. The wide-angle lens distorts photos visibly and is best used primarily for landscape or architecture shots. It also failed to focus for distances of less than 1 m (around 1.1 yards).

Videos are recorded in UHD at 30 FPS or FHD at 60 FPS. There is no time limit regardless of resolution. Video quality was very good and the stereo sound recordings turned out particularly well. Zooming while filming or additional audio settings that we encountered in our V30 review are not supported.

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
orginal image
click to load images

Examplary photos LG G7 ThinQ: left default 71-degree camera, right 107-degree wide-angle camera

ColorChecker. Bottom half of each square represents the reference color.
default lens
ColorChecker wide-angle camera. Bottom half of each square represents the reference color.
wide-angle lens

As always we have also tested the LG G7’s cameras under normalized conditions in our lab.  Colors turned out somewhat bright and oversaturated, and the wide-angle lens was a bit darker with an overall warmer white balance.

The main camera’s photo of our test chart was very detailed and crisp in the center of the photo. Edges were very clear and clean. However, we did notice artefacts on the Gray background and the color gradients were not perfect either. Details and sharpness suffered immensely towards the edges. The wide-angle lens had similar problems although its artefacts were less pronounced. Our test chart photo was not in focus because the distance required for a full-size photo was not enough. Even when moving further back we had trouble focusing on the test chart – an issue we did not encounter during everyday use.

LG G7 ThinQ: default lens
default lens
LG G7 ThinQ: wide-angle lens
wide-angle lens
LG G7 ThinQ: default lens
LG G7 ThinQ: wide-angle lens

Accessories & Warranty

Our test device came with a modular charger (9 V, 1.8 A, 5 V, 1.8 A), a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a set of headphones with spare attachments, a SIM tool and a cleaning cloth. The headphones look relatively high-quality for those that are typically included with smartphones and have a textured cable.

The G7 ThinQ comes with 24 months warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

The G7 ThinQ has a 10-point multitouch capacitive touchscreen that accurately and quickly reproduces inputs even at the edge of the display.

LG continues to use its own keyboard as the default. The LG keyboard has many features, but it can easily be replaced with another keyboard from the Google Play Store if you prefer.

The G7 ThinQ has a fingerprint scanner on the back of the device that works well provided that your fingers are dry. Not only does your fingerprint unlock the device, but it can also be used to protect parts of the Gallery app and the QuickMemo+ notetaking app. There is also face recognition that works surprisingly well in low light. The software lacks the security of the iPhone X’s Face ID and can be easily spoofed.

A large display is all well and good, but it comes at the expense of one-handed use. The G7 ThinQ is difficult to use one-handed in our opinion, but fortunately, LG includes a one-handed mode called Mini view. This must be enabled in Settings, and it is activated by swiping left or right from the home button. The display can then be freely shrunk to approximately between 3.5 and 4.5-inches. It is worth noting that the last used screen size is not retained when you re-enable Mini view.

The keyboard in landscape mode
The keyboard in landscape mode
The keyboard in portrait mode
The keyboard in portrait mode

Display

Sub-pixel array of the RGBW mLC display.
Sub-pixel array of the RGBW mLC display.

The G7 ThinQ has a 6.1-inch display with a 13:6 aspect ratio. You may see this mentioned elsewhere as a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The G7 ThinQ has a 3120x1440 native resolution and is the first smartphone to be equipped with an mLC display. LG boasts that this technology not only supports HDR10 but also allows the display to get incredibly bright.

The sub-pixel array clearly shows the high concentration of pixels and the additional white pixel, which gives the display an RGBW matrix. This can also be found in other premium Huawei smartphones like the Huawei Mate 10, which has an LTPS display.

The G7 ThinQ has an incredibly high pixel density at 564 PPI. Images are sharply displayed as a result. LG claims that the G7 ThinQ has a 1,000-nit display, which our tests using X-Rite i1Pro 2 confirm, albeit not uniformly so. We measured a maximum average brightness of 974 cd/m² with a 96% even brightness distribution. We measure brightness by dividing the display into nine areas. While all areas exceed 900 cd/m², only one reached 999 cd/m². Moreover, we could only achieve this with the ambient light sensor activated and a pure white image displayed onscreen. When we measured display brightness with APL 50, which evenly distributes light and dark areas, the average maximum luminosity drops to 948 cd/m². Furthermore, disabling automatic brightness means that the display maxes out at 591 cd/m². There is a button to temporarily boost brightness when using manual mode. This increases luminosity up to 935 cd/m². Overall, the G7 ThinQ has an incredibly bright display that remains so regardless of lighting conditions.

It’s not all great news though as the black value could be better. Our test device has a 0.49 cd/m² black value, which is much higher than the LG G6’s 0.23 cd/m². This results in the G7 ThinQ having a much lower contrast ratio than its predecessor. Nonetheless, the G7 ThinQ still has an impressively high 1,988:1 contrast ratio that is much better than our comparison devices that have LCD displays. The G7 ThinQ cannot compete in this regard with our comparison devices that have OLED displays, but this only highlights the differences between LCD and OLED displays more than anything else.

Unfortunately, the ThinQ uses PWM to regulate brightness at 42% brightness and below. The frequency is relatively high at 1,174 Hz, but it is detectable over a large portion of brightness, so those who are sensitive to PWM should bear this in mind. Additionally, we did not notice any backlight bleeding during our tests.

The G7 ThinQ has a notch in the display around which the display curves. The area around the notch can be configured in Settings under “New Second Screen” or hidden to give the display a more traditional aspect ratio. The device changes these areas around the notch to black, but the notch is still visible in dark environments as the mLC display cannot reproduce true blacks like OLED displays can.

LG includes a blue-light filter called Comfort view, which changes the color temperature and can even switch to just black and white. Both can be set to a timed schedule if required.

There is also an optional always-on display that can display a clock, notifications, quick tools and music player controls while the device is in standby. While the always-on display is functional, its practicality is limited by the mLC display. The display cannot switch individual pixels on or off as an OLED panel can, which means that the whole panel is turned on when the always-on display is active. Not only does this drain more battery than an OLED panel would with always-on display active, but it also means that the entire display is lit up at night, which is surprisingly bright.

An illustration of the various notch modes available, which LG names New Second Screen.

979
cd/m²
999
cd/m²
964
cd/m²
989
cd/m²
974
cd/m²
967
cd/m²
969
cd/m²
974
cd/m²
958
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG MLCD+ tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 999 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 974.8 cd/m² Minimum: 3.94 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 974 cd/m²
Contrast: 1988:1 (Black: 0.49 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.31
LG G7 ThinQ
IPS, 3120x1440, 6.1"
LG G6
IPS LCD, 2880x1440, 5.7"
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Super AMOLED, 2960x1440, 6.2"
Apple iPhone X
Super AMOLED, 2436x1125, 5.8"
Huawei P20 Pro
OLED, 2240x1080, 6.1"
Sony Xperia XZ2
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.7"
OnePlus 6
Optic AMOLED, 2280x1080, 6.3"
HTC U12 Plus
Super LCD 6, 2880x1440, 6"
Screen
6%
17%
24%
24%
14%
9%
10%
Brightness middle
974
646
-34%
565
-42%
600
-38%
569
-42%
630
-35%
430
-56%
395
-59%
Brightness
975
611
-37%
571
-41%
606
-38%
578
-41%
632
-35%
437
-55%
402
-59%
Brightness Distribution
96
89
-7%
96
0%
94
-2%
95
-1%
96
0%
87
-9%
90
-6%
Black Level *
0.49
0.23
53%
0.44
10%
0.37
24%
Contrast
1988
2809
41%
1432
-28%
1068
-46%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.4
4.5
17%
2.3
57%
1.2
78%
1.3
76%
1.5
72%
2.3
57%
1.6
70%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
13.1
8.3
37%
4.8
63%
3
77%
2.1
84%
4.3
67%
4.6
65%
3.4
74%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5
6
-20%
1.9
62%
1.6
68%
1.6
68%
2.1
58%
2.4
52%
1.1
78%
Gamma
2.31 95%
2.27 97%
2.16 102%
2.23 99%
2.31 95%
2.17 101%
2.28 96%
2.14 103%
CCT
7480 87%
7996 81%
6332 103%
6707 97%
6401 102%
6513 100%
6160 106%
6536 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
67.74
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.05

* ... 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 1174 Hz ≤ 42 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1174 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 42 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1174 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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

The G7 ThinQ has numerous color profiles and options to customize the color rendering to suit individual preferences. We measured the automatic, eco and cinema modes using our photo spectrometer and CalMAN software. We achieved the best results with cinema mode. Other modes either looked too cool or had a magenta or green tint to them. The expert mode offers more comprehensive options, but we couldn’t achieve better color reproduction with this mode.

The cinema mode has a slight blue tint in grayscale, which is passable for daily use. The colors are rather undersaturated and we would prefer a bit more luminosity, with the red being particularly affected. DeltaE 2000 divergences are passable and barely visible to the naked eye. Red is the strongest deviation in mixed color tests, but even this hardly falls short of desired intensity. Positively, the DCI-P3 color space is practically completely covered.

Unfortunately, color representation is only average for a premium smartphone released in 2018. The competition is much better in this regard.

CalMAN: Grayscale – Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Grayscale – Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Mixed Colors – Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Mixed Colors – Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Saturation – Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Saturation – Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Color space - Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Color space - Automatic (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Grayscale – Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Grayscale – Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Mixed Colors – Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Mixed Colors – Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Saturation – Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Saturation – Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Color space - Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Color space - Eco (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Grayscale – Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Grayscale – Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Mixed Colors – Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Mixed Colors – Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Saturation – Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Saturation – Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Color space - Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)
CalMAN: Color space - Cinema mode (DCI-P3 target color space)

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
18.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.2 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. » 38 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24.8 ms rise
↘ 21.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms).

The G7 ThinQ is usable in direct sunlight thanks to its incredibly bright display. In practice, our test device is hardly brighter than the Galaxy S9+ or the Mate 10 Pro, both of which can get very bright. This may be because the G7 ThinQ tends to dim the display more than we would like with auto brightness enabled. The luminosity boost tends to take a while to kick in too.

Using the G7 ThinQ in direct sunlight.
Using the G7 ThinQ in direct sunlight.
Using the G7 ThinQ in the shade on a sunny day.

The G7 ThinQ has strong viewing angles thanks to its mLC display. We hardly noticed any loss in brightness, image ghosting or glow effects even at acute viewing angles.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The G7 ThinQ is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, which is paired with Adreno 630 graphics among other things. The G7 ThinQ is also equipped with 4 GB RAM. This is sufficient in daily use, but it is potentially less future-proofed than some competitors with 6 GB or 8 GB RAM.

Our test device runs pre-release software, which unfortunately means that we were unable to run many of our usual benchmarks. The benchmarks that we could run demonstrated that the G7 ThinQ is on par with other Snapdragon 845-powered devices.

System performance is exceptional and is only marginally surpassed by the OnePlus 6 and the HTC U12 Plus. We recommend deactivating the Google feed if you do not need it as it can cause minor stutters on the home screen.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
223464 Points
LG G6
151751 Points -32%
Apple iPhone X
197851 Points -11%
OnePlus 6
230421 Points +3%
Google Pixel 2 XL
166151 Points -26%
Huawei P20 Pro
179709 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
222290 Points -1%
Sony Xperia XZ2
225663 Points +1%
HTC U12 Plus
221971 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (162183 - 242953, n=23)
225534 Points +1%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
256276 Points
LG G6
158926 Points -38%
Apple iPhone X
256297 Points 0%
OnePlus 6
266686 Points +4%
Google Pixel 2 XL
204654 Points -20%
Huawei P20 Pro
207959 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
250577 Points -2%
Sony Xperia XZ2
266981 Points +4%
HTC U12 Plus
255739 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (246366 - 299878, n=27)
277434 Points +8%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
9503 Points
LG G6
5703 Points -40%
OnePlus 6
9630 Points +1%
Google Pixel 2 XL
8258 Points -13%
Huawei P20 Pro
8115 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
5822 Points -39%
Sony Xperia XZ2
9319 Points -2%
HTC U12 Plus
10264 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7998 - 13211, n=26)
10123 Points +7%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
7717 Points
LG G6
5152 Points -33%
OnePlus 6
8282 Points +7%
Google Pixel 2 XL
6994 Points -9%
Huawei P20 Pro
6982 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
5319 Points -31%
Sony Xperia XZ2
8069 Points +5%
HTC U12 Plus
8601 Points +11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7360 - 9868, n=27)
8368 Points +8%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
4257 Points
LG G6
2496 Points -41%
Apple iPhone X
3737 Points -12%
OnePlus 6
4308 Points +1%
Google Pixel 2 XL
3351 Points -21%
Huawei P20 Pro
3271 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3302 Points -22%
Sony Xperia XZ2
3738 Points -12%
HTC U12 Plus
4252 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3291 - 4693, n=26)
4111 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (1196 - 12993, n=158, last 2 years)
6454 Points +52%
System (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
8070 Points
LG G6
3646 Points -55%
Apple iPhone X
10281 Points +27%
OnePlus 6
8228 Points +2%
Google Pixel 2 XL
5914 Points -27%
Huawei P20 Pro
5965 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
6413 Points -21%
Sony Xperia XZ2
8402 Points +4%
HTC U12 Plus
7862 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (4417 - 8613, n=26)
7644 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (2368 - 17953, n=158, last 2 years)
10307 Points +28%
Memory (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
3744 Points
LG G6
1930 Points -48%
Apple iPhone X
1219 Points -67%
OnePlus 6
3799 Points +1%
Google Pixel 2 XL
2927 Points -22%
Huawei P20 Pro
4050 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
2625 Points -30%
Sony Xperia XZ2
2193 Points -41%
HTC U12 Plus
3641 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2193 - 5296, n=26)
3649 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (962 - 18911, n=158, last 2 years)
7001 Points +87%
Graphics (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
7906 Points
LG G6
5138 Points -35%
Apple iPhone X
9248 Points +17%
OnePlus 6
7949 Points +1%
Google Pixel 2 XL
6142 Points -22%
Huawei P20 Pro
3725 Points -53%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
6370 Points -19%
Sony Xperia XZ2
7868 Points 0%
HTC U12 Plus
7945 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (5846 - 8001, n=26)
7797 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (1017 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
17738 Points +124%
Web (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
1374 Points
LG G6
1073 Points -22%
Apple iPhone X
1682 Points +22%
OnePlus 6
1386 Points +1%
Google Pixel 2 XL
1186 Points -14%
Huawei P20 Pro
1273 Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
1109 Points -19%
Sony Xperia XZ2
1346 Points -2%
HTC U12 Plus
1437 Points +5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (1009 - 1613, n=26)
1344 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (841 - 2363, n=158, last 2 years)
1574 Points +15%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
2448 Points
LG G6
1831 Points -25%
Apple iPhone X
4265 Points +74%
Google Pixel 2 XL
1916 Points -22%
Huawei P20 Pro
1922 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3776 Points +54%
Sony Xperia XZ2
2464 Points +1%
HTC U12 Plus
2429 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2272 - 2500, n=27)
2416 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (844 - 9574, n=84, last 2 years)
5555 Points +127%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
9029 Points
LG G6
4369 Points -52%
Apple iPhone X
10255 Points +14%
Google Pixel 2 XL
6253 Points -31%
Huawei P20 Pro
6756 Points -25%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
8963 Points -1%
Sony Xperia XZ2
8510 Points -6%
HTC U12 Plus
8812 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7754 - 9231, n=27)
8705 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 34246, n=84, last 2 years)
15472 Points +71%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
13497 Points
LG G6
7080 Points -48%
Google Pixel 2 XL
7568 Points -44%
Huawei P20 Pro
8025 Points -41%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
6202 Points -54%
Sony Xperia XZ2
14362 Points +6%
HTC U12 Plus
12493 Points -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10876 - 14489, n=25)
13578 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (5192 - 28121, n=60, last 2 years)
12476 Points -8%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
56669 Points
LG G6
29276 Points -48%
Apple iPhone X
64169 Points +13%
OnePlus 6
62241 Points +10%
Google Pixel 2 XL
39456 Points -30%
Huawei P20 Pro
30176 Points -47%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
39745 Points -30%
Sony Xperia XZ2
62926 Points +11%
HTC U12 Plus
62152 Points +10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (34855 - 65330, n=27)
61139 Points +8%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
80534 Points
LG G6
32128 Points -60%
Apple iPhone X
112489 Points +40%
OnePlus 6
81269 Points +1%
Google Pixel 2 XL
54156 Points -33%
Huawei P20 Pro
33472 Points -58%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
46610 Points -42%
Sony Xperia XZ2
80233 Points 0%
HTC U12 Plus
81726 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (53794 - 85487, n=27)
80548 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
27817 Points
LG G6
22335 Points -20%
Apple iPhone X
25633 Points -8%
OnePlus 6
34191 Points +23%
Google Pixel 2 XL
20233 Points -27%
Huawei P20 Pro
22441 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
26226 Points -6%
Sony Xperia XZ2
35856 Points +29%
HTC U12 Plus
33810 Points +22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (15614 - 37475, n=27)
33322 Points +20%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
5799 Points
LG G6
3282 Points -43%
OnePlus 6
6304 Points +9%
Google Pixel 2 XL
4831 Points -17%
Huawei P20 Pro
3223 Points -44%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3895 Points -33%
Sony Xperia XZ2
6378 Points +10%
HTC U12 Plus
4585 Points -21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (4363 - 6454, n=27)
5811 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (812 - 7285, n=26, last 2 years)
4204 Points -28%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
7633 Points
LG G6
4121 Points -46%
OnePlus 6
8252 Points +8%
Google Pixel 2 XL
5856 Points -23%
Huawei P20 Pro
3335 Points -56%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
4637 Points -39%
Sony Xperia XZ2
8122 Points +6%
HTC U12 Plus
5637 Points -26%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (5637 - 8312, n=27)
7763 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (756 - 9451, n=26, last 2 years)
4740 Points -38%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
3150 Points
LG G6
1961 Points -38%
OnePlus 6
3452 Points +10%
Google Pixel 2 XL
2995 Points -5%
Huawei P20 Pro
2885 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
2496 Points -21%
Sony Xperia XZ2
3642 Points +16%
HTC U12 Plus
2774 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2124 - 3668, n=27)
3115 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4349, n=26, last 2 years)
3303 Points +5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
4471 Points
LG G6
2669 Points -40%
Apple iPhone X
3138 Points -30%
OnePlus 6
4673 Points +5%
Google Pixel 2 XL
3646 Points -18%
Huawei P20 Pro
2996 Points -33%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3256 Points -27%
Sony Xperia XZ2
4693 Points +5%
HTC U12 Plus
3419 Points -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3197 - 4734, n=27)
4388 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 17553, n=71, last 2 years)
3075 Points -31%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
5006 Points
LG G6
2980 Points -40%
Apple iPhone X
3463 Points -31%
OnePlus 6
5212 Points +4%
Google Pixel 2 XL
3872 Points -23%
Huawei P20 Pro
3017 Points -40%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3582 Points -28%
Sony Xperia XZ2
5122 Points +2%
HTC U12 Plus
3488 Points -30%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3488 - 5246, n=27)
4919 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 29890, n=71, last 2 years)
3259 Points -35%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
3255 Points
LG G6
1955 Points -40%
Apple iPhone X
2361 Points -27%
OnePlus 6
3432 Points +5%
Google Pixel 2 XL
3028 Points -7%
Huawei P20 Pro
2926 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
2469 Points -24%
Sony Xperia XZ2
3630 Points +12%
HTC U12 Plus
3197 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2118 - 3703, n=27)
3217 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 7180, n=71, last 2 years)
3280 Points +1%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
60 fps
LG G6
46 fps -23%
Apple iPhone X
59.4 fps -1%
OnePlus 6
60 fps 0%
Google Pixel 2 XL
59 fps -2%
Huawei P20 Pro
60 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
60 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XZ2
60 fps 0%
HTC U12 Plus
59 fps -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (58 - 89, n=27)
62.1 fps +4%
Average of class Smartphone (23 - 166, n=175, last 2 years)
86.8 fps +45%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
144 fps
LG G6
75 fps -48%
Apple iPhone X
177.4 fps +23%
OnePlus 6
150 fps +4%
Google Pixel 2 XL
112 fps -22%
Huawei P20 Pro
121 fps -16%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
147 fps +2%
Sony Xperia XZ2
150 fps +4%
HTC U12 Plus
98 fps -32%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (98 - 152, n=28)
142.5 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=175, last 2 years)
293 fps +103%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
41 fps
LG G6
27 fps -34%
Apple iPhone X
58.5 fps +43%
OnePlus 6
58 fps +41%
Google Pixel 2 XL
35 fps -15%
Huawei P20 Pro
54 fps +32%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
45 fps +10%
Sony Xperia XZ2
59 fps +44%
HTC U12 Plus
35 fps -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (33 - 75, n=27)
54.4 fps +33%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 166, n=175, last 2 years)
76.4 fps +86%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
63 fps
LG G6
38 fps -40%
Apple iPhone X
88.2 fps +40%
OnePlus 6
66 fps +5%
Google Pixel 2 XL
59 fps -6%
Huawei P20 Pro
61 fps -3%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
74 fps +17%
Sony Xperia XZ2
82 fps +30%
HTC U12 Plus
72 fps +14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (54 - 83, n=27)
73.1 fps +16%
Average of class Smartphone (12 - 502, n=175, last 2 years)
172.9 fps +174%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
26 fps
LG G6
16 fps -38%
Apple iPhone X
44.1 fps +70%
OnePlus 6
54 fps +108%
Google Pixel 2 XL
20 fps -23%
Huawei P20 Pro
36 fps +38%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
24 fps -8%
Sony Xperia XZ2
55 fps +112%
HTC U12 Plus
31 fps +19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (21 - 59, n=27)
45.3 fps +74%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 166, n=175, last 2 years)
66.7 fps +157%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
51 fps
LG G6
29 fps -43%
Apple iPhone X
48.9 fps -4%
OnePlus 6
56 fps +10%
Google Pixel 2 XL
41 fps -20%
Huawei P20 Pro
39 fps -24%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
47 fps -8%
Sony Xperia XZ2
60 fps +18%
HTC U12 Plus
39 fps -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (32 - 61, n=28)
53.9 fps +6%
Average of class Smartphone (8.3 - 365, n=175, last 2 years)
122.9 fps +141%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
17 fps
LG G6
11 fps -35%
Apple iPhone X
27.7 fps +63%
OnePlus 6
32 fps +88%
Google Pixel 2 XL
13 fps -24%
Huawei P20 Pro
22 fps +29%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
14 fps -18%
Sony Xperia XZ2
33 fps +94%
HTC U12 Plus
20 fps +18%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (13 - 37, n=27)
27.7 fps +63%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 154, n=176, last 2 years)
49.1 fps +189%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
33 fps
LG G6
20 fps -39%
Apple iPhone X
31.8 fps -4%
OnePlus 6
35 fps +6%
Google Pixel 2 XL
24 fps -27%
Huawei P20 Pro
23 fps -30%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
28 fps -15%
Sony Xperia XZ2
35 fps +6%
HTC U12 Plus
35 fps +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (25 - 35, n=27)
33.4 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (3.1 - 216, n=175, last 2 years)
74.1 fps +125%
Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value)
LG G6
24.34 fps
Google Pixel 2 XL
37.71 fps
Huawei P20 Pro
25.93 fps
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
35.83 fps
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
LG G7 ThinQ
1176 Points
LG G6
647 Points -45%
Apple iPhone X
1702 Points +45%
OnePlus 6
1169 Points -1%
Google Pixel 2 XL
853 Points -27%
Huawei P20 Pro
887 Points -25%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
1481 Points +26%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (1169 - 1201, n=5)
1179 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (205 - 7616, n=56, last 2 years)
2316 Points +97%

Legend

 
LG G7 ThinQ Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
LG G6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Apple iPhone X Apple A11 Bionic, Apple A11 Bionic GPU, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
OnePlus 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Google Pixel 2 XL Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Huawei P20 Pro HiSilicon Kirin 970, ARM Mali-G72 MP12, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Samsung Exynos 9810, ARM Mali-G72 MP18, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Sony Xperia XZ2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
HTC U12 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

The G7 ThinQ performed well in browser benchmarks and is on par with other Snapdragon 845-powered devices. Browsing the web on the preinstalled Google Chrome 66 feels fast and complex websites load quickly.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone X (IOS 11.1.1)
224 Points +154%
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
89.5 Points +2%
LG G7 ThinQ (Chrome 66)
88.1 Points
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
87.7 Points 0%
HTC U12 Plus (Chrome 66)
87 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (22.5 - 90.9, n=25)
80.3 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
69.6 Points -21%
Google Pixel 2 XL (Chrome 62)
64.7 Points -27%
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
58.3 Points -34%
LG G6 (Chrome 57)
56.6 Points -36%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=209, last 2 years)
38338 Points +129%
Apple iPhone X (IOS 11.1.2)
35255 Points +111%
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
17026 Points +2%
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
16774 Points 0%
LG G7 ThinQ (Chrome 66)
16720 Points
HTC U12 Plus (Chrome 66)
16285 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3991 - 18275, n=28)
15153 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
14760 Points -12%
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
11584 Points -31%
Google Pixel 2 XL (Chrome 62)
11308 Points -32%
LG G6 (Chrome 57)
9113 Points -45%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
3852 ms * -55%
Google Pixel 2 XL (Chrome 62)
3434 ms * -38%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2154 - 11204, n=28)
2905 ms * -17%
LG G7 ThinQ (Chrome 66)
2484 ms *
LG G6 (Chrome 57)
2464 ms * +1%
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
2445 ms * +2%
HTC U12 Plus (Chrome 66)
2410 ms * +3%
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
2394 ms * +4%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
2060 ms * +17%
Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=167, last 2 years)
1529 ms * +38%
Apple iPhone X (IOS 11.1.2)
718 ms * +71%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Apple iPhone X (Safari Mobile 11.0)
354 Points +40%
Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65)
262 Points +4%
HTC U12 Plus (Chrome 66)
257 Points +2%
OnePlus 6 (Chrome 66)
252 Points 0%
LG G7 ThinQ (Chrome 66)
252 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (96 - 291, n=23)
246 Points -2%
Google Pixel 2 XL (Chrome 62)
194 Points -23%
Huawei P20 Pro (Chrome 65)
182 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (Samsung Browser 7.0)
164 Points -35%
LG G6 (Chrome 57)
122 Points -52%

* ... smaller is better

The G7 ThinQ is equipped with fast UFS 2.1 memory, which means that the device has fast transfer speeds. Some competitors are considerably faster at writing small blocks of data, but this is insignificant for daily use.

The G7 ThinQ continues LG’s trend of including microSD card support in their premium devices, unlike Huawei and OnePlus. The G7 ThinQ has 64 GB of internal storage, which is less than some of its competitors. MicroSD card support can make up this storage deficit though. By default, the G7 ThinQ only allows photos and other media to be stored on a microSD card. App data can be moved to external storage too, but you must first enable this in Developer Options. The G7 ThinQ performed well in our microSD card tests using our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference card. While the G7 ThinQ cannot match our reference card’s maximum theoretical read and write speeds of 270 MB/s and 150 MB/s, it is well ahead of the class average.

LG G7 ThinQLG G6Samsung Galaxy S9 PlusSony Xperia XZ2HTC U12 PlusHuawei P20 ProOnePlus 6Average 64 GB UFS 2.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-22%
8%
-16%
62%
163%
9%
47%
575%
Sequential Read 256KB
695
428.7
-38%
819
18%
679
-2%
709
2%
832
20%
726
4%
Sequential Write 256KB
176.4
122.8
-30%
204.9
16%
198.7
13%
195.8
11%
196.7
12%
201.4
14%
Random Read 4KB
110.5
95.2
-14%
129.7
17%
149.4
35%
118.1
7%
144.3
31%
137
24%
137.2 ?(78.2 - 192, n=52)
24%
Random Write 4KB
23.26
16.58
-29%
22.74
-2%
17
-27%
104.2
348%
160.5
590%
21.8
-6%
84.7 ?(8.77 - 208, n=52)
264%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
84.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
77.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-8%
79.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-6%
34.25 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-60%
84.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
68.6 ?(18 - 87.1, n=33)
-19%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
53.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-15%
67.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
7%
30.12 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-52%
63.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
52.2 ?(17.1 - 71.9, n=33)
-17%

Games

The Qualcomm Adreno 630 that handles the graphics is one of the most powerful mobile GPUs of those that are currently available. We tested the G7 ThinQ’s gaming performance against Arena of Valor and PUBG Mobile, the latter of which is especially graphically demanding. While running our tests we recorded frame rates with GameBench, the results for which we have included below.

Interestingly, while the G7 ThinQ is between 6-14% faster than the competition in PUBG Mobile, it is roundly beaten by its competitors in Arena of Valor. The G7 ThinQ averaged 44 FPS in Arena of Valor, which is between 32 and 39% slower than the competition. Our test device runs both games fluidly, but just not to the same extent in Arena of Valor as its competitors. Additionally, frame rates in Arena of Valor fluctuate far more widely than in other Snapdragon 845-powered devices. The Sony Xperia XZ2 and the OnePlus 6 offer a far more stable experience in Arena of Valor, with neither device dropping below 50 FPS, compared with the G7 ThinQ which experienced drops to as low as 27 FPS.

The touchscreen and positional sensor worked well during our tests and gave us no cause for criticism. The speaker on the underside of the device is easy to obscure when gaming, but the Boombox on the back of the device somewhat compensates for this.

Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
Gaming options
Gaming options
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
Graphics options can be set outside of having the game running.
Graphics options can be set outside of having the game running.
Arena of Valor - high HD
Razer Phone 2017
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
61 (23min - 62max) fps +39%
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Mali-G72 MP18, Exynos 9810, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
60 fps +36%
Sony Xperia XZ2
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
60 (56min - 61max) fps +36%
OnePlus 6
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
60 (50min - 60max) fps +36%
Apple iPhone X
A11 Bionic GPU, A11 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
59 (55min - 60max) fps +34%
Honor 10
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
58 (2min - 60max) fps +32%
LG G7 ThinQ
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
44 (27min - 61max) fps
PUBG Mobile - HD
LG G7 ThinQ
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
35 (28min - 42max) fps
Apple iPhone X
A11 Bionic GPU, A11 Bionic, 64 GB eMMC Flash
33 (29min - 46max) fps -6%
Honor 10
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
32 (20min - 42max) fps -9%
OnePlus 6
Adreno 630, SD 845, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
30 (27min - 31max) fps -14%
HTC U12 Plus
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
30 (1min - 41max) fps -14%
PUBG Mobile
 SettingsValue
 HD35 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
Arena of Valor
 SettingsValue
 high HD44 fps

Emissions

Temperature

The G7 ThinQ manages its surface temperatures well, with our test device only reaching an average of 33.5 °C under load. Maximum load temperatures are not much either, with the front of the device reaching 34.8 °C, while the back gets slightly hotter at 35.8 °C.

Temperatures drop to an average of 29.1 °C on the front at idle and 27.9 °C on the back. The centre-most bottom area of the display can get relatively hot at idle though, with temperatures reaching up to 32.3 °C.

We cannot tell you the whole story temperature-wise though, as GFXBench would not work with our test device’s pre-release software. Based on frame rates in Arena of Valor and PUBG Mobile, we suspect that there is a degree of thermal throttling as performance does not remain consistently high.

Max. Load
 34.4 °C
94 F
34.8 °C
95 F
33.8 °C
93 F
 
 34 °C
93 F
33.4 °C
92 F
33.1 °C
92 F
 
 32.8 °C
91 F
32.4 °C
90 F
33.2 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 34.8 °C = 95 F
Average: 33.5 °C = 92 F
34.5 °C
94 F
35.8 °C
96 F
35.4 °C
96 F
32 °C
90 F
33.8 °C
93 F
35.5 °C
96 F
32 °C
90 F
32 °C
90 F
30.8 °C
87 F
Maximum: 35.8 °C = 96 F
Average: 33.5 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  26.9 °C = 80 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.5 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 32.8 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.8 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.8 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.1 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Heat-map of the front of the device under load
Heat-map of the front of the device under load
Heat-map of the rear of the device under load
Heat-map of the rear of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test on a table
Pink Noise speaker test on a table

The G7 ThinQ is equipped with a mono speaker on the underside of the device and LG’s Boombox speaker. The Boombox speaker is behind the back glass, with the speaker using the glass as a surface on which to provide a greater depth of sound.

The difference in sound is audible, which is reflected in our Pink Noise speaker test. The Boombox speaker has significantly improved 125-600 MHz frequencies than a traditional smartphone speaker. In practice, this means that we could hear nuances in high bass tones. Unfortunately, the overall sound is unbalanced as high tones are overrepresented. We would recommend using the speaker combination at medium volumes as this is the sweet sound for sound quality.

The G7 ThinQ also has an onscreen visualizer, which can be used while playing music over the speakers. The LED flash can even flash in time to music, should you find that useful.

The specialist audio hardware does not stop with the speakers either. The G7 ThinQ comes with a Hi-Fi Quad DAC, the likes of which we have seen in other LG flagships like the LG V30. The G7 ThinQ also supports DTS:X 3D sound and numerous equalizer settings for wired headphones. Additionally, there is aptX HD and LDAC support if you prefer to play audio via Bluetooth.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.239.82532.941.83137.237.54031.735.85039.638.76328.329.88027.330.110026.924.912526.729.11602429.620020.934.325020.94031519.540.140018.547.250017.559.763017.561.280015.765.5100015.864.7125016.668160015.869.1200015.471.1250015.569.431501673400015.876.850001668.8630016.371800016.375.91000016.261.91250016.455.71600016.449.6SPL28.683.2N1.153.2median 16.4median 61.9Delta2.211.435.248.832.942.737.24331.742.939.642.228.337.827.337.826.937.226.741.52446.420.948.620.953.819.557.718.563.517.563.317.562.215.76515.86816.673.815.870.315.468.115.5681672.115.873.51671.716.370.116.364.916.262.716.453.916.445.528.6821.151.8median 16.4median 63.52.29.135.246.432.941.937.237.731.736.839.640.528.330.327.330.326.928.126.732.2244520.952.120.957.119.558.518.562.617.570.917.574.715.778.515.876.916.676.215.873.415.473.615.575.51679.915.880.11676.516.37416.374.916.271.416.458.216.44228.688.41.176.2median 16.4median 73.62.210.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLG G7 ThinQHTC U12 PlusGoogle Pixel 2 XL
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
LG G7 ThinQ audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 9.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (29.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 74% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 85% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 12% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HTC U12 Plus audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 19% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 40% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Google Pixel 2 XL audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 26% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 46% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The G7 ThinQ has relatively high power consumption. The class average consumes 19% less overall than the G7 ThinQ, while the Huawei P20 Pro is 38% more efficient than our test device. This high power consumption is across the board, with the G7 ThinQ consuming an average of 1.98 W at idle and 4.51 W under load. These aren’t terrible values, but the minimum idle consumption of 1.16 W is considerably higher than the competition.

The G7 ThinQ has a 3,000 mAh battery that can be charged wirelessly or with the included charger at the QuickCharge 3.0 standard. The included charger fully recharges our test device in around 90 minutes.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.12 / 0.57 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.16 / 1.98 / 2.07 Watt
Load midlight 4.51 / 8.3 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
LG G7 ThinQ
3000 mAh
LG G6
3300 mAh
Sony Xperia XZ2
3180 mAh
HTC U12 Plus
3500 mAh
Huawei P20 Pro
4000 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
11%
1%
-9%
38%
4%
2%
Idle Minimum *
1.16
0.62
47%
0.72
38%
0.77
34%
0.84
28%
0.862 ?(0.42 - 1.8, n=26)
26%
Idle Average *
1.98
1.43
28%
2.21
-12%
2.18
-10%
1.54
22%
1.728 ?(0.67 - 2.9, n=26)
13%
Idle Maximum *
2.07
1.48
29%
2.22
-7%
2.21
-7%
1.57
24%
Load Average *
4.51
5.52
-22%
4.6
-2%
6.25
-39%
2.47
45%
Load Maximum *
8.3
10.47
-26%
9.34
-13%
10.16
-22%
2.49
70%
9.27 ?(6.2 - 12.3, n=26)
-12%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The G7 ThinQ is surprisingly efficient in practice, despite having higher power consumption and a small battery than its predecessor. Averaged across our four tests, the LG G6 has only 2% longer runtimes than its successor despite having a 10% larger battery. Equally, the OnePlus 6 has only 5% longer runtimes with its 10% larger battery and the Huawei P20 Pro lasts only 12% longer on average with its 33% larger battery. The G7 ThinQ outlasts all our other comparison devices. These all have larger batteries too except for the iPhone X, which has around a 10% smaller battery than the G7 ThinQ.

The best comparison between the G7 ThinQ and other devices is in our Wi-Fi battery life test with display brightness set to 150 cd/m². In this test, we run a script that simulates the load required to render websites. The G7 ThinQ performs well in this test with its relatively small battery, finishing behind around half of our comparison devices. Our test device performs best comparatively in our H.264 video battery life test, where the G7 ThinQ lasted some 15 hours. This is 14% longer than the P20 Pro, which is our comparison device with the greatest battery capacity.

The G7 ThinQ also offers a comprehensive battery-saving mode. Overall, the G7 ThinQ should see you through a full day with some battery life to spare at the end of the evening.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
27h 42min
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 66)
9h 51min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
15h 08min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 20min
LG G7 ThinQ
3000 mAh
LG G6
3300 mAh
HTC U12 Plus
3500 mAh
OnePlus 6
3300 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
3500 mAh
Huawei P20 Pro
4000 mAh
Google Pixel 2 XL
3520 mAh
Apple iPhone X
2716 mAh
Sony Xperia XZ2
3180 mAh
Battery Runtime
2%
-22%
5%
-17%
12%
-2%
-22%
-15%
Reader / Idle
1662
1789
8%
1452
-13%
1806
9%
1343
-19%
1727
4%
1706
3%
1292
-22%
1402
-16%
H.264
908
779
-14%
464
-49%
791
-13%
674
-26%
784
-14%
672
-26%
634
-30%
722
-20%
WiFi v1.3
591
692
17%
507
-14%
762
29%
521
-12%
744
26%
581
-2%
564
-5%
679
15%
Load
260
252
-3%
230
-12%
246
-5%
237
-9%
345
33%
302
16%
180
-31%
159
-39%

Pros

+ slim design
+ robust appearance
+ quick Wi-Fi
+ expandable storage
+ dual-SIM
+ good call quality
+ bright display with HDR10 support
+ strong performance
+ wireless charging

Cons

- no VoLTE or VoWiFI
- color accuracy should be better
- PWM
- only USB 2.0 speeds
- high power consumption in standby

Verdict

The LG G7 ThinQ in review. Test device courtesy of LG Germany.
The LG G7 ThinQ in review. Test device courtesy of LG Germany.

The LG G7 ThinQ improves upon the LG G6 in many areas. The huge 6.1-inch display may be unfamiliar to LG G6 users; we just wish that LG had not made the G7 ThinQ so compact. The Snapdragon 845 SoC is a leap forward compared with the Snapdragon 835, which is of a benefit to system performance. LG has got a lot right with the audio too thanks to the Hi-Fi Quad DAC among others. 

The LG G7 ThinQ is an impressive smartphone from a technical point of view. However, it does little to distinguish itself from a saturated market, with its high price representing an obstacle for tempting potential buyers away from choosing other flagships.

The smaller battery capacity compared to the LG G6 is a shame, but the G7 ThinQ squeezes a lot out of its relatively small 3,000 mAh battery. The display is impressive too, although we would like to see the brightness sensor be less conservative in bright areas like when using the device outside on a sunny day. The Wi-Fi is fast and stable too, which is good. A bonus is the inclusion of wireless charging in European variants, which wasn’t the case with the LG G6. It is good to see LTE Cat. 18 support too, but its inclusion feels largely superfluous given that the device does not support either VoLTE or VoWiFi in Germany.

One thing we would have liked to see is a more modern USB port, especially given the phone's 849-Euro price tag (~$986).

We could not assess the camera in this review as our test device is running pre-release software. LG has stated that they want to push final software out soon. We will cover the camera and finally, evaluate the LG G7 ThinQ when this happens.

Update 06/20/2018: with the new software installed and the cameras reviewed we were able to add a final rating. Unfortunately, the camera was not the best, suffered from a noticeable shutter lag, and had trouble focusing. We are certain that LG is going to further improve the camera’s performance.

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Daniel Schmidt, 2018-06-15 (Update: 2024-11- 4)