LG L70 Smartphone Review

Name: LG L70
Brand: LG

Knock knock, L70 here! LG positions their L70 in the lower-middle class as an entry-level device for those who are new to smartphones. A 4.5-inch display, dual-core SoC from Qualcomm and chic design mingle with 4 GB of internal memory and Android 4.4.2 KitKat. A removable battery completes the package. But the smartphone has its deficits too.

Michael Moser, ✓ Tanja Hinum (translated by Ariana Brodsky), Published 06/20/2014 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...

ARM Android Smartphone Touchscreen

For the original German review, see here.

LG's L series is comprised of entry-level smartphones. The L70 is the newest member of this brigade: A 4.5-inch device with an IPS display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8210 dual-core SoC that clocks at 1.2 GHz, and 1 GB of RAM. Further features include: 4 GB of internal flash memory (expandable by up to 64 GB with a microSD card), Android 4.4.2 KitKat, WLAN b/g/n and UMTS. The battery can be switched out, and the device boasts of a 5-megapixel lens for photography fans. The recommended retail price is currently 200 Euros (~$270). The LG L40, which offers many of the same components, only costs about half as much -- is our test device twice as good?

The LG L70 comes up against a plethora of competitors, including the Huawei Ascend G610, the Kazam Thunder Q4.5, the Motorola Moto G, and the Nokia Lumia 630. LG's own somewhat larger LG L90 also counts among the contenders.

Case

The LG L70's manufacturing quality is very good.

In terms of its design, the LG L70's case is closely related to that of the LG L40. It is pleasing to the eye, though somewhat unimaginative. However, there are a few differences between the two devices' cases. The front remains the same besides the shift to larger proportions, while the back cover is no longer roughened and thus provides less grip. The display's glass surface is not exceptionally resistant to pressure. We are fans of the rounded corners and the size, which feels ideal for users with medium-sized or large hands. The L70 "inherited" the L40's very good manufacturing quality and high degree of resistance to twisting. Considering the smartphone's size, its low weight of 126 grams (~0.28 lbs) is definitely a plus, as are its comparably compact dimensions -- thanks to the device's narrow display frame.

Connectivity

The connections the LG L70 offers are standard for its class. Besides a micro-USB 2.0 port and the obligatory 3.5 mm jack, the smartphone is also equipped with slots for both SIM and microSD cards. The physical keys function reliably and provide no cause for complaint.

Software

Like all the devices in the current L series, the LG L70 also runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Additionally, LG overlaid the OS with their own Easy UI, familiar from the LG L40.

Communication & GPS

LG equipped their L70 with WLAN b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 for data transfer over short distances. The WLAN reception is stable, though it could certainly offer a larger reception range -- compared to other devices the reception strength falls in the lower third. The smartphone also offers GSM quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) and UMTS dual-band (900/2100). 3G enables the user to download at 21 Mbit/s and upload at 5.76 Mbit/s. The 3G reception strength is good.

The GPS Test app attests that the A-GPS module's reception strength is quite good. In our navigation test, compared to the professional Garmin Edge 500, the LG L70 deviated further from our actual course in difficult environments, like our path through the forest, or along more curvy stretches. Ultimately, however, the A-GPS module's performance is good enough to be attractive.

Telephone Function & Speech Quality

Unfortunately, everything we said about the LG L40 is still true here. Compared to said predecessor device, neither the speech nor the audio quality has improved. The dull, tinny timbre of the sound is disappointing.

Cameras & Multimedia

While the LG L40 had no webcam, our test device has gained this feature. However, due to its low resolution of 0.3 MP and correspondingly terrible image quality, the webcam is practically useless. The main camera on the L70 now has a higher resolution of 5 megapixels (2560x1920 pixels) and also offers an LED flash. The lens can still only record video at 800x400 pixels.

Directly compared with the competition, the L70's main camera is clearly deficient in some areas. The photos appear a little overexposed, the colors are weak, and the details lack sharpness. This is more or less acceptable for snapshots, but users who enjoy taking photos will not be pleased with the camera's image quality.

Accessories

Here the LG L70 offers nothing more than the few accessories that are standard for its class: Alongside the smartphone, you will find just the battery, a quick-start guide and a modular power supply.

Warranty

LG outfits their L70 with a 24-month warranty. The battery is only covered for 6 months.

Input Devices & Operation

When it comes to input devices, only the display size distinguishes the LG L70 from the LG L40 we previously reviewed -- thus, we direct you to our comprehensive review of the predecessor model for an extensive discussion of this topic. Very briefly: The multitouch screen works reliably and very precisely, and the Knock Code and Knock On features are on board again.

Due to the fact that the display now measures 4.5-inches on the diagonal, the L70's keyboards are of course larger than the L40's, which makes it even easier to write without typing errors.

...and landscape format, there is enough room to type.

Display

The LG L70's 4.5-inch IPS display has a resolution of 800x480 pixels and displays image content relatively sharply. At an average of 339.4 cd/m², the screen glows rather brightly -- though in comparison to the rest of the devices in its class, it once again lies in the lower third. The Kazam Thunder Q4.5, the Motorola Moto G, the Nokia Lumina 630 and even the LG L90 all surpass the L70 in brightness. The Huawei Ascend G610 is the only competing device that falls short of our test device's maximum brightness level (by about 40 cd/m²). Interesting detail: When the system is under a high level of load -- in our case, after we ran our benchmarks -- the LG L70 only reaches 90% of its maximum brightness level. This is the result of the device's higher temperatures under load.

At a 91% similarity across the screen, the display's brightness distribution is good. Almost all the smartphone's competitors do slightly worse here, except the LG L90, which comes in a tad ahead.


321 cd/m²	352 cd/m²	340 cd/m²
342 cd/m²	346 cd/m²	338 cd/m²
335 cd/m²	342 cd/m²	339 cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

X-Rite i1Pro 2

Maximum: 352 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 339.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 346 cd/m²
Contrast: 665:1 (Black: 0.52 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.17 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 7.42 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
Gamma: 2.5

The display's black value of 0.52 cd/m² and contrast ratio of 665:1 are respectable for this price class, though the LG L90 and the Kazam Thunder Q4.5 do considerably better here. Subjectively, the L70's display is appealing overall.

Our measurements with the X-Rite i1pro 2 colorimeter and CalMAN software reveal that red tones are displayed somewhat weakly, while blue tones come across too strong. The average DeltaE deviation of 7.17 in mixed colors is a little too high, and the colors tend to have a slight greenish-yellow cast. The gamma value of 2.5 and color temperature of 10,363 K are much too high. At 7.42, the average DeltaE deviation in the grayscale is also higher than it ought to be. The grayscale is shrouded with a distinct blue cast. Even so, subjectively and in everyday use, these deficits will be hardly noticeable.

In principle, the maximum brightness of 352 cd/m² is easily strong enough for outdoor use, but the lack of an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness control and the highly reflective display surface are both limiting factors here.

The panel's IPS technology guarantees a high degree of viewing-angle stability -- only at extreme viewing angles does the brightness diminish somewhat. Though IPS technology causes dark images to glow a little, this is hardly noticeable in everyday use.

Performance

The LG L70 is equipped with a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8210 SoC with a clock frequency of 1.2 GHz, an integrated Adreno 302 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. This is a lower entry-level SoC, which explains why the smartphone's application performance is not exactly what you would call exceptional.

Compared to other members of its class, our test device comes in substantially behind its competitors in almost every benchmark. The only exceptions are the Huawei Ascend G610 and the Kazam Thunder Q4.5, which the LG L70 outstrips in some tests. However, in the AndroBench 3 storage test, our test device does quite well. Not good: Though apps can be stored on the microSD card, because the 1.41 GB of internal storage available to the user proves to be straight-up puny, larger applications cannot even be downloaded in the first place.

3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG L70	4289 Points ∼4%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	6150 Points ∼5% +43%
Huawei Ascend G610	8140 Points ∼7% +90%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	8022 Points ∼7% +87%
LG L40	4322 Points ∼4% +1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG L70	3545 Points ∼0%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	4068 Points ∼0% +15%
Huawei Ascend G610	1834 Points ∼0% -48%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2450 Points ∼0% -31%
LG L40	3678 Points ∼0% +4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG L70	3687 Points ∼1%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	4399 Points ∼1% +19%
Huawei Ascend G610	2215 Points ∼1% -40%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2897 Points ∼1% -21%
LG L40	3804 Points ∼1% +3%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Physics (sort by value)
LG L70	4033 Points ∼3%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	6229 Points ∼5% +54%
Huawei Ascend G610	7893 Points ∼7% +96%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	7902 Points ∼7% +96%
LG L90	7655 Points ∼6% +90%
LG L40	4031 Points ∼3% 0%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
LG L70	1995 Points ∼0%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	2392 Points ∼0% +20%
Huawei Ascend G610	1067 Points ∼0% -47%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	1691 Points ∼0% -15%
LG L90	2457 Points ∼0% +23%
LG L40	2033 Points ∼0% +2%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Score (sort by value)
LG L70	2247 Points ∼1%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	2771 Points ∼1% +23%
Huawei Ascend G610	1321 Points ∼0% -41%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2049 Points ∼1% -9%
LG L90	2894 Points ∼1% +29%
LG L40	2285 Points ∼1% +2%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Physics (sort by value)
LG L70	4062 Points ∼3%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	6279 Points ∼5% +55%
Huawei Ascend G610	8145 Points ∼7% +101%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	7811 Points ∼6% +92%
LG L90	7606 Points ∼6% +87%
LG L40	4023 Points ∼3% -1%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics (sort by value)
LG L70	4304 Points ∼1%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	5237 Points ∼1% +22%
Huawei Ascend G610	2333 Points ∼0% -46%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2636 Points ∼0% -39%
LG L90	5388 Points ∼1% +25%
LG L40	4482 Points ∼1% +4%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
LG L70	4248 Points ∼1%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	5438 Points ∼2% +28%
Huawei Ascend G610	2773 Points ∼1% -35%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	3091 Points ∼1% -27%
LG L90	5761 Points ∼2% +36%
LG L40	4371 Points ∼1% +3%

AnTuTu v4 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG L70	12951 Points ∼30%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	17360 Points ∼40% +34%
Huawei Ascend G610	13783 Points ∼32% +6%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	17349 Points ∼40% +34%
LG L90	17147 Points ∼40% +32%
LG L40	13137 Points ∼31% +1%

Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG L70	608 Points ∼1%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	1169 Points ∼1% +92%
Huawei Ascend G610	1049 Points ∼1% +73%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	1153 Points ∼1% +90%
LG L90	1129 Points ∼1% +86%
LG L40	603 Points ∼1% -1%
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG L70	325 Points ∼6%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	341 Points ∼7% +5%
Huawei Ascend G610	322 Points ∼6% -1%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	353 Points ∼7% +9%
LG L90	342 Points ∼7% +5%
LG L40	325 Points ∼6% 0%

PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1
System (sort by value)
LG L70	1738 Points ∼5%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	2414 Points ∼7% +39%
Huawei Ascend G610	2125 Points ∼6% +22%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2360 Points ∼7% +36%
LG L90	2212 Points ∼6% +27%
LG L40	1759 Points ∼5% +1%
CPU Tests (sort by value)
LG L70	3466 Points ∼0%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	7468 Points ∼1% +115%
Huawei Ascend G610	8348 Points ∼1% +141%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	9807 Points ∼1% +183%
LG L90	6912 Points ∼1% +99%
LG L40	3479 Points ∼0% 0%
Disk Tests (sort by value)
LG L70	3948 Points ∼2%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	9223 Points ∼5% +134%
Huawei Ascend G610	3455 Points ∼2% -12%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	9119 Points ∼5% +131%
LG L90	7878 Points ∼4% +100%
LG L40	5026 Points ∼3% +27%
Memory Tests (sort by value)
LG L70	1498 Points ∼0%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	1724 Points ∼0% +15%
Huawei Ascend G610	1639 Points ∼0% +9%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	1834 Points ∼0% +22%
LG L90	1842 Points ∼0% +23%
LG L40	1629 Points ∼0% +9%
2D Graphics Tests (sort by value)
LG L70	2199 Points ∼2%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	2448 Points ∼2% +11%
Huawei Ascend G610	2366 Points ∼2% +8%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2363 Points ∼2% +7%
LG L90	2441 Points ∼2% +11%
LG L40	2780 Points ∼3% +26%
3D Graphics Tests (sort by value)
LG L70	591 Points ∼1%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	765 Points ∼1% +29%
Huawei Ascend G610	668 Points ∼1% +13%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	678 Points ∼1% +15%
LG L90	646 Points ∼1% +9%
LG L40	540 Points ∼1% -9%

AndroBench 3-5
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
LG L70	0.63 MB/s ∼0%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	2.52 MB/s ∼0% +300%
Huawei Ascend G610	0.55 MB/s ∼0% -13%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	0.3 MB/s ∼0% -52%
LG L90	0.48 MB/s ∼0% -24%
LG L40	0.77 MB/s ∼0% +22%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
LG L70	9.83 MB/s ∼2%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	13.61 MB/s ∼3% +38%
Huawei Ascend G610	11.99 MB/s ∼2% +22%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	12.1 MB/s ∼2% +23%
LG L90	14.6 MB/s ∼3% +49%
LG L40	9.87 MB/s ∼2% 0%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
LG L70	6.82 MB/s ∼0%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	12.54 MB/s ∼0% +84%
Huawei Ascend G610	7.13 MB/s ∼0% +5%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	5 MB/s ∼0% -27%
LG L90	7.72 MB/s ∼0% +13%
LG L40	9.91 MB/s ∼0% +45%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
LG L70	53.1 MB/s ∼1%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	103.3 MB/s ∼2% +95%
Huawei Ascend G610	47.35 MB/s ∼1% -11%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	40.4 MB/s ∼1% -24%
LG L90	90.3 MB/s ∼2% +70%
LG L40	57.9 MB/s ∼1% +9%

Legend

LG L70 Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210, Qualcomm Adreno 302, 4 GB Flash

Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032 Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226, Qualcomm Adreno 305, 8 GB SSD

Huawei Ascend G610 Mediatek MT6589, PowerVR SGX544, 4 GB Flash

Kazam Thunder Q4.5 Mediatek MT6582, ARM Mali-400 MP2, 4 GB Flash

LG L90 Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226, Qualcomm Adreno 305, 8 GB SSD

LG L40 Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210, Qualcomm Adreno 302, 4 GB Flash

Nokia Lumia 630 Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226, Qualcomm Adreno 305, 8 GB eMMC Flash

The tables turn in the browser-based benchmarks, as the LG L70 is strong here and can hold its own against the competition at large. In everyday use, our test device's surf performance is good.

Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG L70	16461 ms * ∼19%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	15699 ms * ∼18% +5%
LG L90	15101 ms * ∼18% +8%
LG L40	16366 ms * ∼19% +1%
Nokia Lumia 630	25790 ms * ∼30% -57%

Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG L70	1746 Points ∼2%
Huawei Ascend G610	1403 Points ∼1% -20%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2117 Points ∼2% +21%
LG L90	1905 Points ∼2% +9%
LG L40	0 Points ∼0% -100%
Nokia Lumia 630	1085 Points ∼1% -38%

Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
LG L70	643 Points ∼10%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	488 Points ∼8% -24%
Huawei Ascend G610	554 Points ∼9% -14%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	610 Points ∼10% -5%
LG L90	689 Points ∼11% +7%
LG L40	0 Points ∼0% -100%

Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
LG L70	1170 ms * ∼13%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	1414 ms * ∼16% -21%
Huawei Ascend G610	1569 ms * ∼17% -34%
LG L90	1097 ms * ∼12% +6%
LG L40	613 ms * ∼7% +48%
Nokia Lumia 630	1412 ms * ∼15% -21%

WebXPRT 2013
Offline Notes (sort by value)
LG L70	2485 ms * ∼52%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	2074 ms * ∼43% +17%
Huawei Ascend G610	3016 ms * ∼63% -21%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2126 ms * ∼44% +14%
LG L40	2420 ms * ∼50% +3%
Nokia Lumia 630	2738 ms * ∼57% -10%
Stocks Dashboard (sort by value)
LG L70	2379 ms * ∼64%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	2219 ms * ∼59% +7%
Huawei Ascend G610	2299 ms * ∼61% +3%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2222 ms * ∼59% +7%
LG L40	2392 ms * ∼64% -1%
Nokia Lumia 630	2429 ms * ∼65% -2%
Face Detection (sort by value)
LG L70	5098 ms * ∼42%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	3046 ms * ∼25% +40%
Huawei Ascend G610	6294 ms * ∼52% -23%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	2898 ms * ∼24% +43%
LG L40	5365 ms * ∼44% -5%
Nokia Lumia 630	5885 ms * ∼49% -15%
Photo Effects (sort by value)
LG L70	1970 ms * ∼22%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	1700 ms * ∼19% +14%
Huawei Ascend G610	1991 ms * ∼22% -1%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	1639 ms * ∼18% +17%
LG L40	2333 ms * ∼26% -18%
Nokia Lumia 630	2075 ms * ∼23% -5%
Overall Score (sort by value)
LG L70	150 Points ∼7%
Motorola Moto G 1. Gen XT1032	188 Points ∼8% +25%
Huawei Ascend G610	136 Points ∼6% -9%
Kazam Thunder Q4.5	191 Points ∼8% +27%
LG L40	143 Points ∼6% -5%
Nokia Lumia 630	138 Points ∼6% -8%

* ... smaller is better

Games

Because the LG L70's SoC is only an entry-level card with an integrated Qualcomm Adreno 302 graphics processor, it is incapable of running games that demand high graphics performance, but it can still handle a game here or there. Additionally, both the touchscreen and the position and acceleration sensors always function reliably.

...Dead Trigger 2 run well with very few delays.

Emissions

Temperature

Short and sweet: At surface temperatures of about 30 °C (86 °F) in both idle mode and under full load, with a maximum temperature of 36 °C (96.8 °F) in one spot, the LG L70 shows how to keep cool.

Max. Load

Idle


34.3 °C 94 F	29.9 °C 86 F	27.4 °C 81 F
36 °C 97 F	30.9 °C 88 F	27.8 °C 82 F
33.6 °C 92 F	29.6 °C 85 F	27.2 °C 81 F

Maximum: 36 °C = 97 F
Average: 30.7 °C = 87 F


26.4 °C 80 F	28.7 °C 84 F	33.5 °C 92 F
26.4 °C 80 F	29.5 °C 85 F	34.6 °C 94 F
27 °C 81 F	30.2 °C 86 F	32 °C 90 F

Maximum: 34.6 °C = 94 F
Average: 29.8 °C = 86 F

Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-350

(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.7 °C / 87 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 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 55.8 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.5 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Unlike the LG L40, the L70 has an extra mono speaker on its backside. But even so, the smartphone's sound is dominated by high tones and lacks bass, while its mid-tones sound distant. The device outputs sound via the 3.5 mm jack plug at a high maximum volume with a relatively low level of background noise.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Like the L40, the LG L70 uses very little energy. Its energy consumption rate lies between 0.4 and 1.1 Watts in idle mode, and it reaches a maximum of 2.2 Watts under load. These numbers are in some cases considerably lower than the consumption rates we recorded when we tested the smartphone's competitors, including the Huawei Ascend G610, Kazam Thunder Q4.5, Motorola Moto G, Nokia Lumina 630 and the LG L90. These results bode well for the device's battery life.

Power Consumption

Off / Standby	0 / 0.1 Watt
Idle	0.4 / 0.9 / 1.1 Watt
Load	2 / 2.2 Watt


Key: min: , med: , max: Voltcraft VC 940 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.

Battery Life

The LG L70 is equipped with a 7.98 Wh / 2100 mAh removable battery. Compared to the rest of the competition, only the LG L90 and the Huawei Ascend G610 offer more here. In our WLAN test, with the display brightness set to 150 cd/m², our test device kept plugging along for 8:39 hours. This result places the L70 a good way ahead of some of its competitors, but the LG L90, the Nokia Lumia 630 and the Motorola Moto G all leave our test device in the rearview mirror. Under full load, with the Stability Test app running and at maximum display brightness, the L70 peters out after 4:15 hours. Here our smartphone triumphs over all its rivals.

Battery Runtime

WiFi Surfing		8h 39min
Load (maximum brightness)		4h 15min

Verdict

A smartphone in the 200 Euros (~$270) price class simply cannot have everything. But let's start from the beginning and weigh the pros and cons of LG's light, compact smartphone.

The LG L70 is stable, cleanly manufactured, and composed of well-selected materials -- which is not true of every device in this class. Additionally, the smartphone is outfitted with a genuinely bright IPS panel with stable viewing angles and respectable color reproduction. Unfortunately, the fact that the brightness sinks when the system is under high levels of load is twice as bad in conjunction with the reflective display surface. Together, these two factors limit outdoor use. The lack of automatic brightness regulation, however, is easily sufferable.

Overlaid with LG's Easy UI, the current version of Android's 4.4.2 KitKat operating system looks quite nice. Software features like Knock-On make the user experience even more agreeable. Because the device's operation is so intuitive, even first-time smartphone users will learn the ropes quickly. The entry-level SoC from Qualcomm is no skyrocket of a processor, but it offers enough performance for most tasks under every level of load. Thanks to the device's long-lasting and swappable battery, the smartphone can keep performing for quite some time. Also, the LG L70 always keeps a cool head.

The camera modules and speaker are definitely less satisfactory. But those problems fade into the background behind the smartphone's biggest deficits: Its speech quality is below average, and its internal storage space is much too small. Though it is possible to save apps and media files on a microSD card, 1.41 GB of available storage space is simply too little. With this space limitation, some apps cannot be installed in the first place. We docked the LG L70 a percentage point for this shortcoming.

As you can see, our verdict is mixed. At a recommended retail price of 200 Euros (~$270) in 2014, what the LG L70 has to offer is simply not quite enough. Competitors like the Motorola Moto G or the LG L90 offer considerably more and cost the same or nearly the same.

Read all 1 comments / answer

Loading Comments

Comment on this article

Please share our article, every link counts!

In Review: LG L70. Review model courtesy of LG.

Download your licensed rating image as PNG / SVG

Specifications

LG L70 (L Series)

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210 2 x 1.2 GHz, Cortex-A7

Graphics adapter

Qualcomm Adreno 302

Memory

1024 MB

, LP DDR2

Display

4.50 inch 16:9, 800 x 480 pixel, Capacitive, Multitouch, IPS, glossy: yes

Storage

4 GB Flash, 4 GB

, 1.41 GB free

Connections

1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: MicroSD (up to 64 GB), Sensors: A-GPS/GPS, Acceleration sensor, Proximity sensor, Digital compass

Networking

802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 3.0, GSM quadband (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS dualband (900/2100), Wireless standards: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, Bandwidth (download/upload): 21Mbps/5.76Mbps (UMTS)

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 9.57 x 127.2 x 66.8 ( = 0.38 x 5.01 x 2.63 in)

Battery

8 Wh Lithium-Ion, 2100 mAh, 3.8 V, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 480 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 480 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 460 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 460 h

Operating System

Android 4.4 KitKat

Camera

Webcam: Main camera: 5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, 4x digital zoom, LED flash, Videos in WVGA at 800x480 pixels; Front camera: 0.3 MP

Additional features

Speakers: Mono speaker, Keyboard: Virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, FM Radio, KnockCode, QSlide 2.5, Easy UI+, Guest Mode, QuickMemo, ThinkFreeViewer, LG Smartworld, RemoteCall Service, Intelligent Display, 24 Months Warranty

Weight

126 g ( = 4.44 oz / 0.28 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)

Price

200 Euro

Links

LG homepage
LG notebook section

[+] Add to comparison

» Compare devices

In review: The LG L70 smartphone, available in white...

The manufacturing quality is very good...

The main camera on the backside has a resolution of 5 megapixels.

The display measures 4.5-inches and has a resolution of 800x480 pixels.

Thanks to the panel's IPS technology, the display's viewing angles are very stable.

Because the Android system keys are integrated into the frame, the full display is available for image content.

Unfortunately, under high levels of load, the maximum screen brightness drops.

The LG L70 runs the current version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat, polished up with LG's Easy UI.

An optional guest mode allows the master user to set their own limitations on a guest account.

The LG L70 runs on a dual-core SoC from Qualcomm.

For 200 Euros (~$270; recommended retail price), overall the L70 offers a respectable package.

The mono speaker on the backside of the device is mediocre.

The picture is deceptive: LTE/4G is not available on the LG L70.

A good mood theme on the screen; does it prove to be a good smartphone in our tests?

Definitely solid, but not outstanding: The LG L70

Similar Devices

Similar devices from a different Manufacturer

Motorola Moto E Smartphone Review
Adreno 302

Review Huawei Ascend Y530 Smartphone
Adreno 302

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

TrekStor WinPhone 4.7 HD Smartphone Review
Adreno 302, Snapdragon 200 200 MSM8212

LG L Fino Smartphone Review
Adreno 302, Snapdragon 200 200 MSM8212

Devices with the same GPU

LG Joy Smartphone Review
Adreno 302, Snapdragon 200 200 8210, 4.00", 0.127 kg

Microsoft Lumia 532 Smartphone Review
Adreno 302, Snapdragon 200 200 MSM8212, 4.00", 0.136 kg

Microsoft Lumia 435 Smartphone Review
Adreno 302, Snapdragon 200 200 8210, 4.00", 0.134 kg

Price Comparison

Pros
+	Android 4.4.2 KitKat
+	FM radio reception
+	Compact and light
+	Good manufacturing quality
+	Stable case
+	MicroSD storage expansion
+	Removable battery
+	Good battery life
+	Bright IPS display
+	Low energy consumption rates
+	Low surface temperatures
Cons
-	Tiny internal storage space
-	Bad camera module
-	Poor speech quality
-	Mediocre speaker
-	Reduced brightness under high system load

Shortcut

What we like

The long-lasting removable battery and the big IPS display.

What we'd like to see

A little more performance.

What surprises us

The tiny amount of internal storage space.

The competition

Rating

LG L70 - 2014-06-13 06/13/2014 v4^(old)
Michael Moser

Chassis

76%

Keyboard

67 / 75 → 89%

Pointing Device

81%

Connectivity

44 / 60 → 73%

Weight

94%

Battery

90%

Display

81%

Games Performance

52 / 63 → 83%

Application Performance

20 / 70 → 29%

Temperature

90%

Noise

100%

Audio

59 / 91 → 65%

Camera

52%

Add Points

-1%

Average

65%

78%

Smartphone - Weighted Average

Working For Notebookcheck
Are you a techie who knows how to translate? Then join our Team!
Details here

Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks

under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays

Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones

> Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News > Reviews > Archive of our own reviews > LG L70 Smartphone Review

Michael Moser, 2014-06-20 (Update: 2018-05-15)

LG L70 Smartphone Review

Case

Connectivity

Software

Communication & GPS

Telephone Function & Speech Quality

Cameras & Multimedia

Accessories

Warranty

Input Devices & Operation

Display

Performance

Games

Emissions

Temperature

Speakers

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Battery Life

Verdict

Specifications

Similar Devices

More articles related to this device

Links

Price Comparison

Pros

Cons

Shortcut

Rating