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LG Spirit 4G Smartphone Review

Curvy. The LG Spirit is a middle-class Smartphone with a stylish, curvy back. However, unlike its back, the front and, by extension, the display is straight. How does the device match up against the competition? Is it all looks?

For the original German review, see here.

The LG Spirit is a 4.7-inch Smartphone which offers a 720p panel (resolution: 1280x720 pixels) and an 8 MP camera. On paper, this seems to be the best middle-class Smartphone. The LG design includes a curved back, which is available in three different colors, and provides pleasant eye-candy. The controls of the device can be found on the stylish back: volume rocker and standby button. Our test model is equipped with an LTE module, but LG provides a UMTS version as well. The UMTS configuration is cheaper, but only by 20 Euros (~$22).

Let us take a peek at the competition: the metal Samsung Galaxy A3 is a stylish opponent, but it is relatively expensive. Perhaps the HTC Desire 510 or the Acer Liquid E3 E380 will prove to be worthy competitors for our test model? Last but not least, the LG Leon, which may be a close sibling, but is also a fierce rival. How does our test model cope in the face of this multifaceted competition?

LG Spirit
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 4 x 1.4 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
1024 MB 
Display
4.70 inch 16:9, 1280 x 720 pixel, Capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
8 GB eMMC Flash, 8 GB 
, 3.4 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio combo jack, Card Reader: microSD up to 32GB, Sensors: Gyrosensor, Proximity sensor, Compass, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, NFC, UKW-Radio, GPS
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM-Quadband (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS-Triband (850/900/2100), LTE-Pentaband (800/900/1800/2100/2600); Bandwidth (Download/Upload): 150Mbps/50Mbps (LTE), 42Mbps/5.76Mbps (UMTS); SAR-Wert: 0.776W/kg (Head)
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.95 x 133.25 x 66 ( = 0.39 x 5.25 x 2.6 in)
Battery
8 Wh Lithium-Ion, 2,100 mAh, 3.8 Volt, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 6.7 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 11.5 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 470 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 500 h
Operating System
Android 5.0 Lollipop
Camera
Webcam: 1.0MP (front); 8.0MP, AF, LED flash, Videos @1080p/30fps (rear)
Additional features
Speakers: Speaker on the back, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, Headset, micro-USB cavke, charger, Remote Call Service, LG SmartWorld, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
120 g ( = 4.23 oz / 0.26 pounds), Power Supply: 47 g ( = 1.66 oz / 0.1 pounds)
Price
200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The case is primarily composed of synthetic materials, which is reasonable, considering the price. The curved back is available in gold or dark-gray/metallic. The UMTS version is available with a white back. Although the back may change, the front remains a constant black. Thankfully, the rear cover is removable, which would present users with the opportunity to swap around the colorful backs to suit their mood, should LG choose ever to sell them separately. The removable battery, micro-SIM and microSD slots are easily accessible under the back cover of the device.

The cover hugs the front of the device, but is easy to take off. The back deforms slightly when pressured, which can cause distortions on the screen. Overall, we feel the LG Spirit is a sturdy device, as the case proved resistant during testing.

At 10 mm (~0.4 in) thick, the device is quite thick. The curvy back helps a little and makes the Smartphone looks a little slimmer. The back should offer a better grip, but thanks to the 4.7-inch form factor, the LG Spirit lies snugly in our hands. The device is easy to operate even with small hands.

139.9 mm / 5.51 inch 69.8 mm / 2.75 inch 9.99 mm / 0.3933 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs138 mm / 5.43 inch 69 mm / 2.72 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 135 g0.2976 lbs133.25 mm / 5.25 inch 66 mm / 2.6 inch 9.95 mm / 0.3917 inch 120 g0.2646 lbs129.9 mm / 5.11 inch 64.9 mm / 2.56 inch 10.99 mm / 0.4327 inch 120 g0.2646 lbs130.1 mm / 5.12 inch 65.5 mm / 2.58 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 110 g0.2425 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The Snapdragon 410 SoC places the LG Spirit at the top of the middle-class. We are happy to see the device also has NFC and a built-in FM radio. 8 GB storage is too little but is reasonable considering the price. The device can only support microSD cards up to 32 GB.

left: no ports
left: no ports
right: no ports
right: no ports
top: 3.5 mm audio combo jack
top: 3.5 mm audio combo jack
bottom: micro-USB
bottom: micro-USB

Software

We are happy to report that the Smartphone runs on Android 5.0.1 and the manufacturer has not made any major changes to the vanilla Google OS. Furthermore, the device does not come loaded with a mountain of preinstalled Apps. On the one hand, there will be a distinct lack of niche, yet interesting Apps. On the other hand, the device has a lot more free storage space to offer the user thanks to the absence of Bloatware.

For years now, LG has been running a RemoteCall Service App, which allows LG service employees to remotely test the device and repair it. User consent is required to run this App on our model. In addition, the LG App Store "SmartWorld" was found on our device.

Communication & GPS 

Our test model, the LG Spirit 4G, operates on LTE networks and is capable of achieving up to 150 MB/s per download and 50 MB/s per upload. 5 LTE, 3 UMTS and 4 GSM frequencies are supported, which makes our test model an ideal candidate, even for use in foreign countries. The reception of the E-Plus LTE network on our device was decent, both indoors and outdoors.

The WLAN module supports networks with the 802.11 b/g/n standards and can operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency. The reception quality is average: at ten meters (~33 feet) from the router and through three walls, the Wi-Fi bars of our device drop to half. When loading websites, the browser has a little lag. This effect is exacerbated as the distance between the device and router increases.

GPS reception indoors
GPS reception indoors
GPS reception outdoors
GPS reception outdoors

The GPS module of our test model could not locate us indoors, but outdoors it found enough satellites to calculate an approximate position. The accuracy of the module is decent: up to 12 meters (~39 feet). We took the GPS for a bike ride and, for comparison, we used a professional navigation GPS, the Garmin eTrex 30. 

During this test, the measurements of our device were off by 10 meters at most (~33 feet / in comparison to the Garmin), which is quite good. When we were at the crossing of a train line, the Garmin eTrex 30 was far more accurate and the same is true when we drove along the river or in the forest. We found it annoying (but not surprising) that both navigation devices place us floating on the water instead of riding along the bank of the river. Overall, the GPS of the LG Spirit does a decent job, but, as expected, it cannot compete with a professional GPS in terms of accuracy.

GPS Garmin eTrex 30 – overall
GPS Garmin eTrex 30 – overall
GPS Garmin eTrex 30 – crossing
GPS Garmin eTrex 30 – crossing
GPS Garmin eTrex 30 – forest
GPS Garmin eTrex 30 – forest
GPS LG Spirit – overall
GPS LG Spirit – overall
GPS LG Spirit – crossing
GPS LG Spirit – crossing
GPS LG Spirit – forest
GPS LG Spirit – forest

Telephone & Speech Quality

The telephone App has been tweaked by LG a little and we feel it looks more stylish than the standard Android 5 offering. The LG tweak offers a variety of extra features: next to the dial pad, the user has icons for call lists, contacts, favorites and groups. The dial pad can be resized and the aforementioned icons can be adjusted.

The audio quality of the speaker is decent: it may sound a little dull, but it is acceptable. If you raise the volume to 100%, the sound is very distorted and the caller is hard to understand. The microphone is a little dull, which makes our voice sound a little distant.

Front Camera
Front Camera

Cameras & Multimedia

The rear camera has a decent resolution of 8 MP and it supports auto-focus and LED flash. The camera module is capable of recording in Full HD at 30 pictures per second. The quality of the videos is decent, even when captured in poor lighting. And the photos? The colors are vibrant in good lighting, but zooming in reveals the washed-out details and blurry edges. High-quality cameras, like those in the Nokia Lumina 930, offer strong colors and sharp pictures despite weak lighting and boast little to no blurring.

The 1 MP front camera takes poor-quality pictures (as expected). In weak lighting, pictures suffer from blurring. However, it is appropriate for the occasional Selfie.

Image Comparison

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

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories

LG offers a run-of-the-mill package: a handy USB adapter, a micro USB cable and a headset. The audio quality of the headset is decent. Although, the manufacturer does not offer any special accessories for the LG Spirit, it does offer plenty of general accessories, like portable printers or additional batteries.

Warranty

The warranty of the device lasts 24 months and the accessories are insured for 12 months.

Input Devices & Interface

LG has made some changes to the keyboard of the Smartphone as well: instead of the standard Android fare, the user will be greeted by the LG keyboard. Sadly, the user will not have the option of switching to the Google standard keyboard. The LG keyboard offers a good typing experience and a plenitude of settings: height adjustment, speech commands and customization of the bottom row of keys. However, some users will feel that the LG keyboard is uncomfortably cluttered with icons and would prefer to use the original Google keyboard. The Play Store offers many alternatives to the preinstalled keyboard of our test model.

The touchscreen is very precise, even in the corners. Multi-touch gestures are reliably recognized and executed. LG offers interesting gesture controls: such as putting the phone in silent mode by turning it on its display or waking the device from standby with a double tap. As mentioned at the start of the review, the volume rocker and standby button are on the posterior of the Smartphone, which is practical, unless the device is lying on its back.

Portrait keyboard
Portrait keyboard
Landscape keyboard
Landscape keyboard

Display

The 4.7-inch panel of the device boasts a resolution of 1280x720 pixels in a 16:9 format. An average brightness of 347.9 cd/m² places our device in the middle of the pack. At 92%, the illumination is very balanced. We did not notice varying brightness levels in different areas of the panel.

349
cd/m²
358
cd/m²
354
cd/m²
339
cd/m²
359
cd/m²
343
cd/m²
342
cd/m²
355
cd/m²
332
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 359 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 347.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 359 cd/m²
Contrast: 780:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.17 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.35
LG Spirit
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
LG Leon LGH340N
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy A3
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 16 GB eMMC Flash
HTC Desire 510
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB SSD
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
SGX544, MT6589, 16 GB SSD
Screen
4%
28%
-39%
3%
Brightness middle
359
326
-9%
434
21%
355
-1%
483
35%
Brightness
348
323
-7%
433
24%
371
7%
460
32%
Brightness Distribution
92
81
-12%
96
4%
80
-13%
90
-2%
Black Level *
0.46
0.36
22%
0.37
20%
0.63
-37%
Contrast
780
906
16%
959
23%
767
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.17
4.81
7%
2.98
42%
12.13
-135%
4.32
16%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.4
4.82
11%
2.68
50%
14.77
-174%
6.39
-18%
Gamma
2.35 94%
2.03 108%
2.44 90%
2.42 91%
2.26 97%
CCT
7168 91%
7288 89%
6603 98%
17097 38%
7091 92%

* ... smaller is better

The black value and contrast of the device are decent: the black surfaces are lit up at 0.46 cd/m². There is a discrepancy in brightness between the center of the panel and its borders, but dark content is displayed well enough. The contrast of 780:1 ensures reasonably strong colors.

In our test, we use a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software. We noticed an omnipresent, slight blue tinge, which is barely visible to the eye. We also noticed a strong deviation of bright gray tints from the ideal values of the sRGB color spectrum, whereas nearly no deviation was found in the darker tones. Overall, the average deviation is 5.4 for the gray levels and 5.17 for the colors.

CalMAN Color Accuracy
CalMAN Color Accuracy
CalMAN Saturation sRGB
CalMAN Saturation sRGB
CalMAN Gray Levels
CalMAN Gray Levels
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Saturation

The decent brightness would allow us comfortable use outdoors, were it not for the glossy panel. The user should definitely avoid direct sunlight as this will render all content illegible. However, if you can find a shaded area or work indoors, you will be happy with the LG Spirit 4G.

The IPS technology ensures great viewing angles from all sides.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 processor ensures middle-class performance with its 4 cores and 1.4 GHz clock speed. New Apps should not have any issues with the resolution of the device. Sometimes the system lags or stutters briefly.

Geekbench 3
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
465 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
443 Points -5%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
1401 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
1350 Points -4%
Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
LG Spirit
100 MFLOPS
LG Leon LGH340N
0 MFLOPS -100%
HTC Desire 510
105.7 MFLOPS +6%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
LG Spirit
196 MFLOPS
LG Leon LGH340N
0 MFLOPS -100%
HTC Desire 510
259.5 MFLOPS +32%
AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
21146 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
22186 Points +5%
HTC Desire 510
20041 Points -5%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
LG Spirit
498 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
457 Points -8%
HTC Desire 510
479 Points -4%
System (sort by value)
LG Spirit
1050 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
1023 Points -3%
HTC Desire 510
790 Points -25%
Memory (sort by value)
LG Spirit
312 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
21 Points -93%
HTC Desire 510
234 Points -25%
Graphics (sort by value)
LG Spirit
311 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
313 Points +1%
HTC Desire 510
367 Points +18%
Web (sort by value)
LG Spirit
603 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
625 Points +4%
HTC Desire 510
778 Points +29%

Legend

 
LG Spirit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG Leon LGH340N Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC Desire 510 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 8 GB SSD
 
Acer Liquid E3 / E380 Mediatek MT6589, PowerVR SGX544, 16 GB SSD

The LG Spirit is as fast as any other competitor is when surfing the web. The Samsung Galaxy A3 can not offer a tangible boost in speed, despite having a higher price point. In fact, all our devices load pages quickly and we never had issues with navigation.

WebXPRT 2013
Overall (sort by value)
LG Spirit
219 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
223 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy A3
195 Points -11%
HTC Desire 510
200 Points -9%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
151 Points -31%
Photo Effects (sort by value)
LG Spirit
1194 ms *
LG Leon LGH340N
1190 ms * -0%
Samsung Galaxy A3
1533 ms * -28%
HTC Desire 510
1423 ms * -19%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2681 ms * -125%
Face Detection (sort by value)
LG Spirit
2592 ms *
LG Leon LGH340N
2521 ms * +3%
Samsung Galaxy A3
3068 ms * -18%
HTC Desire 510
3134 ms * -21%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
3718 ms * -43%
Stocks Dashboard (sort by value)
LG Spirit
2101 ms *
LG Leon LGH340N
2044 ms * +3%
Samsung Galaxy A3
2138 ms * -2%
HTC Desire 510
2080 ms * +1%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2466 ms * -17%
Offline Notes (sort by value)
LG Spirit
1969 ms *
LG Leon LGH340N
1949 ms * +1%
Samsung Galaxy A3
2027 ms * -3%
HTC Desire 510
2016 ms * -2%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2360 ms * -20%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
1498 ms *
LG Leon LGH340N
1509 ms * -1%
Samsung Galaxy A3
1330 ms * +11%
HTC Desire 510
1265 ms * +16%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
1434 ms * +4%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
2961 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
2901 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A3
2782 Points -6%
HTC Desire 510
2717 Points -8%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
1839 Points -38%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
LG Spirit
20618 ms *
LG Leon LGH340N
13698 ms * +34%
Samsung Galaxy A3
13998 ms * +32%
HTC Desire 510
14332 ms * +30%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
17170 ms * +17%
Vellamo 3.x
Browser (sort by value)
LG Spirit
1929 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
1994 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy A3
2067 Points +7%
HTC Desire 510
2139 Points +11%
Multicore Beta (sort by value)
LG Spirit
1162 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
1164 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy A3
1135 Points -2%
HTC Desire 510
1226 Points +6%
Metal (sort by value)
LG Spirit
783 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
720 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy A3
878 Points +12%
HTC Desire 510
767 Points -2%
Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
2883 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
2882 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy A3
2832 Points -2%
HTC Desire 510
2759 Points -4%

* ... smaller is better

The 8 GB storage of the LG Spirit is quite fast and it is only surpassed by the internal flash memory of the Galaxy A3. Sadly, the OS and preinstalled Apps will take most of the limited space and leave the user with 3.4 GB.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
LG Spirit
129 MB/s
LG Leon LGH340N
97.1 MB/s -25%
Samsung Galaxy A3
132 MB/s +2%
HTC Desire 510
86.2 MB/s -33%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
63.8 MB/s -51%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
LG Spirit
21 MB/s
LG Leon LGH340N
7.04 MB/s -66%
Samsung Galaxy A3
71 MB/s +238%
HTC Desire 510
7.29 MB/s -65%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
22.34 MB/s +6%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
LG Spirit
15 MB/s
LG Leon LGH340N
8.65 MB/s -42%
Samsung Galaxy A3
11 MB/s -27%
HTC Desire 510
8.55 MB/s -43%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
13.82 MB/s -8%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
LG Spirit
3 MB/s
LG Leon LGH340N
1.08 MB/s -64%
Samsung Galaxy A3
6 MB/s +100%
HTC Desire 510
1.05 MB/s -65%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
0.96 MB/s -68%

The LG Spirit incorporates the Qualcomm Adreno 306 graphics chip. As the chip is found in most competitors, our test model is on par with its competition. The Acer Liquid E3 is a clear exception, as it lags far behind in our tests. During the onscreen tests, the higher resolution of our device, translated into a lower performance and allowed the LG Leon and the Samsung Galaxy A3 to surpass it.

3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
5295 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
5417 Points +2%
HTC Desire 510
5419 Points +2%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2988 Points -44%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics (sort by value)
LG Spirit
4768 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
4915 Points +3%
HTC Desire 510
4882 Points +2%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2529 Points -47%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Physics (sort by value)
LG Spirit
8631 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
8436 Points -2%
HTC Desire 510
8812 Points +2%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
8197 Points -5%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
2628 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
2646 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A3
2646 Points +1%
HTC Desire 510
2640 Points 0%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
1498 Points -43%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
LG Spirit
2190 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
2206 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A3
2207 Points +1%
HTC Desire 510
2197 Points 0%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
1216 Points -44%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Physics (sort by value)
LG Spirit
8739 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
8760 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy A3
8700 Points 0%
HTC Desire 510
8993 Points +3%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
8002 Points -8%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
4387 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
4585 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy A3
4505 Points +3%
HTC Desire 510
4626 Points +5%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2564 Points -42%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG Spirit
3822 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
3993 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy A3
3939 Points +3%
HTC Desire 510
4037 Points +6%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2140 Points -44%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG Spirit
9090 Points
LG Leon LGH340N
9536 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy A3
9071 Points 0%
HTC Desire 510
9458 Points +4%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
8383 Points -8%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
LG Spirit
9.6 fps
LG Leon LGH340N
15 fps +56%
Samsung Galaxy A3
13 fps +35%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
4.8 fps -50%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
LG Spirit
5.2 fps
LG Leon LGH340N
5.3 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy A3
5.3 fps +2%
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
2.8 fps -46%
GFXBench 3.0 - on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
LG Spirit
3.9 fps
LG Leon LGH340N
8.2 fps +110%
Samsung Galaxy A3
6.4 fps +64%
HTC Desire 510
8.4 fps +115%

Games

When running demanding games, like "Asphalt 8: Airborne", the user will notice that the high resolution is both a blessing and a curse. Such demanding games will not run fluidly at high details, whereas, simpler games, like "Angry Birds" or "Candy Crush", will provide a far smoother experience.

"Asphalt 8" does not run fluidly at high details.
"Asphalt 8" does not run fluidly at high details.

Emissions

GFXBench Battery test
GFXBench Battery test

Temperature

The temperatures of the LG Spirit remain within reasonable limits. At load, the device hits a maximum temperature of 36.4 degrees Celsius (97.52 Fahrenheit) around the headpiece, which can be quite uncomfortable. Overall, the heating is not an issue.

While idling, the Smartphone barely heats up and stays at 31.8 degrees Celsius (89.24 Fahrenheit). Once again, the maximum temperature was measured at the front of the device (in the bottom half).

The battery test of GFXBench allows us to check if the system has to throttle its hardware after long periods of load. The test repeats the same graphics benchmark 30 times and measures the frame rate. The performance stays constant for our test model throughout, which means that there is no threat of throttling.

Max. Load
 35.9 °C
97 F
36.2 °C
97 F
33.4 °C
92 F
 
 36.4 °C
98 F
36.4 °C
98 F
34.1 °C
93 F
 
 35.8 °C
96 F
36.1 °C
97 F
33.4 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 36.4 °C = 98 F
Average: 35.3 °C = 96 F
29.9 °C
86 F
30.7 °C
87 F
36 °C
97 F
30.2 °C
86 F
31.3 °C
88 F
35.9 °C
97 F
29.4 °C
85 F
30.9 °C
88 F
33.5 °C
92 F
Maximum: 36 °C = 97 F
Average: 32 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  37.7 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.3 °C / 96 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 36.4 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.2 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

The placement of the speaker on the back of the Smartphone is suboptimal, as the sound output will be noticeably reduced. All-in-all, this is a good speaker for the price: loud, yet balanced sound. It even incorporates a little bass. The user will enjoy occasionally watching videos or listening to music on the device.

We do not like the provided headset, as its sound is very thin. The 3.5 mm audio jack provides good sound output.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Unfortunately, the LG Spirit did not provide us with any useful data during our test and, as such, we must rely on the result of the battery life tests for a rough picture of the energy management of the test model.

Battery Life

The battery life of the LG Spirit 4G is very good: the device can surf more than 11 hours with the WLAN module. The user can watch movies comfortably and can extend the battery life by using the right App. If we use the device sparingly for basic functions now and then, it will last a good 20 hours. This places our model ahead of the Samsung Galaxy A3, which also has a good battery life. The discrepancy in run times is obvious if one considers the larger 8 Wh battery of the LG Spirit 4G.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
20h 05min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 14min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 25min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 23min
LG Spirit
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
LG Leon LGH340N
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy A3
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 16 GB eMMC Flash
HTC Desire 510
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB SSD
Acer Liquid E3 / E380
SGX544, MT6589, 16 GB SSD
Battery Runtime
-22%
1%
18%
-3%
Reader / Idle
1205
862
-28%
1080
-10%
1280
6%
H.264
685
602
-12%
WiFi v1.3
674
381
-43%
Load
203
215
6%
256
26%
262
29%
197
-3%
WiFi
410
568
570
424

Pros

+ Ergonomic, curvy back
+ Sturdy case
+ Removable battery
+ Long battery life
+ Latest Android
+ Does not heat up too much
+ Decent speakers
+ Great resolution
+ Rear camera takes good pictures
+ Fast LTE

Cons

- Too little storage
- Modest speech quality
- Slight blue tinge
- OS stutters now and then

Verdict

In review: LG Spirit. Test model provided by cyberport.de
In review: LG Spirit. Test model provided by cyberport.de

The LG Spirit is a good middle-class package: cheap, suitable performance, a stylish yet ergonomic case and a decent, high-resolution panel. The battery life is quite long and the temperature emissions are low. The interface is good and the manufacturer has not made major changes to the Android 5.0.1 OS. We like the case as well, as it is sturdy and the back is removable.

However, there are some flaws that dampen our enthusiasm: why does the speakerphone have such strong distortions at maximum volume? Why is the storage so limited? Furthermore, the OS occasionally lags and we would like a better grip on the back.

All-in-all, this is a cheap, middle-class Smartphone with LTE. For its price, the performance is decent and the screen is good.

LG Spirit - 05/13/2015 v4(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
81%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
45 / 60 → 75%
Weight
95%
Battery
93%
Display
82%
Games Performance
54 / 63 → 86%
Application Performance
24 / 70 → 34%
Temperature
90%
Noise
100%
Audio
55 / 91 → 60%
Camera
70%
Average
73%
83%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Florian Wimmer, 2015-05-19 (Update: 2018-05-15)