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LG X Screen Smartphone Review

Two for a better view? LG's X screen is equipped with two screens for little money. But just how useful is this feature in everyday use? We found out in our test.

For the original German review, see here.

It is not really an innovative idea to expand the screen of a smartphone slightly. Samsung has also implemented this in its "Edge" devices, and LG itself offers the LG V10 with a "second screen". However, an affordable handset with an additional screen for just below 250 Euros (~$281) is now on the market in the form of LG X Screen K500n.The second screen is situated beside the front camera and displays the time, quick links or notifications, even when apps are running in full screen or the smartphone is on standby.

The handset is part of LG's new X lineup where every smartphone has a special feature: It is the second screen in LG's X Screen, a dual-camera in the X Cam, and more models are planned.

We are not just curious about the differences compared with the considerably pricier LG V10 with a second screen, but also compared with equally priced devices such as ZTE's Blade V7Huawei's P9 Lite or Honor's 5X. Have cutbacks been made in connectivity in favor of the second screen?

LG X Screen
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 4 x 1.4 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.00 inch 16:9, 1280 x 720 pixel 294 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, second screen on front: 1.76", 520x80 pixels, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 10.2 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headset jack, Card Reader: micro-SD max. 2 TB, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: motion sensor, proximity sensor, compass, DLNA
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS (850/900/1900/2100), LTE (B1/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B20/B38); maximum speed (download/upload): 150Mbps/50Mbps; SAR rate: 0.552W/kg (head); nano-SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.1 x 142.6 x 71.8 ( = 0.28 x 5.61 x 2.83 in)
Battery
8.7 Wh, 2300 mAh Lithium-Ion, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 14 h, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 9 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 14 h
Operating System
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix f/2.2, AF, LED flash, videos @1080p/30fps
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker on lower edge, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, charger, USB cable, headset, QuickMemo+, LG Backup, Remote Call Center, Evernote, 24 Months Warranty, FM radio, fanless
Weight
120 g ( = 4.23 oz / 0.26 pounds), Power Supply: 48 g ( = 1.69 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
249 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The casing of LG's X Screen does not look very spectacular at a first glance, and it does not reveal that it hides a second screen. An eye-catching exterior, like that of the Galaxy S7 Edge with a screen curved around the edges should not be expected. Then again, LG's X Screen is situated in another price category. The casing is made entirely of plastic, and the edges are rounded so that LG's X Screen is pleasant to hold. It is available in black or white.

At just 120 grams (~4.2 oz), the handset is extremely lightweight. Nevertheless, the stability is satisfactory: The smartphone hardly warps or creaks. However, pressure applied to both front and back become visible in the liquid crystals relatively quickly.

159.6 mm / 6.28 inch 79.3 mm / 3.12 inch 8.6 mm / 0.3386 inch 192 g0.4233 lbs151.3 mm / 5.96 inch 76.3 mm / 3 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs146.8 mm / 5.78 inch 72.6 mm / 2.86 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 147 g0.3241 lbs146 mm / 5.75 inch 72.5 mm / 2.85 inch 7.95 mm / 0.313 inch 136 g0.2998 lbs142.6 mm / 5.61 inch 71.8 mm / 2.83 inch 7.1 mm / 0.2795 inch 120 g0.2646 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

It might be assumed that a second screen would increase production costs and cutbacks are thus made elsewhere. However, this is not evident in terms of connectivity. Although 16 GB of internal storage is standard, the expansion option by up to 2 TB via micro-SD card is a minor highlight. NFC has also been installed. On the other hand, USB OTG is not included. DLNA for Wi-Fi is also supported. The working memory of 2 GB is also category standard, but Huawei's P9 Lite even offers 3 GB.

Software

The almost latest version of Google's operating system, Android 6.0.1, is installed. Its security patch level is that of April 1st 2016. Android 6 adds some new functions to Android smartphones, such as a more extensive app rights management and an energy-saving mode. LG modifies the looks with its own interface. The differences to standard Android are not massive, and thus anyone changing to LG from another manufacturer should find their way round easily.

LG Backup for saving data on the handset or in LG Cloud is preloaded. Data can also be transmitted from another device via Bluetooth. We found the overview of apps that were deleted in the past 24 hours handy. Should something have been uninstalled accidentally, it can be reinstalled quickly.

Communication & GPS

LTE is now standard, even in this price range - and LG's X Screen naturally supports the fastest mobile networking standard currently available. The maximum speed is 150 MBit per second (download) and 50 MBit per second (upload). Naturally, more expensive devices achieve more, but the network has to support that.

The reception in the mobile network was good. At least 3/4 of the signal was displayed indoors and usually 100% outdoors in the LTE network in the well-developed German D2 network.

LG's X Screen uses the Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n standards. Thus, browsing in the 5 GHz network is not possible; otherwise, all the important standards are covered. Connecting to the Internet is fast. None of the comparison devices support the even faster 802.11ac standard, but this is not necessary for normal everyday use.

The reception is very good: We had the full signal in the router's direct vicinity, and websites opened relatively fast. At a distance of 10 meters (~33 ft) to the router (FritzBox 6490) and through three walls, we still had 3/4 of the reception strength, and websites still opened just as quickly.

GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

Although the GPS module found satellites indoors, the reception strength was not sufficient to track us. It took a moment in the outdoors, where we were located with an accuracy of 5 to 7 meters (~16 to 23 ft).

We packed LG's X Screen along with Garmin's Edge 500 professional navigation system in our backpack and took both on a ride with our mountain bike to test the GPS module's accuracy. The Runtastic app provided the data analysis. The measured route deviated by only 40 meters (~131 ft). However, it also proved that LG's X Screen sometimes tends to take shortcuts, and simply draws a straight line between two points when the signal is lost. The pro device is considerably more accurate here.

GPS Garmin Edge overview
GPS Garmin Edge overview
GPS Garmin Edge crossing
GPS Garmin Edge crossing
GPS Garmin Edge riverside
GPS Garmin Edge riverside
GPS LG X Screen overview
GPS LG X Screen overview
GPS LG X Screen crossing
GPS LG X Screen crossing
GPS LG X Screen riverside
GPS LG X Screen riverside

Telephone & Call Quality

LG has modified the phone app's looks, but it largely functions like Google's standard app and is unlikely to puzzle anyone.

The call quality is satisfactory; our call contact could be heard clearly, but with minor distortions. A hum evolves in high volumes. The microphone transmits speech well, even when we speak quietly. The sound also distorts here when we raise our voice.

Cameras

Front camera photo
Front camera photo

The rear-facing camera in LG's X Screen has a resolution of 13 megapixels and a relatively high aperture of f/2.2. This means that the aperture has a quite high opening by default, allowing it to capture a lot of light. This is naturally an advantage for photos shot in low-light conditions, but bright surfaces quickly overexpose in bright surroundings. This is also the case in the pictures made with LG's X Screen, but interestingly dark areas are not brightened up very well. Photos also tend to quickly look grainy and blur easily. The color reproduction makes a somewhat too warm an impression. The camera's low-light performance is good; the photos look sharper here.

Videos can be recorded at 30 frames per second in Full HD with the primary camera. Occasionally, they make a somewhat grainy impression, but overall, are suitable for occasional use.

The front-facing camera has a generous resolution of 8 megapixels. Bright surfaces also overexpose here, and the pictures quickly look blurred.

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

We photograph our reference chart for better analysis of focus and color reproduction. This photo looks considerably blurred toward the edges; the sharpness is better in the center, but frayed edges become visible when zoomed in. The color reproduction does not correspond to the reference. Some colors look too saturated and white is not pure.

Reference card screenshot
Reference card screenshot
Reference card detail
Reference card detail
Screenshot of ColorChecker colors. Original colors are displayed in the lower half of each patch.
Screenshot of ColorChecker colors. Original colors are displayed in the lower half of each patch.

Accessories & Warranty

Besides the charger and its USB cable, a decent sounding in-ear headset is also inside the box.

LG includes a 24 month warranty on its smartphone.

Input Devices & Handling

In addition to SwiftKey and Google's keyboard, LG's keyboard is also installed. The height of LG's model can be varied and some modifications can be made. A single-handed mode is present, and the keyboard can be divided. Nevertheless, the double assignment of many keys is somewhat too overloaded for our taste. Google's keyboard is more straightforward and clearly arranged. However, this is a matter of preference, and it is always possible to download another keyboard from Google's Play Store.

The touchscreen has a pleasant surface, and is also still very sensitive in its corners. The highlight in terms of handling is, of course, the second screen that is also touch-sensitive. It is implemented as a narrow bar above the screen beside the front camera. Swiping right or left opens quick settings and apps. Notifications are displayed here, and also informs about incoming calls. The user can either answer or decline them here. This functioned well - although the screen is relatively narrow, handling was reliable.

Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard landscape mode

Display

Subpixel screenshot
Subpixel screenshot

With a size of 5 inches, the primary screen in LG's X Screen has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. This is now below category average; the comparison devices offer a Full HD panel. Alongside the screen's slightly small dimensions, this still results in an acceptable 294 PPI. In fact the image looks fairly sharp.

The brightness of LG's X Screen cannot compete with its equally priced rivals: With an average of 376 cd/m², the screen is clearly dimmer than that of other models. However, the maximum brightness increases slightly when using the light sensor: We measured 405 cd/m² here. We achieved a maximum brightness of 392 cd/m² in the more practice-relevant APL50 assessment, which corresponds almost exactly to the maximum brightness rate of 392 cd/m² measured in the conventional process. The illumination of 90% is relatively homogeneous.

384
cd/m²
387
cd/m²
373
cd/m²
374
cd/m²
392
cd/m²
360
cd/m²
367
cd/m²
393
cd/m²
353
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 393 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 375.9 cd/m² Minimum: 4.36 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 392 cd/m²
Contrast: 1452:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 9.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.07
LG X Screen
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Huawei P9 Lite
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
LG V10
Quantum-IPS, 2560x1440, 5.70
ZTE Blade V7
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Honor 5X
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Screen
-3%
22%
-15%
14%
Brightness middle
392
505
29%
450
15%
409
4%
535
36%
Brightness
376
468
24%
431
15%
411
9%
521
39%
Brightness Distribution
90
88
-2%
93
3%
96
7%
85
-6%
Black Level *
0.27
0.74
-174%
0.22
19%
0.38
-41%
0.43
-59%
Contrast
1452
682
-53%
2045
41%
1076
-26%
1244
-14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.5
4.1
45%
5.18
31%
9.4
-25%
4.88
35%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
13.1
5.8
56%
10.39
21%
17.6
-34%
8.66
34%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.9
4.9
51%
6.94
30%
11.6
-17%
5.2
47%
Gamma
2.07 106%
2.5 88%
2.24 98%
2.25 98%
2.26 97%
CCT
9704 67%
7116 91%
8091 80%
9597 68%
7766 84%

* ... smaller is better

We have to praise the low black level of 0.27 cd/m² (0.26 cd/m² in APL50). Thus, dark areas look deep and truly black. This also leads to a good contrast ratio of 1452:1.

Then again, the color accuracy that we analyze with the CalMAN software and spectrophotometer is unsatisfactory. A heavy bluish tint is visible to the naked eye; the aberrations to the reference color space are very high.

CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN Colorspace
CalMAN Colorspace
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps

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
29 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 13 ms rise
↘ 16 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
43 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 23 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

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 not detected

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

LG's X Screen does a decent job outdoor. However, the screen's brightness is too low in very bright sunlight to recognize any content. However, the glossy screen is quite legible in a shaded place.

Thanks to the IPS panel, the viewing angles are generous and the image is recognizable from the sides even in very flat angles. Brightness shifts are, however, visible.

Outdoors
Outdoors
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, LG's X Screen is adequately equipped for the mid-range sector. It clocks at 1.4 GHz in our review sample, and has four cores. The SoC is also 64-bit capable. However, Honor's 5X proves that more is possible for this price with its higher-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2. The other equally-priced comparison devices are also equipped with faster SoCs.

This becomes obvious in the system and performance benchmarks: LG's X Screen usually lags behind; Huawei's P9 Lite in particular is much faster. The user interface runs smoothly in practice, but occasional lags or prolonged loading times are very evident.

The graphics solution, an Adreno 306 clocked at 450 MHz, is no match for the comparison devices and has to be satisfied with the last place.

LG's X Screen also has a hard time competing with its rivals in Internet browsing. It also comes in last in the benchmarks here. It was noticed that websites sometimes needed longer to open than in other devices in everyday use.

The internal storage in our review sample does not do a bad job, at all especially in write. However, the read speeds are relatively slow. We tested the micro-SD slot with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M401 reference card: LG's X Screen was fast, and outperforms the comparison devices in both read and write.

However, it is not possible to move apps to the SD card or to format the SD card as an internal storage.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
22955 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
50366 Points +119%
Honor 5X
37152 Points +62%
ZTE Blade V7
37070 Points +61%
LG V10
66304 Points +189%
Geekbench 3
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
473 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
883 Points +87%
Honor 5X
698 Points +48%
ZTE Blade V7
614 Points +30%
LG V10
1172 Points +148%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
1436 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
3768 Points +162%
Honor 5X
3047 Points +112%
ZTE Blade V7
2669 Points +86%
LG V10
3684 Points +157%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
4352 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
11769 Points +170%
Honor 5X
7852 Points +80%
ZTE Blade V7
6786 Points +56%
LG V10
18585 Points +327%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
3791 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
11318 Points +199%
Honor 5X
7764 Points +105%
ZTE Blade V7
6170 Points +63%
LG V10
23276 Points +514%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG X Screen
9033 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
13676 Points +51%
Honor 5X
8174 Points -10%
ZTE Blade V7
10430 Points +15%
LG V10
10898 Points +21%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
LG X Screen
53 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
554 Points +945%
Honor 5X
129 Points +143%
ZTE Blade V7
293 Points +453%
LG V10
1332 Points +2413%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
LG X Screen
42 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
473 Points +1026%
Honor 5X
103 Points +145%
ZTE Blade V7
245 Points +483%
LG V10
1361 Points +3140%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
LG X Screen
716 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
1373 Points +92%
Honor 5X
1089 Points +52%
ZTE Blade V7
944 Points +32%
LG V10
1241 Points +73%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
LG X Screen
9.6 fps
Huawei P9 Lite
19 fps +98%
Honor 5X
14 fps +46%
ZTE Blade V7
12 fps +25%
LG V10
25 fps +160%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
LG X Screen
5.1 fps
Huawei P9 Lite
19 fps +273%
Honor 5X
14 fps +175%
ZTE Blade V7
12 fps +135%
LG V10
35 fps +586%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
LG X Screen
4 fps
Huawei P9 Lite
8.4 fps +110%
Honor 5X
5.9 fps +48%
ZTE Blade V7
4.5 fps +13%
LG V10
9.4 fps +135%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
LG X Screen
1.8 fps
Huawei P9 Lite
7.8 fps +333%
Honor 5X
5.4 fps +200%
ZTE Blade V7
4.5 fps +150%
LG V10
15 fps +733%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
4031 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
5339 Points +32%
Honor 5X
3794 Points -6%
ZTE Blade V7
3947 Points -2%
LG V10
4800 Points +19%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
LG X Screen
521 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
1197 Points +130%
Honor 5X
297 Points -43%
ZTE Blade V7
249 Points -52%
LG V10
1627 Points +212%
System (sort by value)
LG X Screen
1011 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
2438 Points +141%
Honor 5X
1378 Points +36%
ZTE Blade V7
1188 Points +18%
LG V10
2598 Points +157%
Memory (sort by value)
LG X Screen
491 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
1346 Points +174%
Honor 5X
787 Points +60%
ZTE Blade V7
790 Points +61%
LG V10
1527 Points +211%
Graphics (sort by value)
LG X Screen
302 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
818 Points +171%
Honor 5X
763 Points +153%
ZTE Blade V7
430 Points +42%
LG V10
1954 Points +547%
Web (sort by value)
LG X Screen
491 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
765 Points +56%
Honor 5X
9 Points -98%
ZTE Blade V7
10 Points -98%
LG V10
903 Points +84%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
2650 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
4756 Points +79%
Honor 5X
3595 Points +36%
ZTE Blade V7
2689 Points +1%
LG V10
8083 Points +205%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
LG X Screen
12880 ms *
Huawei P9 Lite
9397 ms * +27%
Honor 5X
12510 ms * +3%
ZTE Blade V7
13761 ms * -7%
LG V10
4499 ms * +65%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG X Screen
15.67 Points
Huawei P9 Lite
29.03 Points +85%
Honor 5X
21.92 Points +40%
ZTE Blade V7
18.19 Points +16%
LG V10
42 Points +168%
AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
LG X Screen
131 MB/s
Huawei P9 Lite
283.5 MB/s +116%
Honor 5X
144 MB/s +10%
ZTE Blade V7
196.8 MB/s +50%
LG V10
249.3 MB/s +90%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
LG X Screen
72 MB/s
Huawei P9 Lite
46.24 MB/s -36%
Honor 5X
78 MB/s +8%
ZTE Blade V7
39.45 MB/s -45%
LG V10
105.3 MB/s +46%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
LG X Screen
10 MB/s
Huawei P9 Lite
38.22 MB/s +282%
Honor 5X
17 MB/s +70%
ZTE Blade V7
28.07 MB/s +181%
LG V10
29.57 MB/s +196%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
LG X Screen
8 MB/s
Huawei P9 Lite
15.35 MB/s +92%
Honor 5X
10 MB/s +25%
ZTE Blade V7
7.58 MB/s -5%
LG V10
16.55 MB/s +107%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
LG X Screen
75.3 MB/s
Huawei P9 Lite
60.8 MB/s -19%
ZTE Blade V7
43.67 MB/s -42%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
LG X Screen
46.95 MB/s
Huawei P9 Lite
25.1 MB/s -47%
ZTE Blade V7
20.89 MB/s -56%

Legend

 
LG X Screen Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P9 Lite HiSilicon Kirin 650, ARM Mali-T830 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 5X Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2, Qualcomm Adreno 405, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
ZTE Blade V7 Mediatek MT6753, ARM Mali-T720 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG V10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash

* ... smaller is better

Games

LG's X Screen copes quite well with games. The second screen is handy here since calls and notifications are displayed there, and they do not interrupt the game if the user does not want them to. We tested the graphically demanding racing game "Asphalt 8: Airborne" as well as "Angry Birds" that is easier on the graphics card. Both games ran smoothly and were still  playable in high settings. However, they took quite long to load, and stutters sometimes occurred in the menu of the considerably more demanding racing game.

Controlling the games via the position sensor and touchscreen functioned impeccably, reliably and accurately.

"Angry Birds"
"Angry Birds"
"Asphalt 8: Airborne"
"Asphalt 8: Airborne"

Emissions

Temperature

LG's X Screen is actually always cool to touch. The smartphone's temperature climbs to a maximum of 37.3 degrees Celsius (~99 degrees Fahrenheit) in the upper back area during load. This temperature decreases considerably downward on the back; the front remains homogeneously warm. Although all temperature increases are slightly noticeable, they are not unpleasant.

The smartphone warms up only in the lower center front while idling. The temperature of 33.8 degrees Celsius (~93 degrees Fahrenheit) is hardly noticeable and restricted to one area.

Max. Load
 36.4 °C
98 F
35.9 °C
97 F
35.3 °C
96 F
 
 36.8 °C
98 F
36.7 °C
98 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 36.7 °C
98 F
36.2 °C
97 F
33.5 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 36.8 °C = 98 F
Average: 35.8 °C = 96 F
32.6 °C
91 F
32.6 °C
91 F
35.8 °C
96 F
32.6 °C
91 F
33.4 °C
92 F
36.3 °C
97 F
32.1 °C
90 F
33.6 °C
92 F
37.3 °C
99 F
Maximum: 37.3 °C = 99 F
Average: 34 °C = 93 F
Power Supply (max.)  32.4 °C = 90 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.8 °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 36.8 °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 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.8 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map front
Heat map front
Heat map back
Heat map back

Speaker

"Pink Noise" speaker test
"Pink Noise" speaker test

The Pink Noise diagram already hints that the trebles of the speaker in the lower edge of LG's X Screen are heavily overemphasized. In fact, high frequencies are almost unpleasant to the ear. The sound makes a thin and tinny impression, even when rendering voice. Low tones are virtually non-existent. Using a headset or a speaker connected via Bluetooth or jack should be preferred; the sound is much better here.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Unfortunately, we could not determine any reasonable power consumption rates with our instrument.

Battery Runtime

The battery in LG's X Screen manages 9:13 hours in the Wi-Fi test. This is a decent rate, especially considering the small-sized battery of 2300 mAh or 8.7 Wh. The battery is  fixed and cannot be replaced. LG's X Screen should last a full work day, which is confirmed by our tests. Huawei's P9 Lite and Honor's 5X can serve with longer runtimes.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
16h 16min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 13min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 57min
LG X Screen
2300 mAh
Huawei P9 Lite
3000 mAh
ZTE Blade V7
2540 mAh
LG V10
3000 mAh
Honor 5X
3000 mAh
Battery Runtime
36%
-6%
18%
2%
Reader / Idle
976
1404
44%
1697
74%
1053
8%
WiFi v1.3
553
604
9%
519
-6%
353
-36%
643
16%
Load
177
272
54%
203
15%
144
-19%
H.264
568
539
602

Pros

+ second screen
+ comfortable handling
+ many tutorials
+ ergonomic casing
+ very light
+ micro-SD cards max. 2 TB
+ NFC
+ Android 6.0.1
+ good reception

Cons

- low resolution screen
- middling screen brightness
- call quality could be better
- sometimes blurred camera photos
- comparatively low performance
- treble-heavy speaker

Verdict

In review: LG X Screen. Review sample courtesy of LG Germany.
In review: LG X Screen. Review sample courtesy of LG Germany.

The second screen in LG's X Screen is a nice feature and an eye-catcher, particularly in this price range. However, LG had to make cutbacks in other places for this, and this is unfortunately noticed everywhere in LG's X Screen. The speaker squeals with treble-heavy sound, the screen is below-average for the category and is not very bright.

Of course, the smartphone has its good sides: The reception is decent, the casing relatively stable, and DLNA and NFC are on board. Touchscreen control functions reliably, and it is also exemplary that LG preloads the latest Android version.

Users who do not want to forgo a second screen in this price range will have to accept clear restrictions in other aspects.

Overall, we would only recommend LG's X Screen to users who really deem a second screen as the main purchase reason. Otherwise, there are many much better offers with higher resolution screens and better cameras in this price range.

LG X Screen - 06/13/2016 v5.1(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
75%
Keyboard
63 / 75 → 84%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
40 / 60 → 67%
Weight
95%
Battery
92%
Display
82%
Games Performance
5 / 63 → 8%
Application Performance
30 / 70 → 43%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
52 / 91 → 57%
Camera
67%
Average
68%
82%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Florian Wimmer, 2016-06-17 (Update: 2018-05-15)