LG X power2 Smartphone Review
For the original German review, see here.
LG's smartphones of the X series are marketed as superheroes: each has something it excels in, a special power. In the LG X Power, it was the extra-strong battery which really lasted very long. Of course, the LG X power2 has the same super power. In terms of capacity, the battery has become even slightly larger, the same as the smartphone itself, which now goes over the counter with a 5.5-inch screen. The X power2 is also considerably more expensive than its predecessor. With a price of 299 Euros (~$353) it advances deep into the mid-range, where there are many other devices waiting to compete: the Lenovo P2 which has an even higher-capacity battery, for example, or the Moto Z Play, which can also be upgraded to be a battery monster, thanks to the Moto Mods. The Samsung Galaxy J7 also has a very good battery life, and the HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle, which has the lowest-capacity battery here, is also in this price range.
Case
The LG X power2 is available in black/blue or in gray color. In both devices, the front is completely black and a gray or black stripe goes around the device. The back is either gray or blue, depending on the color choice. Our test unit is the blue variant, which is also slightly glossy, and has a light pinstripe pattern. The case design is more organically round rather than square and therefore fits in the hand comfortably. Perhaps the LG X power2 is not a device with a very exciting design, but it is ergonomic and solid. The case can hardly be twisted and appears to be built very compact. The device does not mind any pressure on the back, but with forceful pressure on the touchscreen you can see waves in the liquid crystal.
The battery of the device cannot be removed, which is not really customary in this price range anyway.
Features
With only 16 GB of storage, the X power2 remains on par with its predecessor. However, that was 100 Euros (~$118) cheaper, and most of the other devices in the same class as the X power 2 are equipped with 32 GB of storage. The 2 GB working memory is also not in keeping with the times for a device of this price range, 3 GB is the minimum. There is also no modern USB-C connection, but only a classical Micro-USB port. However, NFC, DLNA, Miracast, and USB-OTG are on board. In our configuration, the LG X power 2 has only one SIM card and there is currently no dual-SIM model available in the central European market.
MicroSD cards can be used to expand the storage. They can hold up to 256 GB, although currently there are no cards with more storage available anyway. Although storage cards can only be formatted as external storage, you can also store apps on the external storage card.
Software
The operating system of the smartphone is Android 7.0, which is not the most current version. Moreover, the security patches from April 1 2017 are quite dated at the time of this test, and an update is not available. LG uses on its own launcher, which allows various designs, and optionally groups the setting into categories, but otherwise corresponds to a large extend to the original Android in terms of operation, so that anyone who had an Android smartphone should easily find their way around.
Although the manufacturer has pre-installed several apps, there are much fewer advertising apps than in the LG X Power. Besides Evernote, there is also no third-party software and the remaining apps are from Google or LG. In addition, there are several direct links to Settings on the start screen or in some folders.
Communication and GPS
With 300 MBit/s during download and 50 MBit/s during upload, the LG X power2 is as fast in the LTE net as most of the comparison devices. The predecessor cannot keep up anymore. Five LTE bands, four UMTS bands, and four GSM bands are supported. Here, the LG X power2 remains considerably behind the other competitors with the same price. All of the comparison devices support more LTE bands; the Lenovo P2 even supports ten of them. The reception in the inner-city areas of the decent German Vodafone net is reasonable indoors as well. We had at least half the signal strength for LTE most of the time.
The WLAN module transfers according to the 802.11 b/g/n standards. Here, some of the comparison devices can even score with support for the fast 802.11ac standard and almost all support at least the 5 GHz WLAN network. The LG X power2 cannot claim any fast data rates, and in our standardized test it even sends slightly slower than the LG X Power. In the practical test, the reception is very good near the router, and after a short delay, the pages are rendered fairly quickly. At a distance of 10 meters (~33 ft) from the router and through three walls, the reception is still good, there are 3/4 of the signal strength, and the pages are rendered as quickly as when near the router.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| LG X power2 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| LG X power2 | |
Indoors the GPS module is unable to locate us, but outside it can locate us very quickly and with and accuracy of 3 meters (~10 ft), it is quite exact.
But how does it look in practice? We want to evaluate this in a mountain bike tour, where in addition to the LG X power2 we also take the Garmin Edge 500 professional navigation device that serves as our reference due to its accurate locating abilities. The LG X power2 measures almost exactly the same distance in a 12-km (~7.5 miles) route, which is already very good. Aside from some minor drops in the curves, we have to give credit to the LG X power2 for the accuracy of the GPS module: While the Garmin Edge 500 may be more accurate in some places, the differences are really quite small.
Telephone and Call Quality
LG has adjusted the Telephone app slightly. It is kept in the same overall light design as the user interface and is slightly more adjustable than Google's standard app. You can, for example, specify which screen should appear when starting the app. Otherwise, there are the same tabs such as the lists of calls and contacts. You can also create your own groups.
The voice quality is passable, and even though the earpiece can become quite loud, it then becomes boomy. Our conversation partner is slightly muffled, but still easily understandable. The microphone can record even low voices, the recording is also a little muffled though. Background noises are clearly audible. You can call using the also quite loud and boomy speaker which also reproduces the voice of your partner slightly muffled. When using the speaker, the microphone cannot record a low voice anymore.
Cameras
In terms of camera resolution, with 13 megapixels in the back and 5 megapixels in the front, the LG X power2 lies within a normal range for the current mid-range smartphones. However, the Lenovo Moto Z Play and the Samsung Galaxy J7 show that you can also get even more megapixels for the same price. But the megapixel count is not that important for the image quality anyway. The image sharpness and color display are more important. Here the back camera shows quite cool colors, and the sharpness seems to be decent as long as you do not zoom in, which makes muddy areas and a generally mediocre sharpness clearly noticeable. The dynamic in dark and bright areas could also be better. In the details, high-quality smartphones are clearly ahead. The Lenovo P2 is also compelling with a more detailed and sharper representation here. In low-light conditions, the LG X power2 can also not score. Here as well, for example the Lenovo P2 offers a much better performance.
Videos can be recorded in Full HD quality with 30 fps. The quality is fairly good, although in darker situations you can quickly see some image noise. The sharpness and color presentation are similar to the pictures: superficially okay, but slightly muddy in the detail.
The 5-Megapixel front camera has trouble taking really sharp pictures, and the dynamic is also lacking.
In the next step, the main camera of the LG X power2 goes back into the test lab, where we re-examine the color display under controlled light conditions. Here the image sharpness is quite decent in parts of the image, and also the display of text in front of a colored background brings a decent result. In the left image area in particular, the sharpness declines visibly, and the edges appear fuzzy over the whole image. The color representation deviates from the reference value more in some colors, and in others it is relatively accurate. Overall, it is an average result in the color representation.
How should we judge the performance of the camera? For those who mainly keep their pictures on the camera and only rarely take pictures in low light, the camera will be sufficient. However, there are much better camera modules in this price range. The front camera takes rather mediocre pictures, even if you have low expectations.
Accessories and Warranty
Besides the charger and the USB cable, there are also earphones in the box of the LG X power2. According to the manufacturer's website, there are no special accessories for the LG X power2.
LG offers 24 months of warranty for the smartphone. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices and Operation
LG has developed its own keyboard app which the manufacturer uses for its smartphones. Other keyboard apps are not pre-installed on the LG X power2, but can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The LG keyboard has a separate row with number keys as well as separate keys for the umlauts. In addition, there are extensive options to configure the keyboard. You can split the keyboard with a gesture, or move it towards the edge in order to use it with one hand. Vibration and sounds, pop-ups and word suggestions, there are many options overall.
The operation via touchscreen works quickly and very well, the surface is comfortable, and the screen is also very responsive in the corners. Gesture controls are integrated to a small extent: You can tap twice on the screen to turn off or activate the screen, but this only works on the Start screen.
The standby button is on the right side, and the volume rocker on the left. All the buttons cannot be seen clearly from the front, but you can easily feel them. The pressure point of the standby button feels slightly spongy. As a secondary function, the volume rocker can activate the camera or a notepad from standby mode. The volume lowering key can be used as a shutter release.
Display
With 1280x720 pixels, the 5.5-inch display has the customary number of pixels in this price range. However, the Lenovo P2, the Galaxy J7, and the Moto Z Play show that for about 300 Euros (~$354), a Full HD display is not a luxury anymore. Furthermore, the brightness of the LG X power2 is considerably lower at an average of 237 cd/m² than in all the comparison devices. Even the predecessor offered considerably more. At least at 92%, the brightness distribution is enough so that even larger color areas appear evenly.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 237 cd/m²
Contrast: 1823:1 (Black: 0.13 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 6.1 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.07
| LG X power2 IPS, 1280x720, 5.5" | LG X Power K220 IPS, 1280x720, 5.3" | Lenovo P2 AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.5" | HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle IPS, 1280x720, 5.5" | Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 Super AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.5" | Lenovo Moto Z Play AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -9% | 61% | -3% | 62% | 69% | |
| Brightness middle | 237 | 381 61% | 479 102% | 380 60% | 454 92% | 509 115% |
| Brightness | 237 | 352 49% | 477 101% | 369 56% | 463 95% | 511 116% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 85 -8% | 91 -1% | 92 0% | 86 -7% | 93 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.13 | 0.2 -54% | 0.26 -100% | |||
| Contrast | 1823 | 1905 4% | 1462 -20% | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.5 | 7.3 -33% | 2.4 56% | 6.6 -20% | 2 64% | 2.2 60% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 12.7 | 21.2 -67% | 5.6 56% | 10.4 18% | 5.3 58% | 5.8 54% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.1 | 7.4 -21% | 2.8 54% | 7.4 -21% | 1.7 72% | 2 67% |
| Gamma | 2.07 106% | 2.26 97% | 2.28 96% | 2.29 96% | 2.1 105% | 2.25 98% |
| CCT | 7943 82% | 8417 77% | 6702 97% | 8665 75% | 6394 102% | 6768 96% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| 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 8687 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
With a 0.13 cd/m2 black value, the LG X power2 is exemplary for an IPS display. The problem with this is that many competing devices are at this point using AMOLED displays, which can display absolute black. Due to the relatively low brightness, the contrast ratio is also worse than in the LG X Power. Apparently the LG X power2 does not use pulse width modulation to reduce the brightness in low settings, at least we are not noticing any flickering.
While testing the display more thoroughly with the CalMAN software and the spectral photometer, we noticed a slight blue tint, which can be reduced by the blue filter of the LG X power2 called Comfort mode. The coverage of the sRGB color space is rather limited, and the color deviations are higher than in some other comparison devices.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 24.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 97 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 55.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 26.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 28.8 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. » 91 % 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 display is really too dark for using it outdoors. In maximum brightness, you can still recognize a little of the contents, if the surroundings are not too bright. If you tilt the smartphone to the side, the display darkens further. To be fair, this is more noticeable to the camera than to the eyes.
Performance
The Mediatek MT6750 is built into the LG X power2 as the SoC. It possesses four cores and clocks at a maximum of 1.5 GHz. The performance is noticeably higher than that of its predecessor, but cannot keep up with the Lenovo P2 or the Moto Z Play. Overall, the LG X power2 places in the middle of the field of the comparison devices in terms of performance. In everyday use, you can surf all the menus smoothly and all the apps we tested also ran without any problems.
The graphics unit is called ARM Mali-T860 MP2, possesses two cores, and clocks at up to 700 MHz. Even though it also provides the LG X power2 with a clear advantage compared to the predecessor, it cannot pose a threat to the Lenovo P2 or the Moto Z Play.
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Geekbench 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| LG X power2 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
Unfortunately, the LG X power2 only achieves one of the last places in the browser performance and is even slightly slower in parts than its predecessor. Yet, the demanding “letsplay.ouigo.com” browser game can be displayed with a few stutters and the flippers react relatively quickly to our inputs.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| LG X power2 | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| LG X power2 | |
| LG X Power K220 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall | |
| Lenovo P2 | |
| Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | |
| LG X power2 | |
| HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | |
* ... smaller is better
While accessing our Toshiba Exceria Pro M401 reference microSD card, the LG X power2 shows its good side again. It achieves considerably higher values than the LG X Power and can even keep up with the fastest comparison devices. Unfortunately, this high point is immediately followed by a low: The access rates to the internal storage are very slow, and the LG X power2 can only gain some ground again during sequential reads.
| LG X power2 | LG X Power K220 | Lenovo P2 | HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle | Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 | Lenovo Moto Z Play | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -33% | 78% | -24% | 3% | 74% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 243.8 | 196.8 -19% | 270.1 11% | 149.4 -39% | 198.5 -19% | 254.8 5% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 41.7 | 43.74 5% | 76.7 84% | 60.6 45% | 53 27% | 73.1 75% |
| Random Read 4KB | 25.3 | 18.78 -26% | 38.2 51% | 17.03 -33% | 25.86 2% | 38.78 53% |
| Random Write 4KB | 10.7 | 7.32 -32% | 44.4 315% | 7.94 -26% | 10.54 -1% | 45.58 326% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 76.6 | 32.08 -58% | 79.3 4% | 47.7 -38% | 76.1 -1% | 74.6 -3% |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 58.1 | 18.17 -69% | 59.4 2% | 29.2 -50% | 63.9 10% | 50.6 -13% |
Games
The demanding “Asphalt 8: Airborne” racing game can only be played with reduced details. However, “Dead Trigger 2” achieves a smooth 47 fps. Less demanding games such as “Angry Birds” can also be played without any trouble.
The control via position sensor and touchscreen works smoothly and feels very comfortable.
| Asphalt 8: Airborne | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 28 fps | ||
| very low | 30 fps | ||
| Dead Trigger 2 | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 47 fps | ||
Emissions
Temperature
The absolutely highest case temperature that we reach in our test is 40.6 °C (~105 °F) at the back of the case. The heating is very limited, it is noticeable, but not critical at all. In the front, the device also warms up under full load, but at 37.4 °C (~99°F) it is less. While idling, there is hardly any noticeable warming and we measured a maximum of 31.2 °C (~88 °F).
With the help of the Manhattan 3.1 battery benchmark in GFXBench we can test whether the device can maintain its performance even during prolonged loads. We can absolutely confirm this: even after the 30th repetition of the same benchmark sequence, the frame rates are almost identical.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.4 °C / 99 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 40.6 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Many smartphone manufacturers no longer place the loudspeaker at the back, since it could easily be covered by the hand or is muffled when the smartphone sits on the table. Nevertheless, LG has decided to continue placing the speaker in the back, and accordingly you have to live with a more muffled sound when the device sits on the desk in front of you. If you lift it up, the sound becomes much clearer and the speaker can become noticeably loud. We measure up to 89.4 dB(A) in the test lab. Another positive is that the speaker does not distort even at high volumes. The bass is even less present than in many other comparison devices and there are almost no lower mids either. Accordingly, the lab test shows bad results. However the subjective impression of the speaker is not quite as bad. Of course, the sound of high-quality smartphones is much fuller and warmer, but since the sound is reproduced clearly and undistorted, you can give the music a quick listen sometimes, and the video sound also comes out of the speaker clearly.
Listening through the 3.5-mm port and the included earphones is also clearly possible. The audio signal is also transferred clearly and cleanly to external speakers via Bluetooth.
LG X power2 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 42.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (1.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 13.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (31.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 79% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 89% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 9% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 29% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 49% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Frequency comparison (Checkboxes selectable!)
Battery Life
Power Consumption
Whereas before, the LG X power2 was in the middle of the field of comparison devices in terms of the performance, it is on top in the power consumption, which in this case is not good news. At least when it is turned off, it really uses no power at all and the consumption in standby mode is also okay. But as soon as you turn on the device, it uses more power in every scenario than all the other comparison devices. The predecessor was also considerably more energy efficient. At 7.85 watts during maximum load, it uses even more than twice as much as the Samsung Galaxy J7.
There is an energy saving mode, which is automatically activated when the battery reaches 15%. Of course you can turn off this feature, if you always want to have the full power available.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.23 Watt |
| Idle |  0.63 / 1.42 / 1.47 Watt |
| Load |
5.89 / 7.85 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| LG X power2 4500 mAh | LG X Power K220 4100 mAh | Lenovo P2 5100 mAh | Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 3600 mAh | Lenovo Moto Z Play 3510 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 16% | 38% | 44% | 43% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.63 | 0.64 -2% | 0.54 14% | 0.39 38% | 0.51 19% |
| Idle Average * | 1.42 | 1.3 8% | 1.01 29% | 1.06 25% | 0.87 39% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.47 | 1.34 9% | 1.03 30% | 1.08 27% | 0.9 39% |
| Load Average * | 5.89 | 4.18 29% | 1.78 70% | 1.82 69% | 1.69 71% |
| Load Maximum * | 7.85 | 4.87 38% | 3.98 49% | 3.21 59% | 4 49% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
Despite the high power consumption, the 4500 mAh battery provides a good battery life to the LG X power2. However, it has not improved compared to the predecessor, which has a weaker battery. Our test unit can also beat the Samsung Galaxy J7 with its much smaller battery by only 3% overall.
In the WLAN test, the X power2 achieves a runtime of 16:22 hours. This is a very good value with which the device lasts for two working days even with continuous surfing. In practice, with mixed usage you should last about as long as with the LG X Power, which is to say, three to four days before the device has to be recharged. Thanks to the fast charging technology that will not take long, the battery is fully recharged after about 1:15 hours.
| LG X power2 4500 mAh | LG X Power K220 4100 mAh | Lenovo P2 5100 mAh | HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle 2700 mAh | Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 3600 mAh | Lenovo Moto Z Play 3510 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -2% | 10% | -44% | -3% | 11% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2720 | 2841 4% | 1485 -45% | 1950 -28% | 2540 -7% | |
| H.264 | 1226 | 1199 -2% | 622 -49% | 1096 -11% | 1190 -3% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 982 | 987 1% | 978 0% | 574 -42% | 904 -8% | 824 -16% |
| Load | 384 | 365 -5% | 528 38% | 234 -39% | 525 37% | 652 70% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
A smartphone with X – this time it did not work out. The LG X power2 is not really a bad device; it is only that there are many similarly priced devices that are better. To make the X power2 100 Euros (~$118) more expensive than the LG X Power is not easily justifiable in our opinion. There is a little more performance, the screen is a little bigger, and the battery capacity is a little larger. Otherwise the measurements of the LG X power2 are even worse in parts than those of the predecessor, for example in the power consumption or display brightness.
There are quite a few positive points in the LG X power2 as well: we like the case and it is quite sturdy, the performance is fairly good for the price range, the speaker is quite loud and does not distort, and the device remains cool and does not throttle under load. Of course the battery life is also considerable, but other devices in this price range such as the Samsung Galaxy J7 or the Lenovo P2 can do as well. In addition, through the additional charge of 100 Euros (~$118), LG's smartphone of the second generation arrived in a completely new competition class without being adjusted accordingly: The screen has a lower resolution than many competing devices, the camera takes pictures that are less good, and the provided storage is at the lower end of the competition. We are agreeably surprised that the GPS module works quite accurately. However, the WLAN transfer rates are low, and it supports less LTE bands than the competing devices.
The LG X power2 is simply too expensive for the offered features: a low resolution display, weak camera, and only mediocre performance values. The competition looks quite overpowering. The long battery life is a good selling point, but at this point other devices of this price range have this as well.
Anyone simply looking for a smartphone with a long battery life and willing to spend the money receives a fairly well-equipped smartphone with the LG X power2. However, competitors such as the Lenovo P2 or the Samsung Galaxy J7 offer clearly more for the money. A tip: at this point the LG X Power predecessor costs only around 150 Euros (~$177) on the Internet and offers a similarly long battery life.
LG X power2
- 08/01/2017 v6 (old)
Florian Wimmer
Price comparison
