First Look: LG G7 One and highlights

By Sonya Davidson

LG announces the launch of their latest device in the company’s G7 series. Following the success of  LG G7ThinQ the company will introduce the first Android One phone, LG G7 One, into the Canadian marketplace on October 19^th.  

The launch is considered two-fold with Google designed software as well as LG’s premium hardware combined. At a media preview this week in Toronto, representatives from Google and LG gave us the highlights on this new device.

“We’re excited to have this product in the Canadian market specifically because we feel it’s a really unique proposition for consumers. It really is a software and a hardware launch combined together. We don’t often times have the opportunity to present something that’s never been available in Canada with LG’s premium hardware DNA and really this is what this device offers,” said Ash Molaei, Senior Brand Manager for LG Canada’s Mobile Communications division.

The Google software was created with “smart, secure and simply amazing" in mind. The phone will come with two major OS updates ensuring the device stays relevant and up to date as part of the Android One program. It’s will also include three years of monthly security patches with Google Play Protect built in making sure the device has the latest and most secure operating system.

The LG G7 One will also come pre-loaded with a limited set of apps. So you can have as much space for whatever else you need instead of the company filling it with stuff consumers may not be interested in from the start.

In addition to being the first Android One device in Canada, it’s also going to be one of the first devices to upgrade to Android 9 Pie before the end of this year. What is that? Basically the upgrade is part of Google’s mission to bring the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to everybody with improved intelligence.

There’s also built in Google Assistant key on LG G7 One located below the volume buttons. With a single tap you can launch the Google Assistant or you can just hold the button down and talk to it directly.

Another interesting and useful feature of the new device is Google Lens that allows the user to “search what you see.” Simply through the camera lens, point the device to an object and the phone will launch into search mode so you can interact with the world around you. It will recognize landmarks, artwork, statues, to give offer information. See someone on the street wearing some sneakers that look cool? Use the Google Lens and it will search up the style, and similar styles and is ready to direct you to a retailer. See a cute puppy but don’t know the breed? The device will search that up, too.

Not just for fun, but the Google Lens will allow you to copy and paste texts, add events to your calendar, and even translate for you.

Now what about the LG G7 One’s hardware? LG categorizes this as a premium device in guts, aesthetics, and durability that it was already known for.

“I always like to connect this device to another device that was launched a few years ago that was really well received in Canada as well as globally. It was one of the best selling Android One devices that’s ever been released,” said Molaei. “The reason why that device [LG G7ThinQ] was so popular and successful wasn’t necessary about the fact that it had the latest and greatest specs on the product. It was because it was durable, reliable hardware paired with a pure Android experience." 

Here are a few highlights...

SUPER BRIGHT DISPLAY: Being able to use your phone in sunlight is extremely important regardless of where you live. This device is listed as 1000 nit brightness. A nit is what is used to describe and measure the standard unit of light. Most mobile devices are usually between 200 to 500 nits. But Molai also explains “When comparing to other devices out there on the market is be aware of the nit rating and what it actually measures. Take note if that nit count is for the entire screen or if it’s for an individual pixel as some choose to list the nit rating for one individual pixel and not necessarily what’s across the board. It doesn’t give you the full picture (no pun intended) in terms on what you’re seeing on display.”  It’s a bit of a “nit-picky” bit of info. This device, he tells us is one of the brightest in the industry whether it’s mid-tier or a flagship phone.

Also pointed out is the phone’s DCI P3, an industry standard that is used predominately by movie production houses to identify colour accuracy. The closer the number is to 100 the more accurate it is. When you hear a rating of 100%, that tells you the device is rated at 100% which means it is the most capable of being able to render life-like colours. If you see numbers that are over 100, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Essentially means the colours are over saturated.

BOOMBOX SPEAKER: This feature they would have had in the LG G7ThinQ as well but it’s still an important feature to point out . LG’s engineering team has been able to make use of the internal space that is often an unused portion in a phone. They’ve created, what they call, a resonance chamber—which is like a cave. “It enables the user to amplify the sound playing it internally to give you a louder base and overall better sound quality. It really pops when you put the device flat down on a surface because it uses that surface as well. It’s also  great because it’s a premium audio feature  that consumers wouldn’t traditionally expect from a non-flagship phone,” said Molaei. "Everyone uses audio whether you’re listening to music, watching movies or whatever, at the end of the day, audio is that one feature that holds all of those things together."

BRIGHT CAMERA: One of the biggest difference between this new device and the LG G7ThinQ—the previous one has dual rear cameras. This one has a single rear camera but has the same main sensors as the G7ThinQ. It also has what is called Pixel Binning. Essentially it takes four pixels and combines them into one to give you one Super Pixel that’s four times more sensitive to light. So, in low light situations (think restaurants, bars, concerts, sports arenas) the camera will give you a better chance of truly capturing what you’re seeing with your eyes. Again, it’s one of the premium features that was carried over to this new device.

AI CAMERA: This device has AI Camera capabilities that will launch in the coming months. Essentially it will take what would have been a traditional manual mode setting in the device search in real time by analyzing over 1000 images worth of data points. It identifies what you’re shooting and gives you the optimal settings for it. Great for foodies! This was created for the user who many not want to go into their device and mess around with settings who may not also understand shutter speed and ISO.

The LG G7 One is a device made for the mass consumer. This isn’t a flagship device that has once specific feature that only one segment of the population might gravitate towards. This device is priced and spec’d and designed to resonate with as many consumers as possible. It’s created for consumers who aren’t super techy focused but are looking for a product that is going to work really well for their lifestyle.

From an audio perspective, every device has a DAC (digital to analog converter). All music and all sound in devices are stored in digital format. But wired headphones can only play analog formatted audio files. Anytime you plug your headphones into your smartphone, what it’s actually doing is converting it and using DAC to convert it before it plays in your headphones. “What a lot of consumers don’t realize is when they are purchasing headphones to plug into a device that doesn’t have a high quality DAC, they are really being funneled in terms of the quality of music. For that reason, LG partnered with industry leader, ESX,” said Molaei.

ESX is a company that specializes in making studio equipment for recording studios. They ‘ve created a quad-DAC system that upscales your music and enables users to be able to reduce sound by 50%. “So, you don’t need your music to be in Hi-Fi in order for you to take advantage of this.,” said Molaei. “Even if you’re streaming from a standard music service, this device will actually take whatever music you’re listening to and make it sound better."

Another premium audio feature is this device has DTS:X (X stands for virtual). Most people recognize the logo. It is a cinematic audio company. A lot of movie theatres use this technology to get true surround sound. LG partnered with them for exclusive technology that’s only on this device as well as the G7ThinQ. Where this feature is important is when you don’t have physical speakers surrounding you, this device works to give you that surround sound experience whether you’re listening through headphones or through the phone’s speakers to give you that quality sound. The technology seeks to replicate that real life experience—e.g. if you’re at a movie and there’s a scary point where the monster creeps up on your right side? LG wants you to hear that.

DURABILITY: This device has MIL-STD 810G compliant with certification. The military-grade rating is from a third party independent company that tests the device. If it survives within a certain degree of durability then it’s certified. The phone was put through a series of tests but two worth noting for us Canadians (and it passed) were a) the low temperature  test, this device has the best chance in surviving those frigid winter temperatures we love especially with our winter sports, and b) salt-water and saline test especially those who live on either coasts and near salt-water. Also good for vacation.

Oh, and yes it’s also water- and dust-resistant.

This is the first Android One device available in Canada. It is also the first premium Android device available globally. Check local carriers and retailers for pricing.