LG G6 review: The right phone at the wrong time

The LG G6 is one of the best high-end Android smartphones on the market. It’s just a pity that it is set to come out just days ahead of Samsung’s hotly anticipated Galaxy S8, which looks set to blow it out of the water in terms of sales.

That is a shame, as the G6 is a great phone in so many ways. Gone is the brave but doomed plasticky modular approach of last year’s G5 in favour of a more conventional metal and glass body. It’s solid if unspectacular, but is both IP68 dust and water-resistant and is allegedly more shock-resistant than some of its more elegant high-end peers.

Significantly, LG has engineered the G6 so that its body is just 71.9 millimetres wide, fitting snugly enough in the hand to allow for comfortable texting while still packing in a whopping 5.7 inches worth of IPS LCD display.

And what an amazing display it is, with one of the largest pixel densities available and the same extraordinary vivid but balanced colour palettes that have been LG's forte for so long. Watching the trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi on such a large display is one of the most impressive video smartphone experiences I've seen in a while.

Camera-wise, the G6 builds on the dual camera system of the G5, with two 13MP rear-facing cameras, one for normal angle and one for wide-angle shots. The cameras struggle a little in low-light conditions compared with the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7, but produce great shots in regular light conditions.

LG has also thrown in a few funky photography features that are great fun but arguably not essential. Finally, the 5MP front camera also has a wide-angle feature for group selfies.

The G6, which retails for Dh2,599, is one of LG’s best ever smartphones, with a durable design and a display and camera system that are hard to beat. However, its UAE launch on Thursday comes too close to that of the (albeit slightly more expensive) Samsung Galaxy S8.

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