LG K7 LTE : Pros and Cons
LG has launched the K10 LTE and K7 LTE as the next new release in its budget series. K7 LTE is found to
be more affordable than K10 LTE but by compromising its features. Let’s discuss the specifications of the
mobile and test if K7 LTE matches the other mobiles at the price of Rs Rs. 9500.
K7 LTE has the same pebble-like finish like K10 LTE with curved edges for the display making the mobile
look good. The back panel is quite soft but offers good grip to hold. The 5 MP front camera comes with
the proximity sensor. LG K7 LTE has removed the ambient light sensor which means the brightness of
the phone has to be adjusted manually. The notification LED is also absent like the K10 LTE. The build
quality is decent for a plastic phone like K7 LTE.
touch technology. The display does not score well like the K10 LTE as its resolution is just 480X854 pixels
with a pixel density of 195 ppi making the text and images look jagged. The charging socket and ear
phones jack are placed at the bottom of the mobile while the other buttons like volume control and lock
are at the back panel. The buttons at the back have a spongy feel and hence can be pressed accidentally.
LG ships its K7 LTE with a charger, data cable, headset and instruction manual. You don’t get the flip
cover just like you did for K10 LTE.
LG K7 LTE runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The software bloat has been considerably reduced except for
some extras like LG Backup and Smart World. The Smart World is used to download fonts, themes,
ringtones etc. The lock screen effects and the quick launch shortcuts for apps can also be customized.
The toggle switches and the navigation bar at the bottom can also be customized.
The K7 LTE is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 quad-core SoC with 1.5GB of RAM which is very
old. It scores 18,690 points in AnTuTu and about 14fps in GFXbench. The inbuilt storage of 8 GB can be
expanded up to 32 GB using a microSD card. The connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n,
FM radio, and GPS. There's no support for NFC or USB OTG. It supports dual SIM and both the slots
accept only Nano SIM with 3G data. 4G with VoLTE and VoWi-Fi is supported only for the card in the first
slot. The mobile is backed by a battery of 2125 mAh.
Thought the processor used by K7 LTE is quite ancient, it gives a good multitasking experience. The
phone hangs at times but doesn’t ruin the experience. Heavy apps and games take time to load and the
phone gets warm while playing games and charging. 4G is good and the call quality was tested to be
better. The text and images are not sharp. The music player is acceptable but doesn’t support flac audio
files. The audio codecs like AC3 are also not supported. The rear speaker works good for alerts and
notifications but not for media playback.
The 5 MP rear camera is not up to the mark and produces satisfactory images in daylight but gets worse
in dim lights. It doesn’t capture the details of a scene the colors turn muted. The close-up shots were
good but again the sensor failed to produce good colors. The photos can get shaky if your hands are not
steady. The front camera offers a “flash” for selfies but the camera app lacks features like HDR,
panorama and filters. The mobile offers full HD video recording in both the front and rear cameras.
A good battery performance is achieved by lowering the quality of display and processor. Regular usage
of the mobile makes the battery stand for one full day. During the video loop test, it was found that we
can get a playback time of 11 hours and 37 minutes. Quick charge option is not available.
LG’s K7 LTE is found not worth for the money you put in. Priced at Rs. 9500, it falls short in so many
specifications and is considered affordable only for Rs. 5000. At Rs. 9500, you get so many cool
smartphones like the Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus, Coolpad Note 3, and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, all of which
perform better and are less expensive. Hence, if LG regulates the price or makes its specifications better,
K7 LTE can do well at the market.
