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LG G7 first impressions: super bright display, notch you can hide and speaker that goes up to 11

The LG G7 ThinQ comes with a number of neat features for flagship phone fans, including a ‘super bright mode’, clever notch-hiding options, AI camera software and speakers so loud they shake the phone

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Two LG G7s next to each other. The device has a 6.1-inch LCD display with a notch at the top that houses an 8-megapixel selfie camera, earpiece and proximity sensor. Photo: Ben Sin
Ben Sin

When LG failed to unveil a new G-series smartphone at this year’s Mobile World Congress – one of the most important trade events for the mobile communications industry – rumours began swirling in the tech media that the South Korean company was killing its flagship line.

Turns out such speculation was unfounded as LG is just about to launch the G7, a refined handset which follows on the back of the well-rounded V30.

The new model has the official name LG G7 ThinQ, with “ThinQ” referring to the company’s line of artificially intelligent connected home appliances which is not exactly widely known outside South Korea.

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What may draw some users’ ire is G7’s iPhone X-like notch at the top of the display. The increasingly popular notch is a feature that divides the Android community. I was an initial detractor, but notches have won me over because it allows a phone’s status bar to be pushed up to where the traditional forehead bezel would normally be.

The notch on the G7 (left) compared with the Huawei P20 Pro (right). Photo: Ben Sin
The notch on the G7 (left) compared with the Huawei P20 Pro (right). Photo: Ben Sin
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For what it’s worth, LG gives users options to either hide or flaunt the notch. Users can turn the colour of the screen space around the notch completely black – which does a good job of concealing the cut-out and gives the phone a more traditional look – or use a rainbow colour scheme with a gradient effect that actually draws attention to that part of the screen.

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