LG L70 - Why good and cheap CAN go along with each other

[lachyman]

Hey there folks,

 

I got this new phone which most of you would probably put in the 'meh' category - it's so cheap and from a manufacturer that doesn't have the best reputation, probably not worth your time and money.

I was checking this category of phones thinking the same thing, but this one caught my eye with it's specs - Android 4.4.2, 1GB RAM, Snapdragon 200 (2x 1.2GHz), 4.5" 480x800 IPS display, 2100mAh battery and finally a 5MP rear camera, all for just €120!

I thought to myself: "This thing should fix all my issues with my current phone (Xperia U with a 3.5" screen for ants and always full 512MB RAM) and that price, let's check it out".

 

Let's start with performance. Snapdragon 200 and 1GB RAM is nothing to brag about, but it gets the job done really well. I haven't really noticed any lag in games I tried, and RAM usage doesn't go past 500MB either, so I'm gonna call this a plus point.

Next thing is the screen. The colors and viewing angles are great, it's IPS after all, my only gripe would be the resolution, 480x800 is a bit too low for 4.5" and a HD screen would be much better. You won't notice if you don't hold your phone 10cm off your face, so I would call the screen a plus point too.

Now to the design. I personally think this phone has one of the best designs available today, at least at the price point. The front is entirely made out of glass (thankfully it's Gorilla glass too) with just an LG logo on top just below the speaker, right next to it is the front cam and NO LED notification (!). On the left side is the volume button and on the right the power button. Finally below the screen is a Samsung style home button with the back button on the left and menu button on the right.

The back is made out of a really good feeling textured hard plastic which feels really good in hand, other than that we just find the rear camera and LED flash there, along with some shite speakers like on 90% of all phones today, thankfully there is a headphone jack on top of the phone. 

The battery is really good, on average it lasts me 2 days and is fed from the bottom of the device. It's also removable, below the rear cover we also find a microSD slot which you will most likely need and a SIM slot. Overall the design is a big plus.

To the software. You won't find any pure Android here, LG put their own UI here, which doesn't work or look bad, there is just a lot of bloatware in there, which results in just 1.39GB space available when you first turn the phone on, so the expansion is a must here. One thing I really like are some options that really make the phone easier to use, like gesture control. Just double tap on the screen to turn it on. Do it again to turn it off. That's it. No power button required. While I would still prefer pure Android, this works fine too and is extremely easy to use, so a plus there.

The camera. Good for the price, but still crap compared to high end phones and real cameras. It can take some really good shots if the light is good though.

 

The conclusion: This phone is awesome for the money. If you struggle with an old crap like I used to and don't have a lot to spend on an upgrade, just pick this one up, you won't regret it.

[wkronbaek]

In what way is this better than the Moto G?

Moto G is same price, and has both a more powerful processor and a 720p display.

[kristaps552]

I was actually planning on buying this phone for my gf, as the moto G ir roughly 50euros more expensive.
Found this post quite helpful.
Cheers.

[lachyman]

In what way is this better than the Moto G?

Moto G is same price, and has both a more powerful processor and a 720p display.

Moto G starts at €200 which is almost twice as much. 

http://geizhals.at/motorola-moto-g-lte-8gb-schwarz-a1113330.html

 

I agree that Moto G is a better phone and probably a better value too, but a GTX760 is a better value than a GT640 as well, but that doesn't matter if one can't afford the 760. If I had a bigger budget for a phone upgrade I would definitely go for the Moto G.

[Homicidium]

Moto G starts at €200 which is almost twice as much. 

http://geizhals.at/motorola-moto-g-lte-8gb-schwarz-a1113330.html

 

I agree that Moto G is a better phone and probably a better value too, but a GTX760 is a better value than a GT640 as well, but that doesn't matter if one can't afford the 760. If I had a bigger budget for a phone upgrade I would definitely go for the Moto G.

 

Moto G 8GB starts at 160€ on Amazon and the 16GB 4G Version retails for 200€

[DigitalHermit]

Finally, a review of the L70... I've been considering this to be my next phone (about time I replaced my LG L3 E400R)...