LG K7: Offers nothing special

LG launched the K7, along with the K10, last week. This is the company's first big launch in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment this year.

The K7 is designed well. LG calls it a glossy pebble design. The main feature of the design is the lack of buttons on the sides. The clutter-free design will impress anyone who wants a looker. The power button is on the plastic back, close to the camera and flash. The volume buttons flank the power button. The body is curved and it is easy to carry around.

The K7 sports a 5-inch display. Its touch interface is smooth and there is no lag. But, the phone's screen makes it difficult for practical use. In direct sunlight, one can read emails only if the brightness is set to 100 per cent; this might be fine in itself but is not on a par with its competitors.

While the display is slightly curved due to LG's Arc glass and is pleasing to the eyes, its resolution of 854x480 pixels is old technology. It is difficult to grasp why LG went in for such an average display.

The K7 sports 5-megapixel (MP) front and rear cameras. This is something of a mystery for me. Why should the Korean major, in this tremendously competitive segment, go in for such low-powered cameras? Both cameras give grainy pictures. Also, it doesn't have features like panorama or HDR.

Selfie lovers, however, have something to cheer. One can take pictures with gestures; one can click a picture by saying cheese, smile, whiskey and kimchi - which one can choose from a list.

The dual-sim phone supports 4G. It houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor with 1.5GB RAM. It provides just 8 GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 32 GB. The K7 falls short in the storage area as well; most phones provide at least 16GB of storage these days. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and the user interface is simple. The K7 comes with a 2,125 mAh battery and is not the best for a heavy user. However, for low-to-moderate usage, the phone performs well.

At Rs 9,500, the LG K7 falls in the low-range smartphone segment. But it has very few things going for it. LG claims that the phone will be a big hit among the youth; however, average specifications will not be able to garner much attention.

LG K7
Price: Rs 9,500
Screen: 5-inch 480 x 854p
Weight: 161 g
OS: Android 5.1
RAM: 1.5GB
Processor: Snapdragon 210 quad core
Storage: 8/16GB
Camera (rear/front): 5 MP/5MP
Battery: 2,125 mAh