Hey all, I know I haven't posted about a phone in a while and there's a good reason for it.

See, I've really enjoyed my LG V30. Matter of fact I use 2 handsets regularly, One Samsung S8+ for work and the other is the LG V30+ for personal. I've been so happy with the performance of these devices that I really didn't see the need to branch out and try any others for a little while.

Still, the G7 came out and I'd heard good things about it. I figured it's got great specs and some new editions, so why not? I'm glad I did.



I'm 2 weeks in with the LG G7 ThinQ. So, while it still has the new car smell, I think I've had ample time to share my experiences so far.



Size comparison... I just assumed it would be smaller than the other + devices I mentioned. Well, you can tell by the pictures this device is really close to the same size as the LG V30+ .Even the boxes are the same. The LG G7 is a slight bit narrower and taller. Not much though.

It's a tiny bit 'thicker' and feels super premium in the hand. I really like that they moved the power button to the side and find it's just easier overall to navigate. Having the button on the side allows me to put the phone to sleep without having to pick it up. I also find it convenient just when holding the phone when I want to take a quick glance at something on the screen.

Voice Recognition - I'm not a huge home assistant guy. My guess is it's because I live in a 1 Bedroom apartment in NYC. I don't need to upgrade my appliances (knock on wood... or knock screen) and I don't have A/C-Heating units that work on a centralized thermostat. However, I do use Voice assistant on my devices and I have to say the LG G7 ThinQ has the most responsive assistant I have ever used on a mobile handset. Matter of fact, one of my biggest peeves after updating to Oreo on my other devices was that my recognition didn't work correctly or attempt to call the wrong people.

The LG G7 ThinQ easily wakes up to my voice and responds to my questions.

Because of that, having the 'Google Assistant Button' on the side of the device is unnecessary to me.



The Speaker - well.. that is something fantastic. Speakerphone calls are excellent. Matter of fact, using the G7 for calls on speaker is louder than my laptop and quite clear considering it's a phone. Music sounds great too, though I will not try to fool anyone in this review by telling them you'll get anything that resembles 'bass' out of these speakers. Just good clean sound for music and calls. Granted the 'bass' is better on this device than on any other I've owned. Probably just better to say the sound is 'fuller' and it's actually pleasant listening to music on the LG G7. It doesn't sound like a cr@ppy phone speaker. Definitely sounds better on a surface (desk) than in the hand.

There's also an option to 'boost' volume for speaker calls, but I'm not really sure why I would need an extra option to boost it after it's at full volume. The volume rocker should go up to full volume and that be that. I digress.



DAC - Speaking of sound, I still LOVE the DAC. So glad they kept this option. The sound quality is out of this world. It's not different than the V30+ other than the EQ and 3D sound options. Either way, it's a great reason to choose this phone over some of competitors.I just wish the LG G7 came with new earbuds. Speaking of which, my only gripe really is that wired earbuds don't control music as well as say my Bose Bluetooth ones do. With Bose I can navigate back and forward. 3 taps for reverse and 2 taps to skip to the next song (or chapter). I can't seem to make this work with any wired headphones. Again.. off track.

By the way - though it's not DAC related, DTS 3D Surround sound does work with Bluetooth headphones. I don't own 'surround' headphones, but I'll say the sound is definitely fuller with this turned on. It spreads out the soundscape really nicely.



Camera's.. love the wide-angle and I honestly feel like LG have had the best cameras on the market for a while now. First of all, the wide-angle lens rocks. I've had countless compliments on the pictures I take with the V30+ and now with the LG G7 ThinQ. Way more than I had with the competition... I'll leave it at that. Granted, I've never tried a Pixel. Not looking to debate.

The G7 moves up from a 16 and 13 megapixel sensors on the rear up to dual 16 megapixel ones. This makes the pictures a lot more vibrant. The lenses pull in more natural color. My daytime pictures are outstanding. The colors are even more 'realistic' when taking sunrise/sunset pictures.



For me - Low Light is going to take some getting used to though as I've had some issues getting a point and shoot real quick in a low light pub while seeing a band with friends.



The camera has AI capabilities. It's very cool to have the camera be able to identify what you're looking at and then offer up a few filters to help enhance your shot. Personally, I"m more of a naturalist. I don't use many of the filters unless there's some strange lighting or shadows messing up my shot. Still, I like that it's so simple and works so quickly that you don't feel like you have to fiddle with your phone in order to get this feature to work.

Also, comes with 'portrait mode' to focus on the person (or up to 5 people) in the image while blurring the background... giving a professional portrait appearance.



The camera has tons of other features and capabilities which I'll get to in another blog specifically related to the camera.



The display is beautiful.You can see it in direct sunlight and the images are super bright and crisp. I don't claim to know all the specs and how they compare on screens etc, I just know this one is a real step up. I liked the V30+ and think it looks great. I think the G7 ThinQ is even better, brighter, more detailed.

The Notch - I wasn't sure about this. Honestly I wanted to hate it. I had an Essential phone and loved the full screen, but then Apple came out with their larger notched device. Being an Android guy, I was kind of on the fence about whether or not it would bother me on the G7. Well, it doesn't bother me one bit. While you can easily turn it off and even set it to be off during initial setup, I find I like how notifications are displayed on it and how it also has different colors vs. the main screen depending on what you're doing - like switching between apps. This makes the phone feel 'new'.

I'll go into more on the 'new' feeling I always try to get when I move to a new device, but usually don't wind up experiencing in a subsequent blog about the LG G7 ThinQ. Just know this one does feel new and yet familiar at the same time.















Speed - I ran a speed test here in Midtown Manhattan, NY on both the S8+ and the LG G7 ThinQ. While both had admirable download speeds, I have to admit the speed on the G7 ThinQ was about 30MBPs faster! Look at these speeds!!!

One last note - I've read a ton of blogs from people about LG having a lot of Bloatware... I honestly don't feel the V30+ or the LG G7 ThinQ had much software layered over the stock android at all. They do have their own mail app, Quickmemo+, Health, Tasks and Music/Audio Recorder Apps... but that's really about it. They also didn't skin the device heavily. Oreo runs clean and smoothly.



Questions about the LG G7 ThinQ? Thoughts? What do you think about the device?



Until next time - thanks for reading!

Rick



The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. As a matter of fact the PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. So what I'm really trying to say is, my opinions are my own. I am not a Sprint or Device Manufacturer spokesperson. I just love to play with new tech, talk smack and help people when I'm able. I also like to write/blog about tech. Hope you follow me here and feel free to comment. Thanks!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my posts! My opinions are my own. I just love to play with new tech, talk smack and help people when I'm able. I also like to write/blog about tech. Hope you follow me here and feel free to comment. Thanks!!!