Verdict
The LG G7 One will release in Canada on October 19, 2018 on every major network. While it is the world's best Android One device it won't win any races against flagship phones. The price is yet to be finalized, but this smartphone will be priced against mid-range and older models even though it's a far superior device. Android One and Google Play Protect keep your phone secure and safe with major updates for two years, and monthly security updates for three years after the device's release.
What we love
- Great camera and screen
- Monthly Security updates
- Google Assistant Button
- Incredible audio
What could be improved
- Not the best or fastest hardware
- Updates still slower than the Pixel
- Lean OS but few apps (like music) are built-in
85/100
What's the LG G7 One?
The LG G7 One shares much of the same hardware and features with its older brother, the LG G7 ThinQ. While the ThinQ is a cutting-edge flagship smartphone, the LG G7 One is targeted at a different market by offering what no other premium device has; Android One.
Android One is part of Google's effort to build a simpler and more secure line of Android devices. Originally released for the emerging markets in southeast Asia, Android One now puts a clean, simple, Google Pixel-like experience on devices made by many manufacturers and available around the world.
As part of the Android One program, every LG G7 One is free of pre-installed 'bloatware' apps, will receive two major software upgrades, and gets monthly security updates for at least three years (after the initial release to market).
All this minimalism comes at a price. There are some features exclusive to LG devices (like 'double tap to wake' or manual features in the camera) that won't be offered. LG has also chosen to remove or lower some hardware specs so the two phones don't compete with each other. Instead, the LG G7 One is aimed at the mid-range smartphone market.
LG G7 ThinQ vs. LG G7 One
The LG G7 One is based off LG's flagship G7 ThinQ which is a good place to start. Both use premium hardware, intelligent AI-powered software, and will both be upgraded to Android 9.0 Pie within the next few months.
How They're The Same:
The LG G7 One has the same strong aluminum case and Gorilla Glass 5 that holds together the LG G7 ThinQ. Much of the internal hardware is still present, like a 6.1" 1440x3120 IPS LCD screen, 32-bit quad DAC, DTS:X Surround Sound, 3.5mm audio jack, boom-box speaker, IP68 dust/waterproof, and military MIL-STD compliant.
How They're Different:
Both phones share the same 8MP front facing camera and 16MP main rear camera, but the LG G7 One is missing a second wide-angle camera that has become the standard on top-of-the-line smartphones.
While it has a large 4GB of RAM, there's only 32GB of internal storage (versus 64GB on the ThinQ model). Both devices can be upgraded with a MicroSD card. LG also chose to use the year-old Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU instead of the current Snapdragon 845 chip.
The LG G7 ThinQ runs the current Android Oreo 8.0 with an upgrade to 9.0 Pie in the works; possibly available before the end of 2018. The LG G7 One runs the sleek Android One Oreo 8.1 and will receive an upgrade to 9.0 Pie by the end of November. Android One devices also get monthly security updates for three years after release. Stock Android manufacturers including Samsung, HTC and even LG often take many months to release updates on flagship devices, and almost never on mid-range smartphones.
What All That Means:
The LG G7 One falls short on a few hardware specs that would put it in the same league as flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9, Google Pixel 3, or Apple's iPhone XS. However, the shortcomings won't make much difference to most users since the slim, bloat-free Android One OS will keep things running fast for many years. Most importantly, customers will see more power in their purchase since the LG G7 One is be priced at the mid-range market where the competition is running older and slower technology.
What's good about the LG G7 One?
Security:
Security is of utmost importance when that device in your pocket holds your contacts, emails, and credit card numbers. While Apple updates roll out to all compatible hardware on the first day it's available, Android users often wait months (or over a year!) to receive the newest software. Some mid-range devices on the market will never see another software update and that can make anyone nervous.
All Android One devices will receive at least two major version updates, and monthly security patches for at least three years after the device first hits the store shelves. An Android One smartphone sold with Android 8.1 (Oreo) will receive Android 9.0 (Pie) shortly after the Google Pixel devices get it. Those devices will also be upgraded to Android 10 (Q) when it's released next year.
By releasing the LG G7 One with the Android One OS, LG has a commitment with Google (and with you) to supply those updates within a few months of release.
Google Play Protect is also baked into the OS. This service runs in the background when your phone is idle and watches your apps to make sure nothing malicious is happening. If something nasty is found on your device (or elsewhere first) then Google Play Protect shuts it down immediately.
Camera:
Although the wide-angle camera is absent from this model, the LG G7 One still sports a powerful 16MP, f/1.6 camera that features pixel binning to take excellent low-light photos. Colours are vivid and fast HDR mode helps balance shadows and highlights to make photos look natural.
Manual mode has been removed. One of my favourite features of LG phones since the G4 has been the option to adjust ISO, white balance, shutter speed and even the focal depth. LG chose to remove it because the Android One experience requires a bloat-free experience, and it was determined that the target consumer doesn't care for that much control over their photography. The result is a clean, open-and-take-a-photo experience.
There are plans to add the AI CAM features from the LG G7 ThinQ camera. If they do, then while setting up your shot will become even easier. The AI CAM software will proactively look at what you're photographing (like flowers, food, or text) while you set up the shot and adjust the camera settings in real-time to make your photos look their best.
Google Assistant:
One feature I'm glad made the transition from the LG G7 ThinQ is the dedicated Google Assistant button. Placed below the volume controls on the left side is a button that will activate the Google Assistant. One tap opens the Assistant in less than a second and it starts listening for a command. Two quick taps opens Google Lens which uses the camera to scan labels, translate text, or identify landmarks.
The Google Assistant button can be disabled in the settings if you find you frequently activate it by accident, but it can't be reprogrammed to serve another function.
Audio:
LG stepped up their game with this generation of smartphone audio. The hardware in the LG G7 One matches the exceptional hardware in its flagship sibling with a quad 32-bit DAC, DTS:X surround sound, huge sound from a large reverberation chamber for a boom-box effect, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack if you still prefer using your analog cans.
No music apps are pre-installed (Spotify was installed by LG for testing), not even Google Play Music. Even so, the LG G7 One is primed to let you listen to downloaded or stream music at exceptional quality no matter the method of sound reproduction.
Screen:
The screen hardware is superior to every device in its class and even many flagship phones. While LG continues to use IPS LCD technology in their screens, the 6.1" screen covers 82.9% of the body giving it the same coverage as the new iPhone XS. The LG G7 One has a huge 1440x3120 pixel resolution, features Dolby Vision/HDR10 and 100% DCI-P3 coverage. It's extraordinarily bright at 1,000 nits so seeing the screen on a sunny day should pose no problem. LG included a setting that prevents you from accidentally setting the brightness too high while indoors, so you don't blind yourself.
While a lot of other LG features I love have been removed, the Always-on display is still here so you can get your notifications at a glance without having to wake your smartphone.
What's not so good about the LG G7 One?
Hardware Compromises:
Android One is not Google's first attempt to get 3rd party manufacturers to put a pure Android experience on their hardware.
In 2013, the Play Edition phones put a version of Android on flagship devices from Samsung, HTC, Sony, Motorola and LG. They had no bloatware and used the unmodified Android user interface. Consumers loved that they had the choice to buy a version of their favourite hardware without all the extra software, but the program ended after only one year since the devices competed directly with the manufacturer's flagship smartphones.
Flash-forward to 2018. While the LG G7 One shares a lot of hardware with its flagship sibling, the two don't compete against each other. By choosing to use older hardware and omitting some features (like a wide-angle camera and more internal storage) the LG G7 One will be priced in a way that makes it compete against mid-range devices or flagships from previous years.
Consumers who want a pure Android experience with top-of-the-line hardware and features still have the Google Pixel and Pixel XL series, but that's it.
Bring Your Own Apps:
While the lack of bloatware is a strength for Android One, there's something to be said for booting up your new device and it's ready to go. LG will price the LG G7 One to compete in the mid-range market where there aren't a lot of power-users. These casual consumers will need to know what apps they want to download in order to get the best experience from their new smartphone.
Google limits the manufacturer and mobile carrier to a total of five apps. It's inevitable there will be a few omissions when it comes to services, but the LG G7 One has such superior audio that it's odd not to include some app for streaming tunes. YouTube is included, but not a music app like Google Play Music, Spotify nor iHeartRadio.
Software Updates:
Software updates come monthly and major OS upgrades should appear within a few months after they appear on Google's Pixel devices. But there's still a wait. It's not six months or more like we've become accustomed to as Android users, but it's still far slower than Apple's enclosed ecosystem which releases new OS upgrades to all eligible devices on Day 1.
The Android One program requires 3rd party developers to distribute updates in a timely
Camera Samples
What else can I buy?
Google Pixel 2 XL
If you're looking for the pure Android experience, Google has their own flagship running a stock Android OS with the Pixel 2 XL. Software updates happen even faster than on Android One. With an industry-leading camera, 6-inch screen, and some of the fastest hardware this smartphone will serve you well for years to come.
iPhone 8
While it's considered a budget phone, the Apple iPhone 8 is still one of the fastest and most capable smartphones on the market. If you are okay switching over to iOS from Android, Apple will send regular version upgrades and security updates to your phone on the day they're released.
LG G6
It's not as fast as the LG G7 One, but it still has a lot of the bells and whistles that LG packs into their flagship devices. You won't get the monthly security updates, but an LG G6 is now considered a mid-range model so you can find a lot of deals that put an LG G6 in your pocket for $0 down and a few bucks per month.
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