Scratch It, Bend It, Burn It: Can LG G6 Survive It All? [Video]

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After the lukewarm response to its G5 flagship smartphone last year, LG has gone back to the basics with the latest G6. It has a metal chassis and glass back. The Korean electronics company claims the LG G6 is built to the same military drop standard as the ultra-durable V20. Folks at YouTube channel Jerry Rig Everything tortured the LG G6 to find out how durable it is.

G6 is not the first smartphone to undergo Jerry Rig Everything’s scratch, bend, and burn tests. Only a handful of devices have failed miserably in the bend test, ever. Did the LG G6 survive the wrath of their metal picks, razor blades, the lighter, and the strength of Zack’s (not Jerry’s) hand? The smartphone comes with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3, which is pretty good at preventing scratches.

LG G6 passes the scratch test with flying colors

The torture marathon starts with a scratch test. The glass panel covers almost entire front face of G6. Even the front camera and LG logo sit under the glass cover. The glass does not scratch until at Mohr’s level 6. However, the earpiece isn’t covered by the glass, so it could be vulnerable to damage. On the rear panel, the scratch-resistant glass covers the camera setup. But the fingerprint scanner could be scratched easily.

Jerry Rig Everything found that LG G6’s screen blacks out a few seconds earlier than other flagship smartphones if you ignite a lighter close to the screen. And then begins the bend test. The YouTuber points out that the glass back is strategically tucked into the metal chassis, which enhances the G6’s rigidity. Despite coming under immense force, the glass does not bend or crack at all. In terms of durability, the LG G6 is pretty close to the V20.

LG G6 lags behind Galaxy S8 in many aspects

LG’s latest flagship smartphone has received a mixed response from critics, partially because it lacks many of the latest and greatest features that Samsung has used in its Galaxy S8. Samsung’s flagship smartphone features a more powerful Snapdragon 835 processor, and comes with unique features like Bixby AI assistant and DeX. However, G6 is certainly the best phone to come out of LG’s facility.

The LG G6 runs Android Nougat right out of the box. It comes with IP68 and IPX5 water- and dust-resistance capabilities. You can also expand storage with a microSD card slot. LG G6 has a huge 5.7-inch IPS LCD panel, even though its form factor is smaller and narrower than the iPhone 7 Plus. It’s a bit odd that the Korean company is still using LCD panels for its flagship smartphones. LG has in-house OLED display technology, which is more advanced and energy-efficient.

LG G6 sports a QHD+ display with 1440 x 2880 pixels resolution. The smartphone has a unique aspect ratio of 18:9, which offers a much wider viewing experience than the wide-screen 16:9. Like many other Android devices, the G6 has the fingerprint scanner and home button on the back. A rear-mounted fingerprint scanner makes it difficult to unlock the phone when it’s sitting on the table.

Benchmark test results

LG G6 is powered by last year’s Snapdragon 821 chipset rather than the latest Snapdragon 835 that powers Samsung’s Galaxy S8. The choice of processors is clearly reflected in benchmark test results. The G6 scored a total of 136,196 points on AnTuTu benchmark. That’s even lower than OnePlus 3 and Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge, which was released a year ago.

The primary reason LG could not include Snapdragon 835 in the G6 is that Samsung had earned the exclusive rights to produce Qualcomm’s latest processor using its 10nm manufacturing process. Samsung was hoarding all the initial Snapdragon 835 supply for its own Galaxy S8. Other Android vendors had to either delay the launch of their flagship devices or opt for a different processor.

The flagship smartphone includes 4GB RAM and 32GB of built-in storage that you can expand further using a microSD card. Unlike Samsung, LG doesn’t have an in-house AI assistant. The LG G6 features Google’s digital assistant. It includes a non-removable 3300mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the 2800mAh battery used in G5. You can fast-charge it using a USB Type-C port.

LG G6 selfie camera still lags behind

LG Electronics has put a lot of efforts to enhance the G6’s camera capabilities. There are two 13MP rear camera, one of which is wide-screen. You can seamlessly move from one camera to another with pinch or zoom. The device also allows you to capture wide-screen selfies. However, LG G6’s 5-megapixel front camera lags far behind the other flagship smartphones.

The phone has some interesting photography modes and options. “Snap shot” allows users to view the latest pictures and capture another photo simultaneously. LG G6 includes slow-mo, 360-degree panoramas, time-lapse, and a “food mode” that enhances the image saturation. The camera performs well in low-light conditions.

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