Smartphone LG Candy - advantages and disadvantages

On September 1, 2018, the South Korean company LG presented its next brainchild with the unusual name Candy, which means “candy”. The smartphone has replenished the line of budget devices, combining an interesting design and useful stuffing. Candy sales started in the Indian market, but will gradually cover other countries.

A bit of history

Since 2001, LG Electronics has been producing phones with a color display and has been very successful in this over the years of brand development. In 2011, LG was the first in the world to release a phone with a 3D screen that does not require glasses, called the LG Optimus 3D model.

A year earlier, in 2010, the popularity of the LG Optimus One P-500 model broke all sales records worldwide, exceeding 50 million devices sold.In 2012, the company made a splash again when it signed a contract with PRADA, and the brand new LG Prada 3.0 saw the light of day. All devices were released based on the Android operating system.

The company is world famous not only for mobile phones, but also for home appliances, LCD and plasma TVs, digital devices, car sound systems, air purifiers, air conditioning systems and many other products.

But in this article we will learn about the new LG Candy, identify the advantages, disadvantages and general characteristics in the process of getting to know each other.

Design and features

Appearance

The smartphone has a stylish and sophisticated design, fits comfortably in the hand, does not try to slip out of the palm. The back cover is made of textured, pleasant to the touch plastic.

In order for the smartphone to fully justify its name "candy", the kit includes several color panels - black, gold, silver and blue.

In the box, each phone is in the basic, black color, but now each user will have the opportunity to choose the back cover of the device in accordance with their mood, style or weather outside. Four different panels in the kit is a nice and unexpected bonus for buyers.

The power button is located on the back of the smartphone. This is a very good solution, it will be easy to get used to such an arrangement. False clicks should not be in your pocket or bag.

On the back of the device is a speaker, flash and camera. Under the back cover there is a Micro SD card slot and two slots for SIM cards.

On the left side of the device are the volume buttons.On the bottom is a USB charging port, and on the top is a 3.5mm headphone jack. and noise reduction sensor.

This model has a USB Type-c connector. It's nice, but strange and surprising for a device in this price range.

Screen

The display in the smartphone is the most budgetary. It is unpleasant that the oleophobic coating is applied either very weakly or not at all. Prints appear quickly and are very difficult to erase, and in the sun you can only see what is written on the screen with great effort. It is not comfortable.

The screen-to-body ratio is 64.21%. In most devices of competitive brands, the screen area is approximately 70-90% of the device size. Not very bad, but you can’t write it down as a virtue either. The screen diagonal is 5 inches, the resolution is 720 by 1280 pixels; IPS matrix, and the pixel density is 294PPI. The brightness of the display is not high, but the colors and shades are all natural.

One-handed operation is simple and hassle-free. In addition to the screen, you can add that it is convenient for reading books, the eyes do not hurt and do not get tired.
The screen is small, the resolution is low. It is unfortunate, but Xiaomi and Meizu will easily bypass this model in all respects for the same price.

The giant bezels above and below are also very frustrating - in a smartphone in 2018, this looks at least strange.

Camera main and front

The camera app has a pop-up tips feature that allows you to take multiple photos at once and automatically stitch them together to select the best shots. The rear camera has an 8MP module, the front camera has a 5MP module. Aperture f/2.2. There is autofocus, the ability to detect faces and adjust the white balance.

The photos are good, but you can’t expect “sky-high” detail from the built-in cameras.

Of the competitive brands of mobile devices, the shooting quality can be compared with Xiaomi Red Mi 4a.
An example of how to photograph during the day:

An example of how it takes pictures at night:

It shoots videos mediocrely, as you might expect from a budget segment smartphone, in this area the device has nothing to brag about. The video shooting speed is 30 frames per second, the maximum resolution is 1280 by 720px.

When using the front camera, if the lighting is poor, you can turn on the face light function using the display. This will help to make high-quality "selfies" even with problems with good light. You can also take pictures using gestures - you just have to give a command and after three seconds automatic shooting will begin. If you squeeze your palm twice, you get four shots.

As soon as the photo shoot is over, a notification will appear on the screen with a suggestion to publish this photo or video on social networks.

The smartphone has an automatic shooting function. You can not press the camera button, just take a comfortable position, and the phone will take a picture by itself. You can use the HDR mode to improve the clarity and detail of images.

To launch the camera, just press the volume key, and the application for shooting will start in quick mode. The cameras are at a decent average level, but the stars from the sky, of course, are not enough.

External speaker and headphone sound

Sufficiently powerful external speaker. When listening, the upper frequencies do not ring, and the lower ones sound flawlessly. Incoming calls will please with a clear and loud sound, which is perfectly audible even if there is a busy and noisy street around the user.

The sound in the headphones is also loud, juicy and voluminous.True, there is a minus that the headphones will have to be purchased separately, since the manufacturer did not include them in the package.

But the device has support for an FM radio. This is a very nice feature. You can enjoy your favorite radio stations anywhere you want, as long as you have enough battery power.

The main thing is not to put the smartphone on a soft surface - otherwise problems with sound will be provided. When talking, the sound quality is very good, the interlocutor is perfectly audible even with strong gusts of wind.

Processor and performance

The smartphone received a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor with a clock frequency of 1300 MHz. The Adreno 304 chip is responsible for the graphics.

The built-in memory in the smartphone is only 16GB, but it is possible to expand it using Micro SD cards, up to 2TB. But how smooth and nimble the operation of LG Candy will be if you put a card with 2 terabytes of memory remains a mystery.

The performance is not a record, but if you remember that the smartphone belongs to budget devices, then this is quite normal. Paying attention to the characteristics, it becomes clear that this device will not break records in terms of functionality and performance, but it does not pursue such goals and does not apply to flagships.

The budget device is well suited for calls, correspondence in instant messengers, reading information on the Internet. But, unfortunately, it is unlikely that it will be exciting and long to play on the LG Candy - a gaming smartphone cannot be called, even slightly exaggerating.

It will be possible to spend a lunch break after passing a couple of levels in light games, but you will need to remember about the safety of the battery charge - it is not great here.

The results in the synthetic Antutu Benchmark test are more than modest. This was to be expected.The device scores only 26,305 points. For active games, a smartphone is only suitable if the user does not aim at the most cumbersome of them, such as Real Racing 3, Vainglory or Modern Combat 5. To test and enjoy such toys, you need a more powerful device.

Operating system and interface

The smartphone comes with the Android 7 Nougat operating system “on board”, which by the end of 2018 is already even indecent. If there are expectations that it will soon be updated to Android 8 Oreo, and then to the next released version - while such hopes should be abandoned, there has been no information from manufacturers about upcoming system updates.

The interface is decorated with proprietary shell LG UI. A huge plus of this shell is intuitive control, beautiful application icons and an optimized multitasking function with a convenient split screen. Touch on-screen buttons can be easily removed in the settings if they interfere with the user.

There is a well-thought-out feature that enlarges the keyboard and makes the font larger. If the phone is purchased, for example, for parents (which is often the case in the segment of budget smartphones), then this feature will be appreciated.

There is no fingerprint scanner, but you can unlock and lock the phone in an equally convenient way by simply tapping it twice.

autonomy

The first feature of this device regarding autonomy is, of course, a removable battery. In 2018, manufacturers rarely leave the battery removable, but this has advantages beyond the ability to change the design by changing the body panels.For example, when going camping or fishing, you can take a spare battery with you and not be afraid to be left without communication at the most inopportune moment.

The battery built into the phone has a capacity of 2500 mAh. Compared to competitors, this is very modest, the charge lasts a maximum of a day with average use. In game mode, the smartphone will live for three hours. With active interaction with the device, in the afternoon you will need to look for an outlet.

Talk time in EDGE networks will be 8 hours, and standby time - 320 hours. In 3G networks, you can talk up to 7 hours, and the waiting time will be reduced to 250 hours.

The device does not support fast and wireless charging.

Equipment

Package Included:

1. Telephone;
2. Battery;
3. Instruction;
4. Charger;
5. Micro-USB cable for connecting to a computer;
6. Replaceable panels on the back of the case.

Unfortunately, no wired headset is included.

Specifications

The table shows the main characteristics of the model:

Price

By the beginning of sales, the smartphone was presented with a starting price of $100.

If translated into Russian rubles, this means that the cost will start from 6,803 rubles. A very good amount for a smartphone, which is positioned as a budget model. But keep in mind that prices are subject to change.

Pros and cons

After a brief review, it is already possible to highlight the positive and negative aspects of the model.

• Sleek body;
• The display is comfortable to read;
• A feature that allows you to share a photo immediately after shooting;
• Two slots for sim cards;
• Separate Micro SD card slot;
• Removable battery and rear panel;
• Front-camera;
• FM radio;
• Connector 3.5mm. for headphones.

• Battery capacity;
• The amount of built-in memory;
• It is difficult to get cards out of the slot without effort;
• No NFC module;
• There is no event indicator;
• There is no fingerprint scanner.

Results

LG Candy is suitable for those users who need a smartphone with a basic set of smart features: Internet, GPS, calls, social networks, and more. If you are not tied to a specific brand, but you want extended functionality, then Xiaomi or Meizu will offer a more powerful device for the same money.