A couple of years ago, after a small year-long stagnation, LG updated the L-series of its gadgets, presenting at the international exhibition an interesting second-generation model - LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715. The characteristics of the smartphone have undergone some changes compared to the previous L7 line. And although this model is far from the capabilities of the flagship brand, the device has something to please its owner.
The hero of today's review is the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 smartphone: specifications, reviews, advantages and disadvantages of the model, as well as expert opinions on the successor to the previously popular L7.
Briefly about the model
First of all, the company radically changed the design of the gadget: instead of a rectangular monoblock, the device took on a more streamlined shape. To say that it is bad or good, it is impossible, because this moment remains on the court of each specific owner. Nevertheless, the design of the model can be called at least pretty.
In addition to the appearance of the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715, the characteristics of the chipset have also been changed: instead of the very mediocre Qualcomm MSM7227, the new gadget got a pretty nimble MSM8625. And although this chipset works on two processors, you can play heavy games (at medium settings) without any problems. RAM has also been increased, and now on board is 768 MB instead of 512.
In addition, both cameras and the operating system were updated, but the most interesting innovation in the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 (Black) is the characteristic of the battery, which increased to 2460 mAh. This is a very good bonus for a potential buyer.
Contents of delivery
The model comes in three colors: it is white and the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 Black / Blue. Reviews about the blue and black scales are rather mixed: someone likes strict tones, while someone prefers something “more fun”, so you can’t definitely assess this moment. The execution of the device in white can be called universal.
In the box you will see:
- the device itself;
- rechargeable battery;
- mains charger;
- USB cable for charging and synchronizing with a computer;
- quite detailed manual in Russian.
Alas, no additional accessories. Headset, case and other surroundings have to buy separately. But maybe it’s for the better, because any additional item in the box would significantly increase the price of the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715.
Photos and reviews about the design of the model
A rather interesting and bold decision is to use a distinctive design for almost the same model. A phone with one SIM card has sharp corners and with all its appearance resembles the previous generation of LG gadgets. The device for two SIM cards is distinguished by sloping edges and is very similar to the old "Optimus Black", "Sol" and One.
Judging by the reviews, many owners consider the semi-glossy rear panel a rather strange innovation. The first generation of the Optimus P705 was equipped with a pleasing cover in many respects, as well as a metal insert (camera frame). Why the company abandoned these chips in the new models is not entirely clear - everything here is somehow simple and primitive.
The screen of the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 (photo in the article) is relatively easily soiled, so it will collect fingerprints everywhere and always. It is disappointing that the company did not equip the P715 with a protective glass from Gorilla, but nonetheless, the existing durable plastic is able to protect the gadget from minor scratches.
Assembly
As for the build quality of the model, here the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 features five-plus cases. The device is really well shot down: no backlash, creaks, crunch and other flaws. Numerous positive reviews in specialized forums on build quality confirm this fact.
The gadget lies well in the palm of your hand, and thanks to the optimal dimensions (122 x 66 x 9.7 mm) and relatively light weight (115 g), one-hand operation with a smartphone can be done without problems.
Interfaces
Smartphone LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 is a classic representative of the series, where the location of the interfaces has not changed at all. On the front of the device we will see: a front camera, a removal sensor, as well as a speech speaker under a nice metal mesh. By the way, the performance of the speaker is at a very decent level: a good supply of volume, a pleasant timbre, and the person at that end can be heard clearly, legibly and without any blurring. You can compare the characteristics of the model with the quality of “Galaxy S-Duos” from “Samsung” and the same “first generation Littimus L7”.
As for the sensors and their work, there are no complaints about the model - everything blinks, glows and winks as it should, with the LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715. Owner reviews sometimes note a certain retardation of the indication in the winter season, but almost all budget models "suffer" from this, therefore this nuance cannot be called critical.
If in the device with one SIM card you can see the mechanical key "Home", then in P715 it is replaced by a touch. Four functional touch buttons are located under the screen: working with SIM cards, “Menu”, “Home” and “Back”. The keys are painted on the display with silver paint and completely devoid of backlighting, and this is very disappointing. Responses from the owners are full of indignation with phrases about this: during the day there are no problems, but in the evening and at night you have to poke your fingers at random. This is a serious omission for a seemingly successful model.
At the bottom there is a microphone and a micro-USB output, and at the top there is another noise-canceling microphone and a standard interface for a headset and 3.5 mm headphones. The company's engineers included in the design a mechanical button on the left side of the gadget to launch applications indicated in the menu, such as a voice recorder, camera, game or playlist. A little lower is the volume rocker and there is a button on / off the device.
On top of the back of the gadget, there is a camera and a flash eye slightly recessed into the body. At the bottom is a speaker. In order to open the cover, you need to pry the back panel at the location of the micro-USB output. There we will see a place for a memory card and slots for ordinary mini-sims (the principle of "on top of each other").
Display
The 4.3-inch smartphone LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715 has a very mediocre and morally outdated screen resolution of 800 by 480 pixels. Experts believe that such “infringement” was specifically introduced into the series so as not to create competition for the much more promising LG model “Optimus L9”.
The display is built on a fairly high-quality IPS-matrix, and the picture produces a pretty good screen for the budget LG Optimus L7 II Dual P715. The overview of the angles, of course, is not good enough, and at large slopes the image fades, inverts and the color rendering is significantly impaired. Nevertheless, looking through a photo or watching a video in the company of one like-minded person can be done without problems.
In principle, you can work with the gadget on a sunny day: although the picture fades, the information as a whole is more or less readable. The behavior of the matrix in the shadow is very good: the screen does not blind, and pixelation does not catch the eye (if you do not look closely).
The display seems to be quite good, but in this segment and for the same price (and the smartphone costs about 6,000 rubles), you can find a better competitor with acceptable sharpness, resolution and color reproduction.
Sensor
The sensor unit of the model is capacitive and is capable of supporting up to ten simultaneous touches. The sensitivity of the screen is generally good. Both the owners and the experts in this field have no critical complaints about the characteristics of the sensor.
The smartphone is equipped with “smart screen” technology, which is unclear who has spied on anyone - whether Samsung has LG, or vice versa. The principle of operation of this technology is quite simple: while you look at the device - it is turned on and does not "fall into" sleep mode, but if you turn away, after a certain period of time it goes out. The "smart screen" works in tandem with the front camera, that is, it determines the position of your eyes and draws the appropriate "conclusions".
Performance
The gadget runs on the Qualcomm S4 “Play” MSM8625 chipset on two cores with a frequency of 1 GHz. The pretty good graphics accelerator “Adreno” from the 203 series is responsible for the graphic part.
This tandem allows you to comfortably work with the interface and moderate applications. As for HD-video, powerful software and demanding toys, the device hardly "digests" them: friezes, brakes and FPS subsidence.
As mentioned above, the previous generation was equipped with 512 MB RAM. The new gadget has on board a little more - 768 MB. If you actively use the operating system, then the user will have about 250-300 MB of free RAM. It’s not thick, but for most ordinary tasks and stable operation of the interface, it’s enough.
The device has its own 4 GB flash memory, where the user has access to only 1.8 GB, the rest is reserved for system files. A third-party memory card helps out in this case (maximum capacity is 32 GB).
Camera
The device is equipped with two standard camera modules: a front camera of 0.3 megapixels and a main one of 8 megapixels. There is also a small single-section flash for the main module. The maximum image size is 3264 by 2448 pixels, the video spread is 720 x 480.
The indicators are more than weak. Almost any “Chinese” in this segment can work with HD-resolution, and at a lower cost.
The output photo quality is mediocre, although autofocus and white balance can be distinguished as clear advantages over competitors. The main drawback of the camera is the wrong choice of exposure: sometimes pictures are taken with dark areas or overexposures. It is also worth noting that manual focus is too aggressive in adjusting exposure.
Offline work
The device is equipped with a 2460 mAh lithium-ion battery (output characteristics - 3.8 V / 9.3 W). Even if you look at the capacity increased in comparison with the previous generation, the gadget does not differ in the long battery life.
The manufacturer promises the owner up to 800 hours of standby time (why are they needed?) And up to 12 hours of GSM-calls.
In principle, in practice the way it is:
- Conversations - 9 hours.
- Music and radio - 35 hours.
- Video (maximum settings, headphones) - 4 hours.
- Games (ordinary and not "heavy") - 5 hours.
- Internet (Wi-Fi, 40% screen brightness) - 10 hours.
- Internet (3G module, 40% crane brightness) - 8 hours.
From the AC charger that comes with the smartphone, the battery charges a little less than four hours, and from a USB cable (personal computer, laptop) a little more than five hours.
Summarizing
As for the main component of the phone - the quality of communication, it is good here, and no worse than the competing models of this segment, and the vibration alert is felt even in the pocket of winter clothes.
In general, the smartphone leaves some kind of conflicting feelings. And here the point is not that he is somehow wrong or is working very badly. Just looking at the previous generation of Optimus, we see, or rather, practically do not see any changes. The same photo and video quality of the camera, low screen resolution, shell and software, and even the diagonal did not increase.
The only thing that is somehow noticeable in the new model is the smooth operation of the interface and support for some “heavy” applications due to the updated filling. The battery life seems to have also increased, but not so much that "ah!"
You can recommend a smartphone to ardent fans of the brand and to all those who often and tightly work with two SIM cards. Otherwise, it’s better to look at some Xiaomi, Huawei or the same Samsung, as the segment simply bursts with a variety of models and characteristics.