After launching the LG G7 ThinQ flagship smartphone in May, LG is expanding the G7 lineup with two new models that feature many of the same specs… but which will likely sell for lower prices.

The LG G7 One has the same 6.1 inch, 3120 x 1440 pixel display as the LG G7 ThinQ and it comes with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of UFS 2.1 storage, support for microSD cards up to 2TB, a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, and a 3,000 mAh battery.

But while the LG G7 ThinQ has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, the LG G7 One has a Snapdragon 835 chip. It’s also LG’s first Android One smartphone, which means it ships with near-stock Android software and should receive timely security updates for several years.

The LG G7 Fit, meanwhile, has similar features… but it has an even older Snapdragon 821 processor and it isn’t an Android One device.

So why release new phones in 2018 featuring Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line mobile processors from 2017 and 2016, respectively? LG says that rather than buy modern mid-range phones, many shoppers opt to get an older flagship at a discounted price.

This year LG is offering another option: modern phones with modern features and slightly older flagship-level processors.

The company hasn’t revealed pricing yet, but the LG G7 ThinQ has a list price of $750 (and often sells for less — right now you can pick one up for $630). It’s likely that the G7 One will be cheaper than that… and the G7 Fit will have an even lower price tag.

Meanwhile, unlike older flagships, both of these phones will likely be officially supported for at least a few years… particularly the LG G7 One which is part of Google’s Android One program.

I can’t say I blame bargain hunters for buying year-old flagships instead of modern mid-range devices. You often get more bang for your buck that way. The Essential PH-1 was hard to justify at its original $699 price point. But these days you can often find it on sale for less than $300, and it’s a heck of a good phone at that price.

But Android phone makers have a habit of only offering a few years of support for their phones, if they even offer that much. So buying an older phone could mean cutting the amount of time that you’ll receive official security and feature updates in half.

Apple has a much better track record at providing software updates for older phones, often providing up to 5 years of support. So buying an older iPhone is a little less risky… which is probably why the company can get away with discounting older models and continuing to sell them on its website when new models are introduced.

All of which is to say, maybe it would have made just as much sense for LG to promise continued updates for the LG G6 and to keep selling it as to introduce two new phones. But the good news is that the LG G7 One and G7 Fit have larger screens, an updated design, and a few other features that could make them more attractive than the G6.

That said, the new phones have slightly smaller batteries than the G6 and have single rear cameras rather than a dual camera system.

Here’s a run-down of the specs for each of the new models:

LG G7 One

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor
  • 6.1 inch, 3120 x 1440 pixel display
  • 4GB LPDDR4x RAM
  • 32GB UFS 2.1 storage
  • microSD card reader (up to 2TB)
  • 16MP rear camera (F1.6 / 71°)
  • 8MP front camera (F1.9 / 80°)
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • 3,000 mAh battery
  • USB 2.0 Type-C port
  • Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
  • 802.11ac WiFi
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • NFC
  • FM Radio
  • 32-bit Hi-Fi quad DAC and Boombox speaker
  • IP68 water and dust resistance and MIL-STD 810G compliance
  • Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One)
  • 153.2mm x 71.9mm x 7.9mm (6″ x 2.8″ x 0.3″)
  • 156 grams (5.5 ounces)

LG G7 Fit

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
  • 6.1 inch, 2130 x 1440 pixel display
  • 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM
  • 32GB or 64GB of UFS 2.1 storage
  • microSD card reader (up to 2TB)
  • 16MP rear camera (F2.2 / 76°)
  • 8MP front camera (F1.9 / 80°)
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • 3,000 mAh battery
  • USB 2.0 Type-C port
  • Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
  • 802.11ac WiFi
  • Bluetooth 4.2
  • NFC
  • FM Radio
  • 32-bit Hi-Fi quad DAC and Boombox speaker
  • IP68 water and dust resistance and MIL-STD 810G compliance
  • Android 8.1 Oreo
  • 153.2mm x 71.9mm x 7.9mm (6″ x 2.8″ x 0.3″)
  • 160 grams (5.6 ounces)

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5 replies on “LG’s new mid-range phones feature current flagship specs, previous-gen flagship chips”

  1. Odd, personally I’d go for a more modern processor with fewer other features, but I’m not sure what energy savings the 845 offers over the 835. It may not matter much.

  2. FM radio but no headphone jack is a curious choice, since the headphone cord usually serves as the antenna. It seems like this will drastically increase the odds that trying to actually *use* the FM radio will be an exercise in frustration and futility.

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