LG Magna (H502F) review: an inexpensive smartphone with a curved screen

The struggle for customers is forcing companies to look for new ways to attract attention. Some manufacturers are trying to change the design and materials of the case, others are taking a more traditional route, trying to increase the characteristics and offer the maximum for the possible money. At the beginning of 2015, LG, with its inexpensive LG Magna and Spirit models, can be classified in the first group, because the main feature of these smartphones is a slightly curved screen. Today we will take a look at the older model in the line, LG Magna, and try to figure out whether a curved screen really significantly improves the usability of an inexpensive smartphone.

Design and usability

LG Magna has a traditional design for the company. Compared to the previous generation of smartphones, the appearance of the new product resembles the company’s latest flagships – and, probably, the G4, which we will see on April 28.

The body has become more rectangular, and the front panel is still minimalistic. Below the screen there is a manufacturer's logo, on top there is a small speaker grid, a set of sensors, a camera and a light indicator. The sides have become almost flat, but there are no control keys on them, they are still on the back - the experiment turned out to be quite successful, they even decided to follow this example.

LG has slightly curved the screen and lid, but the internal structure remains flat and the body is collapsible. The lid is attached to the usual small latches, under it there are removable battery, slots for two MicroSIM and memory cards. They can be changed without removing the battery, but after replacing the SIM card, the phone will still have to be rebooted.

The back cover is stylized as metal with a characteristic striped texture, but to the touch it is smooth and feels plastic. LG Magna comes in four body colors: white, gold, titanium and blue, but the latter will not be supplied to the Ukrainian market, at least at first.

We received a pre-production test sample, but we even have no complaints about its assembly - the parts fit well, nothing creaks, dangles or bends. The case dimensions are typical for modern five-inch smartphones. Only the thickness of 10.2 mm stands out a little, but it does not attract too much attention. The LG Magna feels regular rather than thick.

LG Leon and LG Magna

The company cites better ergonomics as the advantages of a curved screen. True, it consists of several factors at once. The first is a slightly rounded back cover, so the smartphone fits better in the hand. The second is the screen itself, which ends up a little closer to the fingertips when the user tries to reach the top edge.

In my opinion, the improvement in ergonomics turned out to be nominal, because the radius of curvature of the screen is as much as 3000 mm, while the G Flex 2 has a similar figure of 700 mm. Simply put, the coveted bend turned out to be barely noticeable, and the top edge of the screen is literally a millimeter closer. Therefore, the main role in the ease of use of LG Magna is played by the size and shape of the case. Since everything is in order with them, the smartphone turned out to be quite convenient.

Another advantage is the increased strength of the curved screen, which allows you to survive accidental drops of the smartphone on hard surfaces without consequences, but we decided not to test this feature.

Display

LG Magna received a 5-inch diagonal IPS screen with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels. Its brightness varies from 16 to 409 cd/m², and the measured contrast was 1 in 632. Compared to all last year's non-flagship LG smartphones, Magna brings three fundamental innovations.

The first is, of course, a curved screen. The second is the absence of an air gap between the glass and the matrix. The third is an automatic brightness sensor. If we put aside such sarcasm, it turns out that we have a very good HD screen. The only real innovation is the curvature, especially since the company previously bent OLED matrices, and now a similar trick has succeeded with LCDs.

A small bend, as in the case of ergonomics, has virtually no effect on the visual perception of the image; psychology is rather important here. In general, we have a normal screen for its class. It has a wide range of brightness adjustment, which is sufficient for any lighting conditions, properly functioning auto-brightness adjustment, pleasant natural color rendition, good quality of factory calibration and maximum viewing angles. But LG has one improvement in store for future smartphones. Judging by the LG Magna test sample, the model did not receive an oleophobic screen coating; the glass still actively collects fingerprints, which will have to be carefully wiped off.

Hardware platform

From the point of view of the hardware platform, the model does not present any surprises, or they are unpleasant. The heart of the smartphone is the MediaTek MT6582 chipset (4 Cortex-A7 cores, Mali-400 GPU) with 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB permanent memory and a microSD slot. 64-bit hardware platforms are still reserved for more expensive models.

This fact is a little frustrating, because out of the box the LG Magna works under Android control 5.0.1 Lollipop, all the advantages of which should be revealed when paired with fresh hardware. The benchmark results can be called expected; over the previous year, the platform used was one of the most popular at the beginning of the mid-price range.

Another question is how does the new software work in tandem with a platform that is not the latest? Judging by the test sample - far from in the best possible way. If desktops and menus scroll through smoothly, then overall performance is at an average level. Periodically noticeable as a list running applications opens longer than expected, it may take a long time for some simple program, for example, a Twitter or Instagram client. On the other side, Motorola Moto G with comparable hardware runs on Android 5.0 in a similar way (but still faster), which suggests that the problem lies primarily in dampness latest version Android OS. After launching the applications, there are no longer any complaints about their operation; everything works as quickly and responsively as on Android KitKat.

There were no comments regarding the operation of the GPS and Wi-Fi modules in the test sample. LG Magna can be praised for its high-quality implementation of telephone functionality. The smartphone supports simultaneous operation of two MicroSIMs in standby mode; any of the cards can be used for data transfer. There are no comments on the quality of network signal reception. The calling speaker was loud. It sounds without noticeable volume, but it is clear and can be clearly heard from pockets or the next room. The speaker is also of high quality, with a volume reserve above average. And the vibration alert can be called strong; it is well felt in trouser pockets.

The quality of music playback is at a level familiar to modern smartphones. The sound is quite detailed without extraneous noise, there is a good volume reserve, an equalizer - this will suit most ordinary users.

Operating system and shell

The new version of the Android operating system has brought minimal changes to the proprietary LG UX interface, so in general the shell looks the same.

The appearance of notifications in the curtain has changed; the list of recently launched applications looks like in stock Android 5.0. Notifications on the lock screen look similar to Lollipop, but work the same way. By default Android 5.0 allows you to remove notifications from the screen or open the corresponding application double click to the message, but LG retained the operating principle from KitKat. You can remove notifications from the lock screen by swiping, but to launch the application you must first tap the notification once and then swipe your finger across the unlock area at the bottom of the screen.

Among the innovations from LG, it is worth noting the Glance View function. In order to view the time and date, just swipe down on the switched off screen. In this case, it will be highlighted upper part screen with a clock, and as soon as you lift your finger from the screen, it immediately turns off.

Opening hours

The LG Magna has a removable battery with a capacity of 2540 mAh. It turns out to be enough to work for two days under average load with 3-4 hours of active screen, which can be considered a good indicator for modern smartphones.

Cameras

The smartphone has two cameras. The main one has a resolution of 8 megapixels, autofocus and flash. Front camera 5 MP.

The camera app is similar to last year's LG smartphones. It has a simple interface and a minimum of available settings, while there is a convenient shooting mode when you can select an object to focus on and immediately take a photo.

Pictures from the main camera are of high quality, as for a smartphone costing $240, but in poor lighting traditional problems are observed - focusing time increases and photo quality decreases.

The front camera has got fashionable selfie modes: a photo can be taken by saying “Cheese”, “Whiskey” or other commands while clenching your fist in the frame. Photos from the front camera are of fairly good quality, but they cannot be called outstanding - by modern standards they are just good.

Results

The LG Magna looks like a facelift of last season's models. Essentially, the company used the old platform, slightly changed the appearance and tried to “spice up” the resulting smartphone curved screen and fresh Android version. Main feature model - a curved screen, in fact plays a very small role, because it does not provide noticeable improvements in ergonomics or phenomenal image quality. The practical advantage in the form of increased strength is quite difficult to test in practice, because the glass has not become completely unbreakable, it is just now a little stronger, but in case of real falls, your luck will still play the main role. Android 5.0.1 Lollipop still works worse on simple smartphones than KitKat on similar hardware, so the new version of the OS turns out to be a double-edged sword - users will have to wait for new editions of the system. Fortunately, this will probably happen, because last year’s models (LG G3, G3 s, L90) have already received the “lollipop”.

For those who are not used to analyzing every technical nuance, the LG Magna may be an okay choice. After all, a nice body, high-quality speakers, normal cameras and autonomy cannot be taken away from it.

Liked:

Nice building

Normal color reproduction and screen brightness

Autonomy

2 SIM cards, loud speakers, noticeable vibration alert

Didn't like:

— No oleophobic screen coating, hardly noticeable bend

— Last year's hardware platform, 8 GB of internal memory

- Speed ​​of Android 5.0 Lollipop on existing hardware (probably will be fixed)

	LG H502F Magna (Titan) Notify when on sale
Type	Smartphone
SIM card type	Micro-SIM
Standard	GSM, WCDMA
High speed data transfer	GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+
Number of SIM cards	2
operating system	Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
RAM, GB	1
Built-in memory, GB	8
Expansion slot	microSD/SDHC (up to 32 GB)
Dimensions, mm	139.7×69.8×10.2
Weight, g	no data
Protection from dust and moisture	—
Battery	2540 mAh (removable)
Operating time (manufacturer's data)	no data
Diagonal, inches	5
Permission	1280x720
Matrix type	True IPS
PPI	294
Dimming sensor	+
Touch screen (type)	touch (capacitive)
Other	curved display
CPU	MediaTek MT6582 + GPU Mali-400MP2
Kernel type	Cortex-A7
Number of cores	4
Frequency, GHz	1,3
Main camera, MP	8
Autofocus	+
Video shooting	+
Flash	LED
Front camera, MP	5
Other	photo with a simple gesture, one-touch shooting, front camera backlight
WiFi	802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth	4.1
GPS	+ (A-GPS)
IrDA	—
NFC	—
Interface connector	USB 2.0 (micro-USB)
Audio jack	3.5 mm
MP3 player	+
FM radio	+
Housing type	monoblock (collapsible)
Housing material	plastic
Keyboard type	screen input
More	proximity sensor, accelerometer, A-GPS receiver, vibration alert, curved body

Smartphone manufacturers are constantly coming up with new features that should make their models stand out from the huge number of competitors. Sometimes these are really useful properties, sometimes they are features appearance. LG decided to release curved smartphones, at first it was expensive models Flex and Flex 2, and now it has released a couple of more affordable models, LG Magna and Spirit.

What is this?

LG Magna and Spirit are mid-range Android smartphones with 1280x720 IPS displays, quad-core processors and curved bodies, as described above.

LG Magna and Spirit smartphones are equipped with IPS displays without an air gap with a resolution of 1280x720. Diagonals are 5 and 4.7 inches, respectively. Both models run on a rather modest but popular quad-core MediaTek processor MT6582M with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz, graphicsMali-400MP2. The amount of RAM is 1 GB, built-in memory is 8 GB plus MicroSD. The design is almost identical physical buttons located on the rear panel.

Do LG Magna and Spirit look nice?

In terms of design, the smartphones differ only in size; other minor differences are practically invisible. On the front panel there is a screen, below it is the LG logo, and above it are the front cameras, speaker and sensors. The younger LG Spirit lacks a light sensor and an LED indicator. All this is covered with protective glass:

We must pay tribute to LG, since the company has learned to make plastic covers that look quite presentable. This is the case with LG Magna and Spirit: covers with a vertical pattern in a polished metal look. The tactile sensation is also quite pleasant. The plastic is quite thick and practically does not bend. The design of the controls has been familiar since the days of the LG G2: a block of volume and power control buttons under the camera. As a G2 owner, this arrangement did not cause any inconvenience to me. Those who encounter it for the first time will need a little time to get used to it. Flashes are placed next to the camera. At the bottom of the case there is the LG logo and an external speaker. Its volume is average, as is the playback quality. It is extremely difficult to drown out thanks to the curved body, which is positive:

As expected, there are no controls on the side faces. In profile you can see that the bend is not that great. Smartphone cases cannot boast of record thinness, although they cannot be called inconvenient:

The 3.5 mm jack is located on top, and there is also a microphone hole there:

On the right side there is a small recess for removing the back cover:

At the bottom there is another microphone hole and a MicroUSB connector:

Physical buttons are embossed and comfortable:

Under the cover there are connectors for two MicroSIM and MicroSD and a removable battery:

As for the curvature of the body and screen, this does not bring any revolutionary profit. Subjectively - it’s a little more convenient to operate with one hand, a more logical position during a conversation (and the microphone is closer to the mouth), and aesthetic interest.

LG Magna. The design is similar

Are the screens good?

Smartphones use IPS screens with a resolution of 1280x720. The diagonals of LG Magna and Spirit are 5 and 4.7 inches, pixel density is 294 and 312 ppi, respectively. The screens do not have an air gap and the viewing angles are maximum, like Spirit:

Same with Magna:

Color rendition is also good, the colors are bright. Subjectively, the older Magna has it more accurately. A significant disadvantage is the lack of oleophobic coating on smartphones. The screens instantly become blurred. Another disadvantage of the Sprit is the lack of a light sensor. The maximum brightness is not a record; in sunny weather it may not be enough:

Magna is doing better with this:

Both screens support multi-touch up to 10 touches:

Next, we examined the screens using a colorimeter. Indeed, Magna has a brighter display. Spirit showed a maximum brightness of 289.544 cd/m2. The brightness of the black field is 0.476 cd/m2, and the contrast is 608:1; Magna has these figures of 408.584 cd/m2, respectively. 0.639 cd/m2 and 639:1. Calibration is also more accurate in the older model. The Spirit screen slightly suffers from a lack of red and an excess of blue tones with the corresponding consequences:

Magna has a slight lack of red, due to this there is a slight bias towards cold. ErrorΔE is also within reasonable limits:

Comparison with competitors:

What about the performance and how long will the battery last?

In terms of computing power, smartphones are the same. In both smartphones, LG decided to install a rather old and modest quad-core MediaTek processor MT6582 with 1 GB RAM. Android 4.4 KitKat feels great on this hardware, which cannot be said about Lollipop, which the gadgets run on. The smartphone interface is a little slow at times, although this may be due to the LG UX shell. Majority modern games smartphones are pulling, although the volume is modest internal memory 8 GB, of which much less is free, will not allow you to go wild, so it’s worth getting a memory card. Games on LG Magna:

Same games on Spirit

GPS in smartphones is slow due to weak antennas, as in many similar models. A cold start will make you wait:

The older LG Magna model is equipped with a 2540 mAh battery, which is an average figure, while the Spirit has a more modest 2100 mAh battery according to LG’s website (the battery itself states 2040 mAh). One of the significant advantages of the MediaTek MT6582 is its relatively low power consumption, which has a positive effect on battery life. With the Internet always on and synchronization, about half an hour of calls, an hour of reading and one and a half to two hours of web surfing, Magna survived 2 days without problems, Spirit - A little less. HD video playback time over Wi-Fi was about 5.30 hours for Magna and just over 5 hours for Spirit.

For those who want to know more

CPU MediaTek MT6582 is equipped with four ARM Cortex-A7 cores that operate at 1.3 GHz and Mali-400MP2 graphics; together with 1 GB of RAM, the system produces expectedly modest performance. The smartphone benchmark results are almost identical. Magna:

What about the interface?

The smartphones run Android 5.0 Lollipop OS with LG UX shell. The OS is a little slow at times. Basically, the interface is familiar to LG; no fundamental changes were made, more cosmetic updates. Some elements, like the application carousel, are taken from stock Android 5.0. LG Spirit and Magna home screens (from left to right):

Top curtain:

The settings are logically divided into sections, as usual with LG:

Lower virtual buttons can be customized as desired:

There is a double-tap unlock, which is familiar to the company’s smartphones, or Knock Code:

Useful little thing - Glance View. If you swipe down from the top of the screen when the screen is off and hold your finger, the clock, notifications, and top bar will appear on the screen:

And some branded applications:

What can the camera do?

The interface is no different from other smartphones; all controls are in the usual places. Among the useful functions, it is worth mentioning taking a self-portrait with a gesture: you need to bring your open palm into the frame and clench it into a fist, after which there will be a three-second countdown until shooting. It is possible to shoot with one click on the desired object:

The main cameras of smartphones are identical: 8 megapixels, autofocus, flash and FullHD video. In good lighting, good photos are obtained. Magna:

Bottom line

As one might expect, slightly curved cases and screens do not bring any fundamental improvements, but this “trick” cannot be called a deterioration. Smartphones look interesting. They are well assembled and fit comfortably in the hand. The plastic of the back cover “looks like polished metal” and looks quite good. Both models are equipped with high-quality IPS screens with good pictures. The oleophobic coating and, in the case of Spirit, the light sensor are sorely lacking. Another advantage is the current version of the Android OS (although it works a little sluggishly, there is hope for a quick update), good autonomy and a main camera for its class. The first significant drawback that comes to mind is the modest hardware with an old processor and 1 GB of RAM. Both smartphones are already on sale, LG Spirit for 4000 UAH, Magna - 5400 UAH.

4 reasons to buy LG Magna and Spirit:

• Nice design, good assembly;
• screen color quality;
• quality of the main camera (taking into account the price category);
• good battery life.

3 reasons not to buy LG Magna and Spirit:

• weak iron;
• the absence of an oleophobic coating, and in Spirit there is also a light sensor;
• thoughtful Android 5.0 Lollipop with LG UX (maybe it will be fixed).

An entry-level smartphone with the usual technical specifications and curved touch screen- this is LG Magna. Reviews about it, its capabilities and parameters, the autonomy of this device - this is what will be described in detail further in the text. Strong and weaknesses of this gadget, on the basis of which recommendations regarding its purchase will be given in the future.

Who is this device for?

Weak hardware makes this device an entry-level solution. But at the same time, compared to its analogues, it has one important feature - a curved screen. It is for this that the potential owner of this device will have to overpay. There are several color options for the design of the body of this gadget. The most interesting of them is the LG Magna Titan. Reviews most often highlight precisely this performance. Therefore, this device is designed for those who want to get a stylish unusual device with curved screen. But at the same time, high performance is not necessary to solve potential problems. It is for such potential owners that this device was created.

What comes with the smartphone?

The LG Magna H502F smartphone boasts the usual equipment. Reviews indicate the presence of the following components:

• A smartphone with a removable battery inserted inside.
• Operation documentation.
• Charging adapter.
• Interface cord.
• Warranty card.

Case, protective film and the owner of this gadget will have to buy a flash card separately and, of course, for an additional fee.

Smartphone ergonomics

Curved touch display- this is the main feature that this device can boast of. Its diagonal is 5 inches. The lower part of the display is occupied by four control buttons. In addition to the three standard buttons (“Home”, “Back” and, of course, “Menu”) there is also a button that allows you to switch between SIM cards. Even lower, on a strip of plastic, is the logo of the manufacturer. At the top of the gadget there are: speaker, touch elements and a small peephole of the front camera. There is an audio port connector on the top edge, and a micro-USB on the bottom edge. On the back cover there is a peephole for the main camera, it LED backlight, manufacturer's logo, loud speaker, volume control and device lock buttons. Although it is made of plastic, it looks like metal. The most interesting smartphone in this regard is the LG Magna H502F Titan smartphone. Reviews highlight this particular color option for this gadget.

What about the processor?

The time-tested central processor used in the MT6582 (namely, this is the chip used in this gadget) confirms this. Its distinctive feature is a very high degree of reliability. Smartphones based on it have been in use for many years and characterize it only from the best side. Another plus is excellent energy efficiency. Unused computing power is turned off when idle, and modules that are not required to perform at their maximum level automatically reduce their clock speed to 300 MHz. But the disadvantages include low level productivity. This semiconductor chip includes four computing modules of the “A7” architecture. Each of them can be overclocked to 1.3 GHz when solving the most complex tasks. The chip itself is manufactured using a 28nm process. The capabilities of this chip are quite sufficient to solve most everyday tasks. The exception to this is the most demanding applications. latest generation, which are based on 64-bit computing. This CPU can process only 32 bits of information. This is where problems arise with launching new software.

Display and video accelerator

The curved touch display is the main highlight that the LG Magna smartphone boasts. Reviews point to this feature. In practice, such a design solution should facilitate the process of controlling this device. But its bend is very small (its radius is 3 mm). That is, visually noticing this feature of this device is not so easy. The screen diagonal in this gadget is 5 inches. Its resolution is 1280x720. That is, the picture is displayed on the screen in 720 r format. The display matrix is ​​manufactured using the most advanced technology at the moment - “IPS”. It allows you to significantly improve the color rendition of the device, and also improves the autonomy of the device. Another feature of this screen is the complete absence of an air gap between the surface of the display matrix and touch panel. This further improves image quality. But to process graphic information, this device uses the Mali-400MP2 graphics accelerator. This is a time-tested solution that boasts reliability and energy efficiency. But he has problems with performance. When solving problems of entry-level and intermediate levels, no questions arise. But with the most demanding software of the latest generation there will definitely be problems.

Cameras

A fairly high-quality 8-megapixel main camera in the LG Magna H502F. Reviews highlight the quality of the photos obtained with its help. But it should be noted right away: to obtain truly high-quality photographs, a normal level of lighting is required. Although this device has a single LED backlight, its capabilities are extremely limited. Among other features of the main camera, it is necessary to note the presence of an autofocus system. It records videos in 1080p format (that is, in a resolution of 1920x1080). At the same time, their quality is quite good at normal lighting levels. based on a 5 MP sensor element. It has wider viewing angles and LED backlighting. This allows you to take very high-quality “selfies” with its help. Well, it generally copes well with such a simpler task as video calls. Another feature of the front camera is the ability to control using gestures or keywords.

Information storage subsystem

1 GB of RAM of the most common DDR3 standard today is installed in the LG Magna phone. Reviews indicate that about 700 MB of them are occupied by the operating system and its processes. There is no way to reduce this value. Therefore, the user can count on only 300 MB. For 2-3 entry-level tasks this will be quite enough. Well, for the most demanding modern applications These 300 MB will clearly not be enough. Therefore, you can’t expect to play Asphalt 8 on this gadget. The capacity of the built-in storage is 8GB. The user can use about half of them (that is, about 4GB) to install software or to store personal data. There is also a slot for installing a flash card. Its maximum capacity in this case can be 32 GB. If the capacity of the built-in storage and external flash cards is small, then it is most rational to use free cloud services to store the most valuable personal information (for example, photos or videos).

Battery

The LG Magna H502F boasts a battery capacity of 2540 mAh. Reviews clearly indicate that this battery capacity is enough for 2-3 days of operation with an average load on the gadget. If you activate the maximum energy saving mode, you can count on 4 days of confident and stable operation devices. Well, in case of maximum load on the smartphone, one battery charge will be enough for 7-9 hours. As a result, it can be noted that in terms of autonomy, this device does not stand out from its competitors in anything special. A definite solution that will significantly increase the battery life of this device may be the purchase of an additional external battery. This will allow you to avoid problems with battery drain at the most inopportune moment.

Interface kit

An impressive set of information transmission tools is installed in the LG Magna H502 smartphone. Reviews highlight the following:

• The device fully supports all existing mobile networks, that is, GSM (or 2G), 3G and LTE (the second name for this 4G standard).
• The gadget has bluetooth. This transmitter allows you to connect an external wireless device to your smartphone. sound system. You can also use it to exchange small files with a similar mobile device.
• This device is also equipped with a Wi-Fi transmitter. This is the main way to receive and send data to the World Wide Web. In this case, the speed can reach an impressive 150 Mbit/s today.
• The navigation system in this smart phone uses two methods to determine its location. The first of them is GPS. It uses signals from satellites and allows you to determine the location of the device with high accuracy. The second is A-GPS. In this case, you must be connected to the Internet.
• The main wireless port is micro-USB. It charges the device and synchronizes with the computer.
• Among other things, there is also an audio port. He deduces beep to an external stereo system. Also, if there is an appropriate plug, it can receive an audio signal from an external microphone.

Software

Android, one of the most recent versions - 5.0 - is installed out of the box on the LG Magna H502. Reviews highlight this feature of this “smart” phone. But it’s definitely impossible to fully reveal all the capabilities of this version of the system software using something like this. The operating system is designed for installation on the most latest versions central processors that would be based on at least the A53 architecture with support for 64-bit applications. The same smartphone has an MT6582 with A7 architecture and support for only 32-bit applications. Simply put, the newest programs optimized for 64-bit applications will not run on this device, although the software seems to allow this.

Gadget price today

Initially, the cost of devices in this series was $240-250. Compared to direct competitors with a conventional display, this cost was really overpriced. Now, a year and a half after the start of sales, the price has dropped to $180 for the LG Magna Titan. Reviews, however, still indicate that the cost of the device continues to be overpriced. The key highlight of this gadget is its curved screen. Moreover, it is very difficult to visually notice this bend. It is not entirely reasonable to overpay for such an innovation. It is better to buy a device with a regular display and similar characteristics. Moreover, its cost will be only 80-100 dollars, which is almost two times lower than the current one.

A week before the MWC 2015 exhibition, LG showed three smartphones in the mid-price segment: Spirit, Leon and Magna. Each smartphone is similar to each other, but all three have different components and differ in price. The most “great” (approx. Magna in Latin means “great”) of the three smartphones has fallen into our hands, which also has something to brag about.

Design

Although the smartphone is positioned as affordable, it has some features that make it similar to some of LG's flagships, such as the G Flex 2 or the new flagship G4. This is eloquently evidenced by the use of some design solutions: a curved screen and unusual positioning of physical buttons.

However, this is where the similarity with top-end devices ends and the inherent features of all begin. budget smartphones features: plastic cases that get scratched from contact with air, button play, etc. Let's explore the device in more detail.

The manufacturer’s task was to ensure that people who are not able to buy a flagship at its own cost could take advantage of at least part of its advantages. This is evidenced by the slightly curved body of the device, made of plastic. Along with the body, the screen is curved, only, compared to the G Flex 2, the curvature is less noticeable, since its radius is about 3000 mm, while in the flagship the value is close to 700 mm. At first glance, the bend is noticeable, but it seems that only the body is curved, since when you take the smartphone in your hand, it seems that the screen is flat. Since LG decided to make this a competitive advantage, let it be noticeable so that the user does not convince everyone around him that he is really curved!

The list of interesting solutions continues with the control buttons on the back of the phone, carefully borrowed from the same G Flex 2. However, unlike the latter, here the buttons have a noticeable backlash, which immediately reveals its “budget” nature. Above the keys there is an 8 megapixel main camera module, and a little to the right of it there is an LED flash. At the bottom there are holes for the speaker. There's nothing else interesting behind there.

Due to the fact that the body is curved, it is more convenient to place the smartphone on the table on the back surface, because of this, it rotates well and is no less easily scratched.

On the front there is a five-inch screen with a resolution of 720p. I will tell you about all its advantages and disadvantages a little later. Above the screen there is a speaker, light and proximity sensor, to the right of them is the front camera. At the bottom there is nothing but the LG logo.

As I mentioned earlier, the volume and power buttons have been moved to the back wall, so the sides are empty. At the top end there is a 3.5 mm audio output and a microphone for the camera; On the bottom there is a conversational microphone and a micro USB connector.

One of the successful solutions was the use of a removable battery, which can be found by removing the back cover. The battery itself has a capacity of 2540 mAh. On the sides of the volume buttons there are connectors for micro SIM cards (there are two of them) and a slot for connecting a memory card. The second SIM card and memory card have a double connector based on the “army bed” principle, that is, the memory is installed on top, the SIM card is installed on the bottom, and all this is in one slot!

I would also like to say something about the back cover. As I said earlier, the cover material is plastic, which is easily scratched, but it feels pleasant to the touch. The cover is attached to the body quite rigidly, which reduces the likelihood of it being separated from the phone in the event of a fall. Otherwise, the assembly can be given a solid four.

In terms of ergonomics, the smartphone is good. The “curved” form factor and screen play a positive role in use. Calling from it is convenient and somehow even cozy. Due to the small size of the screen, the device is comfortable to hold in your hand. With any grip, reaching the outer parts of the screen with your fingers is not a problem, but LG still added a one-handed control function. It works well and I personally don’t have any particular need for it, so I won’t focus on it.

To be honest, moving the control buttons to back device - a damn good idea!

There is no inconvenience and no need to stretch anywhere. They are always under your fingers. Moreover, the volume buttons have a rough surface, so the ability to scratch your fingertip during use will become a nice bonus owning this smartphone.

Display

Since Magna is the “budget flagship” in the line, in terms of screen everything is good here, but in moderation. The device has a 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720p (1280 x 720), as well as a pixel density of 294 ppi. The screen is made using proprietary In-Cell Touch technology, known for its short time response to touch. Indeed, the display responds very quickly, even if you barely touch.

The picture on the screen is excellent.

At any angle, the images practically do not change their color. The display also has sufficient contrast and brightness reserves. The color rendition is a little lame: the white is not entirely pure and deviates slightly towards yellow, but this is a very pedantic look.

Separately, I would like to note not the most better job light sensor. It works with a long delay and very often does not provide sufficient brightness at the right time. Of course, I understand that using such a sensor in phones of this level is an overkill, but what’s the point of installing it if it doesn’t work correctly?

Specifications LG Magna(LG model H502)

• Screen: 5 inches, In-Cell Touch IPS HD (1280×720), 294 dpi;
• Processor: MediaTek MT6582, 4-core, 1.3 GHz;
• GPU: Mali-400MP2 400 MHz;
• RAM: 1 GB (438 MB available on a bare device)
• Storage: 8 GB;
• Map support microSD memory up to 32 GB;
• Main camera: 8 MP with autofocus, LED flash, s One-touch shooting, shooting by hand gesture;
• Front camera: 5 MP (virtual flash)
• Connections: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, A-GPS;
• Networks: 2G (GSM 900 / 1800), 3G (900/2100, HSDPA+ 21 Mbit/s)
• Battery: 2540 mAh;
• Extras: 2 SIM cards, double-touch Knock Code unlocking, smart keyboard, Quick Circle case support
• Dimensions: 139.6 x 69.8 x 10.1 mm
• Weight: 137 g

Smartphone at work

The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MT6582 processor from last year with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz. It is not clear what LG was guided by when making such a decision. In my opinion, a processor from two years ago will struggle to cope with modern demanding applications.

The Mali-400MP2 processor with a frequency of 400 MHz is responsible for the graphics component. The situation is aggravated by the presence of 1 GB of RAM, which is constantly half occupied by incomprehensible services. It won’t be possible to unload the latter just like that right away. Own storage The smartphone has 8 GB, of which just under 4.5 GB is available. Here the situation is corrected by the use of micro SD memory cards. However, the plus is that the device initially comes with the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop.

And how does it work anyway? Pretty good. Out of the box, all functions open smoothly, and the moving animations are pleasing to the eye. But as soon as you activate your Google account and perform synchronization, noticeable brakes will begin.

To be more specific, in many applications the smartphone begins to become dull and does not allow you to use it comfortably. For example, the 2Gis application seems to be light. You can move the card only with valerian previously taken inside, because there will be no smoothness here.

There are constant false positives: you want to move the card, but it registers the click as a touch on some building. Unfortunately, manipulations with clearing RAM were not successful. The same situation applies to the browser. It takes a long time to load pages. If you downloaded one and then switched to another, but then returned back to the first one, it will begin to open again. There is no need to talk about five to seven tabs open at the same time.

There is a possibility that this situation occurs in current version Software and optimization will improve in future firmware versions.

There are several nice features in store for users that you won’t find in other smartphones. For example, smart locking Knock Lock. Its essence is that by touching a specially designated area of ​​the screen, you can unlock your smartphone without pressing the lock button. This also works when the screen is off. According to LG, such a lock is comparable in difficulty to cracking with a graphic key.

For the screen, LG has a few pleasant surprises in store. As I said earlier, the smartphone has a one-handed control function. It lies in the fact that the key elements of the interface: numeric and alphabetic keyboards, are shifted to the right or left - for right-handers and left-handers, respectively. The alphabetic keyboard has the ability to change its size in height, which the user can adjust individually to suit himself. The function of continuous typing is also available (analogous to Swype).

You can also customize the bottom navigation bar: add or remove buttons, or change their places as convenient.

From the gaming standpoint, everything is a little better here: most modern games run smoothly and without lags. However, it’s worth considering that the hardware power here is average, so you shouldn’t torture your device with productive games, you’ll only ruin your nerves. For example, the game Minion Rush causes the smartphone to heat up and from the first seconds there is a drop in frames by at least 2 times. This kind of slide show is not much fun.

Cameras

The LG Magna has a main camera with a resolution of 8 megapixels with autofocus and LED flash. You shouldn’t immediately think that LG has cheapened out here: you see, due to the average hardware, there is no point in installing a more powerful camera, since it will be difficult for the processor to cope with processing large and high-quality images.

But these 8 megapixels also take pretty good pictures.

From the locked screen, you can launch the camera by holding down the volume down button. The application itself is extremely simplified.

There are minimal settings here, it will be difficult to get confused in them, and there are no frills in the form of filters, just like panoramic shooting and HDR.

To switch to the front camera, you need to swipe right or left. Interesting solutions include taking a photo using a gesture or a voice command. The latter does not work the first time, so if you see a person on the street yelling at his phone, then without a doubt he has an LG.

Night photography is a kind of test of fortune: sometimes they turn out bad, and sometimes good, and probably nothing depends on the user. Frequent loss of focus, blur, or, on the contrary, overexposure (yes, in night photography!) - depending on your luck.

Examples of photos from LG Magna:

The original photos from the camera can be viewed.

ABOUT front camera we can only say a couple of things: firstly, in terms of the quality of the photo, it is more likely to be 2 megapixels than 5 megapixels, since the color rendition is insufficient, the background is constantly blurred, there is insufficient detail and sharpness. There are no additional functions here.

Battery life

The Magna has a removable battery with a capacity of 2540 mAh, which, together with hardware and a screen, is ready to give you slightly more battery life than any current flagships can boast. So, for example, with a constant connection to Wi-Fi, periodic viewing of VKontakte and Instagram feeds and periodic activation of geolocation, the smartphone will last one and a half to two days. If you use it to the maximum, with two SIM cards on 3G Internet and frequent conversations, the smartphone will be “on the verge of death” by the end of the day. It is worth noting that this figure gives a head start to modern flagships that cost 2-3 times more.

Pros and cons of buying LG Magna:

• Curved body and screen;
• Large battery life;
• Good display and good camera.

• Not the most powerful hardware;
• The case material gets scratched quickly;
• Small amount of built-in memory.

Results

At the output we have good smartphone, which will please anyone who has no complaints about performance and loves to be paid attention to. Of the line of three simultaneously announced smartphones, Magna is the oldest, which is confirmed by borrowing key elements appearance of other flagships of the company. It seems that such an approach to the distribution of products in its own line of smartphones, at a minimum, has the right to exist, and at most, is the right decision.

LG Magna is already on sale. Price is 12,990 rubles and can be purchased in three colors: metallic black, silky white, shining gold.

In fact, we have a “great” smartphone for a very affordable price.

Release date: already on sale Price: 12,990 rubles

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