LG unveils its first Made-in-India Smartphones

‘Make in India’ was the flavour of the day as LG unveiled its first ever Made-in-India smartphones at Delhi in the presence of Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Communications and IT. The company took the wraps off two devices branded as the ‘K-Series’ -- the K7 and K10.

LG made a big splash with the cool modular G5 but that device still hasn’t arrived in India. The K-Series might be more key to LG’s India game plan and fortunes in 2016 and incorporates some cool design touches in its bid to make an impact in the fiercely competitive sub Rs 15,000 price band. Brands like LeEco and ASUS have already set the tone for this segment with devices that look way more expensive than their price tag.

LG’s K7 and K10 feature a glossy pebble design and a woven, textured back pattern that ensures the device doesn’t slip out of your hand. Both devices sport some of LG’s trademark features like its Back Power key (and volume rocker) and a camera with Gesture Shot and Gesture Interval Shot for ‘no fuss’ selfies. LG likes to call the design language -- Glossy Pebble Design. We like the clutter-free design sans buttons or keys around the spine. The other cool touch is the edge display with the Smart cover that allows you to view key alerts without flipping the cover.  

The devices are future-proof with VoLTE and VoWiFi (Voice over Wi-Fi) options but this might end up being a ‘good to know’ feature given that it will be a while before these features go mainstream in India.   

At Rs 13,500 the K10 is the pricier of the two and features a scratch-proof back. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that teams up with 2GB of RAM. There’s 16GB onboard memory onboard plus support for expandable memory. We gave the 13MP rear cam (the K10 sports a 5MP cam) a quick go during the launch; we’d put down the first impressions as slightly above average but will reserve our judgment for the deep dive review. The device features a 2300 mAh battery under the hood. We dig the 5.3-inch HD display (720 x 1280 pixels); it certainly won’t blow your mind. It’s not expected to at this price point.

The K7 is priced at Rs 9,500 and is a scaled-down version of the K10 on every front. It features a 5-inch display VGA display (854 x 480 pixels); it’s certainly not best in class. It’s the same for the device’s 5MP rear cam; it didn’t make a big impression during our initial tests in somewhat low light conditions. We’d reserve our verdict on this cam until we get to take it for a spin in multiple shooting scenarios. The K7 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (with 1.5 GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard memory) and a 2125 mAh battery.

While both the K7 and K10 look refined with an impressive build and boast of a decent spec sheet, there are clearly a lot more options at these price points. LG will be banking heavily on its strong dealer network for offline buyers or ROPO (Research Online Purchase Offline) customers who prefer the comfort of a strong service centre network to flirting with new brands online.

Highlights:

K-7:

- 5-inch display
- 480x854 pixels resolution 
- Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (1.1 GHz Quad-core)
- 1.5GB RAM
- 8GB onboard memory
- 2125 mAh battery /
- Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS /
- 13-megapixel rear cam
-  5-megapixel selfie cam

K-10:

- 5.3-inch display
- 720x1280 resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (1.2 GHz Quad-core)
- 2GB RAM / 16GB onboard memory 
- 2300 mAh battery
- Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS
- 5-megapixel rear cam
- 5-megapixel ​selfie cam