Sturdy and reliable
The new LG offering is a good deal for videographers, multimedia enthusiasts and audiophiles, writes Khalid Anzar
TheV30+(~44,990) looks premiumineveryway. Ithasa solidbuildquality, complementedbyglossymetallic chassisandGorillaGlass5onthefront andback. Theglassiscurvedatthe edges, whichhelpsitblendsmoothly withintheframe. Theglassbuild enablesthewirelesschargingfeature andthephonesupportsfastwireless chargingaswell. Thedual-SIM smartphonehasafingerprintscanner onthebackthatdoublesupasthe powerbuttonandisequallyeasyto useforleft- andright-handedusers.
The V30+ sports an ultra-wide 18:9 six-inch screen, which is of the plastic OLED breed. The screen looks vivid and renders deep blacks. While the default screen mode throws punchy colours, the phone offers the flexibility to adjust colours based on one’s preference. There is also an option to enhance the colours further during video playback. The otherwise capable p-OLED, however, has average brightness levels, which,
Iin turn, tempers screen visibility under direct sunlight.
It comes with a dual-camera setup that utilises a super bright 16megapixel (MP) sensor and an ultrawide 13MP one. The 16MP lens features an f/1.6 aperture assisted by a three-axis optical image stabilisation (OIS), besides phase detection and laser autofocus. The 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens features an f/1.9 aperture with no OIS and autofocus capabilities. The camera delivers consistent performance in good daylight conditions. But there may be some lag in low-light photography. The dual-camera setup is a blessing for landscape photographers. The wide-angle lens captures wide pictures, which otherwise are impossible using other smartphones. The primary lens, however, has a narrow field of view that brings limited view within its frame. was nonplussed. This notebook looked like a gaming laptop by virtue of its bold design, yet, in terms of heft and weight, it was closer to an ultrabook. Then again, the ASUS ROG GX501 Zephyrus (~2.99 lakh onwards) is a new generation of thin and light gaming laptops.
The keyboard on the GX501 was at the forward extremity. Thus, using the
GX501 on your lap is quite uncomfortable, if not impossible. But on the desk, with the supplied palm rest, I could log a lot of gaming hours without much sweat. Also, don’t worry if the back panel drops away while you’re opening the lid; it’s a unique way of cooling the laptop.
Rise of the Tomb Raider started up at blazing speed and I could play the game at the highest possible settings without a glitch. The notebook
The LG V30+ has a bit of everything but no singular area where the flagship convincingly wins the race
Thecameraisbestsuitedforvideo photography, though. Thephone comeswithseveralmodes, themost interestingonebeingthe“CineVideo” modethatallowsyoutozoomto anyareaavailableontheviewfinder.
Audio quality on the phone is excellent, with only the HTC U11 being competition for music lovers.
The phone has supersmooth performance and while 4GB of RAM might look ordinary on paper, there’s no lag. The Android Nougat is optimised by LG for better battery life and performance, which keeps the phone running for more than a day, even with heavy use.
The LG V30+ has a bit of everything but no singular area where the flagship convincingly wins the race. Still, the device does stand out from the rest. It offers value for money and is excellent for videographers, multimedia enthusiasts and audiophiles.
didn’t heat up too much either. A caveat: the 15.6-inch screen supports only full HD.
Over the next few days, I played a lot of Lego StarWars: The Complete Saga, Mortal Kombat X, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Microsoft Flight Simulator X with the settings maxed out. Never was the GX501 lacking and it stayed silent all through. But I did notice a couple of things. One, the trackpad on the right is a pain to use and you’re better off with a gaming mouse or controller. Second, despite being light, I could, at most, get two hours of gaming on the battery.
The ASUS ROG GX501 Zephyrus is for those gamers who have limited space but can’t compromise on performance in a laptop and don’t mind being connected to a power source most of the time. But this certainly isn’t a replacement for your ultraportable work laptop.