#TechFriday Review: LG Q7

I am a loyal consumer. I use the same brands I used as a boy. Marketers have a name for people like me, but I think it’s just an age thing.

I was the last in my circle of friends and family to ditch Nokia for Blackberry. My Blackberry Bold is packed away in my vault. And it's in perfect condition.

I was the last in my squad to let go of Blackberry for Samsung - my longest affair with smartphones so far.

But I might have found a new love: the LG Q7 has stolen my heart and the affair might cost me my relationship; it’s a risk I am prepared to take.

I tell you, guys, we are sleeping on LG.

In this era where smartphones are launched every other day, consumers are spoilt for choice, but good marketing - and reputation - have made some smartphones more popular than others. The result is that a whole lot of fine smartphones do not receive the same hype, no matter how good they are.

LG’s latest device, the Q7, is a case in point. It is not an iPhone, a Samsung or a Huawei, so don’t expect it to be.

Before my new romance with the Q7, my only interaction with LG as a brand was with its washing machine, which has served me

for 10 years and never let me and my

family down.

With the Q7, LG has proved that quality is in the DNA of the company and it can take on any of its competitors - and win.

“Consumers are always looking for a good-quality product at the best price, and the

LG Q7 will be very hard to resist,” says Deon Prinsloo, the general manager of mobile for LG South Africa. “The Q7 is a great combination of features, design, performance and price.”

With its super-quality cameras, hi-fi audio, fingerprint sensor and artificial intelligence, the Q7 is a remarkable improvement from the popular Q6, which hit our shores last year and has led the company’s push for market share in the dog-eat-dog smartphone market.

With the Q series, LG is making inroads, and the Q7 will no doubt take over from its predecessor.

I like simple features on smartphones. Like a dust-resistant screen which the Q7 has. But the best feature of smartphones in this era of selfies and Instagram must be the camera. The LG Q7’s dual cameras - rear 13MP with PDAF / front 8MP - makes it one of the best in the market today. Just look at the pictures I took on the first day I received the device. Gorgeous. It takes the best selfies (I am a Samsung Note 9 user, so you had better believe me). It is my second phone for that reason. Its portrait-mode feature is something you have to see to believe. It helps you take perfect pictures even if the background is shaky or blurred.

The LG Q7 is not that popular kid in the club; it combines beauty and brains, making it an obvious choice for mid-range smartphone users wanting a break from the usual.

It costs R5999 on prepaid and R349 on contract.