LG Q6 vs Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro Comparison + Review

Following LG’s surprisingly good results in our previous review, we thought of reviewing the LG Q6 with another midrange phone: the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro.

Both phones were launched in the middle of this year, and since both phones performed well on their own when we tried them out, we figured this would be a better chance to see which would be better between the two.

Related: 

• LG Q6 vs Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra Comparison + Camera Review
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro vs Max vs J7 2017 Specs, Price Comparison

Display

LG and Samsung‘s latest phones both come equipped with 5.5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass-covered displays, the only difference being that the LG has an IPS LCD display with a more powerful [2160 x 1080] resolution display at 442 ppi, while the J7 Pro stands out with a [1920×1080] resolution Full HD AMOLED display at 428 ppi.

I’d have to admit, both phones have pretty good displays. But despite the Q6’s smaller size compared to the J7 Pro, I could still clearly see how each detail on-screen stands out just a bit better than its Samsung competitor.

For this, LG’s tinier device gets this round.

Winner: LG Q6

Design

Both the Q6 and the J7 Pro are covered in metal unibodies and have slightly thinner bezels that make the viewing experience bearable than most phones today. Although the metallic material leaves both phones prone to more fingerprints, we noticed that the Q6’s back casing is more prone to leaving scratches from unknown sources, compared to its Samsung competitor.

The slightly-larger J7 Pro has its 13MP front camera and LED Flash on either side of the earpiece in front, while the bottom half has two capacitive Back and Overview buttons on either side of the physical Home button, which also serves as the J7 Pro’s fingerprint scanner. This gives it an edge over the Q6, which has no physical fingerprint scanner but uses Face Recognition along with a pin code for security to compensate.

Found on the left side are the power button and loudspeaker, while the J7’s volume buttons, along with its MicroSD and dual-SIM card tray, are found on the right side. It’s also worthy to note that you can both unlock both sim trays with a SIM pin.

As for the Q6, the front side has its 5MP front camera lens found a bit farther to the left side of its upper panel, with its earpiece in the center of its upper panel. Its lack of physical keys means its function keys are found onscreen and are only accessible when the Q6 is on. In addition to the usual Android function keys, the Q6 has a fourth function key that lets you switch between sims.

On the left side sits the Q6’s physical volume buttons, along with its microSD dual-sim slots, which, like the J7 Pro, you can only remove using a SIM pin. Meanwhile, its power button is placed on the right side.

Found at the center of the J7 Pro’s back casing is its 13MP rear camera, with the flash conveniently found at the bottom of the lens. The Q6, however, has its 13MP lens placed at the top-left corner of its back casing, with the flash found underneath it.

In terms of weight, the 149-gram Q6 is not only smaller but lighter than the 181-gram J7 Pro.

Ultimately, it depends on what size you prefer. Personally, both phones are extremely easy and light to carry, including the slightly-heavier J7 Pro. I would have given this round to the pocket-sized Q6 if it was made of better metallic material, but since this isn’t the case… the J7 Pro has the better deal.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Camera

Both the Q6 and J7 Pro sport 13MP rear cameras, which are standards for most phones in the market. Taking outdoor photos with both pretty much look the same, though the brightness in the J7 Pro is slightly higher than the Q6.

The Q6’s rear camera, however, has an f/2.2 aperture rate while the J7 Pro wields an f/1.7 aperture rate. Having a lower aperture rate means the J7 Pro works better under low-lit conditions, and unlike the Q6, which we noticed ended up trying to adjust to the lighting for a long time until you take a photo, the J7 Pro managed to do well under such conditions.

As for the front cameras, the Q6 has a weak 5MP front camera with an f/2.2 aperture rating, while the J7 has a higher 13MP front camera with an f/1.9 aperture rating. The J7 Pro’s 13MP front camera also works well for selfies in the dark, like when you need to take selfies at night.

Both phones also have their own gimmicky versions of shooting photos. The Q6, for instance, has the option of taking photos by saying words such as “Cheese” or “Smile” while the J7 Pro can take your picture if you show your palm in front of the camera. They both responded pretty well when we tried saying “cheese” and waving our palms in their screens, though the Q6 sometimes doesn’t immediately respond unless you clearly say “kimchi” or “cheese”, while the J7 Pro took a while before it found my palm.

In terms of having a rear AND front camera that can take low-lit photos without struggling to adjust to the light, the J7 Pro takes this round once again.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Performance

For starters, both the Q6 and J7 Pro already come with Android 7.1 Nougat. The difference lies in their chipsets; the Q6 comes with Snapdragon 435 while the J7 Pro comes with a slightly more powerful Exynos 7870 Octa processor.

Using benchmarking tools, we received the following results for the Q6 and J7 Pro:

Although both phones aren’t ideal for heavy-duty mobile gaming, the J7 Pro outperforms the Q6 in terms of overall performance. Plus the J7 Pro completely sweeps the Q6 in the benchmarking tests.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Battery

The Q6 is powered by a non-removable 3000mAh battery, while the J7 Pro is equipped with a higher non-removable 3600mAh battery.

Through our ManilaShaker Battery Rating, we can confirm the following overall lifespan of both devices:

There’s really no competition in this round. With a thirteen hour-gap between both phones, Samsung’s phone totally dominates this category as well.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Sounds

LG’s tinier device has its speakers placed on its bottom side, and its speakers at maximum volume are decent at best. If you’re into watching videos on Youtube, I find that the Q6’s speakers deliver good audio, but they’re not exactly spectacular per se and they do pose a problem when you have to take calls in louder environments.

The J7 Pro, however, has its speakers set at the top half of the phone, which I think is a wise choice for Samsung. The audio sounds incredibly clear, and even though the location of its speakers isn’t ideally for watching videos or playing games, the audio delivers good quality for media consumption. With that, I’d give this round to the J7 Pro.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Capacity

Both the Q6 and the J7 Pro offer 32GB of internal memory with 3GB RAM storage, which you can expand up to 256GB through microSD cards. For dual-sim fans, both phones can support two sims as well.

The J7 Pro, however, also offers a variant with 64GB of internal memory along with its 32GB, and with an additional option to choose from, I’d say Samsung’s device has the better deal.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Verdict

Although the Q6 fares well for a midrange phone, it ultimately fell short compared to its Samsung rival.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro wins this comparison with a 6-1 score!

LG Q6 vs Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro Comparison, Full Specs, Philippines Pricing