LG K20 price, specs, review
LG K20 is one of the cheapest smartphones from a mainstream manufacturer. The device is aimed at people upgrading from feature phones or those upgrading from older budget phones. The phone still packs plenty of features for its price point. Users get a beefy battery to last all day as well as an adequate processor for basic everyday tasks.
Source: UGC
The LG K20 was released in September 2019. However, it is still not yet available on Nigeria retail stores or e-commerce sites such as Jumia. The LG K20 price is listed as 100 euros (about 40,064 Naira) on gsmarena. This places it among the cheapest modern smartphones available in the market. Does the phone meet its target market expectations?
Overview
Here is a look into the pros and cons of the LG K20.
The good
- Extremely cheap for the available features
- Bright IPS LCD panel
- High capacity battery
The bad
- The device does not support fast charging
- Inadequate RAM and internal storage limits performance
- No fast charging
- Poor display resolution
- No fingerprint sensor which slows down unlocking
LG K20 specs
- Release date: September 2019
- Dimensions: 148.6 x 71.9 x 8.3 mm (length, width and thickness)
- SIM card: Dual Nano-SIM
- Display: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen
- Size: 5.45inches
- Resolution: 480 x 960pixels
- Operating system: Android 9.0 Pie (Go edition)
- Internal memory: 16GB ROM & 1GB RAM
- Expandable memory: MicroSD slot up to 32GB
- Camera: 8 megapixels
- Selfie camera: 5 megapixels
- USB: MicroUSB 2.0
- Bluetooth: Version 5.0 with A2DP & LE
- Sensors: Proximity and accelerometer
- Battery: Non-removable 3000 mAh Li-Po battery
- Colours: New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue
Source: UGC
Hardware
Here is a look at the device’s main hardware features.
LG K20 design
The device’s front is almost entirely black with the display being well hidden within the frame. The rather thick bezels are practically invisible when the phone is turned off. At the back, the top left corner houses a single primary camera and small LED flash. The LG logo also stands out on the rather bland back. Unfortunately, users do not get a fingerprint sensor with the LG K20.
The right edge houses the volume rocker and power button. Both are nicely textures and offer sufficient feedback. The proximity sensor, ambient light sensor and selfie camera, and earpiece are all easily visible on the top bezel. The overall design is uninspiring, and the fact that the build is all plastic makes this even worse. However, it is hard to expect anything better in terms of design quality for a phone as cheap as the LG K20.
Display
The LG K20 packs a 5.45-inch display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The panel has a very low resolution (480 by 960 pixels) that translates into an unimpressive 197PPI pixel density. This is way below most modern smartphones and is only at par with phones released four or five years ago. The display is undoubtedly one of the aspects of the device with which LG cut corners to allow the low price.
The IPS LCD panel is however useful for basic tasks that do not require sharp graphics rendering. The display’s brightness is also not the best, which makes it relatively hard to use under direct sunlight. The only upside is that with the significantly few pixels, the battery is under less strain and will, therefore, last longer than it would on a higher-resolution device.
Does the LG k20 have Gorilla Glass? The device does not have Corning’s Gorilla Glass smartphone. This could be part of the company’s many design decisions aimed at keeping the phone’s price low.
Processor, performance, and storage
The LG K20 is powered by a Mediatek MT6739 processor coupled with 1GB RAM and a PowerVR GE8100 GPU. These are all entry-level specs that are only suitable for budget devices. The 1GB RAM is barely enough for any level of multitasking, and the Mediatek processor is only good enough for the most basic tasks. Heavy gamers will encounter lags while using the device.
However, since the LG K20 is not aimed at heavy or medium users, the low-end specs will work just fine for light usage. In terms of storage, users get 16GB internal memory which can be expanded by up to 32GB via the MicroSD slot. Again, the storage is barely sufficient for any heavy media usage but will work for light users.
LG K20 battery life
One of the areas in which the K20 excels is the battery department. A 3000 mAh non-removable unit powers the phone. While this is not as big as the most massive batteries in the industry, it is more than adequate considering the device’s low-end specs. For example, the battery will be pushing significantly fewer pixels than on devices packing Full HD and QHD devices.
Source: UGC
The company has not equipped the phone with any form of fast charging or wireless charging technology. This means users will be stuck with the typical low wattage chargers which take relatively long to charge a high capacity battery fully.
Speaker and call quality
The phone uses a single speaker which is loud enough for calls, music and video use. The company also included a 3.5 mm audio jack, a feature that is gradually disappearing from smartphones. The availability of active noise-cancelling technology means that music and calls should be quite clear even in noisy environments.
Software
Here is a look at the device’s software features.
Operating system and features
The LG K20 ships with Android (9.0) Go Edition out of the box. This means that the company has not overlaid the operating system with a custom skin as many manufacturers do. This results in a stock Android experience free of any custom apps, skins or themes. There is no official communication from LG regarding a possible update to Android 10 for the LG K20.
LG K20 camera review, video, and image quality
The LG K20 has a single 8-megapixel camera on the back next to a small LED flash. Single-camera setups are becoming increasingly rare as manufacturers move towards dual, triple, quad and even five-camera configurations. The LG K20’s single-camera takes decent photos in good light. However, do not expect to get decent pictures in poor lighting conditions. The 5-megapixel selfie camera also takes good images, albeit with high noise and grain levels.
The device can shoot 1080P video at thirty frames per second using the primary camera. However, given the relatively low resolution and the lack of any stabilization, it is hard to expect outstanding video output from the LG K20.
LG K20 review and comments
Here is a look at what people are saying about the device online.
Verdict
Is LG K20 a good phone? The device is aimed at those looking for a smartphone on a budget. The device can handle basic tasks with ease. However, do not expect to run heavy tasks and applications lag-free. While the price tag is quite attractive for budget-conscious people, the lack of features such as fast charging, adequate RAM and sufficient storage could force potential buyers to look elsewhere.
LG K20 is undoubtedly one of the devices to consider if one is looking for a cheap no-frills smartphone. However, buyers might find devices with slightly better specs for the same price. The downside would be that the alternatives will probably not be from a company with LG’s market reputation. The massive battery is one of the device’s best features, but it is let down by inadequate processing power, low-resolution display and lack of quick charging technology.
Source: Legit.ng
