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LG X5 (2018) is a budget phone with a big battery, circa 2016 spec sheet
- The LG X5 2018 has been announced by the Korean company, bringing a large 4,500mAh battery.
- The new phone also has NFC but it lacks grunt compared to the LG Q7 and rival phones.
- Expect to pay roughly $330 for the new phone.
LG’s budget phones haven’t enjoyed the best critical reception in recent years, although last month’s Q7 was certainly a big step in the right direction. Now, the company has launched the LG X5 (2018) (h/t: GSMArena), the sequel to a phone I had no idea existed.
The standout feature is undoubtedly the 4,500mAh battery, which should deliver two days of solid usage at the very least. Heck, with that capacity I wouldn’t be surprised if it brings a day of heavy usage (video streaming, etc.).
Another unique LG X5 feature is support for LG Pay, which means NFC capabilities are present here. It’s a pleasant surprise, as many budget phones tend to ditch NFC support in a bid to cut costs.
Budget in every sense of the word?
That’s not to say we don’t see cost-cutting, as there are quite a few compromises to be had. For starters, LG has stuck with a 5.5-inch 720p display and a traditional 16:9 screen ratio. Then there’s the paltry 2GB of RAM, which would be fine if the phone had a sub-$250 price tag… but more on the price in a bit.
In the camera department, we’ve got a solitary 13MP main camera — no dual-camera combination. We have a 5MP selfie camera on the front, but LG has delivered an LED flash too, which is a nice touch.
Finally, the phone packs a budget-minded MT6750 octa-core chipset, 32GB of storage (expandable), and a rear fingerprint scanner with gestures for scrolling and selfies.
Should you get the LG X5 (2018)?
As for the all-important price tag, GSMArena reports a 363,000 won (~$330) price. By comparison, the Nokia 5.1 offers the same chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 1080p display (18:9) for 189 euros (~$218). Alternatively, you could grab the 3GB/32GB Nokia 5.1 for 219 euros (~$254). The only thing you’re really missing in either case is the huge 4,500mAh battery.
Then there’s the Redmi Note 5 Pro, delivering a large 4,000mAh battery, dual-camera setup, more powerful Snapdragon 636 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and a full HD+ screen (18:9) for roughly $215 in India and elsewhere.
In other words, the LG X5 doesn’t seem like the best value for money on paper, even with the double-whammy of high endurance and NFC support. What do you make of the LG X5? Let us know in the comments.