LG Phoenix 4 Review: Decent Budget Phone

An affordable LG Phoenix 4 (X210APM) for standard users. Find out why this product is considered as a great budget phone.

LG Phoenix 4 smartphone was released in September 2018. Following the success of the LG Phoenix series, the manufacturer adds one more addition to the line. LG Phoenix 4 is considered as one of the top-ranked entry-level phones at the moment.

LG Phoenix 4 got many positive reviews due to its affordable price and great design. It’s not a camera phone but it still owns an adequate 8MP main camera and 5MP front camera.

Its internal specifications seem promising too as the phone has 16GB internal memory. The 2GB RAM allows the users to possibly operate it in split-screen mode.

This LG Phoenix 4 (X210APM) review is going to deeply elaborate on its strengths and weaknesses. After all, LG Phoenix 4 is a good choice when we are looking for a budget phone.

LG Phoenix 4 Key Specs

LG Phoenix 4 (X210APM) specifications:

• Weight: 168g
• Dimensions: 148.6 x 73.7 x 8.6mm
• OS: Android 7.1
• Screen size: 5.0-inch
• Resolution: 1280 x 720
• CPU: 1.4GHz Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
• RAM: 2GB
• Storage: 16GB
• Battery: 2,500 mAh, Removable
• Rear camera: 8MP
• Front camera: 5MP

LG Phoenix 4 Design

LG Phoenix 4 has such a handy and clean design. Thanks to its dark cover that gives a simple presentation. The phone only comes in titan black tone. Thus, some users may consider putting a colorful phone case for it.

The phone dimension is quite small. Its square look is suitable for simple customers. LG Phoenix 4 has great size for one-handed users. We can easily cover the entire screen area and operate the camera with one hand.

As expected, a small dimension also produces light phone weight. We can comfortably hold the phone all day long while enjoying its good looking screen. The volume buttons are installed on the left side. No button on the right side eases us to use the phone with one hand.

The power button is placed on the back, just under the flash and rear camera. This is the exact location where we usually find a fingerprint sensor. LG Phoenix 4 also has its speaker on the bottom of the phone near the bottom.

We think the placement might be bad for some people. Especially, when we watch videos in landscape position as our right hand might cover the speaker.

The removable plastic cover would seem unique for today’s phone. However, this uncommon condition provides an additional advantage. We can buy an extra battery (yes, it’s removable too!) and replace it when we need it.

LG Phoenix 4 Display

Having a 5-inch screen should be enough for general users. LG Phoenix 4 also owns a 16:9 aspect ratio and 720p display. As a result, the phone screen gives remarkable clarity and nice colors. At least, not bad for a budget phone.

LG Phoenix 4 has a large bezel at the top and bottom that can be bothering. It’s quite understandable since modern phone design right now almost contains no bezel at all. We tend to adore a large screen on the top of our phone.

Despite its affordable price, LG Phoenix 4 still has a good appearance. Unlike other products in the market at the moment, this phone has no notch on the top of its screen. Thus, we can fully experience the phone screen when playing a game or watching movies.

LG can provide a notch-less screen since it has a large bezel for the front camera. As we know, a notch does exist for providing a house for the camera.

The display is also equipped with IPS LCD technology. To be honest, this is not the highest screen technology right now. However, the IPS LCD screen is quite fair for its price. After all, it still gives us a dope 66.41% display area for playing games.

Read also:

• ZTE Blade A7 Prime Review: Almost Perfect Affordable Phone
• Motorola Moto E5 Go Review: Lightweight and Good Battery Life

LG Phoenix 4 Camera

LG Phoenix 4 is well equipped with an 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. An LED Flash feature is placed just below the rear camera. Therefore, we can still get a great picture even in such a low-light environment. It has a digital zoom ability up to four times.

An 8MP rear camera seems fair for a budget phone anyway. It has burst shot technology that allows us to take multiple shots by holding the shutter button. Busy hands don’t mean we cannot operate the camera as it has a voice shutter system too.

Its HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode provides us the opportunity to optimize the picture’s contrast. We can tag location information in pictures as well.

The front camera is getting more popular nowadays. Its functionality becomes significant since we use it a lot for taking selfies and doing a video call. Some modern social media platforms also make us realize how important it is to have a deep front camera. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, you name it, push us to record ourselves to get people’s attention.

LG Phoenix 4 doesn’t own the best front camera in the market. However, its 5MP resolution should be enough for general users. We love the gesture shot feature as we can take selfies simply by giving hand gestures. It even can take selfies with automatic face detection.

LG Phoenix 4 Storage

LG Phoenix 4 has 16GB internal storage that should accommodate general usage. We can only use 9GB, though, as the other storage goes for the built-in system.

It may look small for some people, but we still can put MicroSD as external memory up to 128GB. Expanding storage capacity is crucial if we love to install many games and applications.

After all, 16GB looks like a standard number for a budget phone. We cannot give any more complaints regarding this matter. Even without adding extra storage, we still can save many videos and pictures. Therefore, no need to buy external memory if we don’t need to.

LG Phoenix 4 Performance

LG Phoenix 4 is powered by 1.4GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 as the main processor. It provides advanced computing and decent graphics for the phone. The processor is accompanied by the GPU Qualcomm Adreno 308 which handles the graphics matter. The GPU frequency of 500 MHz makes sure the phone runs well.

LG Phoenix 4 has Android 7.1.2 Nougat for its Operating System (OS). Statistically, Android Nougat is the seventh major version of the Android OS. This OS allows us to reply to text through a chat notification bar without opening the application. It’s not the latest Android OS version at the moment for sure. However, a budget phone will certainly come with several compromises.

RAM capacity is allocated for the OS and installed applications. Therefore, the 2GB RAM will allow us to run the phone and do multitasking smoothly. We know LG Phoenix 4 has such an affordable price. But from this LG Phoenix 4 review, all of us will agree it can be used for professional purposes too.

The RAM capacity makes it possible to run the screen in split mode. This ability is useful when we need to do two jobs altogether. Typing messages and watching a movie at the same time, for instance. Other than that, we can also play YouTube videos as a background. All of these simultaneous processes can be done without experiencing any lag.

LG Phoenix 4 can satisfy users who love to play games too. It doesn’t have the best graphic quality in the market. However, we can still play heavy games like Temple Run and Mario Kart steadily. Its 64-bit CPU gives decent performance for a phone in this category. Furthermore, the processor produces a great pixel density for a clear screen appearance.

LG Phoenix 4 has proximity, lights, and accelerometer sensors that are useful to improve phone performance. A mobile phone sensor itself is used to detect changes in the environment. Later on, the phone converts them into electronic signals.

Take proximity sensors that can detect the nearby object, for instance. The proximity sensor allows the phone to automatically turn off its screen when the phone is close to something (for example, our ear). To make it short, more sensors do mean better phone quality. Therefore, three sensors ensure that LG Phoenix 4 is a great option.

Along with the internal memory of 16GB, LG Phoenix 4 should be considered as a good budget phone. The combination of its processor, OS, and GPU is more than enough for normal users.

LG Phoenix 4 Connectivity 

LG Phoenix 4 owns 4G LTE for network connectivity. This advanced 4G network technology gives a stable and strong network connection for its users. It also supports GSM, UMTS, and LTE mobile networks.

Besides, LG Phoenix 4 has every mandatory connection tool that we asked for. Its Wi-Fi feature is easy to manage and connects directly to the device. Thus, we can get a free network connection in a cafe or office. We can also share data connection up to 8 wireless devices with its portable Wi-Fi Hotspot.

It has Bluetooth 4.0 that can be firmly connected with other devices like headset or laptop. Its micro USB port applies to most of the phone chargers nowadays.

LG Phoenix 4 Battery

LG Phoenix 4 is powered with a 2,500mAh Lithium-Ion battery. As we have mentioned before, the battery is removable. It’s relatively rare to have a removable battery for a modern smartphone. However, we can optimize this condition by buying another battery for emergency purposes.

We may not need to buy extra batteries after all. LG Phoenix 4 only requires 230 minutes to charge from 0 to 100%. The battery can survive up to 18.2 talk time hours in 3G network. Furthermore, the standby time can last longer up to 16 days and 9 hours.

No need to prepare extra accessories since each package includes a phone charger and USB cable.

Is the LG Phoenix 4 a Good Phone?

For a price as cheap as $39.99, discounted from $89.99 (ATT price)? Yes, we think LG Phoenix 4 is a good budget phone.

LG Phoenix 4 looks so clean, such a great choice for people who love simple phones. It doesn’t have spectacular specifications, indeed. However, its 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory should be enough for general users. We have to consider expanding the memory up to 128GB if needed.

Its handy size, a 5-inch screen, lets us comfortably operate the phone with one hand only. Thus, we can hold the phone while doing other activities, like cooking and running. This advantage is essential for a busy person.