LG Q9: The enigmatic last premium LG midrange
Quick specs:
6.1-inch QHD+ IPS LCD HDR10 display
4GB RAM + 64GB ROM (expandable up to 1TB via microSDXC)
Snapdragon 821 (Quad-core 2x2.15GHz Kryo + 2x1.6GHz with Adreno 530), UFS 2.0
16 MP back cam + 8MP selfie cam
4k@30fps (back) + 1080p@30fps (front)
Single loudspeaker + 3.5mm headphone jack (with 32-bit Hi-Res audio)
3,000mAh Li-ion 18W, QC3, USB 3.1
AnTuTu: 231,210 (v10)
Always-on-display, IP68/MIL-STD-810G
The LG Q9 is probably the now-defunct smartphone division of the Korean electronics giant’s most mind-boggling phone. Why is it you ask? The phone basically looks normal during the era it was released (2019), and it even looks boring. But this phone has many contradictions.
But hold on, let me cook for a bit. Despite having an LCD display, it has a dynamic display resolution (720p, 1080p, and 1440p). Despite having an LCD display, this is one of the rarest LCD smartphones with always-on-display. Yes, that’s right. There’s a reason why phones with LCD doesn’t have AOD. It’s because it sucks in more power than AMOLED/OLED ones that can turn off their individual pixels to save energy. The Q9 can’t do that, but hey, it works well.
All glass sandwich form factor with aluminum frame that’s the sign of a flagship phone at the time, but the Q9 is clearly a midrange. Some said that it’s a revamp LG G6. Another anomaly is the Snapdragon 821 chipset inside that’s already 3 years old by the time the Q9 was released. The 821’s performance lags behind newer chipsets, even the 600 Series edges better in performing tasks. The Q9’s 821 inside this is underclocked and only has four cores, it struggles quite a bit. Did LG bought a lot of 821 chips so the Q9 is the way to dispose remaining stocks of that processor?
Critiques aside, this phone is easy to use and hold, with its small form factor, this is a perfect secondary work phone/media-dedicated device, and/or for social media shenanigans. It feels like an LG V40, Lite version. I basically had a new device so I’m the first to have it.
The crowd favorite Hi-Fi Quad-DAC and DTS 3D Surround is here to stay, so that’s a plus. As of this moment, the always-on-display holds up, LG did a great job at managing the obviously lacking 3,000mAh battery with optimizations and more.
Charging isn’t too bad, a standard 18W speed charges up the Q9 in an hour and fifteen minutes tops. The USB-C 3.1 is a nice touch as well.
The fingerprint is fast, the face unlock is alright, and the beloved (by me) KnockCode is also a breeze to use. Here’s to one hand wielding in 2024.
If you’re a light user, the Q9 will meet your needs just fine. If you’re more than that, steer clear of this model. Better go up to an LG Q92 for a faster, smoother experience. With an onboard storage of 64GB and 4GB of RAM, this isn’t enough for many people today.
But for enigmatic reasons, and the chance to review this first properly (seriously, there’s no reviews locally or internationally about this device), the LG Q9 is midranger trying to look a flagship one. For just $60, this is a fair price. I would not recommend paying more for this.
Final verdict: strictly for LG fans
