Smartphones tend to contend with software bugs, but LG’s K7i handset is looking to take the fight to actual bugs, specifically mosquitoes in India.
Available in India for 7,990 Rupees, the equivalent of £90, the K7i handset comes with a bump in the bottom half of its rear which contains an ultrasonic emitter which blasts out sound waves at frequencies higher than the human ear can hear to drive away mosquitoes.
Dubbed Mosquito Away, the ultrasonic tech was originally put in LG’s air conditioners and TVs to ward off the malaria and disease carrying bugs that can plague warmer Eastern climates. Given mosquitoes are responsible for thousands of deaths per year, having a phone that can keep the insects away is certainly novel in the mobile world, but offers a properly useful feature for people living in India.
The rest of the K7i’s feature set is less than exciting, with the handset featuring a 5-inch display with a 1,280 x 720 resolution, a quad-core but unnamed chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB or on-board storage, and a 2,500MAh removable battery.
On the rear the K7i has an 8MP camera, while round the front it sports a 5MP camera. Connectivity comes in the form of standard Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and a GPS. And LG has kept the 3.5mm headphone jack and will allow the storage to be jacked up to 256GB via a microSD card.
The LG K7i’s specs aren’t exactly going to bother the likes of the Galaxy S8 or LG’s own G6 flagship, but it does demonstrate the capability for phones to acts as physical tools for sorting real-world problems rather than just be the equivalent of a compact computer in your pocket.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
