LG Spirit – Battery Life

The Spirit relies on a 2,100mAh battery, which doesn’t seem all that impressive. But for a phone of this size, it will happily see you through a day’s play – or more – depending on how you use it.

In general use – for browsing, checking in on Twitter and Facebook and dabbling in some gaming during the day – the Spirit will see 30-40% of power remaining by 11pm. Used more sparingly, or left in standby, it’ll perform significantly better, with enough juice to get you through at least another half a day.

 
In more intense testing – streaming an episode of House of Cards on Netflix over Wi-Fi, with brightness at an acceptable viewing level – the drop off is 7% from an 100% charge, which is pretty good. Running a video on loop with 50% brightness, it manages a respectable 11 hours. Left in standby, the Spirit really excels. If you ignore your phone for a day, then you should be good for a full day of use.

Sadly, there’s no super-fast charging on board here. A quick 30-minute charge from the mains will see the Spirit top up by 20%. Not quite enough to leave the house if you’re planning to stream music or check your Facebook feed en route to work.

LG Spirit – Sound and Call Quality

For those hoping to blast out Spotify in public, the Spirit musters up decent sound quality from the solitary speaker that sits on the rear of the phone. While it might lack warmth, there’s surprisingly good detail on offer. Plus, it doesn’t distort or crackle at full volume

Call quality is nothing out of the ordinary, but it definitely isn’t as bad a performer as some of the phones we’ve seen at this price. Calls have good volume and, while they lack the clarity associated with more expensive handsets, we never struggled to hear the person on the line. In busier environments it becomes a little more challenging, despite the inclusion of a noise-cancelling microphone, but it’s not impossible to make a call in bar on a Friday night.

Should I buy the LG Spirit?

Unlike the LG G4c, which is the more expensive spin-off of the LG G4, the Spirit’s cheaper price allows us to be a little more forgiving over some of its issues. We like the design and the 720p HD screen, and the camera – although average and with laggy moments – doesn’t dramatically ruin the experience.

But is the Spirit better than the handsets currently on offer in this category? Well, if you’re willing to go for a bigger phone and pay a little extra then we’d have to say no. Even with the arrival of the Moto G 3rd generation (£159), the Moto G 2 remains an attractive prospect, offering a cleaner version of Android and a more impressive camera setup.

With the Lumia 640, its other rival, you’ll have to live with the many quirks that come with Windows Phone OS – such as the disappointing app store and the messy UI. However, the arrival of Windows 10 Mobile should go some way to address some of those issues.

If you’re happy to stick with the smaller size, however, then the Spirit is a solid sub-£150 Android phone offering impressive looks for the money.

SEE ALSO: 13 Best Smartphones & Mobile Phones

Verdict

Although it isn’t built for multi-tasking, the Spirit is a solid 4.7in Android handset that offers good value for money.

Trusted Score