LG K61 review
in 2016 LG threw the K Series, a range of mid-range smartphones that has continued to renew itself, year after year, with the aim of winning over all those consumers looking for a good phone at an affordable price. Today the series consists of three devices: K41S, K51S and K61. The latter is, at least on paper, the most bodied of the three but failed to convince us fully. We explain why in this review.
It resists everything. Almost
LG K61 inherits the typical quality of the Korean company: the smartphone is made of plastic but is solid and robust, while remaining under 200 grams of weight. No IP certification for water resistance but we find the military one - MIL-STD-810G - which allows him to withstand bumps, falls, vibrations and dust without difficulty.
The back cover, characterized by a series of very dense horizontal lines, houses the camera module, consisting of 4 sensors, and the quick and convenient fingerprint reader. On the right side we find the power button and the slot for two SIMs and the microSD. No hybrid solution therefore, so you will have the possibility to use two different numbers and, at the same time, to expand the memory from 128 GB. On the left side we have the volume rocker and the button dedicated to Google Assistant, while the lower one houses the 3,5 mm jack, the USB-C connector and the speaker.
On the front we find a large 6,53 "display, an IPS with 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, 19,5: 9 format and a small hole in the upper left that leaves room for the 16 megapixel front camera.
The performance of the panel is quite good, with a maximum brightness that allows you to use the device without difficulty even outdoors.
LG K61 review: the Achilles heel
Let's be clear: LG K61 was not born to offer record performance. This is demonstrated by the hardware of this smartphone, consisting of a Mediatek MT6765 processor, the PowerVR GE8320 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. This doesn't mean you won't be able to use messaging apps, your favorite social media, streaming services, or some game to hang out with. However, consider that fluidity and reactivity are not its strong point.
Good connectivity with the two SIMs, WiFi ac dual band, Bluetooth 5.0 and the now indispensable NFC. The battery is also satisfactory: its 4000 mAh bring you to the end of the day even with a rather intense use.
We have some other disappointments on the software front. There is indeed on board Android 9 Pie with the proprietary interface, namely LG UX 9. At your disposal you have a bit of everything you need but, a few weeks after the arrival of Android 11, we would certainly have preferred Android 10.
LG K61 - Smartphone 16.6 cm (6.53"), 4 GB, 128 GB, 48 MP,...
- Screen: 6,53 ", 1080 x 2340 pixels
- Processor: Mediatek Helio P35 2.3GHz
- Camera: Quad, 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 5MP
The photographic sector of LG K61
There are four rear sensors of LG K61: the main 48-megapixel, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle, a 5-megapixel lens dedicated to depth and a 2-megapixel lens for macros.
The photos are fair, with better results in conditions of good light while we have some difficulties when darkness falls or when we have very bright lights. In fact, in the first case we will have very dark shots, in the second instead the photos will be burned.
Nothing to excite even for the front camera which does a little more than enough work, while the videos, in Full HD and 30 fps, are quite flickering. If you want to get satisfactory results you will have to remain as still as possible.
LG K61: the technical sheet
Before drawing the necessary conclusions, let's take a quick look at the technical characteristics of this smartphone.
dimensions: 164,5 x 77,5 x 8,4 mm
Weight: 190 g
Display: 6,53″ IPS LCD – 1080×2340 pixel
CPU: MediaTek MT6765
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 4 GB
Memory: 128 GB
Network: 4G LTE – Dual SIM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, GPS, NFC
Battery: 4000 mAh
Rear camera: 48 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP
Front Camera: 16 MP
Videos: FullHD @30fps
Operating system: Android 9 con LG UX 9
LG K61 review: buy it or not?
LG K61 presents itself on the market a 299 I was. A figure that puts it in direct competition with more performing and convincing products. Perhaps with repositioning or some offer it might be able to gain some ground but for now it pays the price for the general slowness of the system.
LG K61
For 
- Excellent build quality
- large display
- Good autonomy
- 3,5mm jack
Cons 
- Subdued performance
- No Android 10
- Price to be reviewed
