These LG Srie K phones have very similar technical specifications, except when comparing screens and cameras; read on to find out which one might be worth more to you
In early June, the Brazilian market received smartphones LG K51S and K61, intermediate devices that stand out mainly for their four cameras, which reach up to 48 MP. In addition to the two, there is also the LG K41S, which is found just before the K51S in terms of technical specifications. So in theory here we are talking about a smartphone middle intermediate and another premium intermediary.
It is a fact that both models are very similar, but are their differences really justifying the cost-benefit ratio? We test, compare and tell you everything below.
Screen and battery
THE K61 has a 6.53 ″ screen and the K51S with a slightly larger one, 6.55 ″. Respectively, they follow the curious ratio of 19.5: 9 and 20: 9, which is sometimes common in certain intermediate versions. However, the biggest difference is in the resolution: HD Plus (720 x 1600) on the K51S and Full HD Plus (1080 x 2340) on the K61.
In practice, this difference is noticeable to anyone usually watch videos on the cellphone. The high-quality mobile (1080p) standard of YouTube, for example, only works on the K61. In series and films of streaming the disparity can be more subtle, as in the main services, automatic adjustment by display resolution and internet speed.
The front camera has a discreet cutout at the corner of the displayIn addition, due to the elongated proportion, the videos naturally do not fill the screen with anything exclusive to Series K, after all a feature of recent cell phones. Some YouTube videos may be “zoomed” in for more comfort, but other scenarios will have black borders. THE front camera, on both models, it is on the upper left corner, a more pleasant design option than the centralized K41S.
In both models we have the same 4,000 mAh battery, able to last all day and it took about 2 hours and 40 minutes to get a full charge. During our tests, on both phones we were able to use the phone for about 10 hours during the day, accessing emails, social networks, messengers and some videos, without having to charge the battery.
Cameras
In both, only three cameras it is a depth sensor, which in practice serves to take pictures with blurred background.
| LG K61 | LG K51S | |
| Macro | 2 MP | 2 MP |
| Super Wide Angle | 8 MP | 5 MP |
| Portrait Mode | 5 MP | 2 MP |
| Smart Camera | 48 MP | 32 MP |
Both also have the artificial intelligence integrated into the camera app to detect the photographed object. There are variations such as Person, Animal, Landscape and Food, being adjusted in real time to result in the “perfect picture”. In this case, the “Intelligent Camera” would be this, the main one for each device.
The four sensors + flash, to provide photos the way you wantThe same camera has technology Quad-Cell, capable of improving photo quality in dark environments. In the tests, the night sky and objects in poor lighting conditions had difficulty focusing and a very noticeable grain. Otherwise, with good light, the camera did very well.
Already the camera macro it works when shooting something that is "4 cm away" from the lens, as recommended by LG. funny that the main camera can often focus on these same objects in apparently much better quality. The times it worked, however, it was interesting.
In mild criticism of the camera app: I noticed several times that, when trying to readjust the focus, a photo was taken. It turns out that touching the screen to focus on an object becomes the trigger button when touched a second time. This was annoying, as the focus was not always right and the “shutter” was too big to allow readjustment. The failure persists in both models.
Memory
They have RAM 3 GB (K51S) and 4 GB (K61) and internal storage of 64 GB and 128 GB, respectively. Both can be expanded with micro SD memory card up to 2TB, which is an excellent addition compared to the factory original.
A casual user, even if they take high quality photos, can take time to fill the 64 GB memory. Even those who download multiple games and always update apps will need to work hard until the K51S is full. If we think about double the space, which is in the K61, I consider it a “subtle difference” in that both are common storage standards in today's smartphones.
Now, anyone who uses their cell phone to listen to music and watch series stored on the device may suffer a little with the K51S. Movies and episodes of sries in streaming (Netflix and Amazon Prime Video allow downloading to the device) and songs (Spotify and Deezer, for example) occupy these 64 GB fast. So, with few exceptions, the two cell phones from Srie K provide plenty of memory for users.
Equal design and interface
With the white (iridescent) of the LG K61 your smartphone looks premiumEven though still in the “intermediate” category, the two smartphones from LG have a pretty finish elegant. The K61 can be found in gray or white, while the K51S comes in black or pink. Note how well the K61 has a rear color with a finish that seems to be even more premium, a pearly white (iridescent style) luckily, this was the version tested by us. It is important to say that the LG K Series also has MIL-STD-810G resistance certification, an American military standard.
Speaking of interface navigation, everything works very well. Now and then, however, there is a slightly less smooth transition of menu screens than expected on a smartphone like this. Another detail that can catch the eye of some unaccustomed to the absence of the menu in the bottom navigation bar that can be activated in the settings, as we teach here at Showmetech.
The K51S has a rich silver styling optionOn the right side of the product we have the button for screen lock; on the left side are both the volume buttons and a dedicated third Google Assistant, which unfortunately cannot be remapped. About the latter, I believe it is a matter of custom until we ignore it in routine use, as it is easy accidentally press it instead of “turning down the volume”.
The only feature that deserves to be highlighted from this button is “Visual Snapshot“, Summary of your day and week based on preferences and apps synchronized with your Google account (such as Calendar and Reminders) without using your voice. To do this, simply press the Assistant key twice. Really, a useful shortcut to different times and times of the day. Fact: if you usually do voice searches, the activation phrase “Ok, Google” must already be recorded in your vocabulary. Therefore, no matter how much you use the function, the button's existence becomes not very useful.
Another slightly negative point: the operating system is still Android 9. Even though it may update in the future (without a manufacturer's forecast), it is difficult to see a launch in June 2020 with an operating system of almost two years ago.
Accessories
Both models have the same kit of accessories, being:
- Loader
- Headphone (P2)
- USB Type-C Cable
- Protective Case
The complete kit gets you ready to use the LG K61 or K51S, freeing you to purchase additional accessoriesThis package ends up defining (almost imperceptibly) the profile of the buyer of this intermediate line of smartphones: someone who wants to have 2020 releases in hands, he understands the basics of cell phone quality, he has no problem acquiring a more expensive novelty in quarantine months and he does not want to spend any extra dollars on accessories.
In particular, the Earphone it was a very useful item. Particularly, I am not a fan of most of the in-ear headphones that I acquired with my Androids for personal use in the last few years, much less than the models where the wire on one side is longer to pass behind the head. I found more comfort in the competition's Earpods, for example. So, it was a pleasure to do the unboxing of these two from Srie K and notice headphones more traditional.
Bigger was the surprise of noticing quality of them, which appeared to be basic, but performed a little better than expected. They fulfill their function in the right measure, however, there is nothing so striking to highlight (there are weak mediums and bass) or to justify the part sale. As part of the kit, they are a great complement.
Performance and connections
Call of Duty Mobile runs well on both devicesBoth LG K61 and LG K51S have a processor Octa Core 2.3GHz (MediaTek Helio P35). In game tests: I played Call of Duty Mobile at low graphics resolution without problems; a heavier racing game like Asphalt 8 had a noticeable drop in frames. Fortunately, in no extreme scenario did cell phones freeze or end the game. When using both for a long time, the rear also didn’t get as hot.
On the other hand, exchanging applications it's a little slow. In terms, it is a fraction of a second that becomes an eternity in routine use. Starting the camera takes more time than usual among other devices (cost and similar technical specifications), which prevents you from "drawing" your cell phone in a quick way to record a sudden moment of day-to-day life, like yours pet making a "grace" for you.
About connections: there is dual-band wifi (standard 802.11ac), bluetooth, entry for two SIM cards and the aforementioned entry for microSD to expand the storage memory up to 2 TB.
audio
When talking about audio, we put two items on the scale: headphones and speaker. The cell phone speakers are reasonable, with maximum volume well distorted (in medium / high), but in general they are in the good standard of devices of the same scale. In contrast, the headphones provide a great quality, as mentioned earlier.
A good difference from the other intermediaries that these smartphones contain technology DTS: X surround sound, which in theory puts you at the “center” of the entire 360 ​​sound atmosphere. It’s not exclusive, LG Q7 + and another of the K series, the K11 +, also have this differential. In the notification bar you will still find a menu to configure three different profiles and customize your sound.
Traditional headphones: an interesting addition to the factory, with surprising qualityIt is to be expected that DTS: X does not work well on the headphones included in the package, which is quite understandable due to this being just a “bonus” of the packaging, but I thought it would work better on third party headphones. When plugging in a personal headphone, a model I have been using for a long time of medium-high quality, it seemed that audio quality has decreased with the function activated. The separation of the stereo mode becomes more evident, but a transmission of the highest quality from a streaming service was not well translated by DTS: X.
Then, in an attempt to prove that it would work, I tested this technology in different scenarios. YouTube videos, 5.1 files downloaded from the internet and an internal storage song; nothing seemed to improve, regardless of the device (K61 and K51S). Until I luckily found a strong point or better, strong musical genre. After Hours, album released in March by The Weeknd, it sounded extremely good on the audio profile “Side by Side”.
Others pop songs Recent improvements have achieved a considerable improvement in this exact configuration, like songs by Drake and Dua Lipa. There is a powerful vocal, backing vocals well divided in the stereo, bass in evidence and the guitars and synthesizers had a reduced volume. A pity to sound like a subtle sacrifice of quality for higher volume. As a conclusion to the audio tests: DTS: X works like a long shot; just test profiles and see if your favorite artist improved by technology.
Completed
Choosing one of the models will depend on what you are looking for in camera and screen quality and also in your pocketAs you can see, there are subtle differences between the LG K51S it's the LG K61 this when they exist. A guide, which we recommend to an attentive buyer, to reflect on his camera use. If possible, testing with both phones will help a lot in the final choice. The memory of the two smartphones can be expanded with an external memory card and the screen size is almost identical, so these points can be crossed out from the list.
Now, the screen resolution a factor that can weigh in the balance. Do you usually see series and videos on your cell phone? Has he become a companion in your entertainment routine? Choose the Full HD Plus screen K61. In the short or long term, you will realize how much a good resolution makes a difference.
At the Showmetech Store you will find the K51S is at the official price of R $ 1,499 it's the K61 with the value of R $ 1,699. We hope that, together with this comparison, we have helped you to see if the investment of an additional R $ 400 is worth it or not for your smartphone usage profile.
Tell us comments which one will be your next Android phone!
Technical specifications
| Model | LG K61 |
| Dimensions | 164.5 x 77.5 x 8.4mm |
| Processor | 2.3GHz Octa-Core |
| Screen | 6.5 inch19.5: 9FHD + Hole in Display |
| RAM memory | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB (expandable to 2TB with microSD) |
| Rear cameras | 48MP Intelligent Camera (with Artificial Intelligence) 8MP Super Wide Angle Camera2MP Macro Camera5MP Portrait Mode Camera |
| Front camera | 16MP (with Artificial Intelligence) |
| Drums | 4,000mAh |
| Network | LTE / 3G / 2G |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi Dual BandBluetooth 5.0NFCUSB-C |
| Military resistance certificates | ImpactsHumidityVibrationOperation and Storage at High TemperaturesOperation and Storage at Low TemperaturesThermal Shock |
| Colors | Titanium and white |
| Price | R $ 1,899 |
| Model | LG K51S |
| Dimensions | 165.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm |
| Processor | 2.3GHz Octa-Core |
| Screen | 6.5 inch20: 9HD + Hole in Display |
| RAM memory | 3GB |
| Storage | 64GB (expandable to 2TB with microSD) |
| Rear cameras | 32MP Intelligent Camera (with Artificial Intelligence) 5MP Super Wide Angle Camera2MP Macro Camera2MP Portrait Mode Camera |
| Front camera | 13MP (with Artificial Intelligence) |
| Drums | 4,000mAh |
| Network | LTE / 3G / 2G |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi Dual BandBluetooth 5.0NFCUSB-C |
| Military resistance certificates | ImpactsHumidityVibrationOperation and Storage at High TemperaturesOperation and Storage at Low TemperaturesThermal Shock |
| Colors | Titanium and red |
| Price | R $ 1,499 |
