Characteristics
- Case materials: plastic
- Operating system: Google Android 5.0
- Network: two SIM cards, 2G/3G
- Processor: 4 cores, 1300 MHz, MediaTek MT6582
- RAM: 768 MB
- Data storage memory: 4 GB
- Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
- Screen: capacitive, IPS 4.5"" with a resolution of 854x480 pixels
- Camera: 5 MP with autofocus + 0.3 MP, flash
- Navigation: GPS
- Additionally: accelerometer, proximity sensors, FM radio
- Battery: removable, capacity 1900 mAh
- Dimensions: 129x64x10.9 mm
- Weight: 135 g
Contents of delivery
- Smartphone
- Network adapter
- USB cable
- Warranty card
Introduction
At the international exhibition MWC 2015, LG demonstrated three not very expensive devices called Spirit, Magna and Leon. We have already met the first two. The review was made on both devices at once, since they differed little from each other. Of course, Leon should have been included in the text, but at that time it was not available for testing.
What is Leon? This is an extremely simple smartphone based on the latest version of the system – Lollipop. Equipped with the most common budget chipset from MediaTek, less than 1 GB of RAM inside, the battery and camera are average, but the price is not the highest: now LG Leon can be bought from 7,000 rubles.
Who is this model intended for? Most likely, for those who care about the brand, that is, definitely an A-brand, the price “ceiling” is up to 8,000 – 9,000 rubles, and the technical characteristics of the gadget are not too important. By the way, I receive a large number of letters in the mail with just such a request. Here you are, just what you wanted: a nice smartphone for calls, social networks and the Internet.
Design, dimensions, control elements
The LG Spirit, Magna and Leon devices are similar in terms of not only parameters, but also appearance: slightly oval shapes of the upper and lower edges, a sloping back, a metal-look plastic body and the obligatory presence of two mechanical volume control buttons and a power button on the back of the device . That is, in fact, only the size of the device changes due to the fact that different screen diagonals are used. I don't like this solution. It’s difficult to stand out: either you have a cheap Leon, or a more expensive Spirit or Magna. Some mobile phone users worry about this.
Leon dimensions – 129x64x10.9 mm. As always, the device is thick, despite the fact that the battery costs only 1900 mAh. I don’t understand the LG developers at all: the old L7 Dual with a 2460 battery has a thickness of 9.7 mm, not so long ago they reviewed the LG L Bello with a 2540 battery and a case thickness of 10.7 mm. Question: how can you manage to make the device thicker with a smaller battery capacity?
Leon fits perfectly in your hand due to its comfortable lid with ergonomic design. The gadget is definitely suitable for those who want a small-sized device, even if the thickness is reduced to a quite adequate 7 - 8 mm.
LG is sold in three color options: gold, white and gray (officially called “Titan”). Our test is glamorous gold. By the way, it looks very good: the front side is dark, part of the lower front edge of the device is gold, part of the side edges is dark, the panel is gold. The surface is matte, but slightly rough to the touch, as small longitudinal notches are applied (as if polished metal). Over time, the lid will wear off, since there are those same notches. The assembly is excellent, there are no complaints: there is no creaking or play, the back side does not bend to the battery.
There is an oleophobic coating on the screen. It’s not the highest quality, but it’s better than without it at all, like on the LG G2 mini: the device is expensive, but does not have such an important component. The finger glides well over the surface of the Leon screen.
At the top center is the speech speaker. Its volume is slightly above average, the interlocutor can be heard clearly and clearly, the timbre is pleasant: there are both low and high frequencies. To the right of the speaker is a proximity sensor and a front camera. LG decided to save money on the light sensor - minus. You will “drive” the brightness slider manually. This is not the first time I see LG devices without this sensor.
The buttons are on-screen, only the company logo is below the display.
At the bottom end there is a microUSB and a microphone, at the top there is a second microphone and a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones. There are traditionally no elements on the left and right. On the back: the camera eye, flash, speaker and power button surrounded by two mechanical volume keys. The power button is silver in color, slightly convex, has concentric notches, the pressure is relatively tight, and the travel is short.
The cover is removed by prying it over the recess of the microUSB connector. Under the socket on the bottom right is a microSD slot, under the battery on the left is SIM2, on the right is SIM1.
LG Leon and LG G4
LG Leon and Nokia 1020
LG Leon and Meizu M1 Note
LG Leon and Highscreen Power Five
LG Leon and Apple iPhone 5 (with case)
Display
This device uses a screen with a diagonal of 4.5 inches. Physical size – 55.5x98 mm, frame on top – 13.5 mm, bottom – 17 mm, on the right and left – approximately 4.5 mm. There is an anti-reflective coating, which is quite effective.
The Leon display resolution from LG is FWVGA, that is, 480x854 pixels, aspect ratio is 16:9, density is 217 pixels per inch. IPS matrix without air gap.
The maximum brightness of white color is 276 cd/m2, the maximum brightness of black color is 0.34 cd/m2. Contrast – 800:1.
The white line is the goal we are trying to achieve. The yellow line (the average amount of red, green and blue) is the actual screen data. You can see that we are directly below the target curve, which means that for every value between 45 and 97 the image is dark.
The average gamma value is 2.
Judging by the level graph, there is a clear excess of blue, and the value “jumps” depending on the brightness: at minimum brightness there is a lot of blue.
The temperature is approximately the same throughout the entire brightness range. On average - about 7700 K.
Judging by the diagram, the data obtained does not correspond to the sRGB triangle: it is noticeable that green and red colors are in short supply.
All gray points are located outside the DeltaE=10 radius, which indicates that other shades of colors will be present in gray colors.
The viewing angles are maximum, at angles the picture is a little violet and yellow, and the brightness is greatly reduced.
Without going into details, I didn’t like the screen: I would have liked higher backlight brightness and richer colors. However, for the money the display is quite normal.
Viewing Angles
Light exposure
Settings
There is a double tap to activate the backlight.
Battery
This model uses a removable lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery with a capacity of 1900 mAh. There are no official data on opening hours.
Despite the small battery capacity, Leon “lives” more or less normally: about 12 hours in normal mode (few calls, network - Wi-Fi, and so on). I think the “fault” here lies on the display (weak backlight), on the power-hungry chipset, on the optimized version of the OS. The videos play for about 6 hours at maximum brightness, and work in phone mode for about a couple of days (4 hours of calls every day). However, in the active mode of using LG Leon you should expect a maximum of 5-6 hours.
Communication capabilities
The device only works in 2G/3G networks (GSM 900/1800 MHz, WCDMA 900/2100 MHz). For some reason, the frequencies 850 MHz and 1900 MHz are missing. At least, such data is indicated on the official website. You can switch between SIM cards using a special button.
There is no NFC chip, OTG mode does not function. The rest is standard for any Android smartphone: GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0.
Memory and memory card
In this case, the manufacturer saves again: there is only 768 MB of RAM inside. Frankly, even the cheapest modern devices have been using 1 GB for a long time. The built-in memory is 4 GB, and one and a half gigabytes are available. It’s good that there is a slot for a memory card, the maximum capacity is 32 GB.
Cameras
Traditionally, there are two camera modules: 5 MP (F2.7 aperture) and 0.3 MP (F3 aperture). Single-section flash.
Naturally, there is no need to talk about good quality in this case. The picture is relatively decent only in good lighting. As soon as artificial lighting appears or twilight sets in, it is useless to take photographs: the photos are cloudy, there is zero detail, the white balance “floats”. Only quick and accurate focus saves the situation.
The front camera is a shame and disgrace. Videos are written in a resolution of 640x480 pixels.
The camera shoots video in FullHD resolution at 30 fps. The quality is average, sharpness is instantly achieved by clicking on the screen, the sound is mono.
Sample photos
Performance
The LG Leon device uses the most common chipset among budget smartphones from MediaTek - MT6582 from two years ago: 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz, the chip is made using 28 nm technology. For graphics – Mali-400 MP2.
General characteristics
Type
Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to choose a telephone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.
smartphone operating system Android OS version at the start of sales Android 5.0 Case type classic Housing material plastic Control screen buttons Number of SIM cards 2 Multi-SIM mode variable Weight 135 g Dimensions (WxHxD) 64.9x129.9x10.9 mmScreen
Screen type color IPS, touch Touch screen type multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal 4.5 inches. Image Size 854x480 Pixels per inch (PPI) 218 Aspect Ratio 16:9Multimedia capabilities
Number of main (rear) cameras 1 Main (rear) camera resolution 5 MP Functions of the main (rear) camera autofocus Recording videos There is Front-camera yes, 0.3 MP Audio MP3, AAC, WAV, FM radio Headphone jack 3.5 mmConnection
Standard GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G Interfaces
Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect your phone to wireless speakers, and also to transfer files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as a universal remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
Wi-Fi 802.11n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1, USB Satellite navigation
Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules allow you to determine the phone's coordinates using signals from satellites. In the absence of GPS, a modern smartphone can determine its own location using signals from cellular operator base stations. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
GPS A-GPS system yesMemory and processor
CPU
Modern phones and smartphones usually use special processors - SoC (System on Chip, system on a chip), which, in addition to the processor itself, houses the graphics core, memory controller, input/output device controller, etc. Therefore, the processor largely determines the set of functions and device performance.
At the MWC 2015 exhibition, which took place at the end of February, South Korean LG presented several inexpensive models of quad-core smartphones running on the latest version of the Android OS. We already wrote about Magna and Spirit a little earlier, now it’s time for a review of LG Leon.
Unlike older models, the new product does not have a curved screen and has more modest characteristics. But the price was only about 150 US dollars.
The smartphone received a strict design typical of LG: straight side lines and a slightly curved back cover. It is made of gray plastic, but the build quality is at the proper level, so the smartphone does not look cheap. The color of the front panel is black, and only at the bottom you can see a gray insert. There are also models with white and golden covers, but these were not seen on our market at the time of writing the review.
Unlike its older “brother” and “sister” (Spirit and Magna), the smartphone is presented in only one version (there is no modification with LTE support). Otherwise the characteristics are very close to them.
CPU
The LG Leon uses a budget quad-core processor from the Taiwanese MTK corporation, model MT6582. Its clock speed reaches 1.3 GHz, it is identical to the CPU in the Spirit and Magna versions without 4G support.
The smartphone uses a dual-core Mali-400 modification as a video processor. Due to the lower display resolution, the device's performance is even slightly higher than that of older models. Thus, the synthetic AnTuTu benchmark shows approximately 18 thousand points, which is 1000 more than Magna.
Memory
The amount of RAM suffered in comparison with older devices in the line: it was reduced by a quarter. 768 MB does not look impressive enough these days. For example, from less famous brands from China you can (at your own risk) purchase a phone with 1 or even 2 GB of RAM for the same amount.
The internal storage capacity of LG Leon has also decreased and is 4 GB. About half of them are available for downloading user-generated content. The memory card slot has not gone away, so the issue of expanding disk space is easily resolved. 
Battery
The LG Leon battery is removable, it is made using traditional lithium-ion technology and has a capacity of 1900 mAh. In standby mode, with the Internet turned off, the smartphone can last 2-3 days. Under intense load, discharging from 100% to zero will take 5-7 hours, depending on the display backlight level. The indicators are similar to other devices in the series. The battery capacity decreases from the older model to the younger one, but the screen size also decreases.
Camera
The smartphone has a budget matrix with a capacity of 5 MP. It is equipped with a flash and autofocus, and allows you to get photos of acceptable quality in bright sunshine. But in semi-darkness, detail is significantly reduced. The only thing the lens can boast of in low light is its ability to photograph text. For such a task, the power of the built-in flash is quite enough. But portraits in such conditions turn out noticeably worse.
The front camera has a modest VGA matrix, from which you should not expect anything special. If you can still see some details in a “selfie” taken in the sun, then about indoor photos you can say: “okay, at least you look like yourself.” 
Display
The LG Leon screen, unlike older models, cannot boast of HD resolution. It uses a budget IPS matrix with a diagonal of 4.5 inches. Its resolution is 854x480 pixels and pixel density is 220 DPI. The touchscreen is made of glass, but lacks an oleophobic coating that prevents the sensor from quickly becoming dirty. Therefore, the buyer will have to put up with stains on the screen or constantly carry a napkin with him to wipe it.
There are no complaints about the contrast and viewing angles of the display (after all, IPS does its job). But the brightness in the sun seems downright weak. As for graininess, for those who were tempted to use a Full-HD device, it will seem too noticeable. But an inexperienced person may not even pay attention to this.
Data transfer
Lg Leon is equipped with two slots for SIM cards, the operation of which is implemented in the traditional alternating way (both of them work in standby mode, but when making calls, the second one goes offline). The list of supported networks includes only 2G and 3G.
Separately, it is worth noting the good implementation of GPS and Wi-Fi antennas. Many inexpensive devices suffer from weak signal strength, especially indoors. LG Leon does not have this drawback.
Sound
The musical capabilities of the smartphone are quite typical for a device of this class. LG Leon, like most budget devices, is capable of generating loud sound when making a call, but to enjoy your favorite songs, the clarity of the sound from the speakers is not enough for a music lover. In headphones, the situation is noticeably better: both bass and high frequencies are reduced slightly.
People who use a smartphone for long conversations will appreciate the active noise reduction system. The second microphone, installed on the top end, picks up extraneous sounds to separate them from the voice of the interlocutor.
OS
The operating system of LG Leon is Android version 5.0.1, the latest at the time of the device’s release. The proprietary LG UX shell is used as the user interface. A pleasant surprise was the fact that, thanks to the lower screen resolution, the system speed is slightly higher than that of the same Spirit.
Pros and cons of LG Leon
The main positive features of the smartphone include:
- decent performance;
- nice design;
- loud sound and noise reduction system.
Unfortunately, the LG Leon also had its downsides. This:
Conclusion
LG Leon is a typical budget phone for its time. It may not be the most powerful device in this price category, but other brands have weaker smartphones. Therefore, we can consider the device well worth the money. During the review, the LG Leon did not reveal any significant shortcomings that would be critical. But for those who like to shoot a lot, are used to super-clear screens, hold many active tasks at the same time, or often pick up a smartphone with dirty hands due to the nature of their profession or lifestyle, it will not be the most successful purchase.
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A stylish entry-level gadget is the LG Leon. Reviews about this device, its hardware and software specifications are the subject of this article. Well, based on its strengths and weaknesses, recommendations regarding its acquisition will be given.
Who is this gadget for?
The price, hardware and software components of this phone clearly indicate that it belongs to entry-level solutions or, as they are also called, budget class. It doesn’t have any special feature, for example, in the form of a curved display. But there is a full set of the most popular functions today. The design of this device is typical for a series of mobile phones from this manufacturer for this year. The most interesting color option for the case is the LG Leon H324 Titan. Reviews highlight it as the most striking and unusual.
Device delivery set
An entry-level device initially cannot boast of good equipment. It includes a minimum set of components, which only ensures the minimum level of device performance, and there is absolutely nothing superfluous in it. And the equipment for this gadget is as follows:
- Actually the device itself with the battery installed.
- Standard charger with USB output port.
- Universal interface cord for charging the battery or synchronizing with a PC.
- Guide to using the device.
As noted earlier, the body of this gadget can be of three colors: gold, titanium and white. They all pick up dirt easily. And it’s not particularly difficult to damage them; the LG Leon H324 Titan especially stands out in this regard. Reviews certainly confirm this. Therefore, to eliminate this kind of problem, you must immediately after purchase purchase a protective film and stick it together with the case. Also, the owner of such a device needs to additionally purchase an external drive. Well, a stereo headset would also be useful. Without it, the radio will not work.
Appearance
Most of the front panel of this gadget is occupied by a 4.5-inch display. Above it there is a speaker, touch elements and for video calls. Below the display there is a plastic strip with the manufacturer's logo. But the control panel has been moved to the bottom of the screen and consists of 4 buttons: in addition to the three standard ones, there is also an additional one, which allows you to quickly switch between active SIM cards. There is an audio port on the top edge of the smartphone, and MicroUSB on the bottom. On the back cover there are volume control and lock buttons. There is also a peephole for the main camera and an LED backlight for it. As noted earlier, there are three color options for this device: white, titanium and gold. Users highlight the LG Leon H324 Titan smartphone. Reviews indicate its unusual color. Well, the “Gold” version is very much reminiscent of last year’s “Apple” gadget in color.
CPU
A reliable and energy-efficient processor is installed in the LG Leon. Reviews highlight its low level of performance. You can't expect anything more from a CPU introduced two years ago. All this is MT6582 from MediaTek. It includes 4 computing modules of the “A7” architecture. When solving the most complex problems, the frequency of each of them can be increased to 1.3 GHz. This is quite enough to solve most tasks: reading books, listening to music and radio, playing videos, navigating, and so on. It can handle even the simplest games without any problems. But the latest generation of 3D games with the most serious requirements for the hardware of a smartphone will not run on this device: there is not enough computing power on the CPU.
Display and video accelerator
Of course, the screen is one of the main advantages that the LG Leon smartphone can boast of compared to its competitors. Reviews highlight its excellent quality. The display matrix is made using True IPS technology. Accordingly, color rendering, viewing angles and energy efficiency do not cause any complaints. Another advantage of the screen is the absence of an air gap between the touch surface of the front panel and the screen matrix. The display resolution in this case is 854x480. The pixel density is 220 ppi, making it quite difficult to distinguish an individual pixel. That is, the image on the display is quite high quality. To process graphic information, this device is equipped with a Mali-400MP2 graphics card. Of course, it can no longer boast of high performance, but it is quite enough to unload the central processor, which, because of this, is engaged only in program calculations and is not “distracted” by graphic information.
Cameras
The quality of photos and videos of the main camera can be called acceptable. It has a 5 megapixel sensor. There is also an autofocus system and an LED flash. Accordingly, her photographs come out of good quality. But the front camera in this device is really modest. It has a sensor of only 0.3 megapixels. This is enough to make video calls. But you can’t expect anything more from her.
Memory
The memory subsystem in the LG Leon raises the most questions. Reviews indicate a lack of RAM. There is only 768 MB of it here. Moreover, about 500 MB of them are occupied by system processes. The user can only count on 268 MB. For one or two simple applications this will be enough. Well, if you try to run more programs, the phone will slow down a lot. A definite solution to the lack of RAM may be to install a special program to clean it regularly. But it would still be better if the gadget had 1 GB. The capacity of the built-in storage is 4 GB. About half of them are filled with system software. The remaining volume is clearly not enough for comfortable work. Therefore, the owner of a “smart” smartphone cannot do without an external flash drive. Its capacity in this case can reach 32 GB.
Autonomy
The capacity of the included battery in this gadget is 1900 mAh. Taking into account the device's display diagonal of 4.5 inches, a fairly energy-efficient processor and the inability to run resource-intensive applications, the given battery capacity is enough for 2 days of battery life at an average level of load on the device. With a more intensive level of use of a smart phone, the given value will be enough for a day. If you reduce the load on the gadget, you can get three days of battery life. These are very modest figures today. An external additional battery may be a definite solution to this problem, but it will have to be purchased separately for an additional fee. This is a significant disadvantage, but in this case this gadget will not let you down under any circumstances.
Interface kit
The LG Leon phone is equipped with a typical list of interfaces. Reviews highlight the following:
- Wi-Fi is the main way to receive and send information on the Internet.
- Bluetooth is an ideal means of connecting wireless headphones and exchanging information with other smartphones.
- GPS allows you to easily turn this smart phone into a navigator.
- Full support for all currently existing mobile networks, including 4G.
- Wired interfaces are represented by MicroUSB and 3.5 mm Audio Jack ports.
Software
One of the most recent versions, numbered 5.0, of the Android operating system was installed on the LG Leon H324 smartphone. Reviews highlight this plus. But this raises a rather significant problem: outdated hardware and new system software are not compatible. It is impossible to unlock the full potential of the latest version of Android on such a 32-bit chip. And the amount of RAM of 768 MB leads to the fact that even such simple applications as “Phone Book” and “SMS” “slow down” on this device. Of course, a certain optimization of the software code on this device has been performed, but this is clearly not enough to solve the problem with the lack of hardware resources. "MT6582" was perfect for version 4.4, but for 5.0 it is no longer enough. And this is already a miscalculation of Korean engineers.
How much can you buy it for now?
Today, the price of a smartphone at $110 indicates that the cost of this device is significantly overestimated. A device with similar or even better hardware parameters, but from a less famous brand, is priced at $80. For example, the Dodgee X5 boasts almost the same parameters (the difference in the amount of RAM is 1 GB versus 768 MB and the presence of an air gap between the sensor and the screen), but at the same time it costs $30 less. This difference is critical for a budget-class smartphone; a potential buyer of such a device will certainly not overpay an additional 30 dollars for the brand.
