LG K51S: analysis with opinion, specifications and price

Elegant design

The LG K51S has a very careful design. It is a terminal that, despite offering a sober appearance, opts for a color that suits it very well. It is a smartphone made of plastic that is very pleasant in the hand.

The exterior of the terminal opts for a glossy finish that is a magnet for fingerprints.

Let's start with the front of the K51S, whose screen has quite frames used with a perforation in the upper left part, where houses the front camera.

LG K51S: analysis with opinion, specifications and price

At the bottom of the device we find the connections USB type C, the 3.5 mm jack, the microphone that will handle call audio and speaker to play media.

At the top we only see the microphone that will pick up the audio while we make video recordings.

If we look at the right edge of the device, we find the SIM tray through which we can also expand the storage of the terminal and the on/off/lock button.

On the left side there is a configurable button with which by default we activate Google Assistant and the volume up or down buttons.

On the back we find the four photographic sensors in line and just below the fingerprint sensor. If we keep directing our eyes downwards, that's when we appreciate the LG logo.

LG K51S Specifications

Before delving into the terminal, let's see what the LG K51S integrates at the hardware level:

Display: 6.5 inches with HD+ resolution.
Processor: 2.3 GHz 8-core MediaTek 6765.
RAM Memory: 3 GB.
Internal storage: 64 GB expandable up to 2 TB via microSD cards.
Rear camera: 32 + 5 + 2 + 2 megapixels.
Front camera: 13 megapixels.
Connectivity: WiFi, 4G, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, etc.
Battery: 4,000 mAh.
Operating system: Android 9 Pie.
Price: 199 euros.

Many sensors are not always a better choice

As we can see, on a physical level the number of sensors included in the LG K51S is obvious. Specifically, the camera configuration chosen by LG for this smartphone has been the following:

32 MP main sensor with a 1.8 focal aperture.
5 MP wide angle with a 2.2 focal aperture and 115º view.
Sensor dedicated to 2 MP portrait mode with a 2.4 focal aperture.
Macro sensor with 2.4 focal aperture

This is a configuration that the firm has been integrating into many of its smartphones for some time, since the Korean was one of the first companies to bet on the wide angle before it became popular in the market.

First of all, we must bear in mind that the LG K51S is a mobile that has artificial intelligence with which it automatically adjusts the different photography parameters to get the best possible shots.

It should be noted that artificial intelligence in the LG K51S is incorporated independently, that is, the photographs are taken without using said technology. But we can apply it whenever we want, since it comes incorporated into the camera software as if it were another way.

In the camera software we find shortcuts to applications such as Google Lens, in addition to the rest of the modes that are integrated by themselves.

We would like to comment that in this case the artificial intelligence is not based on scene recognition or situations.

On the other hand, the K51S camera does have different modes, for example, if we are going to photograph an item such as food. In this mode we can choose different settings from the software so that the photograph looks better.

On the other hand, if we want to use portrait mode, either in the rear camera or in the front camera, we can select how much blur we want to apply to the scenemanually.

Let's begin to know the photographic results that this LG K51S offers us. We'll start with the 8MP wide-angle sensor. It is a sensor that captures a very wide field of vision with a fairly correct quality.

On the sides of the photograph we notice a slight distortion, something that usually occurs in this type of lens.

The 32 MP main sensor takes some photographs that have surprised us a lot. Although to take advantage of the 32 MP we must go to the settings, since the terminal itself limits us to 8 MP.

In general, the captures obtain colors that are very faithful to reality, although we must bear in mind that most of the photos do not show good sharpness.

The LG K51S mounts a 4x digital zoom which, although it is true that noise appears in the image and the quality decreases, not bad. On the other hand, we would have liked to have included the possibility of reaching at least 10 magnifications.

As for the macro sensor, the results are sufficient, although not remarkable. We managed to capture very close objects, which is its mission, but the quality it achieves, as in other phones, is quite fair.

In night situations, photographs are convincing since, despite capturing noise, it is possible to distinguish objects and appreciate the environment in a quite simple. If we activate artificial intelligence, the results are perhaps somewhat better, without the differences being excessive.

Amazing Selfie

The main camera of the LG K51S we liked a lot in photographs taken during the day and the same thing happens in the selfie. The front camera sensor of the LG K51S is 13 MP with a focal aperture of 2.0.

The photographs we took with the front camera of the LG K51S are truly remarkable, as it shows a good detail, sharpness and a realistic color rangeThe portrait mode is also adjustable through software and we really liked the cropping it does.

Enough Video

With the LG K51S we can record at a maximum quality of 1080p. It has caught our attention that it does not let you switch between the main sensor and the wide angle while we are recording video.

Just like when we zoom in on photos, graininess also appears in the video. The sound you pick up during recording is correct.

Stabilization is better on the wide-angle sensor than on the main sensor, although we generally found it adequate.

LG UX based on Android 9

LG's customization layer corresponds to the company's classic interface, but in recent years the Korean firm has struggled to modernize it a bit without losing its essence.

LG UX is a customization layer based on Android 9 and that is very reminiscent of EMUI or even MIUI since in itself, There is no "box" (drawer) of applications, although it can be activated from the settings.

It's a layer that works well but doesn't stand out and isn't very attractive either. In any case, its functions are quite complete, since we can even count on the possibility of cloning apps and customize different options.

We have been struck by the impossibility of using gestures on the LG K51S. As a substitute we have a bar very similar to that of the Google Pixel, through which we can navigate between the different tabs.

Conservative Security

We are facing a somewhat tricky section: the rear fingerprint sensor works much better if we add the same fingerprint repeatedly, although by default we cannot say that it is bad either.

In addition, it lets us perform different gestures such as swiping on the fingerprint sensor to see notifications.

The LG K51S does not have the possibility of unlocking by facial recognition We would have liked to integrate it, but we consider that it is always better have reliable security methods such as PIN, pattern and fingerprint sensor.

Display at a good level

The screen of the LG K51S opts for a 6.5-inch IPS panel with a resolution HD+ and a 20:9 aspect ratio The panel has left us quite a good taste in the mouth as thebrightness of the screen is very correct , but the minimum brightness is perhaps too low and it even seems that the terminal is turned off.

In general, in terms of color it responds quite well, with some quite intense colors due to the panel technology. Whites are relatively pure, though they tend to be bluish, and blacks are deep.

What we have noticed is that around the hole on the screen of the LG K51S some shadows appear, although it is nothing serious.

The tactile response, together with the colors of the panel, offer a very good experience. It is a smartphone with whose screen we could enjoy series and movies without any problem.

The only thing we we miss is extra sharpness, despite opting for HD+ resolution (and not Full HD), Excess pixels are not visible.

Insufficient sound

Although the LG K51S is a phone compatible with DTS X 3D 7.1 technology, its speakers are not, so for To enjoy the audio with this system we will have to use an external device, such as a speaker that is.

The speaker distorts a lot at maximum volume offering metallic touches. On the other hand, we find the sweet spot at 70%, where the quality is sufficient for those who are not audiophiles.

Luckily this LG K51S has 3.5mm jack and comes with headphones which are useful if we don't want to do using the device speaker.

Very fair autonomy

The battery that incorporates the LG K51S is 4,000 mAh, although autonomy is not one of the aspects that stands out. Despite its high amperage, the MediaTek 6765 processor is not very efficient.

We have obtained the following data in our tests:

Using WiFi alone has given us 5 hours of active screen.
With continuous mobile data it has dropped to 3 and a half hours of active screen.
With mixed use we have obtained about 4 hours of active screen.

The charging of the terminal takes around 2 hours.

Insufficient performance

The LG K51S is a low-middle-range mobile, so performance is good in the different menus and little applications demanding. However, if we try demanding games like Asph alt 9 or COD Mobile, the graphics, gameplay and loading times leave much to be desired.

Remember that the processor of the LG K51S is a MediaTek 6765 accompanied by 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage expandable via MicroSD.

We are missing a little more RAM, since its direct rivals have at least 4 GB of RAM, although it will be more than enough to perform simple tasks and video calls.

A medium-low range for the less demanding

The LG K51S is not a bad terminal, but it is a mobile with a price that will make it difficult for it to compete in today's market.

Its price is about 199 euros and it will be available in Spain from May 18, 2020. With the arrival of signatures like Xiaomi or Realme, it is very difficult to recommend this device at the starting price.