LG K8 (2017): Plans | Pricing | Specs

Matt Sayer

Last updated: Jan 5, 2021

Versatility and affordability come together in the LG K8 (2017), a budget smartphone that packs a sharp camera, a sleek design and an all-day battery.

5 inches

Display size

720 x 1280px

16GB

Internal storage

13 MP

Rear camera

2,500 mAh

Battery size

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Display

Display Size

5 inches

Resolution

720 x 1280px

Pixels per inch (PPI)

294 ppi

Camera

Rear camera megapixels

13MP

Rear camera aperture size

f/2.2

Video recording

1080p

Front camera megapixels

5MP

Front camera aperture size

f/2.4

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions

144.8mm x 72.1mm x 8.1mm

Weight

147g

Connectivity

NFC

Wi-Fi

802.11 a/b/g/n

Network category speed

Category 4

Power, storage and battery

Processor

MT6737

RAM

1.5GB

Operating system

Android 6

Internal storage

16GB

External storage support

Up to 32GB

Battery capacity

2,500mAh

Device features

Headphone jack

Yes

Fingerprint sensor

Water resistance rating

N/A

Wireless charging

Launch price (RRP)	$249
Launch date	2017-05

Go to LG's site More info

Matt Sayer

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Matt Sayer is a technology writer and editorial engineer for Finder, combining industry expertise with data-driven solutions to help people make better decisions. His extensive portfolio spans investigative reporting on the roll-out of 5G, statistical analysis on the legacy of E3 and guides for popular products like mobile phones and smart speakers. Matt has a Bachelor of Computer Science from RMIT University and is passionate about finding ways that technology can better our lives.

Where to buy

What's in this guide?

Design
Camera
Performance
Battery
Pricing and availability
Specifications

It might seem counter-intuitive, but shopping for a budget smartphone is often more difficult than deciding between the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy handsets. With a premium smartphone, the surrounding hype and marketing campaigns make it relatively easy to know what you're getting. Budget phones rarely receive the same level of attention, making it tricky to differentiate a handset like the LG K8 (2017) from its competitors.

That's why we've compiled the guide below. In it we break down the key aspects of the 2017 revision of LG's K8 budget handset. If you're in the market for a simple and affordable smartphone, this guide should help you decide whether the LG K8 (2017) is right for you.

Design

A standard yet solid design that covers all the basics
The absence of Android 7.0 is a little disappointing

As it has with the rest of its K-series smartphones, LG has kept the design of the K8 (2017) simple and familiar. Curves are dominant, with rounded corners and a "2.5D" glass surface to the 5-inch LCD screen. That screen clocks in at a resolution of 1280 x 720, a relatively common choice among 2017 budget handsets. Also in keeping with budget standards is the K8 (2017)'s body, which is constructed from plastic rather than metal. It is slightly slimmer than many of its rivals, though, measuring in at just 8.25mm at its thickest.
The LG K8 (2017) offers all the basic features you'd expect from a modern budget smartphone. You've got a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting traditional wired headphones, Bluetooth 4.2 support for syncing up wireless headphones or other wireless devices and 16GB of internal storage for loading up apps, photos, music and videos. Adding more storage is as simple as purchasing a microSD card, with support for cards as large as 32GB.
Where LG outfitted the slightly more powerful K10 (2017) with the Android 7.0 "Nougat" operating system, the K8 (2017) ships with the older Android 6.0 "Marshmallow" version. While that means it's missing a few of Android's newer features, like side-by-side app multi-tasking, you still get plenty of functionality such as the ability to specify data permissions on an app-by-app basis as well as enhanced power management tools for extending battery life. It is worth noting that LG hasn't released any official updates to Android on the K8 (2017), though, so any apps that require later versions of Android will be incompatible.

Camera

Taking quality photos should be relatively easy thanks to the 13MP rear camera
Beauty mode and panorama shots provide extra options for aspiring photographers

In updating the K8 for the 2017 smartphone market, LG has given both the front and rear cameras a considerable boost. Regular photography benefits from the new 13MP rear-facing camera and its f/2.2 aperture lens, which offers improved low-light performance over its predecessor. You also have the ability to take wide-angle panorama shots by sweeping the K8 across a scene, as well as activating a burst mode that captures numerous shots in quick succession.
Selfie savants enjoy less of a direct quality upgrade, with a similar 5MP sensor as the one on 2016's LG K8. There have been a few notable software upgrades, however, with the addition of a Beauty mode for touching up portrait shots and an auto-shot feature that automatically takes photos as soon as a scene is still.
On the video front, the LG K8 (2017) is capable of recording full HD video, too.

Performance

Sufficient grunt for typical day-to-day tasks
1.5GB of RAM is a little below average for this price point

Under the hood, the LG K8 (2017) hasn't changed drastically from its 2016 forebear. Its MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor is slightly faster at 1.4GHz compared to 1.3GHz, but in practical terms that's unlikely to have a significant impact on the speed or responsiveness of most basic tasks. LG has stuck with 1.5GB of RAM as well, which puts the K8 (2017) 0.5GB behind many of its similarly priced competitors.
Nevertheless, the LG K8 (2017) has power enough to deliver decent performance in the kinds of tasks befitting a budget smartphone. Browsing the web and running most common apps should pose no real issues, and you can likely get away with playing the majority of 2D games and simple 3D games, too. Multi-tasking is the main area where the LG K8 (2017) is likely to stumble, as that 1.5GB of RAM may mean noticeable delays when switching between certain apps.

Battery

The 2,500mAh battery should provide plenty of juice to see you through the day
Being able to swap spare batteries in and out grants even more endurance

LG's battery game has been strong in recent years thanks to the pairing of larger-than-average capacities with lower-power hardware. This trend continues with the K8 (2017). By combining a 2,500mAh battery with its relatively modest processor, the budget handset is well equipped to keep on going past the point where many flashier smartphones bite the dust.
Even though LG doesn't provide battery life estimates for the K8 (2017), our tests of the similarly specced-out Alcatel Pop 4 showed that this combination of hardware is indeed capable of delivering impressive endurance. Specifically, the Pop 4 chalked up a run time of 9 hours and 20 minutes on the Geekbench 3 benchmark, a score that placed it among the top performers we've tested. It's a fairly safe bet, then, that the K8 (2017) will deliver equally solid battery life.
That's not the only advantage the K8 (2017) has in the battery department. It, like many of LG's phones, allows for the removal and replacement of its battery without the need for any special tools or skills. This can prove especially handy on long trips or during hectic days when you just don't have the time to leave your phone charging as you can simply pack a spare battery and swap it in as needed.

Pricing and availability

Price: ~$130
Where to buy: Amazon | Kogan | Catch

Specifications

Display

Display Size

5 inches

Resolution

720 x 1280px

Pixels per inch (PPI)

294 ppi

Camera

Rear camera megapixels

13MP

Rear camera aperture size

f/2.2

Video recording

1080p

Front camera megapixels

5MP

Front camera aperture size

f/2.4

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions

144.8mm x 72.1mm x 8.1mm

Weight

147g

Connectivity

NFC

Wi-Fi

802.11 a/b/g/n

Network category speed

Category 4

Power, storage and battery

Processor

MT6737

RAM

1.5GB

Operating system

Android 6

Internal storage

16GB

External storage support

Up to 32GB

Battery capacity

2,500mAh

Device features

Headphone jack

Yes

Fingerprint sensor

Water resistance rating

N/A

Wireless charging

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Image: Shutterstock

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LG K8 (2017): Plans | Pricing | Specs