Dubai: LG’s new flagship — V20 — is the most feature-backed smartphone and to fill the space created by the absence of Samsung Note 7.
Looking at the design, it is a blend of V10 and G5. Even though the back looks plasticky, it is made of military-grade aluminium but I like the rugged design of V10.
The 5.7-inch IPS LCD device (1440 x 2560 pixels at 513 pixels per inch density) is powered by 2.15GHz Qualcomm 820 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage capacity. The microSD card supports up to 256GB. The V20 is the first non-Google phone to run Android’s latest OS — Nougat (version 7). It is a dual SIM device but if you are going to use a microSD card then only one SIM can be accommodated.
It is a shame to point out that LG is sticking to IPS screen when others are moving to OLED. At the same time, LG is betting big on OLED for its TV displays.
The display is bright enough to allow for easy outdoor visibility and good viewing angles but the colours are not that vibrant as found on OLED devices.
It is a bit heavier at 174 grams but less than Apple iPhone 7 Plus’ 188 grams and greater than Samsung S7 Edge’s 157 grams.
Even though it looks like any other metal unibody smartphone, the back cover can be removed by pressing a button on the lower end of the right side.
The top and bottom contact points are reinforced with Silicone Polycarbonate for compliance with the United States military’s MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test for durability.
LG has customised its user interface a lot and has made it more user-friendly. It can be changed according to users’ need. It probably has whatever feature you’re looking for and some that you didn’t know you wanted until now.
The Settings app is broken into various categories and you have to swipe between pages to find what you’re looking for. It is good for some and frustrating for some.
LG has combined the fingerprint sensor and power button into one at the back. The sensor is fast but getting used to the placement of the sensor takes time.
On the top houses the IR blaster and a microphone that assist in capturing 24 bitrate audio at 48 kHz while the bottom houses the 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C charge port, microphone and speaker.
The power button remains on the back while the volume rocker has been moved to the left side.
The dual-screen design, same as in V10, is a class of its own. The always-on 2.1-inch tiny second screen shows notifications, favourite apps, time and date and quick settings. The second screen on V20 is brighter than V10 and it’s truly handy to view essential information without popping out of an app or even waking up the phone.
Information like time, date, and battery life will be on this display when the screen is off. You can also set a custom signature on the tiny screen.
The V20 has been designed for audiophiles in mind and it is fantastic. It captures higher quality audio with your video recordings with three High AOP (Acoustic Overload Point) mics to record clean, lossless audio that matches the quality of your video. The V20’s HD Audio Recorder app is able to capture lossless and hires 24-bit audio quality with Active noise cancellation.
With LG’s quad DAC built-in, it makes a huge difference when listening to a hires headphone. The audio tuning is done by Bang & Olufsen and the headphones are made by them.
The device is able to power much higher impedance headphones and the 75 volume control settings with left and right balance controls let you really fine tune the audio.
My favourite feature is its ability to record high-quality audio. It does this better than any other phone I’ve reviewed.
The dual lens camera on the rear side has a 16MP (29mm, f/1.8) 75-degree standard angle and a 8MP (12mm, f/2.4) wide angle sensor. It is coupled with OIS and dual led flash.
The wide angle lens gives 135-degree field of view and so it captures more field of view. The photo quality is good in decent light conditions but struggles in lowlight conditions. The iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7 gives better out-of-camera shots without expert settings.
I love the wide angle lens but the quality is not as good as the main sensor. Making the switch between the two cameras is also very easy, just by tapping on the two icons found at the right side of the camera interface.
Dynamic range isn’t the best and the camera always has the tendency to overexpose the shot and blow out highlights. It also doesn’t handle bright colours like red, orange, and yellow all that well.
The shots appear too cold or too warm and don’t do well with properly exposing highlights, even the white balance is heavily influenced from surrounding light sources.
One good thing is that in the manual mode, which is even applicable for video, users have granular control over every aspect, including white balance, ISO, exposure, shutter speed, and focus, just as you would on a DSLR.
You get a much better shot if you are willing to take the time and dial in the settings yourself in the manual mode. It is the best device in the market for manual settings.
You can record videos in 2160p at 30fps, 1080p at 30fps, 720p at 120fps and with 24-bit/192 kHz stereo sound.
The V20 offers video stabilisation at 1080p but it is a bit jerky if you’re moving the phone from side-to-side.
The 5MP camera with f/1.9 and a 120-degree wide angle lens. Even though there is only one camera, you do have the option to switch between a wide angle and an 83-degree standard angle.
The 3,200mAh battery isn’t great and it falls short of other phablets. One good is that the battery can be replaced and the battery life can be solved if you have a spare battery. There’s no wireless charging, but it supports Quick Charge 3.0, the V20 refills very quickly when plugged in.
It gives almost one day for moderate users. The battery gives 75 per cent in one hour and a full charge in an hour and a half.
The battery gave 12 hours and 30 minutes on my video playback which is pretty average. Another thing that hurts the battery life is the second Screen. The standby option is very good. The V20 retails for Dh2,699 and is available in Silver and Titan colours.
Pros
•Excellent camera controls
• Android Nougat OS
• Excellent audio quality
• Removable battery
• Fantastic built-in microphones
Cons
• Mediocre battery life
• Doesn’t feel premium
• No water or dust resistance
• Camera is not strong in low light
• User interface feels unpolished
