With much hype surrounding the announcement, based on being the first phone launched running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, LG has today unveiled their latest phone, the LG V20.
The phone follows on from the V10, a handset that was very centred on video and photography. The phone includes a number of enhancements directly related to these fields including Steady Record 2.0, Hi-Fi Quad DAC, a HD Audio Recorder and electronic image stabilisation (EIS), the V20 also includes a dual-lens camera setup for standard or wide-angle shots just like the LG G5.
The LG V20 is designed with a body that incorporates lightweight aluminum and a new silicon-based material, and LG has gone to the extent of having the phone drop tested, with the phone passing the MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test. LG says that this should protect the phone from drops of up to 4 feet on any side, front, back and even corners.
Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company said of the drop protection
The LG V20 is designed to offer customers a more dynamic experience by building on the most popular video and audio features of the V series. With the LG V20, we are giving our customers more of everything they love and less of anything they don’t need to set a new standard for premium smartphones.
Like the V10 before it, LG has again included a secondary display on the phone with a 160 x 1040 resolution screen sitting just above the main 5.7″ QHD display. The phone also includes a Snapdragon 820 SoC, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage and for those who like a removable battery, you can swap the 3200mAh out as you please.
| Key Specifications: | LG V20 |
|---|---|
| Release date | November 2016 |
| Screen size | 5.7-inch |
| Screen technology | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 2,560 x 1,440 |
| PPI | 513 |
| Rear camera | 16MP/8MP (Wide Angle) |
| Front camera | 5MP |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 820 |
| Core config | — |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, Up to 2TB |
| Battery | 3,200 mAh |
| Battery removable | Yes |
| Connector | USB C |
| Headphone Port | — |
| Headphone Location | — |
| Speaker Configuration | — |
| NFC | Yes |
| Android OS | Android 7.0 |
| Vendor skin | LG UX 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm |
| Colours |
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Though LG is spruiking the fact that the phone is the first to launch with Android 7.0, the phone isn’t running Stock Android. LG is running their LG UX 5.0+ on the phone which they say makes it a better multi-media experience. The LG UX 5.0+ helps with features of the camera and audio recording and playback.
You can see it in action in this video:
Availability is limited, the V10 was never launched in Australia and it’s not certain at this stage if the V20 will launch here either – LG Australia isn’t saying anything yet. LG will start selling the phone in Korea first before rolling it out elsewhere so it’s a matter of wait and see.
