Introduction
If the LG V20 was a superhero - and we're not convinced that it's not - its superpower would be to have two of everything (or more!). Two screens, two cameras, four DACs, two apps on the screen, the list goes on and on.
The LG V20 is an exploration into the future of smartphone multimedia. It continues LG's pioneering work with dual-cameras (the wide+normal kind) that a certain market leader recently adopted. It's a pocket music studio too. Its mics can record the loudest rock concert with perfect clarity - 24-bit/192kHZ FLAC audio. Playback is stellar too, it can drive studio-quality high impedance headphones with its four DACs.
One day we'd certainly remember the LG V20 as a pioneer in many respects. It sure is the first with Android 7.0 Nougat, but what else? Here's the full specs list to get you started.
Key features
- Aluminum AL-6013 body; MIL-STD-810G shock resistance
- 5.7" IPS LCD display, Quad HD resolution (513ppi); Secondary 2.1" display (160 x 1040px)
- Snapdragon 820 chip: quad-core Kryo processor (up to 2.15GHz), Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM
- 16MP (f/1.8) + 8 MP (f/2.4) main camera setup; OIS; laser autofocus; LED flash, 2160p video capture with lossless sound, SteadyRecord 2.0, 5MP (f/1.9) selfie camera (wide and normal modes)
- First phone with Android 7.0. Nougat with Optimus UI 5.0
- 32GB/64GB built-in storage plus microSD card slot
- Fingerprint sensor
- Cat. 12 LTE (600Mbps/150Mbps); Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.2; GPS/GLONASS; NFC; USB Type-C port; FM radio; IR blaster
- Quad DAC; 24-bit FLAC audio recording; B&O Play headphones bundled in some markets
- Removable 3,200mAh battery; Quick Charge 3.0
Main cons
- No water proofing
- No wireless charging
LG overengineered the V20 in the best sense of the word, other phones will be playing catch up to some features well into 2017, not to mention the physical durability of the phone.
It is built with high-quality aluminum and its durability measures up to military standards, yet it keeps the removable back and battery (coveted features few flagships offer).
LG V20 official images
The V20 audio credentials are insane. The camera too finds a way to one-up the competition and is the first to use Qualcomm's digital image stabilization that augments the optical system.
And did we mention it launches with Android 7.0 Nougat before even the new Google Pixel phones are announced let alone available? Oh, yeah, we did.
In many ways, the LG V20 is a preview of what features other flagships will have next year. But there's no need to wait - the future came early. Join us in exploring it on the following pages.
Note: This review is based on a pre-production LG V20 unit and certain aspects of its performance might change. We'll update this review as soon as possible once a retail-ready review unit is available.
Unboxing the LG V20
The LG V20 box is loaded with premium accessories. It starts with a QC 3.0 charger (9V at 1.8A) and a USB Type-C cable (a tangle-free flat cable).
Some regions will get a Bang & Olufsen Play headset in a separate box, all regions are getting the B&O Play audio tuning and the branding on the back of the phone.
The B&O headset we received with the LG V20 (region dependent)
The B&O headphones we received have an in-ear design and have a knitted cable, though the exact model seems to change by region.
LG V20 360� spin
The LG V20 measures 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm and weighs 174g. LG heard users complaints about the weight of the V10 (192g is a lot) and did something about it. It made the phone 1mm thinner to boot. All without losing the MIL-STD-810G rating.
Hardware
LG honed its smartphone design to a fine point with the V20. Many favorite elements from previous phones make a comeback and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The LG V20 uses AL-6013 aluminum, a material popular in the aircraft industry for its high strength and good corrosion resistance. It's found in mission-critical systems like ABS brakes as well as munitions.
The LG V20 combines beauty and durability with enviable skill
The military connection goes on - the phone is MIL-STD-810G transit drop compliant. Part of that is the siloxane-polycarbonate, which has excellent impact toughness. This material is used for the top and bottom of the phone.
The metal on the back is a single plate that comes off at the push of a button. This spring-loaded release mechanism is preferable to the usual plastic tabs that snap on (those tend to break off).
LG G5's metal body was painted in a way that robbed it of its premium metal feeling. V20's metal is left bare and feels much better for it.
The 3D Arc Glass from the LG G5 is back and is symmetrically used on the bottom as well. It's subtle, but the way the glass bends down where it meets the earpiece makes the phone comfortable to hold up to your ear.
The LG V20 borrows the best from its predecessors
The LG V20 is also rather comfortable to hold. It's pleasantly thin for such a large phone. The camera hump bulges slightly more than the G5. Part of that is visual (the new stepped design makes it more obvious).
The external materials are only a small part of what makes the LG V20 great.
The unique secondary screen is back and it's improved. For one, it's brighter (nearly twice as bright). Legibility is further helped by the bigger font LG used for the date and time. And it can fit more text for your signature (not quite double the symbols).
The V10 was the first smartphone to use two cameras to change FoV - wide and normal - and it was on the front.
The V20 offers the same choice but manages it with a single cam - somehow both wide-angle (120�) and normal (83�) modes produce 5MP photos and there's no sign of digital up-scaling.
There doesn't seem to be enough room for two cameras here as the rest of the space is used by the proximity and ambient light sensors and the second screen (which is slightly bigger than V10's).
The Second screen cohabitates with the dual-FoV selfie camera
There's plenty of room on the back though. And LG has kitted the V20 with a pair of cameras like on the G5. The primary 16MP camera has a 75� field of view through its bright f/1.8 lens. The wide-angle camera has a 135� FoV and a f/2.4 lens.
The new Steady Record 2.0 is courtesy of Qualcomm. While many phones use the Snapdragon 820 chipset, the V20 is the first to take advantage of its gyro-based digital stabilization. We'll go into more details on the camera page.
For now, let's just cover the camera accessories - a dual-LED flash, a Laser autofocus and a color spectrum sensor.
The dual-camera, dual-flash, dual-senor (Laser + color spectrum) on the back
Below those is the fingerprint reader. It's round and works at any angle so you can unlock the phone both in portrait and landscape. It's clickable as it's also the Power button, but it's an always on scanner so you only need to tap it to wake up the phone and unlock it.
The reader is nearly flush with the back, which makes finding it by feel a bit difficult. Once you get used to it, it's a very quick and accurate to unlock your phone.
The Volume keys could have been better
The volume buttons are on the left of the phone and they are small and low, not the easiest buttons to hit. Same goes for the button that releases the back panel, but there that's a feature rather than a flaw.
The bottom of the LG V20 houses the versatile USB Type-C port, which (thankfully) hasn't replaced the 3.5mm headphone jack. Also here is the single loudspeaker and a mic - the first of several.
Second mic and IR blaster � USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack and loudspeaker
There's another mic on top, next to the IR blaster. The microphones are specially designed to record very loud environments - from rock concerts to the rowdiest crowds at football matches.
Now for what is one of our favorite things about the LG V20 - popping off the back. You press the release button and the back lifts slightly. When you remove it, you get the classic view - SIM and microSD card and battery, all removable.
The release latch � Removable back cover and battery, like in the good old days
This offers the best of both worlds - the back stays on as solid as a unibody, but you can quickly swap the battery should you need to. Sure, the same holds for the LG G5, but V20's solution feels more durable.
There are plenty of pogo pins that contact the metal back plate, which we assume are for the various antennas used by the phone. The ones that connect to the ring around the camera are for NFC. There's no wireless charging, though.
For its size, the LG V20 sits well in the hand
If it isn't clear by now, we're quite infatuated by the LG V20 design. It is slender and comfortable to hold with its flowing lines. What's more, our geek hearts leap at the thought of all the features while our pragmatist minds tell us that this is a sturdy phone that will last for years.
Display
The LG V20 has an IPS screen, well, two of them - we're sure you should see the trend by now.
The main screen has a 5.7" diagonal and QHD resolution and 513ppi. The second screen is a single line (2.1" in diagonal, but it's very wide) - its resolution is 160 x 1,040px (it's not the full 1,440px wide since a part is cut off for the selfie cam and sensors).
Only the second screen is always on, unlike the LG G5 which uses the main screen for that. Its touch input still works, though, so you can access shortcuts even when the phone is locked (unlike the G5).
Back to the main screen, it's sharp and bright. We measured a maximum of 475nits in manual mode, much higher than the G5's screen (even at full blast). LG V20's display is brighter, though, on Auto mode it reached a peak of 628nits while keeping the contrast.
Contrast is good - about 1,000:1, but below G5's and even V10's readings. The black levels are comparable to the iPhone 6s Plus, though not as low as LG's previous premium displays.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.43 | 475 | 1097 | |
| 0.59 | 628 | 1064 | |
| 0.29 | 432 | 1490 | |
| 0.17 | 306 | 1855 | |
| 0.20 | 378 | 1881 | |
| 0.00 | 428 | 8 | |
| 0.00 | 647 | 8 | |
| 0.43 | 590 | 1382 | |
LG does not provide color modes for the screen aside from a blue light filter (a popular feature that reduces blue light emitted from the screen so that the using the phone in the evening will not mess up your body's internal clock and this disrupting your sleep).
Regarding color accuracy, the LG V20 is a slight improvement over the G5, reigning in the max deltaE (9.5) while the average deltaE is similar (5.1). These results are better than average - better than most LCDs in fact - though there are phones that do better (the iPhone 7, for instance, comes perfectly calibrated off the factory floor).
Sunlight legibility has also improved noticeably since the LG G5, which itself was slightly better than the V10.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
2.378 - HTC 10
2.378 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Sony Xperia C
1.283 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
The LG V20 has a setting called "Display size." Obviously, the hardware screen stays at 5.7" big, this is a DPI slider. It has three settings ranging from tiny icons and menu options to big ones. Your choice here would depend on the keenness of your eyesight and the precision of your fingers.
Connectivity
The LG V20 has fast connectivity thanks to Qualcomm's modem. It offers LTE Cat. 12 - that's up to 600Mbps down and up to 150Mbps up. The V20 is the first phone to support AWS-3 - a newly sold LTE band that will roll out in metropolitan areas in the US, Canada and elsewhere starting next year. That's a nice piece of future-proofing right there but hardly of importance now.
Locally, the phone supports Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 (with aptX for audio) and NFC. There's an IR blaster with LG's capable remote control app to boot.
Wired connections are USB Type-C and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.
That one is hooked up to an ESS ES9218 "32-bit stereo quad-DAC." The phone supports lossless formats (FLAC, ALAC and a couple of rarer ones). You can also output audio over the Type-C port if you have the right headset, but that bypasses the phone's DAC and uses the one in the headset.
In the notification area you'll find two buttons - Screen sharing and File sharing. The first does wireless Miracast (though wired MirrorLink is available if your car supports it). The second makes your LG V20 permanently visible over Bluetooth Low Energy so people can easily send you files.
Battery life
The LG V20 comes with a 3,200mAh battery and it is removable - just pop off the back! And all that with V20's shockproofing - impressive stuff indeed.
The battery capacity isn't huge by any standard, especially considering it has to feed a very bright 5.7" screen, not to mention the secondary screen. Speaking of the latter, it's worth mentioning that it operates as an Always-On Display for various status information or notifications. The best part is that it changes brightness depending on the ambient light, and it even completely turns off when the phone is in your pocket (proximity).
That saves energy, but complicates the testing procedure - we'll be back with more on V20's standby performance with the second screen on once we get a retail unit.
The V20 has 400mAh extra on top of what the G5 had and that one had, to power the main screen for the always on functionality. Unsurprisingly, the LG V20 lasts longer in calls - we clocked it at around 20 hours, slightly better than the official spec of 19 hours.
In our web browsing test the V20 managed 7 hours and a half, matching the G5. Considering that the LG V20 has a bigger screen (5.7" vs. 5.3"), the similar result makes sense as this offsets the increase in battery capacity. Some competing flagships manage 10+ hours, but the OnePlus 3 does 8 hours and the Moto Z (non-Force) only 6 hours.
The video test score of the V20 is similar, but the phone lasted an hour longer - 8 and a half.
Overall, the V20 posted an Endurance rating of 63h. While this score is certainly better than average in our scoresheet, it's subpar for the phablet category, so we're disappointed LG missed this opportunity to improve their showing in the battery department. Their phones have consistently performed relatively poorly in this respect in the past year or two.
This battery test is based on a pre-production unit provided by LG for preliminary testing. We will update our findings as soon as we get a retail-ready unit.
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
User interface
The LG V20 is the first phone to launch with Android 7.0 Nougat and LG made a big deal about it during the initial promo campaign. There's plenty to brag about as Nougat brings features that Android has long lacked.
Native split screen multitasking has finally arrived. Some phone makers have their custom versions (including LG itself), but with this one coming straight from Google, we can finally start talking about wider adoption and app support.
Launching split screen � Two apps at a time � Typing in split screen � Forcing compatibility
Many (but not all) apps can work in split-screen mode. You can use it in either portrait and landscape, but note that the dividing line is adjustable only in portrait - in landscape view, it's always 50/50. When an app needs a keyboard, the other apps is squished into a small space to give room to the keyboard.
Note: from the Developers options, you can force Android to enable split-screen multitasking for all apps. There are no guarantees they will work properly, though. Also from here, you can make all apps movable to the microSD card.
Anyway, some apps have a natural interaction with the split screen view. In Chrome, for example, selecting the "Open in another window" option on a shortcut opens the new page on the other half of the screen.
Chrome works with split screen mode for a more desktop-like browsing experience
QSlide, LG's floating app implementation, is still available in some places - the Phone, Messaging, and the video player. But those are the exception rather than the rule.
QSlide works for some apps - it creates a resizeable, floating (optionally translucent) window)
Another cool, valuable feature is the Quick switch - double tap the app switcher button to alt+tab to the first background app. This works with split screen mode too, so you can easily juggle more than two apps.
In split screen view, the Home button shows your homescreen but does not dismiss the apps - the app switcher button shows the split screen icon and double tapping it brings back the two. This is great since normally you can only pick apps from the app switcher rolodex for split screen use, but in this state, any app you launch from the homescreen goes straight into split screen mode.
And you will find all the apps on the homescreen - by default, LG has removed the app drawer, leaving shortcuts and widgets sharing the homescreen. If you're not a fan, you can change to the Home & app drawer launcher, which is more traditional. Alternatively, you can just hide the apps you don't use.
No app drawer by default � Adding back the app drawer � And it's back!
The V20 comes with a curated selection of wallpapers, including some B&O branded ones. A nice way to show off the beautiful wallpapers is to pinch out, which temporarily hides all shortcuts and widgets from the current screen.
Pinch out hides app shortcuts and widgets � Preloaded wallpaper selection
Sugary Nougat gives you plenty of energy to multitask. The notifications have Quick actions. Quick reply is perhaps the most common of those, letting you reply to a message from the notification. Other actions like share, archive, delete and so on are available too.
Quick reply from the notifications
Nougat's notifications also have a priority filter to let you focus on what's important. Low-priority ones can be set to "show silently" while mission critical ones can be set to bypass even the Do Not Disturb mode.
Changing notification priority to separate important events from distractions
The notification area followed what custom skins have been doing for ages and put some quick toggles on the top row. LG added to that a brightness slider with an Auto checkbox. The Edit button lets you re-arrange toggles and hides the ones you don't need.
The notification area � Quick toggles � Editing the toggles
Sidenote: here hides one of Nougat's Easter eggs - a patience game that has you luring in virtual cats with a dish. When a cat saunters by, you get a notification - tapping that adopts the cat and lets you name it. It's not quite Pokemon Go, but it's fun in a minimalist way.
Catching cats instead of Pokemon
Android 7.0 Nougat brings an updated Doze. It optimizes apps so that power is used sparingly, but important notifications are not missed. You can disable this for select apps if it's ever an issue. The LG V20 adds to that the option to disable the second screen when battery saver is on.
Another efficiency tool is the Data saver. It prevents apps from using mobile data for background syncing (only Wi-Fi data is allowed). Again, you can exempt apps from this (it's a good idea to do this for messengers).
Data saver � Exempting apps from data rationing
The new OS makes the file access permission more granular with Scoped directory access - instead of giving access to the entire storage system, you can permit apps to access only certain folders. The app needs to support that feature, though, so it doesn't work for current apps.
Some people are heavy app users and will try out multiple ones before settling on the right app. LG V20 and Nougat change the way you uninstall apps. Uninstalling an app doesn't remove it immediately. Instead, it just gets disabled and is only removed after 24 hours in case you change you and want it back.
Re-installing apps you uninstalled recently is now much quicker
We know it's early to talk about upgrades, but when it comes to it, Nougat's Seamless update system will streamline the process. Essentially, it keeps two copies of the OS - a current one and another one for updating. The second partition can be updated in the background while the LG V20 idles and next time you restart the phone, it will boot into the new version on Partition 2 in which case the first partition will be used for Seamless updating next time. Should the update fail for any reason, the phone can always revert to the old partition.
The LG V20 UI is fully themeable. Three themes are pre-installed - the usual LG look, a black & white theme, and a high-contrast one. You can download additional themes from SmartWorld.
Themes
Fingerprint reader
LG V20's lockscreen is nothing new, but the always-on secondary screen shows notifications before you even wake the phone (and you can wake the screen with a double tap).
We found the fingerprint reader to be our preferred option though - it only needs a light touch of your finger (you don't even need to press it). It unlocks instantly and bypasses the lockscreen.
You can add up to 5 shortcuts on the lockscreen, but between the instant fingerprint unlock and the shortcuts on the secondary screen, chances are you won't be using the lockscreen much.
Familiar lockscreen � Up to 5 shortcuts
When you setup the fingerprint, you are required to select an alternative unlock method - like PIN or Knock Code (LG's Simon Says-like method that replaces passwords with different patterns of knocks).
The Content lock feature also uses the fingerprint to secure Gallery and QuickMemo+ items.
Setting up the fingerprint reader � Content lock
Our LG V20 also came with the Paynow service, but that's an LG Uplus feature available only in S. Korea so Western units will probably miss out on the wireless payment service.
Performance
The LG V20 is powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset, the most popular flagship option on Android. It's paired with 4GB of RAM, which is the same amount as the V10 but the new chipset should provide a huge speed boost over the old 808.
Android 7.0 Nougat provides further optimizations. One cool feature allows it to boot faster after an update - the old "Optimizing Apps" screen that seemed to last forever is gone. Instead, the OS will silently optimize most apps in the background. Since this optimization only touches the parts of apps that actually run, it should improve RAM usage as well.
Android 7.0 also supports Vulkan 3D Graphics API - in fact, it's a requirement for any phone that runs v7.0. Vulcan is the successor to OpenGL, and it's already in use in some PC games where it provides a noticeable speed increase. Knowing Android's update pace, we expect that developers will be slow to adopt Vulcan, though.
Speaking of gaming, the LG V20 also comes with a Game battery saver mode. The default option - Full optimization - adjusts resolution and frame rate, while Base optimization only changes the resolution. You can manually select resolution and frame rate for each game if you like - this also affect performance, though we don't see the Adreno 530 needing help anytime soon.
Now, on to the benchmarks. It's important to note that we're using a pre-production unit provided by LG for preliminary testing, so the results below are not final. That said, we're quite happy with them, and we think they are quite close to what we expected from the hardware ar hand (even a bit better, actually).
LG V20's overall performance is great, even among its Snapdragon 820 peers. Only the Moto Z Droid outpaces the LG and the OnePlus 3 came close.
Most of the phones we have chosen for comparison have the same amount of RAM (4GB) with the exception of the OnePlus 3 (6GB). Also, they all utilize the Snapdragon 820 chipset save for the Huawei P9 Plus, which uses the Kirin 950. Along with all that, the LG V20 is the only phone in the bunch to run Android 7.0 Nougat; the rest are still on 6.0 Marshmallow.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- Lenovo Moto Z Force Droid
152548 - LG V20
142845 - OnePlus 3
141764 - LG G5
134541 - Galaxy Note7 (Snapdragon)
130111 - Huawei P9 Plus
97392 - LG V10
67547
Focusing more on the processor, Basemark OS 2.0 shows the LG V20 as a huge improvement over the V10 (Snapdragon 808). With this pre-production software at least, the V20 falls behind some of the other S820-powered phones, but still keeps ahead of others like the Axon 7 and the Kirin-based P9 Plus.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Lenovo Moto Z Force Droid
2689 - Galaxy Note7 (Snapdragon)
2432 - OnePlus 3
2365 - LG V20
2164 - Huawei P9 Plus
2099 - LG G5
2065 - LG V10
1383
Moving on to GPU performance, the LG V20 again finds itself in a dominant position. Basemark X shows it's within reach of the top, essentially matching the Moto Z Droid and beating out the Galaxy Note7.
The Medium graphics quality version of this benchmark, however, shows the LG V20 has a big lead on the rest. This could be a Nougat optimization.
Basemark X
Higher is better
- Lenovo Moto Z Force Droid
36405 - LG V20
35292 - Galaxy Note7 (Snapdragon)
33520 - OnePlus 3
32715 - LG G5
29456 - LG V10
15161 - Huawei P9 Plus
15058
Basemark X (medium)
Higher is better
- LG V20
51552 - Lenovo Moto Z Force Droid
43049 - Galaxy Note7 (Snapdragon)
35194 - LG G5
29148 - Huawei P9 Plus
27158
The Galaxy Note7 and OnePlus 3 perform slightly better than the V20 in Basemark ES 3.1 Metal, but this seems to be within the margin of error. Only the Moto Z Droid has an actual lead (about 4%).
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal
Higher is better
- Lenovo Moto Z Force Droid
645 - Galaxy Note7 (Snapdragon)
629 - OnePlus 3
625 - LG V20
624 - LG G5
587 - LG V10
297 - Huawei P9 Plus
214
We will re-run these tests (and several more) when the retail-ready software becomes available. But from what we're seeing right now, the LG V20 is one of the fastest Androids and often comes out ahead of popular flagships.
Unfortunately, we noticed thermal throttling - the LG V20 would heat up and benchmark scores would fall on second and third runs.
Subjectively, the software feels very fluid, even when two apps come into play with split-screen multitasking. Quick switch - the feature that instantly alt+tabs between apps lives up to its name too.
Telephony
The LG V20 is available only in single-SIM flavor. It offers strong reception and good sound quality. VoLTE is available (if your carrier supports it), which offers better audio quality than regular GSM calls.
The Dialer � Blocking calls � Screening calls by number � VoLTE is supported
The new OS offers native number blocking and call screening. You can block numbers based on their initial or final digits or just specific numbers. Third-party apps can ask Android which numbers are blocked, so apps that use them to identify users (like WhatsApp and Viber) can also reject calls and messages from those numbers.
Loudspeaker
The LG V20 has a single bottom-firing loudspeaker. It scored a Good mark - it has a full sound with no distortion. Its volume depends on what you play - it goes from good to very loud.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 61.9 | 66.0 | 62.1 | Below Average | |
| 61.6 | 65.5 | 67.6 | Below Average | |
| 66.1 | 64.7 | 70.7 | Average | |
| 62.4 | 71.0 | 77.8 | Good | |
| 69.7 | 69.9 | 72.3 | Good | |
| 68.7 | 70.9 | 73.5 | Good | |
| 69.5 | 68.0 | 77.6 | Good | |
| 68.2 | 68.6 | 80.9 | Good | |
| 71.7 | 73.7 | 81.3 | Very Good | |
| 88.9 | 79.3 | 82.7 | Excellent |
Messaging and text input
The LG V20 comes with a simple but functional app for texts. It has the familiar threaded view, an emoji keyboard, themeable background and bubble styles and so on.
The Messaging app � Sending a text � Theming the app � Scheduling a message
Two helpful features are scheduled messages (good for paying for time-based parking, we guess, or for sending birthday greetings) and the search, which can easily dig up old messages.
The LG keyboard offers extensive customizations. You can change its size, hide/show the number row, add/remove some buttons and more.
The keyboard � Customizing the keys � Changing the keyboard's height
A Split keyboard is available, great for thumb typing in landscape. In portrait, you can use the One-handed keyboard instead. Swipe input is available as well.
One-handed keyboard � Split keyboard
Other apps
Google In Apps is a recent addition and premiers with Android Nougat. It's essentially Google search for your phone. It searches inside apps so that you can find contacts, emails and chat messages, music, even your browsing history. Note that apps need to support this feature in order to provide results for In Apps searches.
The new In Apps search finds content not on the Internet, but on your phone
LG's HD Audio Recorder app deserves a special mention. The Normal UI is quite basic, but Concert has some astounding features. LG V20's High Acoustic Overload Point mics can record sound up to 132dB - much louder than the already deafening 120dB the V10 could manage.
And the quality is top notch - uncompressed WAV and compressed FLAC are available at up to 24-bit and 192kHz. Going to Custom gives you manual control over Gain, Low cut filter (75Hz/150Hz) and Limiter (prevents clipping of low-frequency sounds).
The app lets you record voice over an audio file (say, a vocal track for your new song) and you can use headphones to monitor the sound.
HD Audio recorder: Normal � Concert � Manual � Settings
Using LG V20's IR blaster and the QRemote app you can control most electronic equipment at home - TVs, set-top boxes, audio players, projectors and air conditioners. The phone can also learn control codes from existing remotes, so it supports everything that's IR-controlled (think LED strips, some cleaning robots, etc.).
QRemote creates a virtual universal remote
The LG Backup app has two functions - backup (obviously) and transfer. Using the latter, you can copy most data off your old phone onto the V20, simplifying the upgrade process. Backups store personal data and settings, data from the internal storage and downloaded apps. There's no cloud backup solution, though - you have to manually upload the backup file to your cloud storage provider of choice.
LG Backup can also transfer your data between phones
Smart doctor takes care of your storage and battery. It can free up both RAM and internal storage. It also serves as a portal to Android's battery saving features. Diagnose goes a bit further and will look for issues with apps, network connectivity, storage and battery and point you to the right section of the online Help documents.
A quick glance at your phone's health � Any issues with apps � Any battery hogs?
Gallery in the Clouds
LG V20's Gallery app supports Albums and Timeline views. In both, you can pinch zoom to change the size of thumbnails and in Timeline view this has the added effect of moving between photos grouped by day, month or year.
Albums � Timeline view
You can easily bring in more photos on the device - the V20 supports DLNA (so you can view photos stored on computers on your network) and cloud support. It's pleasingly comprehensive - Drive, Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive are supported (with most phones you get just one of those or not even that much).
The Gallery supports DLNA and cloud storage
The Memories screen takes photos and videos and creates a short video out of them (the content is grouped by time and location). Collages and slideshows take just a few taps to create and then the Play on other device option will use Miracast to send your media to your TV.
Image editing is handled by Android fairly capable tools. They are flexible - you can just tap the Auto button and be done with it or you can go in and manually tune light, color, crop/rotate.
The image editor
Audiophile's music player
The Music player is backed by those ESS quad-DACs, and it supports lossless audio - both the common FLAC and the Apple-specific ALAC. It will play anything up to 24-bit 192kHz so that it wouldn't bat an eye at the audio library of even the most demanding audiophile.
DLNA and Cloud access make maintaining your library a breeze
And with DLNA and cloud support (same as the Gallery: Drive, Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive), accessing that library is a breeze. There's an option to sync music with your Android Wear watch, which we imagine will also come handy when you go on a run with your Urbane and leave the V20 at home.
The Now playing interface
The LG V20's quad-DACs promise superior audio quality and low noise. You can toggle them from the notification area or settings, but they may not always come on - if you're using low-quality headphones (the phone can tell) then only one of the four DACs is active to preserve the battery. In some regions, LG will provide you with a quality pair of ear plugs, courtesy of Bang & Olufsen.
For lossy music formats you have access to the equalizer (it's disabled for FLAC/ALAC). It can subjectively improve the sound. It has a QuadBeat setting for LG's own headsets (but no similar B&O option), Bass, Treble and Vocal boosters too. A 5-band equalizer is on hand for those who want manual control.
Audio presets � 5-band equalizer � Hi-Fi DAC toggle in the Notification area
The music player itself is easy to use and has niceties like Folder view and automatic search on YouTube for the song's music video. Play on another device is available too, for DLNA-enabled players and speakers.
Video player and editor
There's no dedicated video player, you launch videos from the Gallery or the File browser, which is fine by us. Both apps have cloud support. It supports QSlide if you want to view the video in a small, floating window.
The player allows you to manually load a subtitle file and change the font. You can also pan&scan videos to better fit on the screen.
Video player � QSlide � Video editor � Subtitle settings
There's a video editor that lets you cut out parts of the video (the Auto option picks the best 15/30/60 seconds of video). It can also change the playback speed for parts of the video to create a dramatic effect (the LG V20 can shoot 1080p @ 60fps and 720p @ 120fps videos which are best for such effects).
Audio output is loud and clear
The LG V20 delivered seriously impressive audio output when connected to an active external amplifier. It was among the loudest devices we've seen and there were no weak points to its performance whatsoever.
Volume remains just as high when we plugged in a pair of headphones. The only damage was a moderate raise in stereo crosstalk and a hardly detectable one in intermodulation distortion. All in all - it's a showing worthy of a flagship.
And here go the results.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| LG V20 | +0.01, -0.03 | -93.0 | 93.1 | 0.0036 | 0.0075 | -93.7 |
| LG V20 (headphones attached) | +0.04, -0.09 | -92.4 | 92.4 | 0.051 | 0.105 | -57.5 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note7 | +0.01, -0.04 | -92.8 | 92.7 | 0.0029 | 0.0075 | -92.9 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note7 (headphones attached) | +0.04, -0.02 | -92.4 | 92.4 | 0.0088 | 0.059 | -81.2 |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -97.8 | 99.1 | 0.0054 | 0.0087 | -97.3 | |
| +0.02, -0.09 | -97.3 | 97.9 | 0.015 | 0.078 | -81.3 | |
| +0.03, -0.01 | -94.7 | 90.0 | 0.0029 | 0.010 | -94.3 | |
| +0.02, -0.20 | -96.2 | 83.2 | 0.041 | 0.147 | -37.7 | |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -95.9 | 89.6 | 0.0034 | 0.012 | -95.5 | |
| +0.11, -0.40 | -95.6 | 80.7 | 0.0057 | 0.227 | -55.2 |
LG V20 frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Camera
The LG V20 perhaps has the most cameras of any phone released so far - two physical cameras on the back and a 2-in-1 camera on the front. Like the V10 before it, the V20 has the most advanced settings and controls of its generation.
Normal � Wide-angle view
The theme here is to offer a wide-angle view in addition to the field of view that smartphones normally get. The main camera switches from 75� to 135�, capturing much more of the scene. The normal camera features a bright f/1.8 aperture and a 16MP sensor. The wide camera has a fixed focus, an 8MP sensor, and a f/2.4 aperture.
The selfie camera has a single lens and sensor, but does the work of two - it offers 83� normal and 120� wide modes. Both come out with 5MP resolution, which was unexpected - perhaps LG is using a higher resolution wide-angle camera and produces both the normal and wide views in lower resolution for consistency.
You can switch between normal and wide in the middle of video recording and even do a smooth zoom between the normal and wide ends.
Both cameras also play in the Popout effect that overlays the view from both cameras. Multiview brings all cameras into view - all four of them (the front-facing camera is used in both views).
Popout effect � Multiview
While there have been phones with Snapdragon 820 before, it seems none of them implemented Qualcomm's video stabilization built into the chipset - LG claims it's the first.
Steady Record 2.0 incorporates that to add gyro-based electronic image stabilization (EIS). It works faster than V10's EIS, the delay between reading the sensors and adjusting the image is down from 100 �sec to 50 �sec. Image analysis algorithms work to keep objects in place by analyzing the last 15-20 frames and to minimize the rolling shutter effect. Note that this is available only on 1080p @ 30fps videos. The 1080p @ 60fps and 2160p clips have to go without this tech. Same goes for the tracking autofocus, which the camera offers.
This is all on top of the traditional optical image stabilization (OIS) that the 16MP camera of the LG V20 has. That camera also features Laser + Phase detection autofocus system and a color spectrum sensor for more accurate color reading of the ambient light (potentially helpful in producing a more accurate color in artificial light photos).
Using V20's three microphones, the camera can adjust directional sensitivity for audio - you can have it prioritize sound coming towards the camera (the subject you're shooting), behind the camera (your voice) or balance the two.
Again, the revamped mics are good for a deafening 132dB of sound, up from 120dB for the V10. To put those numbers in colloquial terms, 120dB is a rock concert, 130dB is a military jet taking off.
Manual controls for the video recorder � Microphone controls
The camera has manual controls for the image settings too - focus, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and exposure compensation. A cool new feature is focus peaking - you can see its turquoise highlights on the areas in your viewfinder, which are in sharp focus. This gives a very clear indication of whether your shot is focused the way you want it. It's a feature borrowed from bigger cameras and the V20 is the first cameraphone to offer it as far as we know.
Manual controls � Focus peaking
Photo samples
As noted earlier, we're testing a pre-production LG V20 so we won't delve into details on camera performance. We did shoot our usual camera samples, though. Check them out, we'll be back with new ones once we get a retail-ready review unit.
LG V20: Normal � Wide � Normal � Wide
LG V20: Normal � Normal (HDR) � Wide � Wide (HDR)
LG V20: Normal � Normal (HDR) � Wide � Wide (HDR)
LG V20: Normal � Normal (HDR) � Wide � Wide (HDR)
LG V20 selfies: Normal � Normal (HDR) � Wide � Wide (HDR)
Video samples
We shot videos with both cameras, normal and wide at 2160p and 1080.
Charts
LG V20 in our Photo quality comparison tool
LG V20 in our Video quality comparison tool
Final words
When LG introduced the V-series, it was clear that the G-series lost its "Best of LG" status, but back then we didn't feel that as strongly as we do now.
The move from the G4 to V10 was a surprising one - a more rugged phone with a secondary always on screen. V10's rubber back was grippy and durable, but its looks were controversial and divisive. The dual selfie cam was a novelty, but not a killer feature as image quality was hardly up to scratch.
The jump from the G5 to the V20 feels much more natural this time. The unpainted metal feels much better and the removable back cover is more solid than G5's gimmicky modular design. Dual-FoV cameras on the back are as good as the G5's, and they have new tricks like the improved microphones and Qualcomm's EIS image stabilization. And MIL-STD-810G shockproofing is back, this time, without the rubber mat of a back cover.
Both the front and back cameras of the V20 offer two field-of-view modes and a smooth zoom between them when shooting video. The mics can record anything from a rock concert to F1 race cars engine sound without distortion. Add the quick charging and a replaceable battery and the LG V20 sounds like a dream for vloggers in the field. Especially ones that drop their phone now and then (hooray for shockproofing).
LG V20 key test findings
- The V20 build quality is LG's best; the unpainted aluminum feels better than G5's, the pop-off back seems more secure than G5's modular design too; other flagships can learn a thing or two as well - LG succeeded in offering a MIL-STD-810G shockproof phone, without sacrificing battery access;
- The screen is very bright, much brighter than the G5's, but the contrast is lower; color accuracy has improved - it's better than the flagship average, but it still lags behind the best in the biz;
- The secondary screen is smaller but more functional than the Always-On screens of the LG G5 and Note7; it provides additional functionality when the phone is active too, similar to Note7 edge UI;
- Battery life is comparable to the LG G5; and Endurance rating of 63h is solid on its own but it's lower than what your average phablet offers;
- With version 7.0 Nougat, Android finally feels feature-complete without skins; LG did add a few things, but they are often specific to V20 hardware rather than universal enhancements;
- The Snapdragon 820 chipset shines, even compared against other S820-powered phones; we observed thermal CPU throttling, though, and the phone is quick to heat up;
- The V20 loudspeaker is among the loudest we've tested and the sound quality never wavered (even with headphones)
- Having a wide-angle view in addition to the normal camera FoV for both the main camera and the selfie cam is fun leaving room for lots of experimentation in creative framing; the extensive manual controls offered by the V20 for both photos and video taking are matched by none other (not even Lumias)
Aside from some improvements, the LG V20 borrows its main camera from the LG G5. That one doesn't have a dual selfie cam, but it has a higher resolution sensor (8MP vs. 5MP). Also, the main screen is always on, so the clock shows big, easy to read numbers. It's the small things. The G5's modular design hasn't seen new modules since its launch, and it's not shockproof. You get a smaller battery too and will have to wait for Nougat. Still, prices have fallen, and you will (eventually) get the same excellent features) so it's still a solid deal.
LG G5
The Samsung Galaxy Note7 is the top gun from the opposing camp. It's waterproof, and its screen offers excellent color accuracy and an always on mode. The (single) 12MP camera has Dual Pixel autofocus, which is the fastest and most accurate AF yet. On the other hand, you can't swap the battery and Nougat is a planned upgrade, not an at-launch feature. Also, there's the whole battery-related recall going on.
Samsung Galaxy Note7
Of course, "the opposing camp" can be understood to be iOS. And indeed the new Apple iPhone 7 Plus has a dual-camera - 12MP + 12MP - with a wide-angle and normal lenses respectively, similar to the V20.
The screen of the smaller iPhone impressed us with brightness and color accuracy and the 7 Plus screen will be the same. This iPhone is waterproof to boot, IP67-rated, and the performance of the in-house Apple chipset is unmatched.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
The Huawei P9 Plus has a dual-camera setup too, but the second eye captures artistic Black & White photos (and also captures more light). The metal build of the phone houses a 5.5" Super AMOLED screen (but at 1080p resolution and no Always on function) plus stereo speakers.
Huawei P9 Plus
The Moto Z tries to create a market for modular phones and has more modules than the LG G5 got (including projectors and a Hasselblad camera). The Moto Z Force version isn't as widely available, but it improves the subpar battery life of the Moto Z (3,500mAh, 88h Endurance vs. 2,600mAh, 53h Endurance).
And it gets a better camera too - 21MP with a bright f/1.8 aperture and OIS, plus the same autofocus tricks as the LG . The 5.5" AMOLED display (QHD) features a Shatterproof glass too. Lenovo's commitment to updating the Moto line's software isn't quite as strong as it was under Google's leadership, though.
Motorola Moto Z � Motorola Moto Z Force
The ZTE Axon 7 dropped the dual camera setup of its predecessors, but it's an affordable flagship killer, if we're allowed to use this as a more generic term. Its main camera is solid - 20MP, f/1.8, OIS. The 5.5" AMOLED screen (QHD) is flanked by stereo speakers backed by Dolby Atmos (they are loud). ZTE even hinted that it's working on the Nougat update.
ZTE Axon 7
The OnePlus 3 is similarly specced high and priced low. It features a 5.5" AMOLED screen (1080p) built by Samsung and its close-to-AOSP software already has an experimental build of Nougat-based CM14. The phone is future proof with 6GB of RAM, but storage is fixed at 64GB.
The main 16MP camera features OIS and it's paired with an 8MP selfie cam that boasts large pixels (1.4�). The OnePlus 3 fingerprint reader is so fast, it earns compliments left and right.
OnePlus 3
LG builds "ahead of their time" features into its phones. The modularity of the G5 didn't stick, it seems, but the dual-camera design of the V10 did. So much so that even Apple followed suit, though only with one camera so the LG V20 is a step ahead.
Flagship smartphones have become commoditized, so it's always exciting to see a spark of innovation. We think the LG V20 will appeal to early adopters, who love to engage with pioneering new features. It's also a phone built for durability and longevity - something all consumers would appreciate. It's a shame that the European market will see little of the V20 as LG is focusing on other markets who are perhaps less conservative and more receptive of the V20 cutting-edge features than the Old Continent. Whatever the reason for this strategic move, though, we certainly enjoyed our time with the smartphone and we can't wait for our second meeting.
Note: This review is based on a pre-production LG V20 unit, and certain aspects of its performance might change. We'll update this review as soon as possible once a retail-ready review unit is available.
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