#LGV20 : Made for Audiophiles
Specs can be boring, but let’s tick them off here, mostly because if you care about the V20 in the first place, you care about the guts inside. It’s got a Snapdragon 820 processor, a 5.7-inch display with more pixels that it could possibly need, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It’s strong like a bull, and it shows. The V20 never choked, never stuttered, never hiccuped.
LG V20 is latest entry to high end segment of smartphone, it features Dual camera, Dual screen and 4 DACs ( ah, we will explain it below) . This list goes on until we actually experience sound quality of this device, which is indeed mind blowing.
Spoilers : It can Record Great Audio
LG V20 is concert-goer smartphone because it handles live audio recording superbly. It's equipped with three mics and four digital-to-analog converters (the latter apparently helps reduce white noise). The phone can record much clearer and accurate 24-bit sound compared to the standard 16-bit. For non geek reader it means, LG V20 can record sound at fabulous quality.
Design of LG V20
It is built with high-quality aluminum and its durability measures up to military standards, yet it keeps the removable back and battery, which is considerably a rare quality of flagship smartphones. It looks beautiful and feels great to hold in hand. The LG V20 is one of those mammoths, a 5.7-inch display with top-line internals and a handful of distinguishing features. But, as tech enthusiasts, it's the minute details that work to set a product apart from the rest. And this phone has a lot of them.
LG V20 measurements come in at 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.7mm, and it weighs about 177 grams, which makes it a slimmer, lighter phone than the V10.
The headphone jack is located at the bottom of the phone, along with the USB Type-C port and the mono speaker. At the top is the infrared transmitter (thanks LG!) and the microphone which picks up audio at 48 kHz. The volume buttons are located on the left side of the phone. The buttons for releasing the removable back of the phone for the battery, the SIM and microSD card access is located on the right.
The dual rear camera on the back does protrude from the surface but the #LGV20 can still be laid flat on a table without wobbling. Like Sony, LG has combined the sleep button with the fingerprint reader. The similarities stop here as, unlike the Japanese manufacturer, the V20's button is located on the back of the phone. The button layout has been designed well, so even those with small hands will have easy access.
Hardware and Performance of LG V20
LG V20 is best of what any android phone can deliver, loaded with Snapdragon 820 with 4GB of RAM, with 64 GB of internal storage and expandable memory option it easily outperform Google Pixel. Although when compared with iPhone 7, which has an altogether different and proprietary A10 chipset, iPhone 7 dominated the results with impressively high marks.
There's also Bluetooth v4.2, NFC and, as previously stated, USB Type-C.
LG V20 Display
LG V20 offers a high definition (1440 x 1560 px) 5.7 inch IPS LCD screen, with a pixel density of 513 ppi. The screen is covered by Gorilla Glass 4, the LG V20’s screen seems to be on par with other high-end phones released in the later half of 2016.
The viewing angles are good, preserving contrast and visibility even when outdoors. Like its predecessor V10, the presence of a second screen is a key feature. Located just above the 5.7 inch HD main screen is the secondary 2.1 inch screen with a crisp definition (160 x 140 px) that, according to LG, is brighter than the V10.
The second screen is useful for direct access to commonly used apps like the phone, calculator, messages, or your latest notifications. This second screen stays on by default whenever your main screen is off.
LG V20 Camera
The V20 has two shooters on the back, including a 16-megapixel standard lens and an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens that can capture up to 135 degrees. The single 5-megapixel camera on the front can also switch between an 83-degree frame and a wider 120-degree setup.
In general, photos looked consistent on the they were sharp and clear, but colors had a tendency to look washed out. The cameras aren't bad per se, but low-light images (which are difficult to capture with most phones) looked muddy at times. Especially when compared with how well the Pixel performed with low-light environments, the V20's camera didn't blow us away like its screen and performance.
Sample Shots of LG V20
THE BEST PHONE IF YOU'RE THAT PERSON WHO RECORDS EVERYTHING AT CONCERTS
LG V20 Battery
V20 has a 3,200mAh battery, which isn't as big as its rivals. In our tests, it clocked an average of 12 hours and 30 minutes of continuous video playback on Airplane mode. While that's a respectable enough time to outlast the iPhone 7 Plus,
The battery also employs Qualcomm's Quick Charge Technology 3.0. Plugged in for 30 minutes, you get about a 37 percent charge and an hour yields 75 percent. A full charge takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes, which is the expected time for a handset with Quick Charge.
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LG V20 software
Apart from the Pixel and the Pixel XL, the LG V20 is the first smartphone to be sold with Android Nougat. This means that you'll get all the features of the latest version of Android, with the exception of the System UI Tuner and the customizable quick settings. There is also a default multi-window view mode, which is very useful when combined with the V20’s second screen.
A final word about the LG UI: the V20 strongly resembles the G5. The interface is tidy and colorful. The application tray isn’t present by default but you can enable it in the home screen settings.
Conclusion
V20 features a decent cameras, the second screen is better and more helpful than the V10’s version, and the audio - whether it’s recorded on the phone or played back - is wonderful. It’s a shame the tough body isn’t waterproof, but the V20’s removable battery is unique and may sway a buying decision for some.
For the person with an unlimited budget on the quest for a big-screen smartphone and stuck between the V20, a flaming Note 7, and the iPhone 7 Plus; buy the iPhone. Unless you hate Apple. In which, case, priced at Rs 54,999 ($829) the V20 is for you!
