LG V20 review: The Android phone for hardcore enthusiasts

Forget about LG's content-creation claims. The V20 is the telephone for nerds who just desire to play.

v20 camera packaging
Jon Phillips

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  • LG V20

Tabular array of Contents
  • Industrial design, ergonomics and battery system
  • An interesting take on dual displays
  • Content creation: Features galore
  • Still image performance
  • Video and audio recording
  • Bone experience, performance, and the bottom line

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LG hired Joseph Gordon-Levitt to marketplace its V20 phablet, only I think a amend pitchman would have been Stefon from Saturday Night Live: "2016'south hottest telephone is the LG V20. Information technology's got everything. A removable bombardment, two displays, three microphones, knock knock codes, and don't worry about about shooting videos, because with a wide-bending lens and electronic paradigm stabilization, you lot can capture an unabridged breakdance crew of Shetland ponies wearing hazmat suits."

OK, I kid the V20. But the phone is packed with a ridiculous amount of features, the bulk of which are focused on content cosmos. LG promises pixel-perfect photos, action videos free of camera milk shake, and music recordings with pristine audio. It sounds awesome on paper, but I've been testing the V20 for several weeks, and institute the phone falls brusk in some key content-cosmos areas.

Simply make no mistake, the V20 is still a great all-around phone for Android fans who demand a large handset, and want a kitchen sink full of features. I wouldn't choose the V20 over the Pixel XL, but it'due south yet a compelling phablet, and does a lot of things the Pixel can't.

v20 front beauty Jon Phillips

The V20 isn't elegant, only it'southward packed with enough nerdy features to continue an Android power user busy for days.

The V20 also helps make full the big hole left past the disgraced Note7. At $800 for a 64GB unlocked version, it costs more than the 32GB Pixel XL, merely you get the actress 32GB of storage and a removable bombardment. Then, seriously, if LG can't finally rattle consumers into caring near its phones, information technology should just give upward and focus on TVs and refrigerators.

If you're primarily interested in photo, video, and audio recording performance, jump to the section titled "Content creation: Features galore." (Spoiler: The V20 takes reasonably expert photos, and its audio recording is best-of-course, but video image stabilization is really pretty bad). For at present, I'grand going to leap correct into the everyday V20 experience.

Industrial design, ergonomics and bombardment system

The V20 is slightly longer than the Pixel 40, merely I detect information technology easier to concur. Perhaps LG's aluminum rear console has just a bit more than to "tooth" to it. Regardless, the V20 cradles nicely in my hand, while the Pixel Twoscore always feels likewise slippery. I'thou bummed that LG ditched the grippy, textured polycarbonate bankroll of the V10, but the new design looks more than up-marketplace, and the plastic chins at the top and bottom of LG's packaging don't detract from a generally premium appearance.

v20 pixel xl Jon Phillips

The V20 (left) is just about as wide as the Pixel Twoscore, but stands a chip taller.

You'll find thinner bezels compared to the Pixel, but if you lot think camera bumps are ugly, you'll hate the big, oval projection that surrounds the V20's considerable camera apparatus (two rear cameras, dual flash, and a laser autofocus sensor). The crash-land makes the V20 expect more like a slice of "equipment" than a fetish-worthy object d'art like the Pixel XL or iPhone 7 Plus.

LG has a combination power button/fingerprint sensor on the rear panel. This rear placement makes it impossible to use the button as unlocking trigger when the telephone is lying apartment on a table, but that's OK considering the V20 implements LG'south first-class "knock knock" feature: From a completely nighttime screen, yous tap a personalized, six-function pattern onto the display, and the phone unlocks. It's an awesome quality-of-life feature that other manufacturers should steal.

v20 knock code Jon Phillips

The knock knock lawmaking invites y'all to tap a specific vi-part pattern to unlock the phone.

Like and then many previous LG phones, the V20 has an SD card slot backside a removable battery (3200 mAh). The battery-swapping scheme is meliorate than the G5's—which required a violent snap to separate the battery from its chin—just still presents challenges. In the new scheme, you press a button on the side of the phone, so pry the aluminum dorsum panel off the chassis. It'southward hard to tell when the two pieces disengage, and I oftentimes had to printing the push button multiple times before the phone would separate.

On a positive notation, when the V20 is assembled the seam between the 2 pieces of the trunk is nigh imperceptible to the affect. For a telephone with so many body panels of varying materials, the V20 is congenital to very tight tolerances.

v20 camera release button Jon Phillips

Press this button, and the V20's back console volition disengage. From in that location you lot can fiddle off the panel to eventually remove the phone's battery.

An interesting take on dual displays

With a v.7-inch display, the V20 delivers the biggest screen size amid contending flagship phones now that the Note7 is dead. Pixel density is a whopping 513 pixels per inch care of a 2560x1440 resolution, and the brandish is bright with a white rest that errs on the cool side.

The phone runs Android vii.0, and then it doesn't withal have the Night Style feature built into Android 7.1. Withal, LG provides a Comfort View feature that warms up the display'due south color temperature at the push of a button. Condolement View fifty-fifty has 3 intensity settings so y'all tin customize the expect for centre-soothing reading before going to bed.

v20 blue light filter Jon Phillips

Condolement Mode replicates the Night Lite feature built into Android seven.1, and even adds three steps of blue light filtering.

All in all, the display is great if unremarkable. This is 2016, and pretty much all flagship telephone displays are smashing. Some phones (like the V20 and iPhone) utilise IPS LCD applied science, while others (like the Pixel and all of Samsung's phones) use AMOLED. The user-experience differences between the two technologies are negligible for nearly people, which may explain why LG distinguished the V20 with a 1040x160, e'er-on 2d Screen right above the chief brandish.

Think of the 2nd Screen as a helpful little control panel that stays agile and actionable whether your main display is on or off. For example, when the phone is dark and locked, you can still swipe around the ii.1-inch strip to see icons of your almost recent notifications; the date and time; and controls for the music histrion if you're currently listening to a vocal. I think the Second Screen's quick-launch buttons for the flashlight and camera may be specially useful for some, every bit these features tin can sometimes take a bit too long to access from a locked screen.

v20 screen on closeup Jon Phillips

The Second Screen above the main display may come in useful—if you tin train yourself to employ it.

When your main display is on, the Second Screen adds a bit more functionality. Yous tin prepare the display to show the content of recent notifications; details of upcoming calendar events; shortcuts to recent apps; and even shortcuts to call or text upward to five different contacts. The text and icons are small (though larger than in LG's V10 model), but the Second Screen is however a useful value add. Information technology's not a reason to buy the phone, but if you lot can think to really apply the Second Screen, information technology comes in handy.

Content creation: Features galore

Content creation—gah, where to brainstorm? The V20 is packed with so many damn cameras, microphones, and fancy-sounding multimedia algorithms, I could spend five,000 words but describing it all. Just you don't want that, and I don't want that, and so hither are the top-line details.

v20 cameras close up new angle Jon Phillips

Yep, that's a camera bump. LG clearly had to make some design compromises in gild to add dual wink, two rear cameras, and a laser autofocus sensor.

On the back of the phone, yous'll discover ii cameras. A sixteen-megapixel standard-angle lens has a 75-degree field-of-view and f/1.eight aperture. There's also an 8-megapixel, f/2.four discontinuity broad-angle lens that increases field-of-view to 135 degrees. A five-megapixel, f/1.ix selfie cam rounds out the camera offerings.

Different Google or Apple, LG provides a total suite of DSLR-fashion manual controls for still images (though for comparative testing purposes, we shot all photos in LG's auto mode.) On the video side, the V20 taps into Steady Tape 2.0, an electronic paradigm stabilization applied science that enlists the telephone'south gyroscope to smooth out videos taken with a shaky paw.

v20 manual controls

It wouldn't be an LG phone without a total suite of DSLR-manner manual controls in the camera app.

LG also put a lot of thought into the V20's sound-recording capabilities. The phone boasts iii high AOP microphones for high-allegiance audio pick-up, and both the video camera interface and an HD Recorder App offering deep controls to fine-tune sound capture. In the video camera alone, you can adjust the directivity of the mics fore and aft; toggle on a Wind Noise Filter; and move sliders for Gain, a Depression Cutting Filter (to reduce background noise), and LMT (a filter that determines the loudest volumes the mics will record).

Nevertheless image operation

Information technology all sounds wonderful, only existent-world testing doesn't behave out all of LG's content-creation promises. Pitting the V20 against the Pixel XL, iPhone 7 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy 7, we found that LG's phone does indeed offer the best sound recording, but falls short of the Pixel XL in still image capture, and actually falls down in video image stabilization. Check out the video below for the full exam results, or only go on reading for a bit more than item.

First up: still images in daylight. Using the V20's standard-bending lens in auto fashion, we found that the telephone delivered solid color reproduction and dynamic range, merely actually roughshod apart when nosotros looked at definition and image clarity. Just await at how the V20 compares to the Pixel XL in this shot of the cross on the top of Mount Davidson. The striations on the cantankerous are sharp and defined in the Pixel's photo, merely announced blurry and impressionistic in the V20's prototype.

v20 v pixel xl cross

Click to enlarge: These are crops of much larger images. The cross is 103 feet tall, and I was shooting near 40 feet from its base. Notice how much more than detail nosotros see in the striations on the cross in the Pixel'southward image.

The post-obit shots of succulents really drive dwelling house how much clarity the V20 gives up to the Pixel Twoscore when shooting nether brighter morning sunlight. Nosotros're getting sharper item and more brilliant colors from Google's photographic camera.

v20 v pixel xl succulents

Click to enlarge: These are crops of much larger images shot nearly half dozen feet away. I was shocked by the V20's lack of sharpness.

I was actually pretty happy with how the V20 captured sunbeams peeking through the fog on the peak of Mount Davidson. I was focusing both cameras on the sunbeams, and non the trees in the foreground. The Pixel certainly created a more atmospheric shot, but the V20 retained more than dynamic range across the entire scene.

v20 v pixel xl sunbeam

Click to enlarge: These images are more of a toss up. I think the Pixel Forty delivers a more dramatic prototype, while the V20 erred toward greater dynamic range.

Finally, I shot an abstruse painting nether extremely low lite conditions in my living room. Both phones were locked downwards on a tripod to eliminate variables under very challenging circumstances. By and large, the V20 delivered strong clarity and definition, and retained more than information in the darkest areas of the prototype, but was off on color accuracy. The blues in the Pixel Twoscore photo, for case, are much more true to life.

v20 v pixel lowlight

Click to overstate: The V20 matched the Pixel Twoscore in terms of sharpness and clarity, merely its colour accuracy is off in this low-light scenario.

If we look at all my photos, and add in the tests conducted by our video team, nosotros find that the V20'southward photographic camera isn't bad—information technology's only that the Pixel Twoscore's images are better. And that's relevant considering LG has positioned the V20 equally the go-to phone for content creators.

All that said, the V20 does take a second broad-angle lens, which none of the other manufacturers offer. It's arguably useful for taking sweeping environmental panorama shots, just images will suffer barrel distortion on the edges, and when y'all zoom into fine particular, you'll find a disturbing lack of clarity. That edge distortion looks particularly bad when shooting group photos upwardly close. I'd rather enquire people to squeeze in tightly instead of using this lower-spec'd, 8-megapixel sensor.

v20 wide angle vista Jon Phillips

Click to enlarge: The V20's wide-bending lens has a 135-degree field-of-view and captures dramatic colors, simply I don't like the barrel distortion.

On the plus side, LG still includes a full suite of DSLR-style transmission controls for both of its rear-facing cameras, and they help cement the V20 as the perfect phone for tinkerers who actually want explore their tech toys. I love the ability to manually command focal length, and prepare a 30-2nd shutter speed for nighttime-time shots on a tripod.

Video and sound recording

During my hands-on with the V20, LG talked up Steady Record ii.0, an electronic image stabilization technology that uses the phone's gyro sensor to make shaky videos announced smoothen and fluid. Steady Record ii.0 also uses digital "image stream analysis," in which "objects are adjusted to appear in the aforementioned position between each frame by analyzing fifteen-20 frames." LG put on an impressive presentation, but multiple weeks of testing showed me that LG's video image stabilization tin can't affect Google'due south or Apple tree's.

Bank check out the video embedded at the top of the previous section. Our video stabilization testing begins at the 11:40 mark. The V20 demonstrated some of the worst photographic camera shake of all iv cameras tested, pretty much debunking LG's claims. What's more than, I found the same poor performance during my own anecdotal testing: The V20'south video was prone to a off-white corporeality of stutter and jelly effects.

  • The V20 is packed with interesting features for hardcore enthusiasts, but the user experience feels dried, and camera performance doesn't come across LG'south claims.

    Pros

    • Packed with interesting features. The perfect phone for nerds.
    • Removable battery and 2d Screen: nice value-adds.
    • Best audio capabilities of any smartphone.
    • A true Swiss Ground forces Pocketknife of smartphones.

    Cons

    • Photo and video features don't alive upward to LG's claims.
    • Not the zippiest or refined Android phone bachelor.