LG unveiled LG V30 at the IFA event in Berlin today. LG is looking to take on Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Apple’s iPhone 8 with its new flagship Android smartphone. LG G6 was a great phone but failed to impress the audience. V series were known for their 2nd screen but with V30 LG is trying to move its focus on more mainstream features. The device will start shipping this September.
LG V30 unveiled with envelope-pushing screen-to-body ratio and camera optics [by @EPro]https://t.co/ER8FaIoskn pic.twitter.com/OuMOrMBhud
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 31, 2017
The first and foremost thing which will catch your eye is the Display of the device. LG V30 sports a 6-inch, 2,880 x 1,440, resolution plastic P-OLED display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The 6-inch OLED display packs in 82% of the screen-to-body ratio and it also support High Dynamic Range 10 (HDR) content and Always On mode. LG’s flagship device is “the lightest among smartphones in the 6-inch and over category” with just 158g.
The device lays a huge emphasis on content creation with a 16MP and a 13MP sensor at the back. LG V30 is the first phone to sport the widest aperture ever f1.6 for the primary sensor at the back and the secondary sensor comes with f1.9. The company says the f/1.6 lens allows for 25 per cent more light meaning the LG V30 should be able to deal with low light conditions better as it should improve dynamic range so brighter areas are brighter and shadows can be darker.There is a glass lens which means more accurate colors and clearer images. Unsurprisingly, LG believes the two features make the camera system “the most capable image capturing device in a smartphone.”
The secondary display is gone but LG has a software based implementation in terms of a floating bar. The Always-On-Display(AOD) provides shortcuts to quick tools and the music player when the screen is off, while the floating bar can be customized with up to five apps for easy access to your most frequently used apps.
Audiophiles will be happy to learn LG has included a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC and a set of earphones by B&O PLAY just like its predecessor did. The V30 supports Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) technology that allows for high-resolution audio streaming.
LGV30 renders and software leaks.
As for software, the phone ships with Android 7.1.2 Nougat, but you can expect it will be upgradeable to Android Oreo. Last, but not least, with Samsung focusing on Bixby, LG is doubling down on Google Assistant. the digital assistant will have unique LG capabilities. Users will, for example, be able to say “Ok Google, take a wide-angle selfie” to launch the camera app with the setting on the front-facing camera wide angle mode. The V30 will furthermore use advanced signal processing to let users employ the “Ok Google” voice command even when loud music is playing. It will also offer integration with LG Appliances (washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, air purifiers, ovens, air conditioners, and robot vacuums) and Google Home. Users will apparently be able to say “Ok Google, talk to LG to wash my clothes.”
LG V30 Specifications
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- 6.0-inch 18:9 QuadHD+ OLED FullVision Display (2880 x 1440 / 538ppi)
- 4GB LPDDR4x RAM
- 64GB UFS 2.0 for V30 and 128GB UFS 2.0 for V30+, microSD (up to 2TB)
- 16MP with aperture F1.6 / 13MP Wide Angle with aperture F1.9
- Front camera: 5MP Wide Angle (F2.2 / 90°)
- Battery: 3,300mAh
- Android 7.1.2 Nougat upgradable to Android Oreo.
- The device will be available in Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue, and Lavender Violet
The phone has IP68 certification (water- and dust-resistant) and is MIL-STD 810G compliant. It also features voice recognition (to unlock the device using a combination of your voice and user-defined keywords), face recognition (to unlock using the front-facing camera), a fingerprint sensor, and wireless charging.
The device looks promising with one of the best designs in the industry and the MIL certification makes the device more durable than its counterparts. LG has made the right changes to turn the table around. However, the 5MP front facing camera will be a let down for some.
