The V20 has broad appeal, an interesting camera setup and mountains of features — but it doesn't quite 'wow' as a complete product.
LG's flagship "G" series of phones have been solid hits for the company, particularly with the G2 and G3 that outpaced the competition in many ways. But seeing an opportunity for an even bigger and more feature-packed phone, LG unveiled a new device and entirely new line with the V10 in 2015. It was huge, rugged and packed an incredible number of features for a single phone — the selling point was that it was for "content creation" instead of consumption.
In 2016, the general-appeal flagship LG G5 has fallen flat, and is hardly on the radar of those looking for a high-end phone. Interestingly enough, the V20 looks and feels effectively like a larger G5 — though it retains many of the features and much of the V10's DNA. This combination of approaches makes the V20 dramatically more appealing to a wider range of potential customers, but at the same time works to differentiate by packing as many features and specs as possible into a single big phone.
With two screens on the front, two cameras on the back, a removable battery, Android 7.0 Nougat running the show and a pile of content creation features, the V20 is quite a handful. It's also commanding a large handful of money to acquire one. With LG failing to get out of the blocks with the G5, and building on a narrowly successful V10, can the V20 draw from both to be a success? We're here to explore just that in our full LG V20 review.
About this review
I (Andrew Martonik) am writing this review after three weeks using a pre-production LG V20, followed by six days using an AT&T retail version of the phone. The phones were used on the T-Mobile network in Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA, as well as the AT&T network in Seattle. Both phones were provided to Android Central for review by LG.
Less rugged, more appealing
LG V20 Hardware
Last year's V10 was a physically imposing device, and while that was appealing to a small group of people it wasn't the right strategy to be a broad hit. The V20 takes many of the hardware features that made the V10 appealing — a large screen, removable battery, dual cameras and a hefty metal frame — and implemented them with far more subtlety and efficiency. You won't find a thick rubber back or heavy stainless steel sides anymore, but you'll get something that's a bit easier on the eyes while still being extremely sturdy.
The one area where the V20 doesn't differentiate from the V10 is in its sheer size. Though it has trimmed down a bit in terms of weight, the V20 is still a massive phone. For a point of comparison, the V20 is actually larger in each dimension than the iPhone 7 Plus, which itself is also known for being a very large phone. At 159.7 mm tall it's even a smidge taller than the huge Nexus 6, though thankfully a few millimeters narrower and thinner.
| Width | Height | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
 |
159.7 mm |  |
| 78.1 mm | 7.7 mm | |
| 173 g |
- Display:
- 5.7-inch display
- 2560x1440 LCD
- Secondary screen
- Camera:
- 16MP f/1.8
- Secondary 5MP f/2.4 wide-angle
- Laser, phase-detect, contrast auto focus
- 5MP front camera
- Battery:
- 3200 mAh
- Removable
- Quick Charge 3.0
- Chips:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB storage
- SD card slot
So what takes up all of that space? Well, from the front it's all about screen and bezels. Starting with a 5.7-inch display means you're automatically going to have a large phone — add to it the "second screen" and that makes the phone a bit taller. Add in about average-sized bezels, a front-facing camera and an earpiece for calls, and now you're in "huge" territory. Despite its size and focus on audio LG didn't go with front-facing stereo speakers, though, leaving the output to a single downward-firing speaker to the right of the USB-C port.
The display itself — a QHD "Quantum Display" LCD — is really good, and unlike the past generation of LG phones gets very bright and stays vivid even in direct sunlight. It's not quite on the level of Samsung and the new Pixel XL, but it's darn close — I like it a lot.
The V20 is unapologetically massive, like the good 'ol days.
The glass around the screen doesn't extend fully to the top and bottom bezels, but flows nicely into the plastic (yes, the top and bottom are plastic for RF reasons) with curves shown off originally on the G5. It also smoothly transitions into the metal sides, which are actually part of the full removable back plate of the phone. LG has been one company that consistently puts value in having a removable battery in its phones, and it was basically a given that the V20 would follow suit. Rather than using a peel-off plastic back or odd modular bottom, LG went with a known but not often used strategy of a solid metal removable back.
The back plate is thick and extremely rigid, which is important — this bit of metal is the primary thing you hold on the phone every day, and the feeling of it would completely make or break the physical experience of the V20. The phone feels as though it's a solid piece of aluminum, even though the top and bottom are plastic, simply because so much of what you hold is this big chunk of metal. Now it honestly doesn't feel quite as nice as the Pixel XL, Moto Z or HTC 10 — you really can't fake your way to a unibody feel 100% — but it's damn good and much better than previous phones with removable doors. Importantly for LG, it feels like a different class of manufacturing from the G5's calamitous modular bottom and odd coating over metal.
This design isn't inspiring; it's materials taken to their expected conclusion.
Though LG clearly executed its physical elements well, I don't think it quite nailed the looks. This is a big silver or titanium grey rectangle with no eye-catching design flourishes — and that's really saying something, as I even found the Pixel XL (which many panned as being boring) to be appealing. The V20's design just feels ... aggressively average. Though the metal back is very well done, the subtle difference in texture and sheen between that metal and the plastic is easy to notice and tough to unsee once you do. The shimmery thin metal trim around the camera pod looks and feels more like cheap plastic. It's a huge grey rounded slab, no matter what angle you look at it from — there's nothing stellar to point to as a design feature that keeps you interested in it.
Design is subjective, of course, and some may appreciate the simplicity and lack of flare with the V20. And if you do, the fact that it's built extremely well and executed properly in terms of the hardware is extremely important. You're getting an unapologetically big phone that packs a ton of specs inside, including power user features like an SD card slot and removable battery, without compromising much in terms of feel or build materials — that's a win.
First* with Nougat
LG V20 Software, experience and battery life
LG is framing the launch of the V20 by the fact that it's the "first" phone to launch with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, and for all intents and purposes it succeeded in doing so. The phone launched in South Korea back at the end of September with the then-latest version of the operating system mere days before Google unveiled the new Pixel and Pixel XL running Android 7.1 — so, mission accomplished. Those of us buying in the U.S. will technically be getting the second phone with Nougat pre-loaded, as the Pixels have already started shipping and the LG V20 doesn't arrive in U.S. carrier stores until October 28. This "issue" was mostly created by LG's release cadence, where it takes nearly two months after announce to get a phone out and on sale in the U.S.; but it doesn't seem too keen to change that right now.
Those particular quibbles aside, I applaud LG's commitment to launching with the latest possible version of Android at the time it actually announced the phone. LG has obviously been a long-standing partner with Google and that surely played a role in its desire to launch with Nougat, though simply choosing to release a phone in the fourth quarter always helps you coincide with the latest Android platform release as well.
LG's take on Android 7.0 is a bit more subdued than its implementation of Android 6.0, and that's a welcomed change. The quick settings, notification shade and settings have all taken on a stark black-on-white look that's clean and easy to navigate, and isn't too far removed from what you find on a Nexus or Pixel today. LG has also dropped a lot of the shadows and crazy colors, simply going to a flatter overall look with splashes of a turquoise color for effect here and there.
LG's latest take on Android is subdued and simple in many ways.
Functionally, things are a bit improved as well. LG's navigation buttons, while still customizable, are now actually standard buttons that interact with the system properly in terms of full-screen mode and the back button switching to a keyboard collapse button where appropriate. Its Recents menu is also Nougat-standard, including multi-window support.
Unfortunately you still get a handful of reminders that you're using LG's software. It has kept around the dopey animations on the lock screen and home screen, and the design of the launcher seems a bit stuck in the past throughout. LG's default keyboard is a bit of a mess as well. Thankfully you can get past most of these issues with a swap of the launcher and keyboard — as I quickly did on my review units — to get something a bit cleaner and more modern.
LG unfortunately still caves pretty hard to the carriers in terms of bloatware, with my AT&T model shipping with an abhorrent 20 apps from the carrier, plus additional steps in the setup process and changes to the settings. It's all too much, and it's an area I wish LG could put its foot down and stop.
Bloatware is still a problem, and you'll want to switch out the launcher and keyboard.
When it comes to performance, LG does a pretty good job keeping its software running quickly with the Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. For the most part everything was snappy and even heavy apps or multitasking weren't an issue. I did however come across a few instances where things would chug along at a slower-than-usual pace, though, and sometimes I went through a minute or two when apps took an extra moment to open up. After thinking this was an issue with my pre-production version I was disappointed to see the same happen on the full production AT&T model as well. To be entirely fair the instances of slower performance were few and far between, but they happened often enough that they were frustrating.
Maybe I'm a bit spoiled having just spent over a week with the Pixel XL ahead of reviewing the production model of the V20, but the contrast in speed and overall fluidity between the two is quite noticeable. The Pixel XL is just downright faster, smoother and quicker to do everything. As I noted in my review of the Pixel XL it's almost an imperceptible difference most of the time ... but when you compare it side-by-side to another phone, like the V20, that's just a little slower you can see how impressive Google's software is.
Second screen
Just like its predecessor the V20's "second" screen isn't really physically a second screen as much as it's just a little extra bit at the top of the main display panel that operates independently. Aside from in the camera app, the extra portion is never made available as a true extension of the main display — it's purely dedicated to the second screen experience of glanceable and always-available information.
The small 160x1040 resolution panel can be configured to display up to seven different panels of information, which you can swipe through left or right independently of what's on the main screen. You can see things like a set of five "quick tools" for most-used functions, shortcuts to five favorite apps, music player controls or quick contacts. I mostly used the quick tools and favorite apps launcher, but never really got into the habit of using the second screen.
The second screen is neat, but far from useful on a daily basis.
Much like I found with the "edge screen" on the Galaxy S7 edge (and Note 7), the second screen doesn't really do much other than duplicate functions I can already do very quickly elsewhere on the phone. Just as easily as getting to the quick tools I can swipe down the notification shade. Just as quickly as swiping and then tapping on a recent app in the second screen I could just hit the Recents button in the navigation bar ... and so on and so forth. Add to that the fact that the second screen is at the top of an extremely tall phone, and it makes it (literally) a bit less accessible than the same functions elsewhere on the phone.
The second screen is also kind of in the way when you want to reach up and swipe down the notification shade — I accidentally opened apps or toggled Wi-Fi more than a few times when I was just trying to swipe down to view notifications. If you have the second screen enabled to work when the screen is off you can get some accidental touches on it while it's in your pocket, too — while it's useful to work with the second screen to quickly toggle the sound profile when the screen is off, I more than once pulled out my phone to the flashlight having been toggled on accidentally.
Battery life
The LG V20's battery is removable and swappable for a fresh cell at any time, but that means that the battery itself is a tad smaller than you'd likely get if it were permanently embedded. 3200 mAh isn't that small, but given the fact that smaller phones like the Galaxy S7 edge and Google Pixel XL manage to have 3600 and 3450 mAh batteries, respectively, it's clear there's a trade off going on here.
You'll get through a day with a bit to spare; but how about that removable battery, eh?
LG's done a pretty good job at getting battery life to where it needs to be on the V20, but it honestly comes up a bit short of my expectations. Thanks to the big QHD display, always-on second screen and below-average battery size, the V20 is good for a full day of use ... but it doesn't always do it with much left in reserve. My typical day, as I've described many times in reviews, involves a few hours of "screen on" time, lots of time spent on Wi-Fi, all of my email and social media accounts syncing, plenty of time spent listening to music and podcasts, and frequent use of Maps, Drive, Twitter and the like.
With this usage, the V20 was good for about 15-16 hours to be completely dead. That means on average I'd be ending my day with something like 10-15% battery in the tank, which is right on the cusp of being worrisome for me. That extra 5-10% drop off of capacity compared to other big phones could add enough padding that I wouldn't ever be worried about battery life on the V20. As it stands, though, it's good enough, but not spectacular — especially for a big phone.
And for some, the combination of a removable battery that can be swapped for a 100% charge in seconds and Quick Charge 3.0 support is enough to make up for that. I personally have no desire to manage charging and keeping around phone-specific batteries, so I leaned on Quick Charge 3.0 instead, but some people are still clinging to the idea that a user-replaceable battery is a thing they need. More power to 'em.
Quad DAC and high-res audio
LG has hung its hat on high-resolution audio with the V series, and the V20 sports a 32-bit Quad DAC that you can quickly toggle on when you're using wired headphones. As I continually say when reviewing phones I'm not an audiophile in any way, though I do own and use a few pairs of nicer-than-average headphones. But no matter what you're listening to or what pair of headphones you have plugged in, you can clearly tell a difference in the audio quality from the high-end DAC on the V20. The audio is richer and fuller, with a wider range, and there's absolutely no downside here — you just get better audio any time the phone is outputting to the headphone jack.
My big question is this: if you didn't have access to the higher-quality DAC at the press of a button, or you were just listening to music on another phone with an inferior DAC, would you actually notice the difference? I'd posit that most people wouldn't, and while some of that comes down to the aspect of "not knowing what you're missing," there's something to be said for too much hype being put into these nicer DACs. Everyone will notice some sort of benefit, and better-sounding audio is always a good thing, but few people have the hardware or the ears to make the 32-bit Quad DAC in the V20 a selling point for the phone.
Double the fun
LG V20 Cameras
The V20's camera setup is something LG can be proud of, though it isn't materially different from what we saw several months ago with the G5. This is the same dual camera componentry, pairing a 16MP sensor with a "standard" lens alongside an 8MP sensor with a wide-angle lens. You also get a hybrid auto focus system that combines laser, phase-detect and contrast auto focusing to select the best one for the scene.
LG's camera interface is pretty simple but brings your most-used functions easily to hand on the left edge of the interface, including the second screen for toggling between shooting modes. Frustratingly it's still missing an HDR toggle, though — you need to hop into the full camera settings to use it. The V20 also offers an extremely comprehensive Manual shooting mode, including a Manual video mode, which is a photographer's delight. The one shortcoming I find in the camera's software is its speed. Sometimes it's lightning-quick to launch and take photos, and other times it stutters and lags while opening or switching between the gallery and camera — I expect more from this high-end of a phone.
I absolutely love shooting with the V20 simply because of its dual camera setup that offers so many new and exciting opportunities, and those who have used the LG G5 know what I'm talking about. Just about every photo your friends and family post online today is taken with more or less the same focal length, providing the same look of "I took this with a smartphone and uploaded it." With a tap on the screen you can switch the V20 to a wonderful wide-angle lens that takes super-interesting photos, and that's wonderful. I found myself taking somewhere between one-third and half of my photos with the wide-angle lens just so I could mix things up a bit. It's a real treat.
The only upsetting thing here is the dropoff in quality on the secondary camera.
When it comes to overall quality, the main 16MP sensor is obviously the better of the two — and it's awesome. The main camera takes great, vivid photos that are if anything a slight step behind the likes of the Pixel and Galaxy S7 edge, but only in some situations. In most scenes, I saw literally no difference in quality between the V20 and the competition, and that lines up with what we found when spending time with the G5 earlier this year. LG is doing things properly here.
The real issue for me is the dropoff in quality when you switch to the wide-angle sensor. Its lower resolution and higher f/2.4 aperture don't handle low-light situations in any way the same as the better main camera, and that's extremely disappointing. During the day the wide-angle camera does just fine, taking some amazing photos, but when the lights dim you can no longer rely on that wide-angle camera to give you the quality you expect, and that's disappointing. If LG could have figured out how to put an exact duplicate of the main sensor behind the secondary wide-angle lens, I really wouldn't be able to find a complaint with this whole camera setup.
In terms of video, the V20 boasts all of the right features. Beyond its Manual video mode that I mentioned above, the V20 offers up to UHD video recording, tracking focus, electronic "steady recording" and super-high-fidelity audio recording from multiple mics. Videos taken on the V20 are steadier than most thanks to the combination of OIS (optical image stabilization) and EIS (electronic image stabilization), but the stabilization offered in situations like walking down the street come up well short of what Google does on the Pixels — to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if a software patch was coming to improve things. When recording the mics handle a high range of audio without distorting, though — that's really impressive. LG easily has the best overall setup for recording video on a smartphone, even if its image stabilization isn't as smooth as Google's.
For the power users
LG V20 Bottom line
The V20 checks a lot of boxes in terms of features and specs: big bright screen, high-end internals, great cameras, fast charging, removable battery, SD card slot, fingerprint sensor, Android 7.0 Nougat, hi-fi audio, manual camera controls and so much more. But in putting this all together into one phone, it seems to be missing that extra little bit that makes it feel like a complete product to me.
The V20 includes a ton of specs, but is so big that it's unmanageable for many people. The removable battery is good for a small group of potential buyers, but the battery life suffers a bit and more importantly the build of the phone takes a hit (also losing waterproofing) to integrate the removable battery door. The second screen seems neat, but makes the phone taller and isn't all that useful on a daily basis. LG pushed to get the V20 running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, but its customizations still feel a bit mismatched and we have no solid prospects for regular security updates or future versions of Android.
The V20 is a great phone for power users, but some will notice its lack of cohesiveness.
There are two ways to measure the V20. The first is how it compares to its predecessor, the V10: the new model gets the hardware right, has better software and has retained the unique features of a second screen, removable battery and advanced camera and audio capabilities. It is quite clearly a huge upgrade from the V10, and in many ways a better complete device than the LG G5 as well.
Next, and more importantly, we have to look a bit more critically about how the V20 compares to its immediate competition from Samsung, Google, Moto and yes, Apple. Each of the flagships from the aforementioned companies offers a similar screen size, the same basic specs, a good camera experience, fast charging and long battery life, and in each case a better overall hardware build than the V20. Yes LG can lean on its great dual-camera setup, its slightly larger display, a removable battery and hi-fi audio ... but some people would give up one or more of those features for a more cohesive phone experience.
Late in 2016, smartphones are still all about compromises. Every single decision a company makes about a spec or feature has something else tied to it. With the V20, LG focused on getting the most stuff crammed into a single phone, and in the end the trade off was getting a phone that's not quite built as well as the competition, is a bit to big for many hands to manage and lacks the software polish to go against Google's own flagship.
Those who enjoyed the V10, the feature and spec junkies who are self-described "power users," will be all over it; and rightfully so, as the V20 does just about everything you could want and does it pretty darn well. The general consumers looking for a more thoughtful, well-balanced and considered phone are likely to drift in the direction of LG's high-end competition.
Reader comments
LG V20 review: Everything a power user wants
Just look at the photo, 1 hour on battery with 16 hours remaining, the graph looks like it goes into a downward spiral way too fast for me. My G5 fully jacked can go all day and then some. Too bad it didn't catch on it is a great phone.
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I got switched to Sprint and selected a V20. After 24 hours I don't like it. I wish I had my Note 4 back. I may feel different after i get used to it.
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I grabbed a V10 after my note 7 was recalled and yes its a bigger phone but i wanted the high quality audio chip which wipes the floor with samsung. The camera seems good and the changeable battery is a bonus for me as i hike and travel to sports events and don't want to plug it into a tree to try and charge it. Ill get a V20 or the next model unless the note 8 has decent audio and doesn't implode.
Hate this phone with a passion. If anyone is reading this then don't waste your money on this phone.
Battery life is horrible, stock launcher is awful, phone is glitchy AF, camera has shaky quality...But at least you have HD audio with the quad-dacs.
I want to skip this phone across a lake of lava.
Seriously miss my Samsung.
'Skip this phone across a lake of lava." Lol. Tell us how you really feel. I wondered about battery life. I hadn't heard it was glitchy. Thanks for the summary.
I have had one for 2 week now and i am extremly pleased. Love android 7.0. The phone lasts all day and love that i can remove the bat. Camera takes great photos and has a great wide angle lens too. Does not have effects like other phones but thats only software. Recording and playback are fantastic. Could benefit from dual stereo speakers. The second screen is a brilliant idea. Love that i can get all my updates while i work on other things without interuptions. I also love that LG has retained the IR blaster, something I use everyday unlike NFC, yet other brands have dropped it. Its not water proof but for the amount of times i take to water, waterproffing is not important for me. Great phone though all around and I would recommend it for others.
For all the city dwellers who are never away from a power point, quick charge and sealed batteries must be wonderful.
BUT, when you go camping, or hiking or fishing etc where are the power points then.
Boys go out for big rides on motor bikes, need their phones to have plenty of charge in case of accidents and injuries...... They need to have a spare battery in their backpacks or pockets cause i'm pretty sure there are no power points out in the bush like that either.
Quite frankly, if LG can produce a metal backed , relatively smash proof phone with a removable cover / removable battery, then i'm sure the rest of them could too.
Also, if the Note 7 had a removable battery, the whole phone would not have been such a waste of time, people could have simply removed the batteries and handed them in for safe disposal.
All they had to do was get new RELIABLE batteries to all their loyal customers
I was a loyal Samsung customer until they started putting glass on the backs of their phones and sealing in the battery.
Now i an a newly faithful LG customer
You're right re the Note 7. Samsung will not learn its lesson here and will maintain locked in batteries and glass, which is OK, but not ideal. Their battery philosophy just cost them 10 billion dollars or more. You would think that would be enough of a lesson to bring back a removable battery, but I doubt it will affect their decision.
From purely a user point of view, I actually like the v20 better than the note 7 that it replaced. My take on it...
The pros:
1. The V20's keyboard doesnt lag between inputs like the note 7 which was actually making it hard to type (use the note at all)
2. The second screen as actually really useful for me since I use action launcher to keep my screen clutter free.
- For #2, you can create phone shortcuts for things like voice search, greenify, etc
3. The advantages of a removable battery will become more apparent as the phones get older
4. The fingerprint sensor is alot more accurate than that of the note 7; i suspect because of the larger contact area
5. No touch wiz
The cons:
1. The lock button on the back of the phone isnt as convinient as a button on the side.
2. the lack of a physical home button means you cant take full advantage of the huge display in some apps
Not sure if you have figured it out already or not but I want to comment on your cons #2 if you haven't figured out already. For that you can go into Settings > Home touch buttons > Hide home touch button menu to disable On Screen buttons for each app from always appearing when you use certain apps that use full screen modes.
Pretty nifty that you can change this option on each individual app but can also be annoying at the same time because you have to manually turn off this feature every time you install a new app since it doesn't have an option to automatically disable it when you do get a new app.
We liked the phone but there's a lot of issues with it. Basis of comparison is changing a ton too with every phone having the same specs and design elements. Now it's just nitpicking the camera, software, and other unique design features. http://www.techvoid.com/2016/11/30/lg-v20-review-att-lgs-phablet-experim...
Ugh. What a tedious review. Hyperbole where there should be none. Speculation. Bias. Bloated grandiosity. Still, through my eye rolling, informative.
Yes, the 'market' wants bigger batteries - bigger removable batteries.
I just can't buy a phone without removable storage. Won't. Thanks LG!
The High-end audio capabilities of this phone are something THIS 'market' has asked for. Thanks LG. Seriously. It's HUGE.
The build quality of the V20 vs 'the others': negligible. It's getting the Spigen anyway.
The downside? LG released slightly more desirable smaller version - the V34 - in Japan...and I want it. Give it to me.
I get that the slightly smaller than competitors battery life is a deal breaker for some, but I guess I'm just not as cool and streamlined a worldly, highly mobile, jet-setting, demanding, power-user as you all...or maybe I have life. phht.
Good review. In that I agree with almost everything you said. :)
Two comments.
I think most reviewers miss the real value of the second screen. I rarely remember to use if for favorite apps or calling contacts or tools. I usually have it on recent apps where it is more convenient than the multitasking button to get to the two or three apps ago app.
Where it really shines is as a dedicated place for notifications to go. Having the ability to see a preview of every shortcut is so freeing, and something from the V10 I missed in the month I was using a Note 7. Add to that, its now bright enough to see when the screen is off, and I find it a much more satisfactory "always on display" than the one on the Note 7.
Also, I'm one of those people still clinging to the idea of a removable battery. Again, I think people miss the real value. I have a spare battery that I almost never need to use, but it serves two purposes.
1) Its small enough that I can carry it with me in case of an emergency. I got trapped on a train for 4 hours last winter, and it was great. I was very happy to have a spare. I could carry around an external one and a cord. but I rarely do.
2) Sometimes I get home (or I fly somewhere) and my battery is low just before I am about to go out for a big evening. The value of the spare is the instant charge to 100%. There isn't always time for even a quick charge.
T-Mobile's V-20 seems to have the lease of bloatware and there is no T-Mobile mark on the phone, Unlike AT&T phones have. Plus the T-Mobile version takes advantage of their "Band 66" which I notice my download speed is over double of what it use to me.
Good review but I hate these lazy conclusions of "it lacks that something extra", or "it's not a cohesive". Examples please.
At any rate one reason to use multiple batteries for power users is to keep charge cycles in each battery to a minimum. You'll get maximum performance from each battery instead of using the same battery two days in a row. Also, I don't deal with bullshit charging cords anymore. I just swap in a new battery and in 30 seconds this V20 is booted up again with 100% battery.
The V20 has so many features that it's impossible to discuss this phone quickly. No other phone checks so many boxes with this much storage standard. For Verizon users heads up....$300 credit for your trade in. It's applied each month which will bring your monthly device payment to under $20 over 24 months.
V20 is the power user's flagship smartphone of 2016. No contest.
Great review Andrew. LG is still just out of the range of flagship phone. Sales show that removable battery doesn't matter to most anymore. Glad there is still choices but LG isn't killing the mobile phone market for sure.
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2TB SD card !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! User-replaceable battery with 2X or even 3X capacity (plus matching extended back) !!!!!!! makes it lots thicker and heavier but that doesn't matter at all to me !!!!! I do not buy any phone without those two features (I still own all the previous brands and versions having those features). Water-proof is irrelevant to me. The current obsession with thin and light is shallow (no pun intended).
I am coming from a Note 7 and was really worried that I would not be happy with the screen. I must say I am pleasantly surprised. While the Note 7 screen is better since I seem to prefer super amoled I am satisfied with the V-20 screen. Also, overall i really like this phone so much in fact I think I may like it even better than my Note 7 that I turned in. I do not like the curved edge screens Samsung does. Plus I love the removable battery etc. I Love ny V20 !
Do any of you complaining about battery life use Greenified application? It offers great savings if you are willing to hibernate your apps....
I got my Verizon LG-V20 online only. A Verizon representative told me that it would be 2 months till I would see it in my local store.
Like everything else out there...it just makes me want my Note 7 back again...
I really like this phone but after watching some of the YouTube videos, I'm nervous about plopping down $800 for one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocenvcg3VTE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqtNub21XRA
Just replaced my Nexus 6 with the V20 and it's so far hitting all the right notes for me. It's only been 2 days, but still :)
Size: Although this is "too big" for some users, if it's because you like to use a phone one-handed, LG's screen shrinking is quite nicely done. Sideswipe across the nav buttons and the screen shrinks down to a smaller size in the right corner. This smaller view can be resized to your taste and moved to where you want it as well for the southpaws out there. I really don't use my phone one-handed often, but I appreciate the ability when needed.
Removable battery: I would never have replaced my Nexus 5 is the battery life hadn't been so abysmal. My Nexus 6 has seen degraded longevity as well, which is one of the things that pushed me towards replacing it. Buying a fresh battery when needed might save me a ton of money in the long run, even though I don't expect to be a daily battery swapper...
IR Blaster & SD Card slot? My Nexus love kept me from enjoying these features, and I'm loving having all my music stored locally AND not searching for the damned remote!
Second screen: I'm liking it. It's not a game changer, but considering it makes use of the area usually wasted in the top bezel, it's added functionality if you want it which can be turned completely off if not. I do like the shortcuts to my most-used apps and the quick toggles.
Andrew - Here are three questions that have not been mentioned (unless I missed them).
1- Do the DACs improve the sound quality for talking, listening or speakerphone? It's a phone afterall.
2- Can you specify the launcher and keypads that you like or direct me to reviews that you respect?
3- I use Verizon - is there a way to remove the bloatware and/or hide seldom used apps within LG software? If not, are there any 3rd party apps that can?
By the way, I think your review was fair. It's not only your right, but your responsibility to point out flaws as you see them.
Is there a video review up? I didn't see one.
Raybo7 youtube has dozens - possibly hundreds of low to high quality reviews. I wouldn't just watch the reviews from this site though, go through a variety from different reviewers. I suggest to start with the V10 then head to the V20's. These phones offer "a lot more in the hand" than what reviewers state. For instance the lag they mention is non-existent. I think their eye frame rate must be greater than 1000 frames per second to see it. 3-d games I've played are smooth as silk, functionally the hardware is superb, no faults there. I haven't seen any top-line phone perform any functions faster or better than LG's V series, some are of course equal to it but not better - but then I'm not throwing mass-emojis at the internet or stickering gifs. Googles Pixel camera has a lens flare issue, you might want to be sure that's resolved if you're considering it. I have small hands and I have no problems with a phone this size, they're thin enough to be easy to operate.
Andrew did mention that the lag was relative since he's been spoiled by Pixel's flawless performance.
A large screen, removable battery and high-end specs. What a LOVELY phone!
I got mine a week ago from T-Mobile. It arrived shortly after the pre-sale announcement. So far, I LOVE IT! I got it as replacement for the Note7. However, I don't regret getting it.
Ah but the real question to ask is, "Will it bootloop?"
God I wish you whiners would stop complaining about the Pixel's price. Enough is enough, STFU.
The Pixel phones are too expensive!
One thing is missing: dual sim in standard model.
Dual SIM plus (!) SD Card and DAYS of batterylife...love my moto Z play.
Front facing speakers, front facing fingerprint scanner.
Does the Z Play have TWO Front facing speakers!?
I like how you compare the V20 to the Note 7 in essence a bunch of times saying Samsung's phones are better...at least this one isn't blowing up on planes. So the hardware isn't as nice on the V20 compared to the Note 7 but you can't really say that when you're not allowed on a plane with a Note 7
I have a V20 and haven't been on a plane since Sept. Do they inspect your cellphone to see if you have a Note 7 now? Or do they just have a sign that says no Note 7's allowed?
I like to remain in the air when flying. So if a person sitting near me hauls out a Galaxy Note 7 on the plane, I will be summoning the flight attendant.
Hi. I flew about 10 Times to Southamerica and Europe with five airlines within the last weeks. Only austria airlines did not want to have it onboard. But they did not control. The other airlines only mentioned not to use it or charge on board.
I upgraded from my Nexus 6 to the LG V20. I can say that I am loving this phone so far! The screen is great, the camera compared to my Nexus 6 is off the charts. I did install NOVA Pro and set it up the way that I like it but the stock launcher is pretty close to my Nexus experience. I thought I would miss having stock Android but the LG gives so much more in features that I didn't have on my Nexus. I am on T-Mobile so here in Phoenix AZ I get great cell signal and solid GPS everywhere I have been. I even have better reception at my office. The battery life has been great for me so no problem there but I may grab an extra battery just to have in case I need it. I am not missing the Nexus experience as much as I thought I would and that is saying a lot because I was a uber Nexus fan. If the V20 had front facing stereo speakers this would be the perfect device for me. Oh, and I have my Dbrand skin coming this week! Congrats LG you have done very well with the V20!!!
Oh, and the V20 reminds me to drink plenty of water lol. That's good here in Phoenix AZ!
Great review! 2 questions, if you dont mind:
1 - Can you tell us something about sound quality when comparing it with the HTC 10?
2 - Talking about the HTC 10, how does it´s speed compare with the Google Pixel?
Cheers
Here are my two cents.. So far that is the most negative review for the v20 that I have read.. Nevermind that it was late compared to a whole bunch of sites I follow. I understand he is not a fan of the phone. I'm a v10 owner and I'm loving the phone.. Contrary to the review I find the second screen very useful to switch app or control music without interrupting what I'm doing. I don't know what I would do with another phone that does not have this feature. Also you don't have to be an audiophile to appreciate the sound quality of these phones again listen to it once you can never go back to something else. The v20 takes all these features up a notch and I can't wait to get one.. Did I mention the awesome cameras? I love messing with my iPhone wielding friends who cannot fit everyone in the selfie pic.. Than I whip out my v10 and leave them all jealous.. Anyway.. To each his own but other than the battery life which I hear its improved these phones are awesome. In the new one they kept the good stuff and improved in it so I'm in!
I fully agree. I also own a v10. My mother will get the v20. The v10 already has so many benefits....
The review is hardly to be understood. All the benefits are relativated. Hifi? Who cares. Big screen? It is too big. Changing Battery? Not necessary. Second screen? Why. And so on...that is not really neutral.
Imagine a superwoman and he will say: why do we need a great body? Why should she be smart? Why big bxxbs?
v20 is really great features cell phone
I Like Very Much
The recommended changes I would like to see on a V30
1. Drop the 2nd screen and expand the main screen to 6"
2. Increase the battery size to 3600mAh
3. Stereo front facing speakers
4. A browser that resets the type face inside the frame so you don't have to scroll left and right to read the page when you increase the font size.
Good review as always from Andrew.
I think what we need are more readers that don't cry bias or bad review because a device they are a fan of didn't impress a writer.
It's not the end of the world, we all have different views, and there's a lot of options out there for us. That's the beauty of the times.
Example being AC seems to absolutely love the Pixel but I was extremely disappointed by it. Does that mean I go to the comments ever time someone at AC says something glowing about it and try to call their integrity into question? No. Cmon. Grow up.
I owned before note 1. Then sony xperia ultra. And now v10. It is a fantastic phone. Except the loudspeaker could be better and the battery life. But the other points are amazing. The stability from.the frame, the sound with earspeakers, the camera., the very good second screen, changing battery, dual sim, 64 gb internal storage .plus sd card...which modell has so many benefits?
I thought the review was fair overall. Obviously, his tastes in terms of design aesthetics lean in other directions, but that's his prerogative. He actually praised the V20 screen, whereas others have criticized it for its calibration (though according to forums, there is apparently a way to adjust this in the accessibility settings); he also more or less described its photographic capabilities as on par with the Pixel phones. So it was a combination of positives and negatives. My one (or one of a few) criticism of the article was the line about removable batteries:
"some people are still clinging to the idea that a user-replaceable battery is a thing they need"
Maybe it wasn't intentional, but it sounds pretty dismissive, as if wanting a removable battery in a smartphone is some sort of retrograde tendency. Aside from people who enjoy switching batteries on a day to day basis, a lot of people (myself included) value this feature because it ensures the longevity of a phone. Think about it--the li-on battery in a phone is perhaps the most prominent component that's guaranteed to degrade with usage. Many of us have had the experience of noticing our favorite device hold less and less of a charge until it's hardly usable (esp. tablets). User-replaceable batteries offer consumers both cost savings and convenience over having to send your phone somewhere, wait however long it takes, and pay however much it costs to get the battery replaced. For people who want to keep their devices for a while, that's a really valuable feature. Perhaps for tech bloggers it doesn't matter as much. After all, if you regularly get flagship phones to review and switch around every few weeks, longevity isn't much of a concern. I think it's important for the writers at Android Central (and other outlets) to remember that their tech experience is uncommon--a lot of people don't have the cash to throw around to pick up new flagships every few months; therefore longevity matters. It's certainly true that the industry has moved away from this feature in general, but I would dispute that this necessarily says anything generally speaking about consumer wants. There are forums all over xda and reddit with people who really want this feature and are starved for options. My personal speculation is that manufacturers have seen how phenomenally the iphone has done w/o the removable battery and have decided to follow suit for the sake of cost savings and the cachet of "premium unibody" designs. Consumers buy what's available, and so it seems like no one cares about the batteries.
I think after seeing what happened to the Note 7, more people should be concerned about having a replaceable battery.
Well said.
Consumers can be duped into buying anything.
Advantages and shortcomings of a mono-block (unibody) 'frames' are well known, primarily they serve manufacturing cost-cutting. As a user it makes little difference if the device is built using a single-block frame or one made using a hundred different sections, as long as the construction of the design is up to par. "Unibody is supergreatfantastic in this phone because that's how they figured out to keep some cost down", sums it up. Heavy equipment - including Americas favorite vehicle, the pickup truck, to riding lawnmowers up to massively large machines including trains, are built frame-up, while passenger cars and SUV's are unibody. Since people aren't familiar with the sight of cnc milling machines in their daily lives closeup videos of them in operation became a directorial trend for promos. Cadillac developed a technique they called 'squeeze casting' for their aluminum block Northstar 32 valve engines, but I don't think they ever made a point of introducing foundry production techniques into the buyers psyche.
Like many others, I think the review teetered on the edge of being biased in favor of less "power user" friendly phones.
I think this phone will succeed where the G5 did not (I personally think they went too far to make it "different" instead of delivering a more focused product).
Though I fear a good deal of carrier nerfing, that Verizon is offering this phone at less than $700 USD is a bit of a steal. Especially since you get 64GB internal storage, and removable battery -- minus an S Pen, this will evoke memories of the Note 4, but somehow more advanced. LG's move to make their interface a little more like "stock Android" than the Samsung-lite experience is a step in the right direction for them.
Versus the Pixel? Well, do you really want an iPhone, only with everything Google instead of iOS? If the answer is "yes", than the Pixel is for you.
If you liked phones like the Note 4 but don't like the current trend of "glassy" phones... the LG V20 is for you. Note that you can always get it carrier unlocked (for US carriers) as well, if you're not too keen on all the bloatware, which is a plus. Samsung finally took that step this year, would like to see others follow suit.
My only wish is that LG really pays attention to quality control this time around; the LG V20 seems to be even better than its predecessor.
FM Radio capable. Does anybody know if there is an FM Radio chip in: Pixel XL, V20, Samsung Galaxy 7.
Thanks for any info. I, like many others, hate the Note 7 blew up. I really need a new phone and was glad to not shop around and just get the Note 7. A quick look at the specs of the Note 7 and I knew I would be taken care of with it. Now I have to read, read, read.
I just checked into this the other day, apparently all cell phones have FM radios on board, they're just not turned on - and the worser news is - some can't be turned on. Search the app store for a (you guessed it) FM radio app and let it check. Someone has a database/list on their site (seemed incomplete) but it also seemed to have been abandoned.. The two apps I tried did not work, which seemed odd, older pre-touchscreen LG's I've had had the FM radio app right up front. One LG flip phone I had included some neat red lighted shapes on the front to control it
Andrew, photos from the pre-production units have been rather...blah. Lots of problems with exposure - clouds blown out, hot spots ...vs Pixel and Galaxy (in head-to head comparo's). Do you get a sense that the production unit cameras are better? The pics you have posted look pretty good. What are your thoughts as to the comparative detail the camera captures?
"Reviews are largely subjective accounts of a person's experience with a gadget" - Juan Carlos Bagnell
I don't know why people are taking this review so personally. I felt that the overall review was indeed on a pretty positive note. But Andrew obviously had to mention a few things that bugged him personally. It's not blind hate. Like when I had the Note 7, I posted a 1 week impressions and mini-review on the forums and I noted that it had flaws, like it being slippery, some lag and stutters in the software and a few others. But did those mean I hated the phone? Absolutely not.
I would advise people to calm down and read other reviews to paint a better picture, either from other websites or from users in the forums. No 2 people will have the same experience with a device and frankly, you're doing it wrong if you're basing your opinions of a device based on only one single review.
Phew, now that this is out of the way, the V20 looks really solid to me. I like it way better than the G5 and feel that it's overall a much more polished and refined handset compared to its G-sibling. The G5, I feel was perhaps too gimmicky for its own good, with a modular implementation that is pretty much DOA at this point. But the V20 is a big step in the right direction.
But I'd wait for a few months to see if LG has sorted out its hardware issues, having owned a couple of G4s, which all died to the bootloop.
I think this review was interesting. It felt a bit negative but definately honest. I get this is one users experience trying to keep the broader audience in perspective.
Personally, (Im) coming off from Samsung and choosing between Pixel and V20 has been a huge debate. I'm currently sold on the V20 and I'll get to why in a moment.
I'm a little disappointed that certain key features are not being looked at comparing these two phones. Even in the comments...Maybe it's me but if you're going to review, why leave out the kitchen sink?
1. In favor of pixel
People say lack of removable storage is a negative for this phone. Unlimited Google Drive is a selling point. Who wants to maintain hardware swaps? Those obsessed with government watching everything? Nuff said.
Google assistant. Yay! A more sophisticated version of GoogleNow available in most android phones I'm guessing V20. If you ask me this almost AI like integration still has a ways to go before I'm blown away by either it or Siri. (I want customizable voices and name) As much as I detest IOS land, I do enjoy picking at Siri with ridiculous questions now and again.
Finally smooth googling is really the selling point for me...in addition to the amazing camera.
2. In favor of V20
What sold me? At the end of the day, a removable batt is and has always been a way to be higher functioning when performance starts to slow as it will with all on all tech. But what got me was the IR blaster. Not one comment mentions which might be indicative of how important it ISN'T to most users, BUT it is one of the only few newer flagship phones that still includes it. At least S7 and pixel don't have it comparatively speaking. I either need this or to upgrade my tv... which will it be murica? Um... the phone which I'm already replacing because I'm so sick of Samsung, bloat ware and connection issues on apps like Facebook messenger and others. I'm sad to say goodbye to my downgrade of an S pen (note5)...which just broke within 10 mos, but excited about the audio video wins on the V20 that Andrew nicely pointed out.
This will be my first LG device. I was impressed with the G4 camera when I got my Note 5 but felt my phone was just is good if not better.
I was interested in the double cam of the G5 and quickly learned it pails in comparison overall to the current market. This narrowed it down to the pixel (which is very nice but something about the body bugs me), and the V20. I've flipped flopped for days, but the IR blaster did it for me. When I convert the rest of my house to smart everything right after I win the lottery, I'll be sure and drop the importance of the IRS blaster which enables remote control functions I lost on my Note5 when I upgraded from the aclient Note2.
When I write IRS I meant IR. aclient should have been ancient. I'm really ready for an upgrade. Either this site has bad autocorrect or the confirmed crappy Samsung keyboard had bad autocorrect. Sorry ppl. :( sorry for my Samsung rant. Just one consumers perspective.
Doesn't matter what I say...my comments like states above will get deleted my AC because I stringky disagree with Andrew. He is a joke and should be put back to minimal informative editorials.
Calm down.
Nobody is forcing you to agree with him. Like I've said below, reviews are largely subjective accounts of a person's experience with a gadget.
The key word is "subjective". Every person will have a different experience with the same device compared to another. It's best that you read as many reviews of the V20 as possible because each one will have a slightly different take on it and in some cases, drastically so.
You people keep saying the battery life sucks well I'm here to tell you it's fantastic. Just check Google + and see for yourself. It's easy to get 6-7 sot. You can think what you want but I'm seeing it now in real life.
Andrew, have you noticed any issues with the back camera glass? I've seen a few reports of it being extremely fragile.
I originally got the Google Pixel XL to replace my Note 7 (rest in peace) but was not impressed with the smaller size and lack of an SD card. I just got the LG V20 today as a replacement for my replacement of technically a replacement (recall) and am pretty impressed so far. I don't really care how uninspiring the phone looks because I'm going to be putting a case on it anyway. I like the idea of a replaceable battery even though I know I will never use it. I got a notice today from Verizon saying there's a software update already. And last but not least..... Am I the only one that wants a big obnoxious phone??????
Love my V20 but can't understand why the sprint version is missing most of the stock LG apps including gallery messaging calendar email calculator music etc. Wtf is that all about?
The pixel XL does not impress me as much as this reviewer. They lost me with the look of an iphone on the front and no sd card regardless of how much faster it is.
I'm a moderate audiophile (as opposed to an extreme audiophile). In other words, I care about sound quality, but I tend to listen to music through $300 headphones and $1000 speakers as opposed to $2000 headphones and $10,000 speakers.
For me, it's the combination of high-quality DACs and a microSD card that makes the V20 attractive. I currently have about 160 GB of lossless music, which I have to downsample to around 200 kbps to fit on my 64 GB Note 5. It sounds fine, but I know it could sound better (since I'm using good Sennheiser headphones). The idea of combining lossless source material and high-fidelity DACs is what makes me likely to buy a V20, though I'll have to see one in person before pulling the trigger.
(Extreme audiophiles would probably spend the $2500 on an Astell & Kern AK240 dedicated audio player and carry around two devices as all times, but I'm not one of those guys. :)
I also like the general "power user" design philosophy of the V20. As Andrew mentions, it's not an "it just works" phone like the iPhone or Pixel, but a "you can do whatever you want" phone.
Unless you're listening in a very quiet environment with open headphones, I doubt you'd gain much from going lossless... On closed cans at or under $300 and for walking around (i.e. not sitting and listening intently) I really wouldn't bother. Quality of X phone's DAC vs Y phone's is more variable tho, and that's definitely worth exploring.
As much as they hype the DACs tho, it's usually the quality of analog amplification after the DAC which makes the most difference... I guess that's harder to market than a buzz-catching acronym tho. :P I actually have a FLAC collection of my ripped CDs on my desktop but I've never felt like it's worth sync'ing it to a mobile device even when I had large mSDs.
Usually I listen to the downsampled VBR MP3 conversions (MediaMoney makes it easy to manage both file type libraries) or MP3 singles bought online... This with my Etymotic IEM, Xiaomi Pistons, V-Moda XS, or Oppo PM-3 (that spans the gamut from $20-400, tho I bought the PM-3 refurb). Sometimes even with a Bluetooth receiver.
At my desk I do listen to the FLACs... Though even with a $350 DAC (Bifrost), $800+ DIY amp (Torpedo), and Senn HD600 open headphones I don't think I'm gaining a ton from the lossless rip. The amp's just an extravagance on my part, wanted to experiment and that one seemed like a good end of the line choice to keep me from trying out way too many lower cost amps. :p
For some reason, as much as I like good audio, my practical side takes over when we're talking mobile... I'll gladly use BT, or the phone jack's at most, not gonna carry a clunky DAP, a separate amp, or even invest way too much in my mobile headphones (the Oppo get used at home too).
Nice how my comments get deleted, but the author can insult his readers and use profanity. That's integrity!
I thought that also. Very professional behaving authors. He was a jerk to a commentor who just ask how it felt compared to a note 4 for size. Big babies
I currently have the Note 7 and hate to give it up. The only phone I can find that AT&T carries that's the same screen size is the V20. Not my first choice for phones (had 3 G4's in a year because of bootloop issues). I am looking forward to the camera and video recording features. I record my daughters high school and youth cheer teams. The audio features sound amazing, so looking forward to that. Will miss water proofing, but removable battery will be nice. That being said, I'll be the first in line when the Note 8 comes out.
I absolutely love the DAC. I'm finally getting my money's worth out of the $380 Beats Studio headphones I bought. Yay me!!!
You should check out MKBHD's video regarding Beats headphones. It will change your life...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsxQxS0AdBY
https://youtu.be/ZsxQxS0AdBY?t=5m46s
To be exact.
Now that said I've heard my set of headphones through a DAC and yes, you can much more easily hear differences if your headphones are already predisposition-ed to sound great.
https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Momentum-2-0-Samsung-Galaxy/dp/B00SJ4I...
I'm not a fan of the Pixel/Pixel XL, but at least that ships with some sort of IPXX rating. I'd rather have splash resistance than a phone with a removable battery. But that's a great thing about choices. My needs are not your needs, and they're not the needs of Jim or Barb or Sue.
Interesting -- LG V20 went through 60,000 validation tests before mass production -- are you reading this Samsung????
LG held a press tour at its Digital Park in Pyeongtaek, where smartphone production and R&D facilities are located. The event was meant to highlight testing procedures carried out on devices before they go into mass production.
The V20, for example, suffered through a total of 60,000 validation tests, no small part of those just to comply with the MIL-STD-810G military certification requirements. The tests include dropping the phone on a steel bar from a 1-meter height, dropping a steel ball on the device's display and examining the consequences, and also testing whether the V20 can withstand a person's full body weight.
Once actually assembled, the phones undergo further testing of their user interfaces by an automated multi-function testing rig, and are then handed to an LG employee (actual person) to manually test the touch sensitivity. Radio reception tests follow.
The facility is capable of producing 5,000 V20 smartphones per day, but that cap hasn't been reached and the current number averages 4,000. The total capacity of the factory is just short of 40 million phones per year.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/common/vpage-pt.asp?categorycode=133&new...
Wow. That's really interesting. I wonder how this testing compares with other manufacturers
Wow that's fascinating. Have you posted that in the V20 forum? If not then you should.
I hope these tests extended to the soldering on the mother/logic boards with these devices.
Coming from an N7 this phone, with the exception of the pen and waterproofing (for me) is what I wanted the N7 to be.
I don't want silly (to me) curved screens that get in the way, take away from the bigness of the screen and make it next to impossible to protect with a proper screen protector.
The earpiece and bottom speaker are better than the N7 and that is important to me, both because I actually make calls for personal and work and I wear hearing aids. Big improvement here.
I rely on the camera a lot both for work and pleasure and I haven't had a chance to pout it through it's paces. It is slower at first glance in auto mode but I know none of it's nuances yet.
Unapologeticaly BIG the way it should be and not some prissy attempt at all glass to look cute only to have to be buried inside of a case.
I don't know whom Samsung listens to for design ideas, but now that I have 4 V20's in the family (and buy the way...retail has been out even at Sprint around here since Saturday) but I now have 5 coworkers who were N7 users, went to either an S7 or S7 Edge and have now made the switch.
It can't be just a fluke....
You hate curved screens but bought a phone with a curved screen? What am I missing here?
The curvature of this phone cannot be compared to a Galaxy.
Note: while I was typing this I was getting a incoming call in the second screen which did not interupt my post. Pretty useful if you ask me.
Glad you like your new phone! I'm sure it's damn good, and the review actually didn't say differently. It's always good to have opinions of users of a phone like you. But Andrew would not be doing his job if he didn't point out some issues that he noticed. The review was fair, balanced, nuanced (said it was a great phone for power users). Why the "bias" accusations?
But ultimately, it's only one review. Why not check the opinion of other reviewers, for a broader picture?
You must work for AC or be affiliated with them or the author.
LOL. You must work for LG, then (no I don't work for AC)
Issues are one thing but I disagree with his opinions regarding the usefulness of the second screen, the battery life, and performance.
OK. Fair enough. That's why it's good to have the opinions of users of the device. They give you a broader picture.
Some bitter LG fanboys in the comments just because the review isn't fawning. Once again, thank you Andrew & AC, for your insightful, well informed, unbiased reviews. It's only one opinion among others, but a valued one. Regarding the V20, I appreciate how you nailed the strength & weaknesses of the device. It's reviews like this that make me come back to AC again and again.
Not a fanboy of LG because this is my first experience with them. We just know from experience...unlike yourself, how the phone is constructed and how it actually works. The fact that most of us disagree with Andrew shows you how actually incorrect his opinion of the phone actually are. Most folks love it! Maybe the author should start writing opinion based editorials because his reviews suck. All biased and not in touch with what most users are actually looking for.
this is true - he questioned build quality in the review yet it has MIL-STD-810G military certification.
Huh? Did we read the same review? He didn't question build quality. I had a feeling he wasn't in love with the design, but that's quite personal.
Here's a quote from the review: 'the fact that it's built extremely well and executed properly in terms of the hardware is extremely important. You're getting an unapologetically big phone that packs a ton of specs inside, including power user features like an SD card slot and removable battery, without compromising much in terms of feel or build materials'. You call that criticizing build quality?
I didn't question the build quality. And the MIL-STD 810G rating has literally nothing to do with build quality or design, or ... well, anything, really. There's actually no certification or testing process for MIL-STD 810G. It's simply a spec that you can build to — there's no test to see if it meets any actual standard.
Lol this is cracking me up. These people really want you to like this phone. Just ignore them. Being in Korea, I've had the LG v20 for a while now and I gotta say, build quality isn't too great. The note 7 and iPhone 7, now those have a great build quality. Too bad note 7 is not available.
Well , i can tell that V10 is the highest build quality phone I ever held, so Mil grade in my eyes stood for something when I saw it in specs. That phone is built like a tank and I wish that they kept the same steel frame design.
V20 looks nothing like. Aluminum if left unprotected, doesn't age well on cell phones - scratches,dents,bending.
And....how do you know his review is insightful, unbiased and honest...unless your his mother trying to support him because his editorial got bashed because his "review" sucked. It highly opinionated and all about what his narrowminded, LG hating self thought about the device, which is actually a great phone.
It's insightful because it explains what's great about the phone, and what's not perfect. That's also why it feels fair. As for honest, that's a relationship of trust some of us AC readers have built with the site and its writers. Doesn't mean we always agree with the reviewers, but we know them well enough to trust that they will have given the product a thorough examination. I still don't understand why you're so angry. What I get from the review is: great phone, particularly if you want a removable battery, with a great screen, but might be too large for some users, and is marginally slower than the Pixel. Hardly a demolition job
Another biased review of a LG phone.
'a really powerful phone but....... '
Replace the stock launcher and then complain about the LAG.
Forgot to mention that both Samsung and Google have a software overlay on top of Android.
This person came to the table with a Strong bias for Samsung and Pixel.
If you want to write an iffy review of an obviously great phone it's not hard.
I'm really not sure how you can say that this is a negative review just because I took issues with a few decisions LG made — as I do with any phone I use. I pointed out at many points throughout that it has a lot of features that a lot of people will like. That doesn't mean that it's perfect or a good choice for everyone, though. I wish people would be able to understand that there's a difference there.
As I note above, I used the phone completely bone stock for over two weeks before writing this review. I wouldn't comment about the speed or quality of the software if I had modified the phone before using it. The phone has some issues with random lag ... that has nothing to do with the launcher or keyboard I eventually swapped out. And I'm not sure how you got that from my review, as I clearly stated what's going on.
Again, not sure how you can say that I have bias toward Samsung or Google — maybe ... JUST MAYBE ... WAIT FOR IT ... they make better products! Crazy, I know. Funny enough, you can go read my reviews of those products and find just as many people shitting on my opinions in there saying that I don't support Samsung or Google properly, either. Sigh.
What I want to see from you is why you think that the V20 is so "obviously great" rather than spewing some useless crap in the comments that isn't based on anything. Or you can go troll elsewhere. That works, too.
Andrew - Here are three questions that have not been mentioned (unless I missed them).
1- Do the DACs improve the sound quality for talking, listening or speakerphone? It's a phone afterall.
2- Can you specify the launcher and keypads that you like or direct me to reviews that you respect?
3- Can the bloatware be removed in LG software oror rarely used apps be removed and/or hidden by a good 3rd party app? If so, is there one that provides an app drawer?
By the way, I think your review was fair and you are both right and obligated to point our flaws as you see them.
I haven't read all the comments above but I skimmed quite a few.
I've had the phone almost one week from Verizon. Before this I've had a ton of Samsung phones starting with the Omnia with one exception being the original Motorola Droid. I had to give up my Note 7 and pick something else.
I like big phones. Easier to read on. Pixel XL was close but this is bigger. Unplugged my phone at 6 this morning and sitting with 83% battery. Pretty normal and similar to my Note 7. Obviously the 7 should be better with larger battery. Not seeing a huge difference.
I LOVE having an IR blaster again. Camera does a nice job, no complaints. Pics look great. Haven't used the DAC but I really don't listen to music on my phone so no help there. I like some of the new features of Nougat. I like having an SD card slot. I like the second screen better than the Note 7's edge screen but I like my Note Edge best of all for second or edge type screens. Hope they bring that back. Was very useful imo.
I like the Note 7, and Note Edge Amoled screen better than the LG screen. Mostly at night in the dark reading a book with a black background and white letters. There is some light bleed. I don't see it during the day but I do in the dark.
Removable battery not a super big deal but I did have a software screw up and phone got hot. Removed battery and solved issue. Otherwise I've never owned a second battery. Powering off did not solve issue.
Having trouble getting my gear fit 2 to receive texts. I think that could be a Nougat issue. Some have gotten it to work. I have not. It does send phone calls to the watch but not texts or emails yet.
If you want big, an SD card, IR blaster, great camera, and reviews say the sound is good. I'd go for it. Best screen, I would probably go Pixel or Pixel XL. Not having SD, IR blaster, Second screen and being smaller were my deal breakers and why I chose this over Pixel or S7 edge
Replacing a launcher doesn't solve the lag issues on its own.
The launcher only changes how the home screen looks. It doesn't affect the rest of the software.
True. Unless it isn't optimized for an OS that just came out....
It does if the launcher you have is bogged down with garbage and you replace with one not bogged down.
(Maybe) everything a power user wants...EXCEPT for a working FM Chip. C'mon LG, turn it on already...
Maybe the FM channel you want to hear is available through iHeartRadio???
Probably, but why should I have to use my data allowance for something that is already there and wouldn't count against it? BUNK.
huh? My V20 has an FM radio app built right in.
Yea dude the FM radio works. Just plug in your headphones, it uses them as an antenna. I just tested it.
That's the carriers like Verizon who disable it.
True. MY S6 was blocked by VZW, my replacement S7 isn't! It's a nice feature to have, uses less battery too!
Second battery FTW! I will put a slim case on it and the music controls on the second screen are very useful to me!
I thought the picture quality was superb in this review. The video test of stabilization was quiet good and the stereo sound blew me away. I also like the fact that the phone has a removable battery and microSD card slot. The one thing that is keeping me from buying this phone is the bootloop issue that previous LG phones have had.
Haven't had any bootloops ... or force reboots for that matter. Stability of the system has been great.
Watch the stabilization video again. Then watch it a second and a third time. It was horrible.
I love my V10 but I will not upgrade to the V20 until LG fixes that Steady Record 2.0 feature. I hope that's just a bug. Also thank you go taking the time out to test the V20 audio capabilities in a concert setting. Tired of hearing "it should..." instead of reviewers actually doing it and sharing the results.
Yeah I really hope that its Steady Record stuff gets beefed up a bit. There looks to be something wrong with the way it's adjusting for the movement. When you're handheld and just shaking a bit it does a really good job ... but in situations like walking it's almost like the Steady Record makes things worse.
And that's unfortunate cause mostly every single teaser video they got talented people to make on Instagram showcased almost out of this world great results. Like buttery smooth but then again it was an ad and they didn't state HOW they achieved their results. Even on my V10 though the OIS+EIS feature is pretty solid compared to what I'm seeing.
Is it me or do all writers on AC boost anything android and down play everything else. I mean really google/android is paying the bills so yea I can see why they do that. To me the best way to get a feel on a device is how WE the users write what we like and dislike about a device. after all we are not getting the perks that the writers on AC get we actually buy them and use them day in and out and most of us don't have the pleasure of using one device this week and another the following. the deal here it seams to me is to plug the Pixel at every turn so I'll sit back and read the revues that we the people write rather than the perk paid writers.
We don't make any more money if you buy a Pixel versus a V20 versus a Moto Z versus an HTC 10 or an Android One device for $79 in India.
I'm not sure why there's this assertion that we make money from certain phones being sold or by being paid by any of these companies. It's not based in reality.
Never knew LG guy was so defensive. Holy crap.
People are hurt, man. HURT by this review.
Not sure why ... did everyone miss the part where I said the phone was really good for power users and had a lot of great features?
Because every sentence when you say it has this or that, you bash it next sentence. It has great battery life, maybe you got a dud of a battery, but you can buy a new battery and replace it. You bash the build quality, which is great. Again ,you do say some great things about the phone, but its your overall tone of the editorial that makes most if us here feel like this review is biased. If most readers here are differing with your opinion, maybe you are the one in a small group of users who find the removable battery, second screen and size not useful. In most peoples opinion, at least the ones commenting here, the way the pixel is constructed and looks is absolutely horrendous. Ugliest phone I have seen in awhile because it looks like an iphone and has such huge bezels. Plus, a lot of us like large phones. We like having large screens for things. Read your bottom line....the whole content is just negative towards the phone and obviously a lot of folks who have the phone disagree with your opinion. Don't discount others opinions because in your short career you feel like everything you write is perfect and unblemished. Maybe you should rethink what you wrote.
I mean you do have to give both pros and cons of the features of phones in a review. The fact that there are so darn many smartphones out on the market these days every aspect of a device had both pros and cons when you compare. For example, the LG V10 takes great detailed photos, however the lens was more prone to lens flares than competitors that came out around the same time. I am an LG fan for sure. But owning any smartphone is about being able to live with the right compromises that fit your needs.
My thoughts exactly. No one was "hurt" by this review. However, perhaps you should pay attention to the prevailing sentiment instead of adding snarky retorts. The tone of this review was obvious. You point out a positive almost as if you had to try to say something nice, only to rip the features down in the following sentence. Feedback should be appreciated by the folks who read your pieces. Try to embrace it for once.
Perhaps there is something that makes the phone more polarizing than a pixel or?
If you want killer music then IMHO the pixel can't compete... If you want a removable battery then the (phone name here) can't compare... If you want fair priced storage of an SD card and not over priced built in storage then perhaps... check the time on your phone without ever touching it... The v20 is a bit unique in today's new world of plentiful smartphones and those of us that appreciate it's innovative features are motivated to defend its value. Perhaps hard to appreciate when you have 10 phones on your desk : )
Tough job to review so many phones, kind of like tasting wine, after a few glasses it all starts to taste the same. Thx - d
Just as an aside the Pixel has a 24 Bit DAC, just the same as the HTC One M10,
I think they don't understand what the review actually says...it's right in the title. It's a great phone for power / big phone users and has just about everything one could want. Nothing is perfect. Hopefully nothing ever will be because that would get really boring fast, and people would find fault with it anyway. Overall I found this to be a great common sense review. People need to learn not to take everything soooooo personally.
I think that's the point here. So I write an overall positive review of the V20, and say it's great for the power users, but because I don't praise every last bit of the phone all of a sudden I don't get it and I think it's a bad phone? People are very selective with their reading, I guess.
Just ignore most of these people. They will nitpick no matter how great you write or how correct you are. That one guy who said that you're wrong because some orders were delivered earlier with Nougat, if one of my friends argued that way while my friends were talking, automatically he would be shut out as a loser. So don't mind those guys.
I gave my son my Note 3 months ago when I bought the V10. Last week we replaced my wife's Note 3 with a V10 and she loves it as much as I do for different reasons.
I'm a tech guy and demand a phone with replaceable batteries which is why we stopped using Samsung (they changed to sealed phones and batteries that cause fires now).
Anybody who complains about the size of the V10 obviously prefers small phones. Neither myself nor my wife notice any difference in size, give me a break! We like large display phones and the LG is all screen. LG uses the best components not skimping and are wise to continue producing phones with replaceable batteries.
As long as they keep up the quality and replaceable batteries me and my family will continue to purchase them. I will also continue to recommend them as I'm the tech guy at work and in my circles of family & friends . I have recommended the V10 to others who then switched from iphone and other Androids and love the V10!
I'll soon be giving my son the V10 only because the Note 3 keeps causing problems which appears to have come from a recent update from Samsung or ATT? Both my wife's & son's Note 3 had been running great for yrs then recently both phones shut down at 50% charge for no reason. Its not the batteries, I have several for both phones. I reset both phones and started from scratch but the problem persists. So 2 more purchases for LG (the V10 for my wife and soon a V20 for me when the price drops to reasonable).
LG keep up the good work, high QA and replaceable batteries! (I enjoy having 1 or 2 of the small cell phone batteries ready to go in my pocket and don't want to deal with portable USB batteries).
How would you compare it to the Note 4? My husband loves the size of his Note 4. After the Note 7 - the Note 4 is too big for me (going for Pixel XL). We of course don't know the quality of the parts - ie past LG experience.... We just had to replace 2 G3's in the past month - neither made it to their 2 year mark.... my Mother's they had to give her an early upgrade....
Why did I not compare it to the Note 4? Because nobody's buying a Note 4 today. They're buying an LG V20, Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 edge, Moto Z, HTC 10, iPhone 7 Plus ...
Next, ask me why I didn't compare it to a Nespresso coffee maker.
I think that response was a little harsh. I didn't detect any butt-hurtedness (not a real word) It's nice to see how far we have come in only a few years in terms of design.
Not only harsh, but the author also proved himself a complete jerk just now. He wasn't asked why he didn't compare it to the Note 4, he was asked how he thought it compared to the Note 4. Instead of answering the legitimate question, he decided to be an ass.
I don't think u read that particular comment right.
What I want to know is why didn't you compare it to a George Forman grill.... Oh wait! Its not hot enough.
I know the comments have been pretty intense, but your reply was really off-putting. Actually, the Note 4 comparison makes perfect sense--it's a 5.7 inch quad HD phone with a removable battery just like the v20. Remeber too that a lot of people (though of course not everyone) still keep their devices for two years. The Note 4 came out in fall 2014; it makes sense that two years later Note 4 owners might be interested in a comparison between that device and the new kid on the block. So the coffee maker thing... embarassing:-/
He was COMPLETELY unprofessional as well... a reader asks him a question, not being rude at all. I'm sure it was asked because they have a Note 4 currently, and are considering moving to the V20. But instead of helping, he acts like that? Ironic, seeing as I saw him comment earlier about being professional.
I have a Note 4 and the Note 7 I need to return for this LG V20. I was hoping for some feedback to the question and not some kindergarten butthurt reply from the reviewer. Throwing in the coffee comment was seriously uncalled for as well. I too, thought the reviewer was biased toward the Pixel, thankfully there are many other good reviews available. I deeply respect the AC community at large...perhaps this reviewer is simply a moron.
Seems said moron is also too unprofessional to bother offering an apology, or even answer the original question.
Guess I'll pass on this one...
Why?
Though I like the removable battery what's the point of the V20 being even bigger than the Note 7 if there isn't any added functionality? You'd think with all that real estate, and the fact LG is hyping its audio performance, they'd have found a way for front facing high end speakers. Is the added size just for that gimmicky second screen? I'll pass.
Do yourself a favor and watch/read more,about the phone, and the comments.
Ok I'll read some more about it.
This review nailed it, the V20 is not the best built phone but the features are all excellent. The IR blaster has been missing from phones these days and that has me coming back to LG. Nougat performs fantastically. Removeable battery. Expandable memory. All the stuff that has been disappearing from phones is in the V20. The battery is not great and will drain while in use but while in sleep uses almost no power, so it's not a bad tradeoff. Considering all the issues I was having with my Note 4 after it upgraded to Marshmellow, having a phone that works well and can upgrade to the latest Android releases going forward became important. Also, the second screen is a bit of a novelty but I now love it, I can quickly check any status updates without having to turn the main display, it is actually pretty neat. The phone is thin and definitely fragile, so get a heavy duty case for it. Like a lot of users who came from Samsung and are done with them for now, this is a good step (back) into LG. Can't wait to root this thing.
Not disagreeing with you but I don't know what best phone means. Too many variables to call something best or not the best.
Why didn't AC let someone else review this phone? We already knew what this editor was going to say. This was one of the worst reviews I've ever read on this site. He hates SD cards, removable batteries, large screens and now DACs and any feature that buyers actually like (such as edge or secondary displays). Obviously, this phone isn't for him- so why not allow someone to review a product who may actually appreciate its virtues? Do non techie nerd consumers care about a more "cohesive phone experience?" I doubt it. iPhone users are iPhone users and pre Pixel Androids all have UI quirks and lag from time to time. Before the S6, Samsungs were made from cheap glossy plastic and still sold like hot cakes- despite the issues of lag- they weren't all jumping ship to Apple so give me a break. Before Samsung went to the glass design, darn near every popular Android phone had a removable battery. Post S6, some AC editors now say replaceable batteries are useless. They also said SD cards were but HTC and Samsung listen to actual buyers and added the feature back. People buy what they like or what's popular, the end. Sometimes, it's clear that certain editors are simply out of touch with what real consumers value. Regular Android buyers don't finger filets or bevels, nor do they value the smoothest most simplistic UI. If they did, the HTC One would be the best selling Android phone or most would simply move to iOS.
I agree. This phone is so much better than the review suggests. First time I have owned an LG phone, and I love it. It is a great phone, with a lot of features and flexibility. Good job LG
I sure hope you are right. I am concerned about this "bootloop" issue that other models of LG phones seem to be plagued with. I will wait a month or two just to see if it surfaces.
I had the V10 for a year, not 1 issue. That was my first LG.
I'd rather read a review biased against a product. It might cost LG some sales, but when I'm reading it, I can see what they're nitpicking about and be able to say it's not a huge deal.
One of the biggest negatives here is that it's not as "premium" feeling as the other phones released this year? If that's a negative, then I have nothing to worry about upgrading from a G4. Also, I've felt the phone in store and it feels great so not being as premium as a phone next to it isn't a negative in my eyes.
When you read a review like this, it doesn't help you.
He says the camera is on par with the Pixel XL, when it's actually better. The issue is that LG overexposes images, but if you lower the exposure by a third of a stop or so, you end up with superior images.
If you shoot RAW (DNG) and process your own images, this camera is going to blow the Pixel XL out of the water. The Pixel's optics aren't a match for this phone. The only thing holding that phone up, is Google's processing... And even then, only in photos and in daylight. In Low Light the Pixel is mediocre and the pixel's video is all sorts of lulz - particularly in low light.
This phone has some of the best video stabilization - at least for 1080p video - on the market. It's almost (so close) iPhone level. Not the herk-a-jerk-jerk that you get on the Pixel.
Renee Ritchie was right. The Pixel is getting some serious curved grading in its favor by these fanboys.
This phone is far better than what this review suggests, and because of the obsession with "comparisons"; you end up with a much less informative piece of writing than if the author just reviewed the ******* phone and didn't waste so much space mentioning the S7 and Pixel. It serves no purpose. The purpose of a review is the review a product, not compare it with others.
That's what the shootouts and other things were for, I thought.
Very "odd" way to write this...
For me, this review only makes me more confident in my decision to get the V20 and I still haven't found a compelling reason to get a Pixel. A bunch of people drooling over it like they do with every single Google product or service isn't a good enough reason for me so V20 it is.
I'm with you on that. There was never a second I considered the Pixel for my next phone. I consider myself a power user and big time "media" person, and even though stock android and updates straight from Google are nice (I've had multiple Nexus devices, including most recently the Nexus 6), the hardware features of the V20 blow it out of the water...hi-fi dac, cameras (for both photos and video), screen size, removable battery, expandable storage, just put it at another level than the Pixel or XL could reach
I really just wish the V20 had stereo speakers.
I don't know....feels pretty premium to me.
Haha nicely said.
Dead On Arrival. Better luck next time LG.
Not.
I won't go that far at all. I think the V20 is appealing for the power user set to which the huge pile of features and some niche extra things appeal. That doesn't mean it's going to be broadly appealing or sell as well as the competition, but that's far from "dead on arrival."
Lots of wtf moments when reading this review. First of all the second screen is ridiculously useful, what is this reviewer talking about? What other phone keeps your entire display free when an there is an incoming call? It displays the call and lets your answer or decline right there on the second screen. Maybe the reviewer could mention how awesome that is?
At the gym inbetween sets I can just take my phone out of my pocket and click on the music controls without having to unlvok the phone, wake the display for the lockscreen etc. Same with bluetooth when I get in the car, its all right there in 1 second.
Also, my T-Mobile unit arrived 10/20/16. So how many people have the Pixel or had it last week? So for some, 1st U.S. Nougat phone.
Also, there is a speed test between the Pixel and V20 with a U.S. Market T-Mobile Unit (not tge Korean version or a preproduction) that shows the V20 outscoring in Antutu and in some apps and games. My unit scored a 141,000 and I've seen Pixels score 140-144,000.
There are so many positives with this phone, if you kiked the V10 this phone is amazing. If the Note 7 burned you (literally or emotionally), this phone is great and only lacks an S pen butpacks more features. The display is the best I've ever used.
Bravo. Great points
I don't have a pixel, but have the Nexus 6P, and the battery life is far superior on the V20 as far as I am concerned. Performance appears the same as the Nexus 6P.
I sold my Samsung S6 Edge 6+ for this phone, and as far as I am concerned the LG V20 is a better phone. I understand though that is subjective.
The performance on the V20 may feel on par with your 6P but it's definitely faster and has better performance across the board due to the Snapdragon 820 which is superior to the 810, and the Adreno 530 is the best on tge market.
I really don't find the Second Screen all that useful. I think I pretty clearly explained why: it makes the phone taller, duplicates functions that you can do simply elsewhere in the OS, and has the downside of accidentally activating when I'm trying to do other things on the phone. I don't deny that it can do things, but I don't think it's worth it. You clearly feel differently, good for you.
Are you really arguing about whether or not the V20 was the first phone with Nougat by citing some units arriving from T-Mobile on 10/20? Good lord.
I'm not sure how long you've been reading AC, but you must've missed the part where I don't care about what Antutu says. I care about the real-world experience of using the phone ... it's pretty fast, as I said. It's not as fast as a Pixel XL.
I completely agree that the V20 is a solid phone and like you said if you liked the V10 you'll probably like the V20.
Did they add the second display off-screen toggles from the V10 (silence, WiFi, flashlight, and camera) as a screen on page? That is the thing that bugs me about the second screen. My favorite feature of it was only available when the excrement was off. Also, is the responsiveness of the second screen improved from the V10?
Yes, as I am typing this there is Camera, wifi, flashlight, bluetooth and sound profile on the second screen. I swipe it left to show my 5 shortcuts of choice (settings google now music youtube, screen capture+) which I'll change as I go. With the new display everything is crisper, the time and,date is a bigger,better font, and yes the responsiveness is great which is probably due to the SD820.
Wait a second, the OP feels the need to defend his review to me? If you don't think that watching a Youtube video and getting your incoming call or texts on the second screen isn't a useful feature then your nuts. Why wouldn't anyone want their full screen video or game to continue without interruption?
If you're big into mobile gaming, the V10 and V20 have that extra feature that DOESN'T interrupt your screen or focus while your playing. I used to play Clash of Clans and when using one of my clan war attacks I never had a problem with a notification or a text popping up on screen bc theres a special place for that. Not to mention accessing everything faster like your music and other necessities in my original post.
And no I'm not arguing whether the Pixel or V20 was first, I'm merely correcting you because you felt it was important enough to include in your review, so at least know that some people do have the V20 in the U.D. already, b4 the Pixel.
And that attempted dig about not being sure how long I've been reading Android Central and that I must have missed the part... Perhaps you missed the part where I mentioned speed tests (opening apps and games/multitasking) have been pretty close between the Pixel and V20.
https://youtu.be/YcywO5kSY2k
Who cares what anyone thinks. For the most part reviews are just opinions. I find them useful at times because I obviously can't spend time with every phone and they help me eliminate certain phones off my list. Ultimately you have to choose what's right for yourself. I wouldn't touch a Samsung, Pixel or an Iphone at the moment but that doesn't make them bad phones..... Just bad for me. I also don't expect anyone to understand why I bought a V20 despite LG not always being perfect. Be happy with your choices and don't worry about what others think.
> I really don't find the Second Screen all that useful. I think I pretty clearly explained why: it makes the phone taller, duplicates functions that you can do simply elsewhere in the OS...
That you must unlock your phone for, and have the battery eating main display turn on for.
> ...has the downside of accidentally activating when I'm trying to do other things on the phone...
Your ineptitude in swipe gestures does not equal a fault of the phone. That's an issue with your motor coordination skills.
I went through the arduous process of linking multiple accounts, and retrieving passwords just to post a reply to your review. This is not the only place you've dismissed the concerns of posters as nonsense or not valid points.
The review you posted was sup-par, with constant plugs of other devices. The ACTUAL QUESTIONS POSTERS HAVE you've ignored completely. Those posts you have replied to, were filled with vitriol and snark. You are a horrible reviewer. You cannot seem to take the least bit of criticism, and completely ignore questions from those concerned enough to post.
I would fire your ass in a heart-beat.
I'm with you. I don't get it when people say the second screen isn't useful. I listen to a lot of music at the office and just being able to control music without turning on the main screen is great and under-rated, not to mention a battery saver.
The display is really good but not as good as the note 7 was My note 7 would score 148k on Antutu and pretty much all the second screen features on here were on the edge of the note 7 which had some third party apps as well like nba scores cnn news and others it had more fuctionality to it. don't get me wrong this is a great phone but I would not even give it a second glance if the note 7 didn't have the fire issues
Just wondering if LG uses the adoptable SD card mode or if they went the Samsung route and simply use it as an old-fashioned removable drive...
Just portable/removable storage. No Adoptable option.
I think you can turn on adoptable storage through Developer Options?
Andrew..
Since you have the AT&T branded phone could you do me a favor and see if you use the button combinations to get into the recovery please.. I am curious if they have locked folks out of it again like they did on the v10..
Much Appreciated
Reads like a Pixel review. Actually stopped reading to scan and see how many mentions of the Pixel were there. Not interested. Someone please link a review that is more about the phone and less about marketing the Pixel.
Great point.
So when I review a phone I'm not allowed to compare it to its direct competition? Two phones, similar prices, similar specs, overlapping audience ... this isn't something new that we're doing here. (I also compare it directly to other phones, not just the Pixels, but OK.) We always look at phones in the context of their competition. To look at phones in a vacuum would be horribly shortsighted.
Super glad you skipped reading the rest of the review to come comment here, though! I suggest you read the whole review :)
Yes! If no other phones existed, the V20 would be the most amazing piece of technology ever and everyone should buy one. Thing is, other phones do exist, so you have to compare.
This phone is hardly bigger than the Pixel XL, yet its size is a negative?
Exactly! Biased reviewer! Plus...battery life is amazing. My 12 hour day at work csme home and still at 55% where....my N7 was at around 30%. Plus....if u wanted to...u COULD change the battery. Its an option with this phone. Just another plus.
Of course everyone is going to have different views of the battery. That's why I lay out how I use the phone, how long it lasted and how that compares to my same usage on other phones. Consistently, over the course of weeks, the V20 underperformed in terms of battery compared to the competition. And when you look at the capacity that's some 5-15% smaller than the competition, it makes sense.
If the V20's battery lasts for you, that's great! It didn't last long enough for me to be blown away by it. It got me a full day, and nothing more — I think we've come to expect a bit more than that out of a big high-end phone.
Andrew......Somehow I find it hard to fathom that there are those who don't or can't (unless they are out in the wilderness) charge their phones when they have the opportunity? It boggles my 59 year old brain that a solid day doesn't suffice.....its totally irrelevant what other phones do or don't do....at least in my eyes.
It boggles my mind that some people don't understand that not everyone wants to keep their phones tethered to a power source all the time just to make sure it gets them through the day...
Some people don't want to have to think about charging during the day. Some literally don't have the opportunity to charge even if they wanted to.
Hardly bigger or smaller is relevant, because to a number of people, the difference shows right there. I tried a lot of phones that are said to have the same screen size, and yet they have all felt different. Some too tall, some too wide, some feel fine in the hand after a while, some make you feel tired after handling it.
I guess we have different feelings about what defines "hardly" bigger. The V20 is 5 mm taller and 3 mm wider (also a tad heavier) than the Pixel XL. That makes a big difference in usability.
I'm not trying to say the Pixel XL is a small phone by any stretch, but the V20 is considerably tougher to reach the top and opposite side of the screen when using in one hand.
The Pixel phones are FUGLY! They have no replaceable battery or microSD slot. I would give up water resistance any day to have those features. Sealed batteries are just a form of planned obsolescence. I'm still using a Galaxy Note 2 on it's 2nd REPLACEABLE battery. If you trade phones every year or two then I suppose it doesn't matter about the battery as much if you have quick charge 3.0.
Well it sounds like the V20 is for you.
And if you'd read this review, you'd see that I say just that — I'm happy to recommend the V20 to some people who find its features appealing. But that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Just like the Pixel XL isn't for everyone.
See? It's not that hard to understand.
The V20 being taller makes little to no difference in usability unless you expect to be able to reach the second screen effortlessly. That extra height is the second screen with a small top bezel.
Thanks to its smaller bottom bezel than the Pixel, it isn't like your thumb is stretching so much more. The top of the Pixel XL screen ends where the V20 status bar starts so, yeah, the V20 is hardly bigger. You're getting more screen while your thumb has almost the same reach. Add a notifications pull down button to your navigation bar and you'll never have to make that extra stretch.
The Pixel XL has a bigger difference in size with the LG G3 than the it does with the V20 and those two phones share the same screen size. Those iPhone bezels have more of a negative impact on the usability of the Pixel than the V20's added height from a second screen has on it.
When I read this review...I wondered how much he got paid by Google to push their pixel on their readers. What a joke! Just look at the freaking Pixel....its ugly as hell! This huge bezel?! I mean come on. The V20 has minimal bezel....2nd screen is super helpful...hello screenshot app? Just bc an editor doesnt use it that much...doesn't mean its not inventive or accept that some folks may use it a lot. Its like the s pen...I didn't use it much except for screen shots and highlighting things. That makes LG's screen shot app so perfect. The speed if this phone is amazing. Blows the former Note 7 out of the water! I just wish the reviewer would give more of an unbiased opinion and just review the phone without his opinion. His opinion obviously is biased bc every other sentence was about the ugly as hell pixel. The V20 is a great phone...It is a big phone. Some people actually like big phones. That's why the Note line is so popular. We don't mind big phones. Obviously the reviewer has tiny hands. .that's why he doesn't care for the phone. I thought the N7 was a bit too small with curved edges. A 5.9 screen to 6 would be great. But quit comparing every other sentence to the Pixel. If I wanted to know about it...I would read the other 85 posts in one day about the Pixel. It seems that these editors are worse than Apple fan boys when it comes to the Pixel. Thus was about the V20....stay on subject.
Gonna have to burst your bubble and explain that nobody paid me to say anything in this review. Shocker!
I am glad you love your precious Pixel. Maybe you should write an article about what you love about the Pixel. Oh wait....you just did but mistakenly titled it a V20 review.
Well... They did send you a phone. ;)
So did LG :)
And they gave you two phones.
Uh oh, does this mean you're biased towards LG and that the phone isn't as good as this review has me believing?!
I didn't have a specific problem with your review. Then again I never have a problem with anyone's reviews bcuz it's just a writers opinion. But this guy makes a valid point. I could never understand why ALL writers when they review a product compare it to something else on the market instead of reviewing s device on its own merits. I think reviewers do their readers a disservice when they do this honestly. I would love for a reviewer to do that. And then after that review maybe do a additional review that compares it to other devices on the market.
No phone exists in a vacuum. It's value is only relative to other phones on the market. You HAVE to compare it to other phones or the review is meaningless.
Just get an HTC 10.
Mr. Martonik, I think I caught an error. You noted the front camera as being 8mp. I think it's actually 5mp.
You're correct!
As a photography enthusiast (that owns 3 actual cameras and over half a dozen lenses, including several ultra wides and a fisheye) I'm really attracted to LG's 2nd ultra wide camera... I don't think they ever got enough credit for that, it's even more innovative than Apple's 2nd longer module (tho Apple's is probably technically harder to execute in a phone).
Shooting ultra wides effectively can be challenging but fun, if you don't include an interesting mix of foreground/background you're likely to end up with lots of empty sky/ground in frame, but it also allows you to play with perspective and proportions. Unfortunately not much else of what LG is doing seems very appealing to me.
A battery life shootout between this and a Moto Z Play stands to be downright embarrassing before even taking into account the prices or Moto/Incipio's battery Mod. Pixel and Galaxy both seem like better all around propositions, at least they managed to ship with Nougat. Android could definitely benefit from more phones shipping with the latest release.
I can't decide between the Pixel XL or the V20. I currently have the 7 Edge but have lost faith in Sammy including still waiting for my refund of the Note 7 that was backordered and never received. Edge does take great pics and I take a lot of them. Thoughts?
I would stick with what you have and see the full reviews on these before switching again.
same boat - I have the S7 Edge - but it feels oddly insignificant to me after the Note 7 :( I tried an iPhone 7+ and just couldn't take iOS stupidity. IMO, Pixel XL is overpriced and blah looking.
Everything a power user wants, unless you're in Europe.
They really made a mistake in excluding Europe.
I had a G3 and the V10 behind that. I will never buy an LG again. They were good phones at first, but by 7 months in, both started having issues staying connected to my bluetooth devices. At 8 months my G3's SD card slot completely stopped working. At 9 months my v10 started having artifacting issues on the screen. At 10 months the v10 went into an irreparable boot loop, (which apparently isn't an uncommon issue for the LG phone) necessitating a replacement from the manufacturer (and me without a phone for 5-7 working days). At 14 months, my G3's screen completely died (2 months out of warranty).
2 flagship phones, same manufacturer, both unuseable in less than 15 months with a litany of hardware issues along the way. LG just doesn't make a solid phone.
It is weird to me that lots of reviews seem to ignore the myriad problems that plague a not insignificant number of LG phones. I think they have serious QC issues.
I've only had the bootloop on the V10... Not any of the other issues mentioned above. However, after 7-8 months, a bootloop issue is unacceptable. I had the Note 7 coming from the V10. I am hoping LG has addressed the past issues and that I won't see these issues with this phone.
This is a review of the V20, not their other phones.
But their previous phone are of importance because they speak to the quality of the product they build. The G3 and v10 were LGs flagship and most expensive phones, yet neither were functional after 14 months. If I a going to spend $800 on a phone, I expect it (and all of its features) to be functional for longer than 7-14 months.
Meanwhile my G3 is going strong after over two years... Funny.
Problems with the G4 are wide spread and well documented. Problems with the V10, which would have been in production just about the same time as the G4 weren't nearly as widespread or enough for them to stop selling the phone, like the did with the G4. I haven't heard of any issues with the G5 or any other LG phone for that matter other than the G4 or and V10. I haven't heard of any problems with the G3 and I was very active in forums for that phone.
I am not worried about the V20 in the slightest.
I have seen lots of issues with the G5 posted on the boards (mostly about the buttons stopping working). I can also tell you from having the 2 LG phones and the LG Urbane 2 watch that the LG bluetooth connections are nowhere near as stable as they are on other company's devices.
That said, maybe the v20 will be an amazing phone and hold up well over time. It is all just speculation at this point and any company can "get it right" at any point (assuming they had it "wrong" before). Hopefully your v20 will be a beast for you.
Well, my G3 is going strong and the only problem I've had with the G4 is the same problem everyone had that got fixed so I have a working G3 and G4 with no issue. My G4 even spent a night submerged under about 6" of water in the pouring rain and it's running as good as new after being dried off and spending a day in rice. For not being waterproof, my G4 handled the weather quite well.
Coming from a G3 (rooted, custom rom) I wanted that phone so bad but then I was given a - tata! - Note 7. Unfortunately the experience was short lived (we all know why) but after using that I could never go back to LG. Also played around with my wife's Moto Z play droid (impressive) but bought a Note 5 instead. Next year Samsung is gonna be back on their feet with a fantastic new Note (or whatever they're gonna call it then) and I'm gonna jump on it. Interestingly, I always hated Sammy, lol!
If only the v20 was a little smaller and had an amoled screen.
Apparently the smaller version LG stashed away and didn't even reveal until it was unveiled as a Japanese exclusive and with water proofing. Oh LG. Let's make all the dumb decisions with this V20 launch.smh
They need to bring the v34 to the states. Lg has always made a better version isai for japan year after year. a 5.2" new lg is greatly needed.
Why do you desire an AMOLED screen? The V20's display is really nice.
I haven't seen the new lcd on the v20. It is just that all my previous lg lcd screens were dim and not as power efficient. Maybe this one is different
This one is definitely different. I agree the previous LG screens were rather dim, but this one's really good.
What about color calibration. Is it oversaturated like V10 or closer to reality?
I see no point in making the best manual camera features and not be able to see the picture you are about to take.
The screen is good on the V20 and I can even see it in the daylight. I live in Phoenix AZ "The Valley Of The Sun" so being able to see the screen in the daylight is big for me. I had a hard time seeing my Nexus 6 in the bright daylight.
yep, kind of a deal breaker for me....I require AMOLED for 'Dynamic Notifications'
Second screen kinda takes care of that
When can AC get reviewers with full sized hands? I am not giant, and I have never ever had a problem with a phone being too big for my hands.
Yet any phone that is over 5 inches is too big to handle for most reviewers
It is almost like people have different preferences regardless of hand size.
+1!
I have long fingers yes, but that doesn't mean that I would be interested in a big phone. I actually prefer the smaller phones.
My hands are big enough to palm a basketball.
That doesn't mean I enjoy using big phones or they make sense for most people. The V20 is a really big phone. Far too big for many people to manage in one hand and maybe even too big for some to fit in a pocket.
"The picture quality in this UHD disc is too good. Most people don't own 4K BluRay players."
OP is right. Not a regular, but it seems like every time I show up to read a review on a phablet I'm interested in, somehow the screen size is an issue. I mean, you'd kind of hope the reviewers would understand that folks who feel the Note/V20 screens are too big are likely opting for the S/G series instead. Crazy, right?
The analogy you make is ... well, not an analogy.
Having a UHD BluRay player and being ready for the future even if you don't have a 4K TV doesn't have a detrimental effect on the use of the 1080p TV you have now.
Having a big phone that you can't hold in your hand has a real downside ... in that you can't hold it in one hand. I also don't understand why people think that I don't "get" big phones. In every review I clearly state that some people like them, but that they aren't necessarily for me ... particularly when the phones are big for no reason and that size actively hurts the usability and general appeal of the phone.
If you like big phones, go for it — don't tell me I'm wrong for not wanting a big phone myself.
Kind of missed the point there entirely buddy. Granted, it was a bit of a reach on my part, but 4K BluRays exist for folks who want them the same way Phablets exist for folks who want bigger phones. Don't like phablets? That's perfectly fine, but either be a professional & keep the "too big for my hands" garbage out of the reviews or pass it off to a different writer. Nobody looking to buy a V20, Note 7, iPhone 7+, etc etc are going to be surprised by the apparently outrageously huge 5.7 inch screens.
When you get older bigger is better
When can we get commenters who don't try to insult us because we don't like something?
Never.
ok my apologies, my comment was a little insult-y. However I do stand by my opinion that you all go overboard on size complaints.
I don't see why everybody flips out either. A review is an opinion that is biased to certain facets of the writer whether intended or not. They objectively try to bring a review of their usage and limited experience. Certain features may be more important or less important to each of us, but in the end we EACH on our own must make the decision. They aren't buying the phones for us. Read multiple reviews. It's ok to disagree and still be respectful whether we agree or agree to disagree. In the end it's a phone. In a few days the next great one will be out!
Damn, glad someone gets it. +1 to SaltGuy.
The insults are silly, but it's hard not to be irked by the persistent tendency that tech bloggers have of favoring prettiness over functionality. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, to an outsider it does feel like in aggregate tech reviewers (incl. Android Central) have a measure of influence on industry trends through reviews etc. I think that's why some commenters get so upset. They see reviews as pushing the industry in directions that they don't like.
btw. rock that beard!
If my Nexus 6 died tomorrow, this would be the replacement, I think.
We don't want your Nexus 6 to die. Live on Nexus 6. Live on.
I went from Shamu to the V10.
My N6 screen cracked and I'm looking for a replacement. The V20 is on my short list. I really just wish it had stereo speakers.
Yesterday I got 21 hours of battery life with 4.75 hours of SOT with 32% left.......?
Relative to the user :) If you are happy- that is key! I expected about 4.5 SOT as total, based on my use and the hardware of the V20.
Oh yeah, I know it's relative.. lol it's just that my experience has been amazing, as well as lots of people in the v20 forum on this site.
+1
Even the reviewer is just giving his opinion is not absolute. Take the 2nd screen for example. I am always using it, but he doesn't think it will get daily use...and that may be the case...for him. It is what it is. I've done a live side by side comparison with a Pixel XL and watched a couple of similar comparisons on YouTube. There are definitely areas where the Pixel shows faster response but I honestly expected the difference to be greater. On several occasions, the V20 was faster to perform tasks than the V20. Everyone's experience will differ. That's inevitable.
I have no complaints about battery life the sot has easily exceeded my expectations.
At this point SoT isn't even very good at telling the whole story. First day of having my Pixel XL I got around 6 hours of SoT with battery to spare, of course I didn't play any games, didn't stream anything, and had a solid wifi connection the whole time. There are so many factors that go into battery life that at this point I find most predictors to be rather pointless.
As a G2/3/4/ V-10 user, my only issue is with their software implementation of Android. If LG were to tone it down in much the same way that Motorola, HTC, and One Plus does with their software, LG would hit it out of the park. Add to that, the second camera needs to be able to work in low light. LG
could do another dual camera set up but rather than 1.8 on the pixel size move to 1.55 on two 12mp cameras....that would be insane. With OIS, PDAF and
laser auto focus it would be a beast at night.
A move to UltraPixels would leave you with the same flare and halo issue the HTC and Pixel phones have. Be careful what you wish for.
Right. Why do OEM's add skins? To differentiate. But with the hardware differences on here, just go stock Android would ya.
This phone lags. My Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe does not lag at all. I thought the Galaxies lag but this lag even more.
I want to note that I have mostly the same apps installed on the ZF3D amd the LG V20.
That's unfortunate. I haven't experienced any lag yet.
Neither have I and I've been throwing everything at it.
Haven't had any lag issues with my V20 so far.
LOve this phone but it does has some issue with built quilaty.
how so? it has a MIL-STD-810G rating.
Sorry, I'm done with LG. As much as I have loved my Urbane and V10, I'm ditching them the first chance I get. I have been on the phone with them way too much and I continue to have issues with it.
Also Andrew, you didn't get too deep on the main camera at night shots. I saw a couples ones you posted but can't really see if it's really good or if it could not always be reliable. Any thoughts on this one? Can it compares to the Pixel and the GS7 in those settings?
I'll be working up a proper comparison between the cameras on the V20 and Pixel XL, but as I said in the review the main camera is about comparable to what I've been able to get out of the GS7 edge and Pixel XL in all situations. It's a really good camera.
Great! Thanx, I'll be waiting then.
Let me think.... removable short battery or water resistance
battery / water
water / battery
hmmm?
Got it - Water resistance with larger capacity sealed battery... that's better, but did LG stick with a tried and tested customer preference.
I'd love if they can do the IP67 Samsung done on the S5 which must obviously be patented.
Lol only a Samsung can wow apparently.
I don't get what's the appeal of a unibody feel being more important than a removable battery.
Because people actually care about what their phones feel like. And far fewer people care about being able to remove the battery.
You mean for the ten minutes they touch it before they put the case on it?
Not everyone uses a case.
But yes, even then. You're absolutely correct.
Hey Andrew... saw you are soccer fan.... any favorite fantasy soccer app?
*sorry... side note to photo of your apps haha!
I play Fantasy Premier League with the official FPL app. It's oddly a little crashy for some things so I end up using the mobile website a lot!
I'll have to check that one out.... thanks.
Yes, like Note 7 users... :-) Coming from a Note7/Galaxy S7 Edge I'm happily going to jump to the V20 as the design is easier to protect and use. The Edge screen looks great but is a pain in the butt to protect and accidental touches etc. are downright annoying. Everybody has different needs but honestly the Pixel XL is downright boring to me, the back is jarring to look at it, and from the front it might as well be an iPhone. But again different strokes for different folks.
From a size standpoint half a millimeter taller and .2 millimeters wider is nothing, but somehow the iPhone 7 Plus is a big seller. As far the second screen goes when the device main screen is off the second screen is far more functional than any other implementation by any other device out there. I truly have missed the second screen on my V10. And having the ability to put in a new battery is far and away a better experience than having to plug in a cord to recharge, not too mention easier to fix if there are issues ala Note7.
Completely disagree. Case and removable battery is more important to more people.
Unfortunately because the V20 is not a "mainstream" device most of the reviews will have the same narrative: LG V20 is a capable device but just ok because most people don't care about the features it presents. While this was a good review I feel like that's the feel I got from reading it. It's great but because most people prefer premium looks or bigger sealed in battery and most people don't have a decent enough pair of headphones to notice the hifi QuadDAC and other features it offers its just ok. The V20 is just different and most reviewers don't know how to categorize it.
There are many reviews out. All positive. The phone is top notch there's really no denying that.
I picked up my v20 yesterday and so far I must say... This thing ticks most if not all of the boxes for me. In 2016 I have been all LG including the v10 at the end of last year. All of the things that were missing from the v10 have been resolved in this phone and I am extremely satisfied. The g5 was great without the friends gimmick and I loved that phone other than the small size.
I have to say, good job all around on the v20, lg!
No ANT+ radio, Samsung Pay or water"proofing"...
Those things are important to me otherwise I love the LG phones I have had.
S7 Edge checks the boxes for now.
I've never had one phone that I needed water proofing for myself. Don't know why everyone is so stuck on that particular feature. Don't hold your phone over the porcelain God while ******* and you won't have that problem.
Everyone is different - I ride my bike often and can sweat and get caught in the rain - prefer to not worry about plastic bag because I like access phone to take pictures while biking. Sammy Loop Pay is brilliant (older terminals) when compared to Android Pay... And the ANT+ allows me to communicate with power meters and other ANT+ devices that is common for Garmin devices. But I loved my LG v10, LG G4 - I'm sure this is a great phone but I am avoiding this and the pixel for the few reasons I mention. YMMV
Fair enough. I do wish android would implement a system as reliable as Samsung pay..... I've never used ant+ personally and as far as the biking portion, I totally get that. I live in Seattle and a phone wouldn't last long on a bike ride here.
I thought Loop Pay was no longer a thing.
I definitely can't get it in the play store.
Loop pay was bought by Samsung and integrated into their latest phones. It requires loop hardware and accompanying software (Samsung Pay). It works on many terminals that don't support NFC.
Waterproofing is nice if you get caught in the rain or if you are out on an extremely hot day and sweat a lot. So just because you can't see a need doesn't mean it isn't an extremely nice thing to have.
Another solid option for Android users, I feel like we have some fantastic choices this year. Better than in years past I think. I am really looking forward to seeing how the ecosystem grows next year.
Really? I was thinking the opposite. Nothing released this year wowed me.
That is fair enough, I just think we have a variety of devices that are all really good. They might not wow you but that doesn't change the fact that there should be something to fit most user's needs.
Note 7 was the best :( just the look of the Pixel was disappointing to me, I like the Nexus 6 better!
Largely the same boat as you.
Only phone that disappointed me was the G5 (and the XPERIA X Performance). A lot of the other offerings were much better than last year's, and I don't mean in terms of hardware upgrades. I mean in terms of the experience and just how much this year's phones have improved.
That said, the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 due to its battery fires is a significant dent.
I really do miss my Silver Titanium Note 7. The LG V20 will have to do until the Note 8 is released. I have T-mobile with Jump and JOD lines, so Google Pixel XL is not going to work for me. Unless Google gets wise and releases the phones to all carriers.
I'd rather have smaller bezels and an overall smaller phone than the second screen...
Fortunately, that second screen only adds to the height and doesn't affect how the phone's usability at all. Smaller bottom bezel means it'll be easier reaching the top of the V20 main screen than it will to reach the top of smaller 5.5" screens.
The 2nd screen is very useful IMHO. Everyone uses their phone differently.
how about larger bezels and no 2nd screen = Pixel XL, LOL!