LG V20 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Gutsy or delusional. These are the only ways to describe LG’s move to launch a phone hours before Apple unveils its all-but-announced-but-technically-still-just-rumored iPhone 7.

And? Not bad at all. It doesn’t have a particularly radical design like last spring’s quasi-modular G5, but LG’s most premium phone is the very first to come with Android 7.0 Nougat software out of the box, and it has two rear cameras and a removable battery you can swap when power gets low. The 5.7-inch, aluminum-built handset is also a stylish, fully modern device that has a lot of extra software and hardware to make you a photo and video rock star.

From our time with it so far, the V20 seems compelling enough to benefit from Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 recall. As the first new phone with Nougat baked in, it could also gain a foothold against Google’s next “Nexus” phones (they’re rumored to be called something else). Read on for all that the V20 has to offer — including how the V20 fares against the competition (we’ll update with the new “iPhone 7” once Apple makes that official).

Metal-clad LG V20 sports always-on display,…
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Most promising V20 features

The V20’s rear cameras.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

• Two rear cameras and wide-angle front-facing camera
• Enhanced audio technology
• First to come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box
• Useful always-on secondary screen
• Removable battery
• Premium metal design

What’s questionable

• Battery capacity could stand to be higher than 3,200mAh
• Expected to be LG’s most expensive phone
• Lacks water resistance, unlike Samsung and Sony flagships

Everything else you need to know

Chock-full of high-end specs and packaged in a sleek, metal body, the V20 is LG’s most premium phone. And while retains some of its V10 predecessor’s most compelling features, the new V20 has a few tricks of its own too.

Wide-angle cameras on the front and back

LG is doubling down on its wide-angle endeavors by putting two wide-angle cameras on both the front and back of the V20. Like the G5, it has two shooters on the back that include a 16-megapixel standard lens and an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens that can capture up to 135 degrees. On the front is a single 5-megapixel camera that can switch between a 120-degree wide-angle setup and a narrower 83-degree frame.

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The LG V20 is a camera triple threat
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The phone also has advanced image stabilization technology, available exclusively from Qualcomm, to make it easier to snap clear photos even when you have an unsteady hand. And on top of the video features we commonly see (4K, slow motion and time-lapse), there are fun Instagram-esque filters that you can apply to recorded video. For a peek at camera quality, take a look at my quick test shots below and be sure to click on them to see them at their full resolution.

Images captured by the 16-megapixel standard lens (left) and the 8-megapixel wide-angle (right).

Lynn La/CNET

Some colorful fruit captured on the 16-megapixel rear camera.

Lynn La/CNET

A closeup shot of soda bottles using the 16-MP lens again.

Lynn La/CNET

Snapping a regular photo with the 5-megapixel front-facing camera (left) and using its wide-angle feature (right).

Lynn La/CNET

Android Nougat and that always-on screen

Although a few Nexus handsets have already received Google’s latest Android 7.0 update over the air, the V20 will be the first to come out of the box with the Nougat OS. This update bakes in tools that were previously available to past LG phones, such as split-screen apps and the ability to reply inside a notification. But there are other features too like Doze on the Go and a more Google Assistant.

Just like the V10, the V20 has a secondary screen that sits on top of its regular display. LG increased its contrast and brightness this time around so it’s easier to read. You can choose to have this screen perpetually on (even if your device is sleeping), and it displays your custom signature or text greeting, favorite and recent apps, favorite contacts and notifications.

Multi-window on the V20 (left) and replying directly from a notification (right).

Lynn La/CNET

Audio is huge

With this device, LG also put a big emphasis on audio. It equipped the phone with three mics and four digital-to-analog converters (the converters help to reduce white noise too). The V20 can record 24-bit sound (16-bit is common), meaning audio is more accurate and clear.

As a user, you can fine-tune your audio preferences in the Settings menu, like adjusting audio balance. There’s an app for HD audio recording as well, and according to LG, the device can handle recordings up to 132 decibels, which is as loud as a sport stadium full of screaming fans.

I was only to hear the audio coming out of the V20 very briefly, but it did sound louder and had more breadth than what I commonly hear. When I get my hands on a phone, I’ll be able to test it out more thoroughly, so stay tuned.

Tooling around with audio settings (left) and recording HD with LG’s app (right).

Lynn La/CNET

It has a battery cover eject button

Getting to the phone’s battery is easy breezy.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The V20 comes in titan, silver and pink (though the pink variant won’t come to the US) and features an aluminum and polycarbonate body. The back plate is made out of metal and instead of needing to wrangle and peel off the battery cover to swap out your SIM card or battery, the phone features a small release button on its right side that ejects the back plate easily.

Pricing and availability

The V20 is expected to be available near the end of the year. LG hasn’t announced an official price for the it yet, but if we go by last year’s price range, it may cost about $600-$700 without a contract (depending on the carrier), which converts to about £450-530 and AU$790-925. In the US, it will be available on all four major networks (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile) as well as U.S. Cellular. In addition, because the G5 cost more than its G4 predecessor, we wouldn’t be surprised if the V20’s price increased from last year’s as well. Whatever the case, we expect it to be more expensive than the Google Nexus 6P and perhaps just shy of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

LG V20 versus the competition

LG V20 comparison chart

5.7-inch; 2,560×1,440 pixels	5.3-inch; 2,560×1,440 pixels	5.7-inch; 2,560×1,440 pixels	5.7-inch; 2,560×1,440 pixels
515 ppi	554 ppi	518 ppi	515 ppi
6.29×3.01×0.3 inches	5.88×2.90×0.30 inches	6×2.9×0.3 inches	6.3×3.1×0.28 inches
159.7×78.1×7.7 mm	149.4×73.9×7.7 mm	153.5×73.9×7.9 mm	159x78x7.3 mm
6.24 oz; 177 g	5.61 oz; 159 g	6 oz; 169 g	6.3 oz; 178 g
Android 7.0 Nougat	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
16-megapixel, 8-megapixel wide	16-megapixel, 8-megapixel wide	12-megapixel	12.3-megapixel
5-megapixel	8-megapixel	5-megapixel	8-megapixel
4K	4K	4K	4K
2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820	2.15GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820	2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor (or Exynos, depending on region)	2GHz eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
64GB	32GB	64GB	32GB, 64GB, 128GB
4GB	4GB	4GB	3GB
2TB	2TB	200GB	None
3,200mAh (removable)	2,800mAh (removable)	3,500mAh (nonremovable)	3,450mAh (nonremovable)
Back cover	Back cover	Home button	Back cover
USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Two rear cameras; wide-angle front-facing camera; secondary screen on top	Pull-out battery; two rear cameras	S Pen stylus; water-resistant; wireless charging	Pure Android
TBD	AT&T: $689; Sprint: $576; T-Mobile: $630; Verizon: $624; U.S. Cellular: $636	AT&T: $880; T-Mobile: $849; U.S. Cellular: $834	$499 (32GB); $549 (64GB); $649 (128GB)
TBD	£539	£700	£449 (32GB); £499 (64GB); £579 (128GB)
TBD	AU$1,099	AU$1,349	AU$899 (32GB); AU$999 (64GB); AU$1,099 (128GB)