Approximately one year after its release, LG capitalized on the success of the LG G3 by releasing the LG G4. What many people didn’t expect, however, was for LG to release another high-end phone just a few months later. Enter the LG V10.
The first thing that stands out about the LG V10 is the second screen. Inspired by the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, this screen can be customized to show different things when the main screen is off or on. My second screen is set to display the date and time when the main screen is off, and show recent apps when the main screen is on. The recent apps feature is very useful. No more do I have to press soft keys and then choose what recent app to return to. With one simple touch, I can switch between apps.
The design of the LG V10 is phenomenal. The back has a rugged texture to it. There is almost no bezel on the sides of the phone, save for two slick metal pieces. The volume keys are located on the back. This is one of my favorite things about LG phones, as it allows there to be no buttons on the sides of the phone, which really helps the sides maintain a continuous, uninterrupted feel. The power button has a fingerprint reader.
The speaker on the LG V10 is good, but average. It is on the bottom beside the micro USB port, which is an upgrade from its location on the G3 and G4. The V10 offers Hi-fi DAC audio. This makes a huge difference in audio quality, especially when hooked up to a car’s sound system.
The LG V10’s display is top of the line. Touting a resolution of 1440 x 2560, the V10’s display is as good as it gets. Colors are rich, images are sharp and the screen is huge. This phone is definitely pushing more into the phablet (phone + tablet) area. But even someone with small hands can use the V10 with one hand. With one quick swipe from left to right across the soft keys, I can adjust the size of the display to whatever I want. When done, I simply press the X at the top right and it returns to full screen.
The LG V10 has the best camera I’ve used on a smartphone. The main 16 megapixel camera takes beautiful photos. The dual front-facing five megapixel cameras are also very good. The best feature about this? The two cameras on the front make taking group selfies a breeze. No more having to stretch your arm out as far as you can. The dual cameras allow very wide selfies to be taken. The drawback is the dual cameras cannot be turned off when using third party apps. This means you are stuck with wide selfies when using apps like Snapchat.
The LG V10 is currently running 5.1.1 lollipop, but will receive an upgrade to 6.0 marshmallow this year. There are custom software touches on the V10, but for the most part, this is pure Android. The LG texting app is “meh” at best, so I downloaded Google Messenger. The custom camera software is great, offering different modes and resolution settings. There are a few annoying games pre-installed on the phone, rip-offs of classics like Bejeweled and Peggle.
I have not experienced any hiccups when running apps. The phone is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 and never has to stop and catch up when launching an app. It also has four GB of RAM, which allowed me to open every third party app simultaneously without problems. Games run beautifully on the V10, without any noticeable slowdown.
That brings me to one of my only problems with the LG V10: the battery. While it isn’t horrible, it isn’t impressive. I go to class at about 9 a.m. By the time I get home at 3 p.m., the battery will already be at about 60%. This isn’t terrible for a heavy phone user like myself, but it could be better. Luckily, the LG V10 features quick charging, which allows me to charge my phone before I head to work in the evening. There is a drawback to this feature: it cannot be turned off. I would prefer to slow charge my battery when asleep at night, as to not wear out the battery from fast charging.
The LG V10 is the best phone I have ever used, but is it worth an upgrade from the LG G4 or even the G3? I don’t think so.
image via cnet.com
