With the release of its new flagship handset, the V10, LG is going head-to-head with some of the world’s most advanced smartphone makers. So does it make the grade?
By Omar Sufan
The V10’s 5.7 inch display is one of the largest screens currently available amongst high-end phones. Boasting 2,560×1,440-pixel resolution, and 513 ppi density, its images and text are vibrant and pin sharp. The 2.1-inch secondary display is the one that’s supposed to give a unique identity to the phone, but doesn’t really offer any essential necessities. This narrow strip is customizable and offers six shortcut menus to swipe through.
The V10’s stainless steel case gives it a premium feel, but some might think it looks overly masculine. The phone weighs in at 192 grams with 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6 mm in dimensions, about the same size as a Galaxy S6 edge+, which barely sits comfortably in one hand.
The V10’s shooting capabilities are impressive, with a 16MP camera on the back and a 2.1MP camera on the front. Taking pictures in manual gives users the chance to experiment with ISO settings, shutter speed, and white balance. All this makes the V10 a joy to use for amateur and serious photographers alike.
LG fitted the phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, with a 2.26GHz quad-core Krait CPU. This gives the device a reliably fast and responsive performance. Furthermore, the power hungry features of the V10 did not put a strain on battery life. The phone’s 3,000mAh battery easily provided 14 hours of heavy usage.
In terms of software, LG has updated and upgraded the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. As far as Android skins go, it’s one of the most refined out there.
The default launcher is easy to use, while Dual Window allows you to run two apps at the same time. The Knock On feature that allows you to lock and unlock the phone by tapping twice on the screen, which appeared first on the G series, is also available in the V10.
Yet, one of the strongest features of the V10 is its storage capacity. It comes with 64 GB of storage, and unlike many flagship devices, there’s even a microSD slot.
The V10 is the first LG phone with a fingerprint sensor. It’s located on the back of the device, and doubles as the power button. It can be used for unlocking the phone as well as for extra tasks like Android Pay and Google Play Store purchases. The sensor is quite reliable and good enough that you’ll want to use it.
So much effort and detail has gone into giving the V10 a truly unique character of its own. If you are looking for a high-end Android smartphone that comes with a great camera and expandable memory, then the V10 should be right at the top of your list.
