LG V30+ Review

LG V30 Plus review: The new flagship smartphone with a 6-inch OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 128GB storage.

The LG V20 was a really unique smartphone offering from LG last year with some unique feature, including a stunning camera experience. This year, the LG V30 and V30+ hope to upgrade the product and expectations. LG V30+ will become available in India this month and will be priced Rs 44,990. The LG V30+ is Amazon exclusive in India and goes on sale from December 18.

LG V30+ Price in India is Rs 44,990

LG V30+ Design and Display

LG V30+ looks a lot like the Google Pixel 2. Given that both the phones are made by LG, it is hard to pick among the two if they are placed together. Anyway, LG V30+ has a very functional design that is both sleek and handy. The phone seems like a LG device from far away, thanks to the rear fingerprint scanner that the company introduced to smartphones. There are no physical buttons on the front, while there are just volume keys on the front edge. The fingerprint scanner also doubles up as power button, which will take a bit of getting used to.

LG V30+ looks a lot like the Google Pixel 2. Given that both the phones are made by LG, it is hard to pick among the two if they are placed together.

LG V30+ display will be one thing I might actually end up buying this phone for. The 6.0″ QHD+ OLED Display offers 18:9 Aspect Ratio at 2880x 1440 pixels. At an 81.2 per cent screen-to-body ratio this is almost bezel-less and offers an immersive experience for those who want to consume lots of video. The 606 nits screen makes it among the brightest you can buy on a smartphone, effective when you are trying to use it under the sun.

LG V30+ Performance

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.45 GHz x 4 + 1.9 GHz x 4) Octa-Core MSM8998 processor combo yoked to 4GB of RAM, this is certainly a very powerful phone. You do need that kind of power and processing to satiate the dual-camera rig this phone has on board. For daily usage this means the phone packs more than what is needed and hence you will not be stuck in situations where the phone is not able to rise to the occasion. Also, in the week or so I used the phone, it did not heat up even once; and that is a big plus in my books. On benchmarks, the phone is ranked about the Nokia 8, but below the OnePlus 5T.

LG V30+ Camera

After the display, the other feature that can sell this phone is the rear camera. Like with the V20, the wide angle lens is an option on this camera, and the photos it ends up taking have a very unique perspective. Even in video, people might actually think you are using a GoPro to shoot. For the same reason, I would suggest this phone for those who are outdoors a lot and love shooting the world — and not just themselves — with their smartphone camera.

Also, the dual lens combo offers the ability to switch between the 16MP standard lens and the 13MP wide angle. So, in a single click the offers two different angles and this is way better than having just a zoom option.

However, given the versatile rear lens, the front camera is a put off. While the images are okay, there is a lot of lag up front and every time you take a selfie you have to ensure that you are dead still. If there is no natural light, then this camera can throw up some awkward images.

LG V30+ Software

LG V30+ offers an experience that is very close to pure Android with some tweaks that add real value. Instead of cluttering the home screen with the Google search box, you can just swipe down to summon it. This also brings up the recent conversations. There is also the Always On screen, which is a great help especially at night when you are just glancing at the phone to see the time.

LG V30+ Verdict

LG V30+ is a decent phone for those who want to buy something different. The overall performance, coupled with the wide angle camera and stunning display make this a phone that will make you stand out it a crowd. Also, the phone holds the promise of good user experience. But given the past experience with LG phones, it might be a good idea to hold on for a while and see if the price comes down a bit, making this a lot more desirable.