Take a straw poll - on social media or in person - and ask how many people around you have a LG smartphone. Chances are there will be a majority who do not have one. What is about LG that it hasn't been able to make a dent in the smartphone space? It's not as it the company has inferior products as it has a track record of making powerful smartphones. Perhaps it erred on the pricing strategy or went wrong with marketing them and positioning them correctly. LG isn't taken as a serious smartphone brand whereas rivals like Samsung and Google are way ahead it when it comes to high-end Android devices.
Still, you have to admire LG's persistence as it refuses to give up and is back with another flagship - the V30+. While reviewing the V20 - the previous flagship device from LG -- we felt that it lacked the essence of a flagship or a premium product. However, this time with the V30+, LG intends to give the users the ultimate smartphone experience with an OLED FullVision display, cinematic dual rear camera setup and high-performance audio output.
We used the LG V30 Plus for a few days to see if it is actually as good as it sounds or does it again leave us yearning for more...
Design and display
The LG V30+ is a beautifully crafted smartphone. It has curved glass on front and back and is slim and light. It has a 6-inch display with 7.3mm thickness and weighs just 158g. That definitely makes the V30+ a bit slippery and susceptible to drops. But LG's claim of the handset passing 14 different military-standard durability tests (MIL-STD 810G) does give some reassurance.
The V30+ looks nothing like we have seen from LG under its own brand. However, the device does look similar to Google Pixel from the front, given that both the smartphones use the same display from the South Korean company.
As for the back, the device houses the dual camera setup coupled with LED flash. Below that, there is the power button that also houses the fingerprint sensor. Besides this, the rear panel also has the V30+ and LG branding. The handset has volume rockers on the left and hybrid sim card tray on the right. The top has the 3.5mm jack while the bottom has USB Type-C port and a speaker.
The company has ditched its dual display feature and gone with the trend of the big-display-slim-bezel design. As mentioned before, the V30+ has the 6.0-inch FullVision QHD+pOLED display which has an 18:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 2880 x 1440p and 538ppi. This means that the handset is prone to issues the Google Pixel 2 has been facing since its launch. One of them being, a very visible blue tint. As we also saw at the time of Pixel 2 XL review, it's hard to overlook once you have noticed it. We did not see the screen burn-in or dull colour reproduction, but that doesn't mean they are not potential issues for the V30+ as well. Whether they surface as frequently as they did with the Google smartphones remains to be seen.
LG has offered a few display settings. You can select the screen resolution from -- 1,440x720p, 2,160x1,080p and 2,880x1,440p. There is also a Blue light filter for comfort view, which can be scheduled at any desired time. There is also an option to adjust the screen temperature or select from the already available modes such as "Normal", "best for movies", "best for photos" etc. The device also has an Always-On Display mode that lets you see the time and notifications -- this can be turned off.
LG seems to have got the design aspect spot on with the V30+. There is no chunkiness, no erratic placement of selfie camera and disproportional bezels. It is definitely among the best premium devices we have seen and the design is one of the stronger point of the smartphone.
Performance and camera
The V30+ faces stiff competition coming from Apple, Samsung and Google among others and it's no surprise that LG has packed the phone with some of the top-end specs in the market.
The smartphone has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB RAM. For storage, it offers 128GB in-built memory as a microSD card of up to 2TB. As for the software, the handset runs Android 7.1.2 with LG's own UI skin on the top. The V30+ offers great deal of customization and will certainly be appreciated by those who love to customize every tiny bit of their smartphones.
There are separate customizations for Home screen and Lock screen. The home screen layout can be selected from either having an app drawer or not. You can also select the screen swipe effect, icon shape, themes, font type and size, home button placement and colour to name a few things that you can alter.
Now that LG has ditched the second screen, it has introduced what is called the shortcut keys and floating bar. While the former works on locked screen, the floating bar works on the unlocked screen. Also, you can add your required app in the floating bar, you can't do the same for the shortcut keys. We found this feature to be useful at times but it does take some getting used to.
The V30+ boasts of facial unlock feature and a fingerprint sensor for security purposes. The fingerprint sensor was super smooth, but the facial recognition feature had a lag of just a couple of seconds. The handset has a Smart Doctor feature that optimizes the phone freeing up the RAM, runs tests on various sensors to check their health, sets battery saver mode.
Despite the heavy customization, the LG V30+ had no issues while multi-tasking between apps. It was smooth and lag-free with no heating issues as well. The audio output from the single speaker is pretty loud, one of the loudest we've seen actually, but the sound gets muffed while using the handset in portrait mode. For the audiophiles, the smartphone comes with a Hi-Fi Quad DAC feature that can be used only when headphones are connected to it -- something we also saw in LG G6. You can select the pre-set sound options, digital filters and toggle the balance sound. The sound was definitely enhanced after altering the settings. Like the V20, the V30+ has a HD Audio Recorder app which also delivers excellent output. The audio quality is certainly a differentiating feature of the V30+.
We ran Antutu and GeekBench 4 tests on our device. While the phone scored 158,859 in Antutu Benchmarks, the single-core and multi-core scores on GeekBench 4 were 1926 and 6371 respectively.
The V30+ is backed by a 3300mAh battery with support for fast charging that lasted us for slightly more than a day of average use that included playing games and browsing social media apps, with Wi-Fi turned on.
One of the most talked-about feature of the LG V30+ is its camera. Before we get into the detail, let's get the camera specs out of the way. The smartphone has a dual rear camera setup, consisting of one 16MP standard angle (f/1.6 aperture) and one 13MP 120 degrees wide angle (f/1.9 aperture) lens. LG V30+'s camera is said to be the world's first camera system to sport an aperture of f/1.6, which basically means that more light can enter the camera lens ultimately improving the low-light photography. The dual camera uses glass lens in lieu of plastic and that result in brighter images with less distortion, according to LG. Sounds great, doesn't it? Sadly, what's on paper doesn't really translate that well in reality. LG has made tall claims with its camera but the V30+ is a mixed bag. The low-light images we shot were hazy and the colour reproduction was also a bit off because of noise. The wide-angle shots were a bit darker compared to the primary camera but won't disappoint you. The day-light images of the handset certainly get our nod of approval as they came out sharp and extremely detailed. Even the video shot in 4K at 30fps was amazing with crisp audio recording.
The camera app comes with a lot of features for photography enthusiasts. Apart from offering some of the basic features such as slo-mo, time lapse, panorama, there some unique features such as the Cine Mode. This mode allows a user to smoothly zoom on to a particular spot, which was pretty smooth and frankly impressive. This mode also has what we commonly know as filters, but as per LG "create picture perfect tones like you've seen in famous movies. Unlike filters which degrade quality, videos maintain a cinema like appearance." We thought they were as good as the filters we've seen in various photography apps, frankly nothing more. There is an option to select the aspect ratio of the images you want to click - 4:3, 16:9, 18:9 and 1:1. Naturally, the resolution also changes with every selection.
For a phone that claims to have an excellent camera experience, the selfie camera is highly unsatisfactory. The images are artificial and lack detail. The selfie camera of the V30 is a 5MP unit with an f/2.2 aperture lens with a wide-angle and a standard mode. LG's choice of a 5MP sensor for a flagship device is frankly shocking as both mid-range and even budget smartphones offer better front cameras.
LG V30+ camera delivers a satisfactory performance as it gives a lot more control over the camera functions than most of the handsets out there. Yet, compare it with other flagships and it falls short, especially in low-light conditions. The low-light images captured by Google Pixel 2 or the iPhone 8 were superb. Even the front camera of these handsets was far superior.
Verdict
The LG V30+ is far from perfect but it has its fair share of strengths. It has a remarkable design, boasts of powerful specs, dual rear camera setup with some unique capabilities and a special quad DAC for the music lovers. However, a faulty display and below average front camera is not something one should settle for when purchasing a flagship device. The device offers a lot on paper but is a bit of a let-down when you use it.
At Rs 44,990, the device is cleverly priced between OnePlus 5T and the Samsung Galaxy S8, making no particular handset its 'direct' competitor in the Indian smartphone market. LG has been improving its flagships one device after another but till the time LG doesn't fix the quality issues - whether of the camera or the display - it will never be the ultimate Android flagship choice like Samsung for a high-end model or OnePlus for a more affordable option.
Still, you have to admire LG's persistence as it refuses to give up and is back with another flagship - the V30+. While reviewing the V20 - the previous flagship device from LG -- we felt that it lacked the essence of a flagship or a premium product. However, this time with the V30+, LG intends to give the users the ultimate smartphone experience with an OLED FullVision display, cinematic dual rear camera setup and high-performance audio output.
We used the LG V30 Plus for a few days to see if it is actually as good as it sounds or does it again leave us yearning for more...
Design and display
The LG V30+ is a beautifully crafted smartphone. It has curved glass on front and back and is slim and light. It has a 6-inch display with 7.3mm thickness and weighs just 158g. That definitely makes the V30+ a bit slippery and susceptible to drops. But LG's claim of the handset passing 14 different military-standard durability tests (MIL-STD 810G) does give some reassurance.
The V30+ looks nothing like we have seen from LG under its own brand. However, the device does look similar to Google Pixel from the front, given that both the smartphones use the same display from the South Korean company.
As for the back, the device houses the dual camera setup coupled with LED flash. Below that, there is the power button that also houses the fingerprint sensor. Besides this, the rear panel also has the V30+ and LG branding. The handset has volume rockers on the left and hybrid sim card tray on the right. The top has the 3.5mm jack while the bottom has USB Type-C port and a speaker.
The company has ditched its dual display feature and gone with the trend of the big-display-slim-bezel design. As mentioned before, the V30+ has the 6.0-inch FullVision QHD+pOLED display which has an 18:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 2880 x 1440p and 538ppi. This means that the handset is prone to issues the Google Pixel 2 has been facing since its launch. One of them being, a very visible blue tint. As we also saw at the time of Pixel 2 XL review, it's hard to overlook once you have noticed it. We did not see the screen burn-in or dull colour reproduction, but that doesn't mean they are not potential issues for the V30+ as well. Whether they surface as frequently as they did with the Google smartphones remains to be seen.
LG has offered a few display settings. You can select the screen resolution from -- 1,440x720p, 2,160x1,080p and 2,880x1,440p. There is also a Blue light filter for comfort view, which can be scheduled at any desired time. There is also an option to adjust the screen temperature or select from the already available modes such as "Normal", "best for movies", "best for photos" etc. The device also has an Always-On Display mode that lets you see the time and notifications -- this can be turned off.
LG seems to have got the design aspect spot on with the V30+. There is no chunkiness, no erratic placement of selfie camera and disproportional bezels. It is definitely among the best premium devices we have seen and the design is one of the stronger point of the smartphone.
Performance and camera
The V30+ faces stiff competition coming from Apple, Samsung and Google among others and it's no surprise that LG has packed the phone with some of the top-end specs in the market.
The smartphone has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB RAM. For storage, it offers 128GB in-built memory as a microSD card of up to 2TB. As for the software, the handset runs Android 7.1.2 with LG's own UI skin on the top. The V30+ offers great deal of customization and will certainly be appreciated by those who love to customize every tiny bit of their smartphones.
There are separate customizations for Home screen and Lock screen. The home screen layout can be selected from either having an app drawer or not. You can also select the screen swipe effect, icon shape, themes, font type and size, home button placement and colour to name a few things that you can alter.
Now that LG has ditched the second screen, it has introduced what is called the shortcut keys and floating bar. While the former works on locked screen, the floating bar works on the unlocked screen. Also, you can add your required app in the floating bar, you can't do the same for the shortcut keys. We found this feature to be useful at times but it does take some getting used to.
The V30+ boasts of facial unlock feature and a fingerprint sensor for security purposes. The fingerprint sensor was super smooth, but the facial recognition feature had a lag of just a couple of seconds. The handset has a Smart Doctor feature that optimizes the phone freeing up the RAM, runs tests on various sensors to check their health, sets battery saver mode.
Despite the heavy customization, the LG V30+ had no issues while multi-tasking between apps. It was smooth and lag-free with no heating issues as well. The audio output from the single speaker is pretty loud, one of the loudest we've seen actually, but the sound gets muffed while using the handset in portrait mode. For the audiophiles, the smartphone comes with a Hi-Fi Quad DAC feature that can be used only when headphones are connected to it -- something we also saw in LG G6. You can select the pre-set sound options, digital filters and toggle the balance sound. The sound was definitely enhanced after altering the settings. Like the V20, the V30+ has a HD Audio Recorder app which also delivers excellent output. The audio quality is certainly a differentiating feature of the V30+.
We ran Antutu and GeekBench 4 tests on our device. While the phone scored 158,859 in Antutu Benchmarks, the single-core and multi-core scores on GeekBench 4 were 1926 and 6371 respectively.
The V30+ is backed by a 3300mAh battery with support for fast charging that lasted us for slightly more than a day of average use that included playing games and browsing social media apps, with Wi-Fi turned on.
One of the most talked-about feature of the LG V30+ is its camera. Before we get into the detail, let's get the camera specs out of the way. The smartphone has a dual rear camera setup, consisting of one 16MP standard angle (f/1.6 aperture) and one 13MP 120 degrees wide angle (f/1.9 aperture) lens. LG V30+'s camera is said to be the world's first camera system to sport an aperture of f/1.6, which basically means that more light can enter the camera lens ultimately improving the low-light photography. The dual camera uses glass lens in lieu of plastic and that result in brighter images with less distortion, according to LG. Sounds great, doesn't it? Sadly, what's on paper doesn't really translate that well in reality. LG has made tall claims with its camera but the V30+ is a mixed bag. The low-light images we shot were hazy and the colour reproduction was also a bit off because of noise. The wide-angle shots were a bit darker compared to the primary camera but won't disappoint you. The day-light images of the handset certainly get our nod of approval as they came out sharp and extremely detailed. Even the video shot in 4K at 30fps was amazing with crisp audio recording.
The camera app comes with a lot of features for photography enthusiasts. Apart from offering some of the basic features such as slo-mo, time lapse, panorama, there some unique features such as the Cine Mode. This mode allows a user to smoothly zoom on to a particular spot, which was pretty smooth and frankly impressive. This mode also has what we commonly know as filters, but as per LG "create picture perfect tones like you've seen in famous movies. Unlike filters which degrade quality, videos maintain a cinema like appearance." We thought they were as good as the filters we've seen in various photography apps, frankly nothing more. There is an option to select the aspect ratio of the images you want to click - 4:3, 16:9, 18:9 and 1:1. Naturally, the resolution also changes with every selection.
For a phone that claims to have an excellent camera experience, the selfie camera is highly unsatisfactory. The images are artificial and lack detail. The selfie camera of the V30 is a 5MP unit with an f/2.2 aperture lens with a wide-angle and a standard mode. LG's choice of a 5MP sensor for a flagship device is frankly shocking as both mid-range and even budget smartphones offer better front cameras.
LG V30+ camera delivers a satisfactory performance as it gives a lot more control over the camera functions than most of the handsets out there. Yet, compare it with other flagships and it falls short, especially in low-light conditions. The low-light images captured by Google Pixel 2 or the iPhone 8 were superb. Even the front camera of these handsets was far superior.
Verdict
The LG V30+ is far from perfect but it has its fair share of strengths. It has a remarkable design, boasts of powerful specs, dual rear camera setup with some unique capabilities and a special quad DAC for the music lovers. However, a faulty display and below average front camera is not something one should settle for when purchasing a flagship device. The device offers a lot on paper but is a bit of a let-down when you use it.
At Rs 44,990, the device is cleverly priced between OnePlus 5T and the Samsung Galaxy S8, making no particular handset its 'direct' competitor in the Indian smartphone market. LG has been improving its flagships one device after another but till the time LG doesn't fix the quality issues - whether of the camera or the display - it will never be the ultimate Android flagship choice like Samsung for a high-end model or OnePlus for a more affordable option.
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