Like many others I was surprised when the LG V10 was announced. I thought the LG G4 would be the flagship for the year. But when I heard the specs from the V10 and got some hands on time with it I was on board! Let’s jump into this review after you refresh yourself with the specs below.
LG V10 Specs:
Display: 5.7 inch Quantum 2K IPS (2560 × 1440 resolution 513 PPI) – Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Cameras: 16 Megapixel rear-facing camera (with OIS 2.0) / 5 megapixel dual lens front-facing cameras
Processor / RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 / 4 GB RAM
Memory: 64GB Internal Memory (with expansion slot )
Battery: 3,000 mAh removable battery /
Connectivity : Bluetooth 4.1/ Wi-Fi / NFC / USB 2.0 / micro SIM
OS: Android Lollipop 5.1
Features: Manual mode for Video/ Snap Video/ Wide Angle Selfie/ Fingerprint Sensor
–> Check out our first impressions and hands-on of the LG V30 HERE
Design and Build
Let me say that the build on the V10 is solid. Once you put the battery in, there is a good feel to it. With a similar build to the LG G4, the V10 has the keys placed in the rear. The volume keys surround the power/ standby key. The front of the V10 has 2 display. The main display, and a smaller notification display above it. The V10 also has 2 front facing cameras. You have the headphone jack, micro USB charging port, and speaker on the bottom. The navigation buttons are on screen.
Experience
Display and Software
LG has spoiled us with beautiful displays. It’s such a pretty phone to look at. Even though it has a large 5.7 inch display, it’s not too uncomfortable to hold in hand. I enjoy using large phones so it’s not a problem for me. The metal borders and rubber back cover make for a comfortable grip. It doesn’t feel flimsy or bendable. That solid feel is reassuring.
Check out our full review of the LG G6 HERE
LG definitely has cleaner software this year. It can be a bit better, but they are definntely moving along. It’s easier on the eyes, and better to navigate. It runs smoothly (as it should with so much RAM). There is no lag to be found in opening multiple apps, and switching between them. The performance is one of the smoothest I’ve experienced in Android.
Features
Fingerprint scanner – The V10 is LG’s first flagship to have a fingerprint scanner. It takes longer to setup than other phones. But what’s an extra minute or 2? It’s pretty much hit or miss. But when it does hit correctly, it unlocks the phone very quickly.
Second / Notification Screen – I like the idea of the second screen for notifications. It’s nice to be able to see the notificaitons without turning on the screen completely. It’s a bit on the small side, so sometimes it doesn’t get the job done.
Sound – The V10 sound amazing. Since the V10 has the expansion slot, you can add a big memory card to the device to listen to all your music. Of course you need good music files, and headphones.
Camera
Just like the G4, the LG V10 has a spectacular camera. With mobile photography being popular and also the main camera for many; having a camera with various options is the next step. Manual settings on the G4’s camera was one of the main features users loved. LG stepped it up a notch on the V10 with manual settings for recording videos. You can do so much to enhance the video. You can control the mics, and of course the camera settings. You can edit quite a decent video on the V10, which is great for those who like to upload videos from their phones. The camera won’t fail you in both manual and auto modes.
The front-facing cameras on the V10 are great for selfies; both single and group. I still don’t get why there couldn’t be just one wide-angled front facing camera.
–> Check out our first impressions and hands-on of the LG V30 HERE
Battery Life
This is where we run into a problem. The V10 has one of the worst battery spans I experienced. I never made it to more than 4 hours; maybe 5 hours if I was super careful with low usage. If you’re going to use the video mode, you won’t make it to even 3 hours. If you want to extend your battery life, you will have to keep the brightness down and use auto mode at all times. It’s a good thing, the V10 battery is removable. Get a battery pack and keep it close by.
Pricing and Availability
You can get the LG V10 on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The current model I reviewed was an AT&T version. As usual, I got great service in most of New York City with AT&T. There are usually promotions with the purchase of the LG V10. Sometimes it’s an extra battery or a memory card; sometimes even both.
Overall
The LG V10 is definitey a powerhouse device. A beautiful display powered with 4 GB RAM, and an awesome camera make for stellar phone for the mobile photographer. Keep a battery pack in your other pocket though, because the V10 won’t make it through an entire day. It’s available on all major carriers except Sprint.
