Can LG's V30 claim Samsung's Android smartphone crown?
WIRED
In the Western world, there are two (possibly three, depending on how you look at it) major phone manufacturers. Apple's in a market of its own, while Samsung and Google are fighting for Android dominance.
Yet, all of the top devices from these firms look and feel largely the same. LG's latest flagship phone may not break any of these design trends but it does have the muscle to put up a challenge.
The LG V30 is a step-up from its previous top end devices, the G6 and V20. And it will be the first of LG's 'V' series to come to the UK. In terms of design, the V30 gets rid of all remaining bezel from the previous devices to create an almost edge-to-edge screen. It's a sleek phone, with the curved edges giving it a pleasing feel and look.
LG has also introduced its OLED screen technology into a handheld device for the first time in some years. This will be more than good enough for the average user, although there have been some reports of poorer performance in low light conditions. During my time with the device, at this year's IFA in Berlin, I didn't notice a performance drop but testing was limited.
WIRED
On the reverse of the V30 there's a fingerprint sensor and dual camera (a 16MP main camera and a 13MP wide-angle lens), which will be more than good enough for your Instagram posts. On the front of the phone there's a 5MP wide-angle lens.
What does stand out on the back of the phone is the logo; not of LG but of B&O Play, the affordable line from Bang & Olufsen. The Korean firm says the Play brand helped with "audio tuning" on the device and there's also a pair of its headphones in the box.
WIRED
The handset has the latest Snapdragon processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB internal memory with an expandable option of 2TB, and a large 3,300 mAh battery. There's also IP 68 water resistance, Andoird 7.1, face and voice recognition, and support for Google's Daydream VR platform.
These all compare favourably to the Galaxy S8 (which has the same Snapdragon, a smaller battery, the same RAM and storage). There are a few caveats when comparing the LG device to Samsung's flagship devices. It has a bigger screen than the S8 but a smaller one than the S8+, which packs in the same size battery as the V30.
One place where the feature-filled phone can definitely compete with the top end devices from other manufacturers is its price. LG didn't reveal the price of the handset when it launched but, as Trusted Reviews reported, it appears to have leaked the US price through a Twitter competition. If true, the V30 is set to come in at $749; this would leave it well within the range of the S8.
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