LG V20 Review: Android Nougat-Infused And Feature-Rich

Android 7, aka Nougat, has been rolling out primarily to Google's Nexus and new Pixel phones, as well as a few Motorola handsets, but a new Nougat contender has entered the fray, hot off the press from LG. The LG V20 is the follow-on to last year’s LG V10 and a current follow-up to the modular LG G5 that we reviewed recently. LG’s V series focuses on high quality, premium, larger-format designs that are feature-rich and the new LG V20 very much sticks to that mantra.

Sporting a large 5.7-inch QHD display with 2560X1440 resolution and powered by Qualcomm's venerable Snapdragon 820 SoC (System on Chip), the V20 brings with it a few tried and true tricks from LG's V's series, coupled with a few new amenities gleaned from both Android 7 Nougat, a beefed-up camera array, and some cutting-edge materials. The good news is, LG's typical user-serviceable battery setup is back, something power users laud LG for in a market full of sealed and annealed handsets. 
Regardless, with Apple, Google and Samsung all upping the ante in premium smartphones recently, we're sure you're wondering if LG's new V20 offers stand-out features or performance that justify a serious look from power user smartphone aficionados. It just might, actually. First, here's a hands-on look. Then we'll deep dive into the hardware and software, and finish-up by putting the new LG V20 through its paces.

LG V20 Specifications & Features

Model Name	LG V20
Display	5.7 inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (1440 X 2560 Resolution, 513 ppi pixel density) Secondary IPS Quantum Display (160X1040)
Processor	Snapdragon 820, 64bit Quad-Core Processor
Dimensions	159.7 x 78.1 x 7.7mm, 173g
SIM	Nano SIM, Dual SIM/microSD slot up to 2TB
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 4
GPU	Adreno 530
OS	Android 7.0 (Nougat)
RAM	4 GB LPDDR4
Storage	64 GB - microSD up to 2 TB
Camera	16MP f/1.8 rear primary camera w/ OIS; 8MP f/2.4 rear wide-angle camera, Laser AF, Phase-detect AF, Contrast AF - 5MP f/1.9 front facing wide-angle camera
Networking	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE support, v4.2 LE Bluetooth, NFC, USB Type-C, Infrared port, 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, GLONASS
Sensors	Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint, Gyro, Compass, Proximity, Color Spectrum
Battery	3200 mAh Removable Battery
Audio	32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, HD Audio Recorder
Colors	Silver, Titan, Gold, Pink
Price	Unconfirmed, carrier plans @ approx $829

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That's what you'd call a "kitchen sink" kind of load-out there, if you peruse the spec list for the LG V20. In addition to that Snapdragon 820 chip, you've got 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of storage backing you up, along with three cameras, two of which are equipped with wide angle lenses. And yes, the V20's back is removable, giving you access to not only that removable 3200 mAh battery but expandable storage as well with a combo SIM/microSD card slot ready to take things up another 2TB notch if need. If you need that much storage on your phone, you've got issues. Don't we all though...