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

by Dave Altavilla — Friday, October 07, 2016, 11:28 AM EDT

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LG V20 Battery Life And Final Analysis

To determine how the LG V20 compares to other smartphones phones with respect to battery life, we ran the Nougat nugget through AnTuTu Tester's Battery test, a high-load benchmark that is designed to drain the battery in a device as quickly as possible. The test sets the display brightness to high and cranks up workloads for the processor, graphics core, and memory. It then runs through a number of real-world scripted workloads, including web browsing, gaming and video playback.

We'd caution this is more of a test to understand what a heavy usage model might look like in terms of battery life, rather than a mainstream light-duty mixed use case.

Battery Life

How Long Did They Last?

LG V20 AnTuTu Battery Life Test

The LG V20 shows perhaps its one soft spot, compared to the other Android devices we tested; under heavy workloads its battery sputters out quicker than most. Obviously, however, the LG V20 has battery-related strength as well, that most of the Android phones above don't have - a replaceable battery - so power users can at least bring a hot spare along for the ride. In terms of more real-world metrics and use cases, we had no trouble getting through a full day's work and play with the LG V20 with typical use. Its Second Screen display also shuts off automatically, when in a pocket or purse. So, if you're carrying the device around, rather than leaving it open on a desk (where it could likely be recharging anyway), that secondary display won't be draining the battery.

Find The LG V20 On Amazon

Performance-wise, the LG V20 feels very nimble and crisp, with nary a hiccup during testing so far. The phone also stays cool and comfortable during heavy use. It feels like Android Nougat has an influence here, but for sure LG’s UX 5+ isn’t getting in the way and slowing things down. And the V20’s Snapdragon 820 chip puts up some of the best Android flagship benchmark numbers we’ve seen to date. It’s about on par with devices like Samsung Galaxy S7, the HTC 10 or Motorola’s Moto Z series, which also employ the Snapdragon 820, though the V20 generally scored closer to the top of that pack in our initial testing.

Build quality-wise, the LG V20 is a really well-built device with premium materials and top-shelf camera performance in most lighting conditions. Though we'd love an AMOLED display instead of IPS, the V20's display gets it done and it's really only in a side-by-side that you'll notice the AMOLED advantage. Battery life for the V20 could be better, but it is refreshing to still have the option of a removable battery, coupled with quality materials in the phone's back plate.

In a nutshell, the LG V20 is a solid, high performance Android device with some standout features, like its tasty HiFi Quad DAC, its second screen, dual wide-angle cameras, and Android 7 Nougat OS. We’re still waiting on firm pricing from LG, however, if we look at what AT&T's typical monthly plans weigh out to, we're looking at an unlocked price of around $829, which is very pricey. Hopefully, there will be some wiggle room there as availability ramps up. Regardless, though the LG V20 is a little understated from a styling perspective, if that’s your thing and you like 'em on the bigger side at 5.7-inches, this LG handset is a competitive, cutting-edge Android option to consider with lots of useful and innovative features.


Clean, near-stock Android Nougat Useful Second Screen Top-of-class performance Good, full-featured camera performance Hi-Fi Quad DAC the real deal, sounds great Removable battery	Middling battery life No water or dust proofing No wiresless charging Pricey