Posted on Sep 29th 2021
Design and Hardware:
The design of the V30 is a significant takeoff from the V10 and V20, and that is something worth investing in. The past V Series devices were large with massive loads of bezel. That was because of the Second Screen, which has been taken out from V30. The bezels have been thinned down to coordinate with phones like the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8.
The design is a top-notch form of the G6. It has a similar glass back, however, not the fake brushed aluminum texture under the panel. The sides are metal; however, they have been polished and adjusted. The G6 had sharp edges and level sides, while everything on the V30 is smooth and round. The camera module on the back additionally looks slick and clean.
Display:
The V30 has a 6-inch P-OLED display with an 18:9 angle ratio and 1440 x 2880 resolution. On paper, those specs sound astonishing. The size, viewpoint ratios, and resolution are genuinely extraordinary; however, the P-OLED is where a few issues emerge.
I genuinely like the size of the display, and I have become a big fan of the 18:9 aspect ratio. For phones with navigation bars, it simply bodes well. I'm also glad that LG chose to go with P-OLED rather than LCD. The LCD boards on past LG phones have been great; however, I lean toward the deep blacks of OLED.
Camera:
LG probably makes the best smartphone cameras that people don't think about. The discussion is consistently about the Pixel, Samsung, and Apple cameras; however, LG is right up there with them. The primary camera is 16MP with an f/1.6 focal point. The second back camera is 13MP with a 120-degree f/1.9 focal point. The front camera is 5MP which is decent but not great.
Software:
LG's Android is extraordinary compared to others you'll find. A couple of things come out as strange, like the default launcher, but those things can be changed. The "bones" of the software is a daintily cleaned adaptation of Android 7.1. Things look like though you'd anticipate them to look. LG isn't trying to waste time in this segment.