The LG V20 is the first new smartphone in the world to run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, which is certainly a major accomplishment for a device that’s not a Nexus. The V20 is a phablet with a special dual screen feature, a device some fans may have been waiting for. It’s also a handset that most people will ignore this week on account of that iPhone 7 blizzard that’s about to hit.
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It might be awful timing to launch any product during Apple’s iPhone week in September, but that doesn’t mean the LG V20 isn’t a device worth checking out.
The V20 is made of lightweight aluminum and a new silicon-based material. Together, the two should better protect the V20 against drops and shocks. The V20 passed the MIL-STD Transit Drop Test, meaning it can still function when repeatedly dropped from a height of four feet and land in various positions.
The handset has a primary 5.7-inch IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440), and a secondary 160 x 1040 screen. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of UFS 2.0 memory, dual lens rear camera setup (16-megapixel f/1.8 with optical image stabilization and 8-megapixel f/2.4 wide-angle lens secondary camera), 5-megapixel f/1.9 wide-angle front-facing camera, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, LTE Cat. 12, 3,200 mAh removable battery, USB-C support, fingerprint sensor, Hi-Fi Quad DAC sound and Android 7.0 Nougat under the hood.
The phone will launch in Korea this month, with other regions to follow in the weeks to come. The phone will be available in titan, silver, and pink, although pricing details aren’t available for the V20 just yet.
The full press release follows below.
LG TAKES THE MULTIMEDIA MOBILE EXPERIENCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH V20
Enhanced Features Include Steady Record 2.0, Front and Rear Wide Angle Cameras, Hi-Fi Quad DAC, Android Nougat OSSEOUL, Sept. 7, 2016 — LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the V20, the latest in its V series of smartphones, delivering the highest multimedia capabilities available in a mobile device. The V20 boasts new features including Steady Record 2.0, Hi-Fi Quad DAC, HD Audio Recorder and front and rear wide-angle lens cameras to deliver best-in-class performance. It is also the world’s first smartphone to come preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat OS and the new Google In Apps phone search function.
The LG V series is a premium flagship smartphone line designed to provide users with the best video and audio experience. LG looked at the customers of the V10 and examined what they wanted and needed and determined that the V20 should be developed with “storytellers” in mind – for anyone who has something to say, anyone who has an experience to share.
Delivering Share-worthy, Crisp, Clear Videos
Steady Record 2.0
The LG V20, powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 processor with X12 LTE, introduces Steady Record 2.0, leveraging Qualcomm Technologies’ electronic image stabilization (EIS) 3.0 to record sharper video footage while neutralizing shaky images. The gyro-based EIS improves sync accuracy between the image and the gyro by reducing sync latency to only 50 milliseconds. EIS is complemented by digital image stabilization (DIS) which further improves video quality in post-processing by adjusting objects across frames and minimizing distortion caused by rolling shutter for smoother action.
Hi-Fi Video Recording
LG V20 owners can record Hi-Fi videos and manually control the settings for perfect audio quality using options such as Low Cut Filter (LCF) that removes unwanted background noise and Limiter (LMT) that sets recording distance. The LCF reduces background noise while the LMT zeroes in on voices the user wants to record. The V20 also captures audio using 24-bit / 48 kHz Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM), the same format used in professional video equipment.
The Purest Audio Experience
Hi-Fi Quad DAC
The V20 is the world’s first smartphone to feature a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, powered by ESS Technology, designers of high-performance audio products. Powered by ESS SABRE ES9218, the Quad DAC in the V20 delivers clearer sound by minimizing distortion and ambient noise by up to 50 percent. With 75-stage fine volume and L/R balance controls as well as support for lossless music formats including FLAC, DSD, AIFF and ALAC, the V20 delivers high-quality sound to any pair of earphones.
HD Audio Recorder
The HD Audio Recorder represents the next level of sound recording. This feature lets users capture studio quality audio with a wider dynamic frequency range using three high AOP microphones to record incredible sound that surpass audio recordings on conventional smartphones. With Studio Mode, manually control sound with easy-to-use keys similar to ones found in video cameras and use Music Recorded to create high quality audio suitable for auditions by recording singing voices over existing music.
In an effort to further enhance audio functions and design, LG continues its collaboration with B&O PLAY. The result in the LG V20 is a natural, balanced sound, reflecting B&O PLAY’s acoustic engineering philosophy.1
Capture It All and More
Front/Rear Wide Angle Lens
The wide angle capabilities of the front and rear cameras capture photos with an inclusive background, meaning users get more in the frame and leave nothing out. The 5MP front camera with a 120-degree lens expands the selfie experience to take bigger pictures with even more friends. The 8MP rear camera with its 135-degree lens is perfect for taking pictures in front of a gorgeous vista or inside a gigantic stadium. The large aperture standard angle lens captures sharp images at a maximum of 16MP with its 75-degree lens.
Auto Shot
The Auto Shot Function on the front camera produces perfect selfies with its face detection feature, which triggers the shot when the subject is ready and smiling. There is no need to press the shutter button, which usually increases camera shake and the likelihood of a blurred shot.
Hybrid Auto Focus
The V20’s Hybrid Auto Focus (HAF) ensures a sharp picture every time. A fast and stable auto focus is delivered in any environment by integrating three AF mechanisms – Laser Detection AF, Phase Detection AF and Contrast AF – for both videos and photos. The V20 determines if LDAF or PDAF is best for a particular shot and then refines the focus with Contrast AF. Users can take full advantage of the V20 when capturing sharp images of friends or family in action, in any lighting conditions.
Gives You More of What You Love
Second Screen
The popular Second Screen feature that was first introduced on the V10 has improved in visibility. With double the brightness and 50 percent larger font size compared to the V10, the smaller display located above the main display allows users to easily view notifications and alerts in outdoor situations at a glance.
Now with the Expandable Notifications feature, users can tap a button on the Second Screen to enlarge notifications in order to check long messages at a glance and quickly send a reply or share information.
LG UX 5.0+
The LG V20 comes with the mobile user interface LG UX 5.0+ to make it easier to use the multimedia functions tailored to customer needs. The LG UX 5.0+ is an upgraded version of the LG UX 5.0 first introduced on the LG G5. It is also the world’s first smartphone interface to run on Android 7.0 Nougat.
The LG V20 also features Multi-window to display two apps at once in a split screen allowing users to drag text, images, and files from one app to another. The combination of these advancements together with the 5.7-inch main IPS Quantum Display offers the best in multitasking capabilities.2
In Apps
The LG V20 is the world’s first phone to showcase Google’s In Apps. The new search mode featured in the Google app, helps users find content not only from built-in apps including contacts, emails, text messages and photos, but also from user-installed apps. It also enables users to discover recently accessed apps, people to get in touch with, messages to read or activity across apps without having to type a query.
Premium Design in a Durable Body
Premium Materials
To achieve both a sophisticated look and solid durability, LG uses lightweight aluminum, together with a new silicon-based material. AL6013 metal, found in aircraft, sailboats and mountain bikes, was selected to cover the back of the phone due to its sturdy but light properties. If dropped, the top and bottom of the phone are protected from damage by Silicone Polycarbonate (Si-PC). This innovative material, found in helmets, reduces shocks by more than 20 percent compared to conventional materials.
Durability
The LG V20 has also passed the MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test for durability conducted by an independent laboratory that conforms to U.S. military standards. The test determined that the V20 could withstand shocks and still function when dropped repeatedly from a height of four feet and landing in various positions, including the front, back, sides and corners.
“The LG V20 is designed to offer customers a more dynamic experience by building on the most popular video and audio features of the V series,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company. “With the LG V20, we are giving our customers more of everything they love and less of anything they don’t need to set a new standard for premium smartphones.”
The LG V20 will be available in Korea starting this month followed by other regions. Information regarding other markets and launch dates will be announced locally in the weeks to come.
Key Specifications: 3
Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 Processor
Display: Main 5.7-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440 / 513ppi) /
Secondary IPS Quantum Display (160 x 1040 / 513ppi)
Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM / 64GB UFS ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
Camera: Front 5MP with F1.9 Aperture (Wide Angle) / Rear 16MP with F1.8 Aperture OIS (Standard Angle) and 8MP with F2.4 Aperture (Wide Angle)
Battery: 3200mAh (removable)
Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat
Size: 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm
Network: LTE-A 3 Band CA
Connectivity: X12 LTE (up to 600 Mbps LTE Category 12 with 3x Carrier Aggregation) / Wi-Fi (802.11 a, b, g, n, ac) / USB Type-C / Bluetooth 4.2 BLE / NFC
Colors: Titan / Silver / Pink
Others: Hi-Fi Video Recording / Steady Record 2.0 / HD Audio Recorder / Studio Mode / High AOP Mic / Second Screen / 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC / In Apps / B&O Collaboration / Finger Print Scanner / Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0
———————————————–1 B&O PLAY collaboration edition available in specific markets only.
2 View video at https://youtu.be/u8gf32H1WOs
3 Specification may vary depending on the particular market.
