LG V10

The V10 is the first in LG’s new line of “V” handsets. What sets the V lineup from LG’s other products is its focus on premium materials and specs. The question is does it succeed? For the most part, experts think it does especially on the design side. The V10 features a stainless steel frame instead of the standard aluminum, which makes gives it more heft weighing in at 192grams. LG goes a step further to include additional corner reinforcements for a MIL-STD-810G Transit Drop Compliant shock resistance.

At 6.3 x 3.12 inches, the V10 is not a small phone and experts had issues not only using it one-handed but fitting it in their pockets. With that said, they add it is still relatively comfortable to hold thanks to the curved sides and silicone back.

The reason behind the V10’s large size is its two displays. The main display is 5.7 inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels for a pixel density of 513ppi. Not surprisingly, reviewers describe it as crisp and clear. They mention colors were especially vivid and deep and the screen was easy to read even in direct sunlight.

The second screen is unique to the V10. It sits directly above the main screen and measures 2.1 inches with a resolution of 160 x 1040. This strip is customizable and displays six shortcut menus to swipe through: general greeting with the date and time, five recent apps, five favorite apps, music controller, five favorite contacts and calendar. The second display acts independently from the main and will always be on to show the time, date, battery status and weather. While experts did fine it somewhat useful, they note they could just as easily access all of the menus elsewhere. As well, they found it to be less novel than the curved displays on the S6 Edge+.

Although it doesn’t make use of the newest processor, the 1.8GHz six-core processor performed admirably. Critics were able to perform necessary tasks without a hitch and there was barely a pause when launching apps or unlocking the screen with a fingerprint. Even when multi-tasking they did not experience any stutters or lags. Playing graphics-intensive game was also a smooth experience for them. There were no crashes and they were able to play the most recent games without any frame rate drops. In order to keep the whole thing running, LG has popped in a 3,000mAh removable battery. It lasted critics around a full day, which they considered adequate. Other features include 64GB of internal storage which can be expandable to 2TB via microSD.

What really blew critics away though was its 16MP camera. They were able to capture sharp and accurate colors even in Auto mode. They were especially impressed with its low light pictures as the camera was still able to capture clear pictures with a very low amount of digital noise. Besides the standard Auto, the camera comes with numerous features and controls to adjust white balance, depth of field, ISO levels and shutter speed.

For the selfie taker, the V10 comes with TWO front-facing cameras: one with an 80-degree angle lens and the other with a 120-degree wide angle. Experts preferred the wider lens when taking group shots and the narrower one for regular selfies. They did notice some distortion around the edges when using the wide angles lens, though they add that it’s not an uncommon occurrence. Both cameras offer a 5MP resolution, which critics consider quite good and sharp.

While reviewers did like the V10, they consider it more a niche product for a certain market. CNET states, “If the V10’s goodies aren’t essential…it’s best to go with something cheaper.”