LG V20 is an Android phone manufactured by LG Electronics, in its LG V series. Unveiled on September 6, 2016, it marked the first phone to feature the Android Nougat operating system, it succeeded the LG V10 released in 2015. Like the V10, the V20 is distinguished by a secondary display panel near the top of the device, which can display additional messages and controls. The device also features a quad DAC for audio. The LG V30 was unveiled on 31 August 2017, as the successor to the V20.
Specifications
The LG V20 was released in 2016 as LG's second V series flagship smartphone. Its list of specifications includes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip, 4GB of RAM paired with 64GB of storage, 5.7-inch Quad HDIPS LCD with additional secondary display, dual 16MP + 8MP rear cameras, 5MP front-facing camera, and a 3,200mAh removable battery.
Hardware
The LG V20 continues the user-friendly hardware access design of the LG G5, having a removable back chassis of aluminium alloy for a significantly streamlined and convenient battery removal as well as easy access to internal components for any repairs, with polycarbonate plastic top and bottom caps, a USB-C connector compliant with Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0, and a rear-mounted power button with integrated fingerprint reader. It is available in Dark Grey, Pink, and Silver color finishes. The V20 features a 5.7-inch 1440p IPS LCD display with up to 500 nits of brightness, coated in Gorilla Glass 4, utilizing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. The device includes 64 GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card up to 2TB and a 3,200 mAh removable battery. The removable aluminium alloy cover as well as the removable battery is designed to act as shock and impact dissipation in the event that the V20 is dropped, in which case both will pop out from the main body and absorb the impact, dispersing the weight over the battery and cover, leaving the main components and screen less affected by drop damage compared to other smartphones. This makes the LG V20 one of the most drop shock resistant, durable and resilient consumer smartphone currently available. Similar to the V10, a second, supplemental display is located at the top of the device to the right of the 120° wide angle front-facing camera. The secondary separate display can be used to show notifications, access controls and apps, as well as display time and incoming messages. Both screens were made larger and brighter than those found on the V10. Additional features include an IR blaster, FM radio, a dedicated 24-bit high fidelity audio recorder able to record up to 24-bit/192 kHz with manual channel controls for effective noise elimination of up to 50% in audio/video recording compared to other smartphone audio recorders, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, as well as dual sim support for the H990N/H990DS international versions which doesn't take the microSD card slot like in most other dual sim supported smartphones. The V20 shipped with Bang & Olufsen H3 in-ear headphones for a limited time, and the phone's audio specifications and sound is tuned by the same company in some countries, including the international variants. Every model of the V20 includes the dedicated ESS Sabre ES9218 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, able to drive up to 600 ohm headphones to enhance wired headphones sound output quality with specifications of 130 dB SNR, 124 dB DNR and -112 dB THD+N. The LG V20 is currently the most powerful smartphone to have a removable battery. Videos can be recorded with FLAC audio tracks.
Software
The V20 ships with Android 7.0 Nougat and LG UX 5.0+ software. It was the first Android device to ship with Nougat. T-Mobile has confirmed that the V20 will be receiving an update for Android 8.0 Oreo.
Unique features
The V20 released with a strong combination of features, including user-replaceable battery, higher quality audio than the competition and strong camera hardware and software. As of Q1 2020, the V20 remains the only phone with a user serviceable and upgradable battery, DAC audio, 3.5mm headphone jack & IR blaster. As such, the phone has developed a following, despite the lack of an easily unlocked bootloader and bloatware.
