LG V30 review: A sleek, high-spec successor to the LG G6

LG’s contribution to the smartphone market in 2017 has thus far been… forgettable. The LG G6 proved to be a fine smartphone, but its initial price point of £650 was unrealistic for something so unremarkable. The revised price – in the £400 region – makes the phone more attractive, not to mention accessible.

Now LG is back with its brand-new flagship, the LG V30 – successor to the LG V20 and the LG V10 before that. We were lucky enough to get a preview of the handset at IFA 2017. Read on to hear what we thought…

LG V30 UK price, release date and specifications

• Display: 6in QHD+ OLED (2880 x 1440)
• CPU: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 64GB / 128GB
• Camera: 16-megapixel f/1.6 and 13-megapixel f/1.9 (wide-angle)
• Price: TBC
• Release date: September 2017 (South Korea)

LG V30 review: Design, key features and first impressions

Upon first glance, the LG V30 is aesthetically pleasing, but certainly reminiscent of the LG G6. Sporting an all-display front like its flagship forerunner (the most arresting feature of the LG G6), the handset looks has a sleek feel and finish to it. No complaints there.

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The display is of the 18:9 persuasion – a novelty, yes, but the LG V30 gives credence to the large-screen phone phenomenon. The QHD+ screen measures up at 6in, and its OLED panel guarantees bold, lucid colours. Screen-wise, the LG V30 definitely packs a technicolour punch.

The handset sports a dual-camera setup on the rear, à la the LG G6, with one 16-megapixel f/1.6 lens working alongside a 120-degree, wide-angle, 13-megapixel f/1.9 counterpart. This permits more versatility when shooting, which becomes an absolute pleasure given the phone’s huge, crisp display. Expect amateur photography to take on a refreshing new dimension. Instagrams at the ready…

Meanwhile, it’s as promising on the inside as it is on the outside. The LG V30 runs Snapdragon 835 – the newest 10nm chip from Qualcomm – so all is up to date there. Indeed, Snapdragon 835 runs in a host of this year’s premium smartphones, from the HTC U11 to Samsung’s lusted-after Galaxy S8. In conjunction with this comes a commendable 4GB of RAM, and a touch of variety: buyers can opt for either 64GB or 128GB of inbuilt storage. Not bad.

LG V30 review: Early verdict

The LG V30 is an extremely promising flagship – it’s easy on the eyes (read: pretty darn sleek), boasts a large and vibrant display, and comes equipped with the high-level specs sported on premium phones.

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That being said, while we weren’t expecting it to revolutionise the smartphone world, it wouldn’t hurt to have sent a few tremors; as it stands, the LG V30 is spookily reminiscent of the LG G6. Innovation isn’t really the order of the day right now over at LG, with safe, high-spec, dependable all-rounders taking precedence. 

There hasn’t been concrete confirmation that the LG V30 will actually retail over here in the UK, but our sources suggest that Carphone Warehouse might just be shifting it.

Stay tuned for a full review of the LG V30 coming in the near future.