I just bought my second v20 in two years as a backup for when this one dies. I have looked everywhere and cannot find any other phone with the replaceable battery, the SD card slot for a 2 terabyte card, and most important of all, the indispensable second screen. I would upgrade eventually if I could find one with those three features but I doubt it will ever exist. I have replaced my battery with a triple power one for full day coverage. The v30 was a non-starter since it doesn't have those essential features. I want to thank you for giving the second screen the appreciation it deserves. So many v20 reviewers say they don't see any value in the second screen but they just haven't made the effort to really use it.
I have been using the V20 for 5 months now and have had no issues. This to me is the best android phone currently available!Excellent and large display. Awesome sound, even better with headphones. IR blaster. I get very good battery life also. Does it all!
Nice I just ordered my first V20 phone brand new to replace my Note 3 which is also a phenomenal phone very reliable going on 8 yrs, but I can't wait for my V20 to get here!!!!
I've just bought one of these and it should arrive in a few days. I chose it because I realised it can replace several devices and seems to be the last of the great external battery phones. * The external battery means I can choose to use several batteries and swap them over (charging each battery outside of the phone while I use it). * I can choose a 12000ma battery if I really do expect to be away from power for a long time. * A sealed battery can be replaced but it's a pain and will degrade over time. If it were waterproof then will it still be waterproof if I opened it to replace it? An external battery really wins here. * I wanted to replace my Nexus 7 tablet. This is almost as big so saves me having to buy a new tablet for media consumption. * The audio is fantastic according to most reviews. I'l not only use it with headphones but can probably drive my aplified Bose laptop speakers with it for great sound. * An SD card is essential for me. * I bought the dual sim version so when needed could use the second sim card slot for a data-only sim to tether several family tablets while out with the family. * The IR Blaster is going to be very useful. * I was about to buy a cheap to mid-range compact camera. Now I don't need to. It seems tobe such a good all-round device.
Excellent review. I bought two LG V20 phones a couple of months ago. I am committing to phone longer term for the camera, the audio, but most of all the ability to change the battery.
Dude you are smart. I have a note 9 only because my buddy needed money. 200 bucks. Since I make music and upload to RU-vid sound and camera are important. The note is too close so I'm seriously thinking about one of these for the camera alone. I see used for 79 bucks. Lol. I want to try it. Thank you.
A beast of a phone..after 2 month of heavy use obsolutely no issue at all..No heating, no lag and i restarted the phone once in 2 month and 4 days of use. Best phone from LG so far..better then the G6 as well..
You going to miss alot if you go with the G6...the G6 is the female version of the G6.. The front camera is more powerful and get more quality pictures then the G6. Plus you going to loose those 4 HD mics that are on the v20. Also the sound video quality is 4 times better on the V20.. The G6 is a good phone for the price if you are an average user..
Your reviews are the best. You hit on everything. And have a good sense of form, function, various people's needs, etc. And you're not annoying. Keep it up.
Your commentary from 1:00 to 1:35 saved me from buying this phone. I'm technically incompetent. Plus, like you say, the V20 is big (like my old Note 4 that just broke a week ago). I don't mind big per se, but I've learned that the problem is actually width (or shape). I just bought the S8 instead. "Big"...but narrow...so it fits easy in hand...and fingers can access screen areas easier. Question, are you going to do more product reviews, and specifically the S8? You must review the S8 since it's the hottest thing going now. Thanks
If you live in the Los Angeles area I could bring you my S8. But surely you must know someone with one, since it's so popular. Yes, you really need to start making reviews a part of your life. I could see you being one of those popular RU-vid "must-see" review guys. Years from now or whatever.
Replacement battery on ebay for $6 (It's the same battery the phone came with). You can get the battery and charging port for less than $15. Several case options on ebay as well, I got mine for $5. No brainer. This phone is the real deal. Funny how people complain about the size, yet, everyone that looks at it says "It's SO much bigger than mine!"
This looks to be the best deal right now, I hope the link works. I got mine for $6 but that deal has expired. This is a 2 battery offer for $20. 2 IS better than one actually. This battery is the same battery that came with the phone. Hope this helps. www.ebay.com/itm/Original-BL-44E1F-3200mAh-Battery-for-LG-V20-H910-H918-LS997-VS995-Pack-of-2-/201857446865?hash=item2effa433d1
Nice I just ordered my first V20 phone brand new to replace my Note 3 which is also a phenomenal phone very reliable going on 8 yrs, but I can't wait for my V20 to get here!!!!
I just picked this phone up in Canada for 375 brand new. I bought a perfine 6400 mah aftermarket battery and hyperion case and it takes the phone to the next level! Great/underrated phone, Thank you LG!
got mine factory unlocked on ebay for $325 delivered. A far cry from $800+ for a note 8 or other high end phone. Had it 3 days and I LOVE it. The DAC CRUSHES!!! Best audio experience out of the box out there HANDS DOWN,
This phone in my opinion is an UNDERRATED BEAST! You can get them for so cheap right now. LG made a unique monster and smart buyers will see the amazing value this phone offers!
Audio is importantif you use wired speakers besides headphones. I run my Stylo2 through my old boombox, which has limited adjustments (although the speakers are detachable) when I'm home or a hotel room. The extra adjustments on the V20 would enable a more customized option tailored to whatever drivers the speakers might have. It would also help if you reuse multimedia computer speakers. Many have a limited dynamic range, if used as-is. The front-back option when recording might produce a surround effect when piped through a decent home theater receiver. As for the other features, too much time was spent on the power button. As far as the stock launcher goes, the one from LG was a bit slow and messy, so I downloaded Nova from the Play Store. Faster, cleaner, limitless customizations. BTW, the Stylo 2 and V20 both use Nougat, but the V20 probably uses more of it with all those sensors. And a removable battery is a MUST! Not so much for switching out during the day, but batteries degrade over time and buying a new device is just too expensive. And, since my phone also serves as my computer and landline, losing even one minute with it at the factory or repair shop is a major inconvenience.
I still love my V20. I have been thinking of picking up another new one when they go down below 200, as long as its new, just to have when this one finally fails....
Wow. You are really good at talking. I put it on 1.5x speed and you're so specific with the details that matter without irrelevant stuff. Very nice review, I don't think many other videos are this detailed and well informed than this vid, you seem to really know what you're talking about. With any luck I'm soon gonna get this phone refurbished for 200 bucks. :)
I know the video is old, but I hope you see this: The delay on turning on when pressing the sensor/button is due to the proximity sensor. if you take it out of your pocket or cover the sensor, it'll have a delay because it takes a while to realize it's uncovered.
$415 at AT&T today! Stoked ;) My Note 4 died last night :( But, this was the only phone I even liked in the store. The G6 just wasn't doing Anything for me.
Still rockin this phone today. Still stuck on Nougat (thanks T-mobile), can be laggy at times, and battery life isn't great, but it's still an Android enthusiast's dream phone.
Nice I just ordered my first V20 phone brand new to replace my Note 3 which is also a phenomenal phone very reliable going on 8 yrs, but I can't wait for my V20 to get here!!!!
The only review with an index! Planning an upgrade from my Stylo 2 to a refurb V20 within the next 6 months, to port to Boost Mobile. Removable battery, headphone jack and SD card slot a MUST.. SEALED PHONES MEAN PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE. Nougat is still solid for most business applications, and the high-contast black screen was eliminated in Oreo :'( As an audiophile, Ican't wait to hear what the quad DAC does with a good pair of multimedia speakers hooked up. Nice there are so many options to truly customize and adjust for this self-proclaimed technophile.
This phone is so good that after 3 years of owning it, and breaking it, I bought another (new in box) instead of upgrading to a newer version. It also only cost me $300 for a brand new phone, and the extra chargers I bought are still useful.
Hey Bill you are right, no one seems to talk about how the radios work in the real world compared to other devices, and not all radios are created equal! Thanks for mentioning that and the bluetooth performance. I'm the music nerd this phone was made for, but I use bluetooth every day in my vehicles, in the gym with my Jaybird X2s, and with my QC 35s when I travel. So as excited as I am to plug my Grado S80s into this thing, I need it to work in the real world. Thanks for taking the time to make such a thorough review. I'm bypassing the S8 and G6 and will be trading my S7 in to get a V20 on the cheap when I get back to the States next month.
Great video. You provide lots of details on actual user experience. It can be disappointing to buy a phone for specs and then be surprised by hassles in user experience.
I have a v20 on Verizon that I'm no longer using because I switched to T-Mobile. I also bought a v20 dual-sim which I'm setting up on T-Mobile & a Philippines SIM card. I opened up developer options and disabled animations to make it snappier in addition to running Nova Launcher. Just put a 512gb SD card in it too. This is the do everything beast. I picked up a couple of spare batteries on eBay as well as a magnetic insert for the charging jack to reduce wear.
I've owned a LG V20 since launch day on Verizon and I've never experienced boot loops even once. I use it heavily. The only problem I've experienced is a screen burn-in ghosting effect. It does disappear over time but it is noticeable.
Love LG over iPhones, Samsung n Google. Love my Stylo 3 better than my kids latest greatest iphone n S8. Was going to get the stylo 4 but no removable battery! So getting LG v20 64 gig unlocked for $188! Plus an extra battery, battery charger, 2 cases, screen protectors for $50. Can't wait! Why bother reviewing the body when everyone gets a case for it anyway!?
I'd say because it has good qualities even if it its size is a challenge at times. It feels nice, has less slickness and you don't feel like it will fly out of your hand. And if you can describe a phone as sexy, this one is just that, uhhh minus the Tryclops camera jutting out at the back
Great review. Thorough & spot on. I have not had any issues with the boot loop and plan to root mine now that it's been on the market a while because when it first came out and even up until about 6 months ago, there was not a reliable method for rooting.
Dude, you are spot on with your review. I own a LG V20 and it's been my best phone by far. There are flagship bullet points that you mention that should be on every phone that are flagship. Such as the Hi-Fi DAC, that is why I got the phone. It's big and I love the build quality. The camera manual mode is awesome. I will take a hit on some of the other things that may not be up to par with other phones but this in my opinion LG v20 is a phone that I'll be keeping for a very long time.
high contrast changes the sounds too, it's neat. My battery lasts alot longer than yours, I bought a replacement at the same time as the phone and just changed them. The original battery they sent was garbage.
Really good review! I've been using a G3 for over 2 years and couldn't wait for the V10. But with all the bootloop and other issues I've waited patiently and now I want the V20. I didn't hear you say anything about heat, is it a daily issue? LGs usually are more hot than other phones. Even my G3 gets hot. But also, I thought the glass that covers the camera was broken by then flash being on for a long time?
Bill Mazza Well the glass breaking, I read on a Reddit comment saying that would only happen if the flash is on for like 30 straight minutes and that was when the first reviews were coming out. So maybe that was nothing. But thanks for the reply. I think I'll be getting the V20 this week!
I have been looking around for some kind of "led test" for months. Maybe someone turning on the flash and leaving it on for an extended time.. Then leaving a short review about it. Something that could maybe verify whether or not the led caused the glass cracking. And so far.. no type of review since that one incident. All sorts of youtube vids, but no led / glass test. And yea, ive been just as paranoid about that damn glass as the reviewer here.
I am getting this as a replacement for my boot looped V10, it is costing me $5 because the insurance I got on mt phone years ago. I got ny V10 for $5 as well because it was replacing a beats phone my daughter had, she got her sisters old iPhone so i got the V10 which i like especially the video and picture quality as i record my son's and my band practice. The low light picture quality is really good on the V10 and and compared to my Galaxy Note 3 I was extremely happy.
I replaced everything on it and it is still holding up to audiophile and video needs. The 10K battery feels relieving but it will make camera stand incompatible.
Finger print sensor is slower if you have a 3rd party launcher. Battery life is OKAY at best. Not bad , not great. Music on the speaker is good but on speaker phone no-one can hear me unless I'm talking into the mic but I have a very low voice. Although the phone is super nice without a case I would not recommend using this phone without a case so it makes the camera bump flush with the case. Screen is GORGEOUS. I got this phone a month ago used for $200. Best $200 I've spent.
That's super in depth and very detailed review. Liked it and very helpful as I'm still deciding whether to go for 3T or V20. Strongly leaning towards 3T right now but can't decide rightly yet. I commonly use my phone for youtube and gaming. Hope you can help since you got both phones. Really looking forward for your reply. Thanks
+Zainsaki Rezuan if you don't really have a use for the DAC, I'd go for the 3T. That phone is crazy fast. But the V20 screen is higher resolution (and really nice for an LCD) so keep that in mind too. The V20 gets slow every once in a while, but things like the DAC make up for it. If you don't really care about the DAC, and you are ok with a 1080p screen, I'd say 3T
V30...unfortunately...no. They dropped the removable battery. Bad move for them. They were losing sales because of the bootloop problems on the G4 and V10. They were gaining customers now because they are one of the only companies who offered removable batteries on their phones. Now they are following the same BS trends every other manufacturer is doing. I hope the V20 last awhile like my S4 did. I made almost 3 and a half years with that phone. It still works too.
Yeah, and V20 is also a phone that offers VoLTE calling. So it won't turn into a brick at the end of this year (like a lot of phones prior to 2015 will) when Verizon shuts down it's CDMA 1X and 3G services. Yeah, other phones have better CPU, speaker and camera. But for a 2016 model, this phone still holds it's own. I'm currently still on Nougat and plan to stay that way for a little while, and am holding still at the 13a update, all because ever since I got this phone the battery life has been phenomenal. The first 10 months or so I was getting 8-10 hours of screen on time. My Samsung S4 would get only get 4.5 to 6 hours SOT. I read about a lot of the different OTA updates (which were usually a security update and some random patch that would fix some "bugs" or add a feature) including the Oreo update, battery life being much worse after the update. What a surprise, NOT! and half the time resetting and clearing Dalvik cache did not resolve it. If I knew for sure an update would not toast the battery (or was temporary), I'd do it. The Oreo update doesn't seem worth it.
Got it for 145 on ebay seems new and perfect an awesome 2nd phone to my note 8 love the second screen and is sweet to use as audio streamer as long as you have higher impedance head phones when using ear buds or less expensive head phones it does not get anywhere near as loud as either my note 8 or note 5 the best thing about this phone is its recording capabilities at shows love it
There is a setting native to ALL Nougat OS phones called "Mini View." It shrinks the display within the existing screen and you can move it to the right or left, depending on your preferred hand.
Hi Bill, I thought it might interest you (and others) as a precaution measure, the issue is the glass covering the camera lenses - that glass bit is fragile, it has been recommended to keep the plastic film on when you get a new phone, also get a case with a deep depression around the camera hump area to fully shelter that glass part,.last - I stumbled upon a movie on RU-vid not that great for showing what they try to show, but you might want to have a look at it anyways, some guy is taking a video while in the midst of it the glass cracks (as if) on it's own, I don't know if that video is genuine or what but the interesting thing is that one of the commenters there (Tom G) suggested a theory that: "...Apparently the heat from the flashlight function causes it to shatter..." that I find interesting it might be an engineering fault , I contacted LG with regard to that issue, CURRENTLY they do not acknowledge any such issue or any issue with the camera glass whatsoever, I highlighted the word CURRENTLY because I asked LG to update me if they see there IS ACTUALLY an issue which need to be addressed. at the moment maybe keep the factory film on, get a case and avoid using the flash when taking movies. link to the above video - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Rkt4b6hUMS8.html
This was the best review of the LG v20 that I have seen yet. Very thorough and you kept a coherent stream of thought covering the topics. I very much appreciated that. There is the IR blaster which is a very popular function on this phone as well that you forgot to cover. But at the very end of the presentation the use of God's name in vain is very uncool, highly unprofessional and uncouth. I haven't seen any of your other videos but I sincerely hope that you do not make it a common practice.
I have had my V20 for almost two years and I am totally in love with it, sadly when I have to replace it the later Smartphones or not for travellers or heavy use, in fact you need a laptop as well as the later badly designed devices. I wish that the Note 9 or the V40 were anything like as capable as the V20, progress stopped two years ago sadly.
For how long can you record a video before the battery drains? Say for a 30 minutes how much does the battery drop and does it have overheating or crashing problems? I'd really appreciate an answer, no one ever explains this
This phone is AWESOME! Write-up, is horrible for V20, but I am a manual camera affixionado, and this is best camera I have ever seen in a phone. What the Hell do we need a waterproof phone for? Just put phone in a ziplock bag! I much prefer the swappable battery. Big trade-off all the other companies chose!
Issues depends from model to model. I have h990ds. I have an issue with camera, when I turn on the camera, it takes 3 to 4 seconds, sometimes more, to display controls. My phone never froze while locked. My headphone jack is smooth as butter and doesn't fall. I got B&O headphones with this phone (not sure if everyone gets that) and still it says normal audio device
I have Ordered Sony XB55 earphone as my OLD XB90 was damaged, and also ordered a LG V20 Lemme know do headphones like XB55 have any special effect with the QUAD DAC or the change in quality is only Noticed with High END 150$ + Headphones?? Plz need to know this
how would it be if I get it in 2018.. can it last for 3 years atleast? and I browse for straight 5/8 hours.. and play heavy games.. will this be a good choice for me?
Bought the unlocked version from Bhphoto for $399.00 and so much phone for that money. I think I hit gold here. It's like this phone was made just for me and there is so much to learn about it's capabilities.
I just haveto say I have never experienced an android phone without any occasional software glitches. My work phone is an iPhone 6 never a glitch or problem. The biggest phone problem I run into (android) is the charge port breaking. All that being said we just ordered 2 of these.
i hape the iphone 6 plus 64gb and after 2,5 years i can't handle it any more, it's lagging and glitching all the time. How do you get it to work normal on the new ios11? Mine is just braking more and more every day and with every new update....
You say that it is great for audiophiles but my LG V20 does not recognize heaphones with pause and/or volume + & - and integrated microphone... I have tried to change the firmware from H915 to US996 and nothing changed, is the jack deffective? am I the only one getting this issue?
Great review! I've had mine for almost a year now. The one thing that is a problem is that hotspottting doesn't work. I've googled it and it's a very common problem. They do show how to fix it but one of the steps can only be done if the phone is rooted. Mine isn't, so no hotspot. If anyone has found a way of fixing it without rooting and still using Nougat, please add the link please. Has anyone upgraded it to Oreo or Pie? Is it better and if so, in what way? Does the hotspotting work with the upgrading? Thanks.
question, can you be online and on a call at the same time?.....is there a setting for that?.....my v20 seems like I can be online only one way......if a call comes in while I'm online it goes offline until the call is finished......not sure if there is a setting for that
+El Padrino my understanding is that if you are calling over LTE, you cannot use LTE for data at the same time. You can only go down, so you'd use the next lowest data level available. So if you're calling on H+, you would get bumped down to 3g for data I believe. So it'll probably just be pretty darn slow while you're talking. I don't think it should go offline though that probably depends on your carrier. I have tombile and I still get data during calls but it's slowed
Bill uses "High Impedance" INCORRECTLY! High Impedance is NOT the same as High Output! Here is his mistake: 16:42 Impedance is similar to "resistance", but at audio frequencies, expressed in ohms, and is the "ratio" of voltage to current. Ohms law E=IR; Z (impedance) = E/I. Good review, in all. Thanks! Edit: added timestamp
Thanks 4 replying man...I want a phone which lasts long, the reason I am thinking of moving is only because of the removable battery...coz when the battery starts to degrade I can just swap another in the LG V20. But that cant be done in the S7E. So I am looking at the bigger picture here. Other than that I am super satisfied with the S7E. Only that the battery I think doesn't give me the SOT it used to give me before.
Hi, can you please let me know one thing, In LG v20 second screen can we customize it? I mean if I want to set some apps icon over there like watsapp or Gmail etc, can I do that? Or it's fixed and can't be customizable...Please reply ASAP because I want to buy this mobile and need to know this before..Thanks in Advance
Bill Mazza Thanks for very quick response..Really appreciate you spare some time :)..But my question is still same, can I customize it? Like can i put gmail, watsapp, Facebook, 2 games apps on second screen so that when screen will off, I can see or open quickly without open main screen?
Could anyone advise me please? I've just bought a V20 and I'm having trouble making my Google Timeline see it. I've seen forums which say I have to find a device reporting setting and click report from this device, but I can't find that. If I go into Maps, settings, Google Location Settings, Maps, it does have location permission, so does Google, and Google Plus, but Google Play Services doesn't show location as a permission and I can't see how to add it. Also if I open Maps, Settings, Personal Content, it says location is on and location history is on but if I click either of those, it takes me to page to input my password to verify it's me, but then it only takes me to a screen that lets me change my name. That's not right is it?
Bill Mazza yeah maybe that's what it was. Hopefully you don't have any more issues. And I thought it was just me with the secondary display. Sonetimes notification look cut off or weird. But overall this phone is a beast. I have the spare battery and charger from lg. I'm never with a dead phone. You go in-depth. Nice review. liked and subbed
Bro, you have both the v20 and the 3t. I am trying to decide between them, so which one would you recommend? The price for both is roughly the same..so thats not an issue. Looking forward to your response
Bill Mazza thanks for such a detailed answer bro. Really appreciate it. My main use of the phone is for music and RU-vid... and yeah I use wired earphones... though no headphones. Will that make a difference? I am strongly leaning towards v20 but everyone I ask says get the 3t lol
