LG V30 rumor review: design, specs, price, release date, and all we know so far

LG has something big and powerful to show us on August 31. That would be a new phone, naturally – the LG V30, as it will be called. Its purpose: to be the most technologically advanced smartphone LG's mobile division is capable of creating, to be a multimedia powerhouse capable of capturing and reproducing music, images and video with top-notch quality, and to be a worthy successor to the LG V20 from last year, of course. Here's how LG plans on achieving all of this.

Design and display

The LG V20 from last year was a rugged, manly-looking smartphone – large in size and tough in appearance. It was also far from beautiful in any way, and the V10 before it wasn't exactly elegant either. Things are bound to change with the V30, it seems. The new model is expected to be reminiscent of the LG G6 with its design – to have glass covering both its front and back, with slight curves near the edges. A metal frame will hold it all together. Don't expect seeing a removable back cover on this phone. As the V30 is most likely to be IP68-certified for water resistance, its back plate will be sealed shut.



Following in the footsteps of the LG G6, the LG V30 will adopt the 9 by 18 display aspect ratio, meaning that its screen will be slightly taller in shape than what the V20 had. This is good news, as the new proportions could make the handset narrower than the V20, thus easier to hold. The exact diagonal size of the V30's display is highly likely to stand at 6 inches.

Another change we're expecting to see is the retirement of the secondary display – a key differentiating factor for the V-series. But the functionality it offered would remain, at least partially. As it has been pretty much confirmed by now, the LG V30 will make the shift from LCD to AMOLED display technology. This will allow a small portion of the screen to remain lit during standby. Toggles and notifications will be shown there without that ruining the phone's battery life. And when the phone is in use, a small "floating" bar with shortcuts will be at a swipe's distance.

On a technical note, the resolution of the V30's display is rumored to be 1440 by 2880, which is the exact number of pixels the G6 sports. And yes, the corners will be curved slightly for aesthetic reasons. What could be more exciting, however, is the display's rumored ability to sense pressure. Reminiscent of Apple's Force Touch feature, this could allow the integration of various shortcuts and new levels of interaction throughout the interface. This will be paired with some new haptic feedback tech and matching UI animations, according to speculations.   

Processor, memory and software

We highly doubt that LG will be cutting any corners with the V30. Rumors have named the Shapdragon 835 as the chip of choice, along with 6GB of RAM. Built-in storage should be no less than 64 gigs, and microSD card support is not out of the question. Curiously, it is also rumored that an LG V30 Plus – an even more powerful version of the device, probably with additional RAM and/or storage on board – is being readied. This model, however, could end up launching solely in LG's homeland of Korea. 

On the software side, it is likely to see the LG V30 launch with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, as the newer Android Oreo might not be ready for release so soon. That would be a disappointment, frankly, after the V20 ran Nougat as well when it launched last year. 

That aside, the V30 will bring along numerous software modifications, so the experience wouldn't feel exactly stock. The app drawer, for example, would be removed for simplicity's sake, and you'll have the ability to reorganize the navigation buttons to your liking. Support for Google Assistant and Google Daydream VR will be on board.

Camera and multimedia

Not long ago, LG itself revealed plenty of details about the dual camera on the V30. One thing that will make it special is its use of a glass lens instead of a plastic one, which is expected to result in superior clarity and image fidelity. Meanwhile, an F1.6 aperture – the widest on a smartphone to date – will allow more light to hit the sensor, aiding in low-light environments. OIS, EIS, and laser-assisted autofocusing are also on board.

To clarify, the improvements above are to affect the V30's main camera only. But the secondary cam at the V30's back is also getting some love. Again, it will be a wide-angle shooter, but this time with 30% less distortion around the edges. At the same time, the camera module itself will be 30% smaller than the one used on the V20, which explains the much smaller camera bump seen in leaked images.

The camera app on the V30 is expected to be even richer in features than before. Of course, it will retain the options to take full manual control over photo taking and video recording, meeting the requirements of camera enthusiasts. But in addition to that, LG is said to be throwing in advanced, professional video file formats suitable for editing. 

Just like the LG V20 and the LG V10 before it, the LG V30 is expected to be equipped with plenty of features that allow it to capture high-quality audio as well: advanced microphones, a powerful audio DAC, and equally capable software to drive the process. As a reminder, the V20 came with a sophisticated audio recorder app. A pair of B&O earphones might be included with the phone in the box.

Battery

As we mentioned above, the LG V30 is expected to come with a glass back. This will allow wireless charging to be implemented – a feature that can't work through metal. Again, having a glass back will most certainly mean that the V30 will have a non-removable battery. As far as capacity goes, your guess is as good as ours. Quick charging is definitely going to be on board.

LG has already confirmed that it will be announcing the LG V30 on August 31 in Berlin. Korea is likely going to be the first market where the LG V30 will launch, followed by other markets soon after. The V-series has been available in a limited number of countries, presumably due to it being a niche device, but we're confident that a US-launch is in the cards. In fact, the phone is rumored to be coming to the US in late September. Pricing will be steep and should stand at no less than 700$.