OnePlus 5T vs LG V30: first look

The LG V30 might be a distant memory for some, but for others, it remains fresh due to the fact that it brought on significant surprises – one that surely exceeded the expectations of critics! On the other hand, the OnePlus 5T is one of the last devices to be announced right before the impending holiday shopping season, making it a last-minute entrant to an already crowded scene. Both handsets are undoubtedly vying for a piece of the pie, so there's no arguing that these two have the guts in making them standouts this year. Which of the two will be win the hearts and minds of consumers?

Design

This quick first look comparison starts off with their designs, whereby the attraction will depend largely on your taste. Both designs nearly occupy the same footprint and thickness, but the biggest difference is in their choice of materials. With the glass meets metal construction of the LG V30, it shines brilliantly under the light, but is prone to smudges and fingerprints. At the same time, too, this combo makes it feel more fragile than the all-metal anodized aluminum construction of the OnePlus 5T. 

We will say, though, that we appreciate that 3.5mm headphone jacks and rear-planted fingerprint sensors are available with the two, but the V30's design bests its rival in the fact that it features an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

Display

Needless to say, the two opted to follow the trends by packaging in those near bezel-less screens and 18:9 screen aspect ratios. That's not too surprising, given how it provides for a cleaner look from the front, but as we dive deeper into the specs, it's the V30 that'll probably get the nods for its higher resolution. With its 6-inch 1440 x 2160 POLED display, there's more pixels crammed into the real-estate than the OnePlus 5T's 6-inch 1080 x 2160 AMOLED panel.

Most people wouldn't be able to discern the differences from normal distances, but there's still something to say for being higher in resolution – like being used for mobile VR experience, wherein those pixels become more noticeable up-close and personal. Beyond that, we do like the vibrancy of the V30's display, but it looks like the OnePlus 5T's screen is better equipped at maintaining its clarity at different viewing angles.

User Interface

This section too will primarily be determined by personal preference. At the core of its all, though, they're both running Android. Both feature their particular customizations, but it's safe to say that they're not pervasive to any degree. Favoring simplified interfaces, the customizations that we do see added on top of the regular Android experience only enhances the overall experience – like the V30's floating bar for quick access to certain apps/functions, as well as the new "Parallel Apps" feature of Oxygen OS on the OnePlus 5T.

All told, these added software features only help to enhance the experience. Until we spend a bit more time learning and appreciating the ins and outs of the latest OxygenOS experience, it's tough to say with a certain degree of confidence which of the two is the superior. Time will tell soon enough!

Processor and Memory

On paper, these flagships leverage the same octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoCs. Quickly checking out the two side-by-side to one another, they both exhibit the same fluid responses with baseline tasks. However, we're impressed that the LG V30, which we've been using for the better part of three months now, still remains as responsive as the day we first got it.

It should be pointed out as well that the OnePlus 5T is graced with a whopping 6 GB of RAM with the base model – and an even more generous 8 GB of RAM with the 128 GB one. In comparison, the LG V30's 4GB of RAM seems quaint and not quite as fitting. Although, it does have the advantage of offering storage expansion courtesy of its microSD card slot.

Camera

Another commonality between the two are their dual-camera implementations. Naturally, their purposes vastly differ from each other, as the dual 20MP cameras of the OnePlus 5T are meant for those portrait shots – while the dual-camera setup of the V30 is to offer a wider field of view.

We didn't get the chance to snap up enough shots to make a hasty first judgment, but we can say that if you're into video, you're probably going to want to stick with the V30 for its class-leading video centric feature – like its LG Cine color grading options, full manual video controls, and much more. For those looking to snap up photos, it seems as though the OnePlus 5T is going to be the more logical choice of the two, not only for its creamy looking portrait shots, but also for its potential to do better under low light situations.

Battery

Considering that they both pack 3300 mAh battery capacities, it'll be interesting to see if the OnePlus 5T will be able to achieve just a little bit more longevity. We've been content with the battery life out of the LG V30, but you kind of expect just a smidgen more juice with the OnePlus 5T because it's dealing with a slightly lower resolution display. Then again, it's also possible that the optimizations to the platform with the LG V30 are better, which can even things out.

While both handsets feature their own particular fast-charging systems, the LG V30 offers the convenience of wireless charging as well. And that's something you won't find with the OnePlus 5T

Expectations

The OnePlus 5T can be regarded to some degree as the anti-flagship, mainly because its price indicates to us that today's current trends and hardware can still be achieved in a price point that makes it almost unbelievable. Seriously, the $500 starting price of the OnePlus 5T is mind-boggling, especially when you stack it up against the $800+ starting cost of the LG V30. Then again, the V30 does offer the higher resolution display, a water-resistant construction, wireless charging, and expandable storage.

These features may be enough to sway people into choosing the V30, more so if they prefer having a camera for video recording more than still-shot photography. On the flip side, though, the savings you get with the OnePlus 5T shouldn't be overlooked as well. It's aggressively priced and should prove to be more than enough to lure people in who don't feel as comfortable in dishing out such a huge investment into a phone.