LG introduced its first flagship for the year – the G6 – back at MWC 2017 in February. Now the Korean tech giant is gearing up to unveil its second premium phone for the year with which it hopes to capture the spotlight again.
The handset – called the LG V30 – will compete head to head with Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 8 phablet, as well as Apple’s iPhone 8.
With little over a month to go before the LG V30 goes official, here’s everything we know so far about LG’s second flagship.
Design and display
The LG V20’s standout feature was the secondary ticker display housed above the primary touchscreen used to display notification icons and additional information without the need of turning the main screen on. But despite making the V series instantly recognizable, the secondary screen won’t make an appearance on the V30.
According to the most recent information available, the LG V30 will take advantage of a single OLED panel – a first for any LG flagship smartphone (except if you count the G Flex) – with 18:9 aspect ratio (just like the LG G6).
Speaking of which, it’s expected the LG V30 will follow the design language of the LG G6. That means the company will soon offer a new tall and narrow phone with thin bezels all around and a lightweight aluminum build.
A few months ago, well-known leakster @evleaks published a bunch of renders claiming they were old mock ups of the LG V30 (aka Project Joan). The photos showed a distinctive looking phone with a slide out secondary display. However, it seems unlikely the real-life V30 will look like this when it arrives at the end of August.
With the V10 and V20 both carrying 5.7-inch QHD displays, we expect the V30 to feature a similar display although with an 18:9 aspect ratio, instead of the usual 16:9. Dolby Vision and HDR 10 should also be included in the package. We also expect to see the phone arrive with IP68 waterproofing certification.
According to My Smart Price, the LG V30 will feature 151.4 x 75.2 x 7.4 mm measurements, which means it will be a little bit larger than the LG G6 which stands at 148.8 x 71.9 x 7.9mm.
02/08/2017 Update: Earlier rumors have claimed the LG V30 will arrive without the signature secondary display which was featured on both the V10 and V20. Now, according to a recent report the company will opt for a “floating bar” instead.
While the source who talked to Android Authority didn’t reveal exactly what this “floating bar” entails, it suggested the software feature will be able to provide quick access to shortcuts and even notifications – which is exactly what the ticker display was used for.
17/08/2017 Update: Here is a official looking press render of the V30 coming to us courtesy of Evan Blass.
LG V30
[tipping for good service is always appreciated: https://t.co/NwZ9Q1RB0N] pic.twitter.com/NxAuLgrpE5
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 16, 2017
Processing power
Trying to get ahead of the competition, LG released the G6 with an older Snapdragon 821 processor onboard. Well the LG V30 is expected to take advantage of a new Snapdragon 835 processor on board just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or HTC U11.
According to recently unearthed benchmark listings, the phone will also carry 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. And given that the LG G6 and LG V20 both offer a microSD card slot, it’s quite possible the V30 will too.
Cameras
Following tradition, the LG V30 should feature a dual camera setup on the back. Details on the matter are yet to be revealed, but we can speculate the company will adorn the new phone with a dual 13-megapixel camera with OIS, phase detection autofocus and wide angle lens just like in the case of the LG G6. As for selfies, the V30 could include a 5-megapixel snapper like the V20 does.
01/08/2017 Update: According to a recent report from Slash Gear, the V30 will be a great phone for low-light photography. That’s because the main camera will include the super wide aperture of f/1.6.
A wider aperture means more light can enter the sensor, thus reducing the time the shutter remains open, which helps deliver non-blurry night-time photos.
The V30 is expected to feature a dual-camera setup and only the main sensor is expected to include the f/1.6 aperture, while the wide-angle lens will include a higher one.
Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ feature f/1.7 aperture.
02/08/2017 Update: A new sketch showcasing the LG V30 surfaced via OnLeaks giving us a look at the upcoming phone. As you can see, the device looks pretty similar to the LG G6, although the cameras/flash arrangement has changed a little bit. Unlike on the LG G6, the V30 flash does not sit between the dual camera lenses.
08/28/2017 Update: A live image of the LG V30 just leaked via Weibo. Check out its sleek curves and slender body:
Other features
The LG V20 arrived with 32-bit Quad DAC from ESS and was the first to offer ESS’ HyperStream 2 audio technology. So we expect the V30 to build on this legacy and offer something for audiophiles this year too.
Not much info about the battery which will power the V30 is available at this point, but we can tell you the LG V20 uses a 3,200 mAh one, while the G6 includes a 3,300 mAh one. So we can speculate the V30 will include one of similar capacity.
LG’s next flagship will arrive with Android Nougat on board with LG’s own UX 6.0 user interface like in the case of the G6. There’s no doubt, LG will throw in some additional software tricks to spice things up. A wireless charging feature might also be in the cards.
Launch and pricing details
LG already send out invites for an event scheduled to take place on August 31, a day before the IFA 2017 trade show opens its gates in Berlin. Judging by the image attached to the invitation, we are pretty confident the company will introduce the LG V30 on the said date.
After the official introduction, the V30 is bound to be made available within 1 to 4 weeks. So customers should be able to pick one of these new smartphones sometime in mid to late September.
As for pricing, a report coming out of Korea claims the phone will be made available for the equivalent of $699 in the country. However, keep in mind currency conversions are not always an accurate way to predict a phone’s price for other regions.
01/08/2017 Update: According to some LG internal documents, the LG V30 is scheduled to go on sale in South Korea on September 15, while pre-orders in the US will open on September 17. Subsequently, the phone will go on sale in the country on September 28.
