LG is a perennial underdog in the smartphone industry, constantly overshadowed by Samsung and others. To its credit, the company knows this, and keeps trying new approaches that might appeal to niche audiences - things that capitalise on its in-house expertise and that no other company is doing. That's how we got the gloriously impractical G Flex (Review), the V-series with dual screens, and last year's modular G5 (Review). LG also hopes that features such as high-quality audio playback and recording will attract buyers who really value that kind of thing above all else. Unfortunately, most of its devices have rough edges, and haven't been priced competitively.
When it comes to flagships, LG has had a split strategy for the past few years. Its G-series phones, usually launched around March, are more typical flagships, while the V-series models launched towards the end of the year are more experimental and offbeat. Last year's V20 (Review) had a secondary screen, dual cameras, reinforced aluminium body and high-end audio. We didn't mind having any of those features, but they didn't exactly make us want to run out and buy it either.
This year there's a new strategy at play. The main features of the LG V30+ are its top-end hardware and focus on design - in fact, this might be the best looking phone that LG has ever produced. Could this be the one that finally propels LG to the top of the sales charts? We can't wait to find out.
LG V30+ design
The LG V30+ completely sheds any similarity it might have had with its chunky predecessors. This is an incredibly slick phone, with curved glass in front and on the back, and a polished metal rim that screams luxury. Where the G6 (Review) was bland and thick, the V30+ is gently curved and perfectly proportioned. The construction quality is impeccable, and this phone feels every bit as good in the hand as the Samsung Galaxy S8 (Review) and iPhone 8 (Review). It's a huge leap for LG, especially considering how old-fashioned the V20 felt.
Our review unit was the silver version, which has a very subtle texture beneath the rear glass that catches the light as you turn the phone around in your hands. The only problem with this design is that both the front and rear are extremely slippery - the V30+ slid out of our trouser pockets on more than one occasion, especially when we were sitting in a car, and wouldn't stay put on any surface that was even slightly inclined. We were afraid of scuffs and scratches showing, but that didn't turn out to be a problem during our review period, at least.
The tall screen on the front is surrounded by black borders; narrower on the sides than on the top and bottom. Overall the look is quite minimalistic. The screen has rounded corners that match the curve of the frame, just like the one on the G6, and LG says that this makes the frame stronger. LG has used the same type and size of screen on the V30+ as on the Google Pixel 2 XL (Review), and while this phone manages to be less tall, the tradeoff is that doesn't have front-facing stereo speakers.
The power button is on the back, which is LG's one consistent brand differentiator. We personally find this inconvenient, but with face recognition and gesture shortcuts, it's easier to live with than before. There's a fingerprint sensor on the power button itself, and at least that winds up being where it needs to be. Above that is the dual camera bump which thankfully protrudes less than 1mm. Though you can't see it, the LG V30+ is IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. The only other interesting point to note is the "Made in India" stamp below LG's logo.
The volume buttons are on the left, and there's a hybrid dual-SIM tray on the right. There's a USB Type-C port and a single speaker cutout on the bottom, and a 3.5mm audio socket on the top. In the box, LG includes a microfibre cloth, an oversized Quick Charge 3.0-compliant charger, a USB Type-C cable, a nice-looking headset, and the usual leaflets.
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LG V30+ specifications and software
In some countries, LG sells the V30 and V30+ through different carriers, though there are zero cosmetic differences between them. They both have the same processor and screen. The V30, which has not been launched in India, has 64GB of storage and might or might not ship with B&O Play headphones in the box, depending on country. What you need to know is that the V30+ which has been launched in India has 128GB of storage, and you get LG's own Quadplay headset which is also touted as extremely high quality. Those are the sole differences between models.
It's also easy to see that there are several similarities between the LG V30/ V30+ and the Google Pixel 2 XL, which of course LG manufactures for Google. They have nearly identical specifications, right down to the 6-inch pOLED screen that LG developed itself. The panel has a resolution of 1440x2880 and supports the HDR-10 standard. It's extremely crisp and bright, and there's an always-on mode that lets you see the time and notifications when the phone is in standby, without taking too much of a hit to battery life.
However, the big problem is that the V30+ suffers from exactly the same colour shifting issues as the Pixel 2 XL. Just by tilting the phone side to side, you can see the colour tone change. Whites take on a pink or blue tint depending on the angle you hold the phone at. This is something we're going to pay a lot of attention to when evaluating the usability and performance of the V30+.
The processor at the heart of the V30+ is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. LG missed out on this hardware when it decided to ship the G6 ahead of its competition, so this actually makes the V30+ LG's first true flagship phone of the year. Unfortunately, Qualcomm has just announced the Snapdragon 845 which will undoubtedly power most of the next wave of flagship phones just a few months from now, and this phone could feel dated then.
There's 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can add up to 2TB more using a microSD card, though you'll have to sacrifice a second SIM because of the phone's hybrid dual-SIM design. Of course 4G and VoLTE are supported. The battery capacity is a generous 3300mAh, and wireless charging as well as Quick Charge 3.0 are supported. You get all the necessary standards including Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and GPS.
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