Mobile Technology

LG G6 vs. LG V20

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A close look at two of LG's most recent premium flagships, the G6 and the V20
Removable battery
Second screen
Wireless charging
Water resistance rating
Fingerprint sensor
NFC
Headphone jack
microSD
Fast charging
Hi-Fi audio
Software
Starting price (full retail)
Release date
Built-in storage
RAM
Processor
Battery size
Camera aperture (rear)
Camera megapixels
Display type
Display resolution
Build materials
Colors
Display size
Dimensions
Weight
A close look at two of LG's most recent premium flagships, the G6 and the V20
Optical image stabiization
Dual-lens camera
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The G6 and V20 are the most recent premium flagships from LG. The newer G6 abandoned its previous generation's modular approach in favor of a glassy build and a striking display, while the V20 is a heftier phablet that caters to audiophiles. Here's how their features and specs square off.

Size

Dimensions

The G6 is a fairly compact phone, especially considering its screen size. The V20 – which is about 7-percent taller and 8-percent wider – falls more squarely in phablet territory.

Weight

Weight

It follows that the V20 weighs more as well.

Build

Build materials

The LG V20 has an aluminum unibody, while the newer G6 has front and back glass panels with an aluminum frame.

Colors

Colors

Each phone is available in three colors, though LG has yet to confirm which G6 variants will be available in the US.

Water resistance

Water resistance rating

The LG G6 has an IP68 water resistance rating, but don't expect the V20 to survive splashes or accidental dips.

Display size

Display size

The two phones have the same diagonal measurement, but the V20 has more screen area overall. Why? Because the displays have different aspect ratios. Like most phones, the V20 has a 16:9 aspect ratio, but the G6 has an unusual 18:9 ratio. That means its screen proportions are taller and skinnier than most – which stretches its diagonal farther than the available screen area would suggest.

Display resolution

Display resolution

The two have comparable high-resolution displays. They should both be noticeably sharp, but the G6 does win out in terms of pixel density.

Display type

Display type

LG is the rare Android manufacturer that opts for IPS instead of AMOLED displays.

Second Screen

Removable battery

The V20 has a Second Screen across the top of the display, which is home to a few shortcuts and also displays notifications without interrupting the main display. LG didn't carry that over to the G6.

Camera megapixels

Camera megapixels

The V20 has a higher-resolution rear camera, but the difference between 13 MP and 16 MP is not always easy to detect.

Dual-lens camera

Dual-lens camera

The G6 and V20 both have dual-lens cameras that combine standard and wide angle lenses. By toggling between the two, you can choose to fit more or less in the frame.

Camera aperture (rear)

Camera aperture (rear)

This pair has matching f/1.8 rear camera apertures.

Optical image stabilization

Fingerprint sensor

Both cameras are also equipped with optical image stabilization to minimize blur from shaky hands.

Battery

Battery size

The G6 has slightly higher battery capacity, but many factors go into overall battery life. We'll run our standard benchmark test on it when we conduct our full-length review.

Removable battery

Second screen

The LG V20 has a removable battery, a feature that used to be common in Android phones but is now becoming rather scarce.

Fast charging

Fingerprint sensor

Both phones support Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging when you're almost out of juice.

Wireless charging

Wireless charging

The G6 supports wireless charging, but only the US version.

Processor

Processor

Being newer, the G6 contains a more recent chip with a faster clock speed. The Snapdragon 820 in the V20 is still capable – it's only a year old – it's just not one of the latest and greatest.

RAM

RAM

The two have equal amounts of RAM.

Storage

Built-in storage

The V20 offers twice the built-in storage.

microSD

NFC

Conveniently, they both have microSD slots for expandable storage.

Headphone jack

Headphone jack

Unlike Apple, LG doesn't have the "courage" to remove the headphone jack.

Hi-fi audio

Second screen

The V20 packs an additional perk for audiophiles: high fidelity audio. It has 32-bit "Quad" DAC for wired listening and AptX HD Bluetooth codec for wireless, which should make the most of high-end headphones.

Some regional models of the G6 will have the Hi-Fi DAC, but not the US model.

Fingerprint sensor

Fast charging

Both phones have a fingerprint sensor on the back.

NFC

Fast charging

They also contain NFC technology, so you can use Android Pay to make on-the-go payments.

Operating system

Software

Both phones run Android Nougat with LG's (slightly bloat-y) branded skin.

Release

Release date

The G6 was just announced at MWC 2017. It hits shelves in Korea later this month and is expected in other countries shortly thereafter. The V20 came out last October.

Starting price (full retail)

Starting price (full retail)

US pricing for the LG G6 hasn't been confirmed yet, but we expect a price point that reflects its high-end status. Meanwhile, pricing for the V20 varies drastically by carrier – US$672 is a middle-of-the-road approximation.

To dig in beyond spec sheets, peruse New Atlas' hands-on impressions of the LG G6 and our review of the LG V20. Stay tuned – we will post a full-length review of the new G6 in the coming weeks.

Correction: The original version of this article stated that only the G6 has a dual-lens camera. (The V20 does too.) We regret the error.

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2 comments
Aaron Turpen
I just replaced an aging LG G3 last week with a new V20 and am very happy. The cameras are awesome and as an audiophile, I decided not to wait for the G6 as the V20 has what I want there.
Glad to see your comparison. I did this on my own and wasn't smart enough to see that it could have become an article. lol
Nicolas Zart
I got my Samsung S7 a few weeks before the LG V20 and regret it a lot. The S7 is bloated. I can't simply remove Facebook and its pernicious Messenger sidekick. The LG might be bloated as well, but I'm more of an audio person than video. Removable battery was high on my list. I'm wondering how I can switch 6 months into the new contract.
Aaron wanna switch ;)