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
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
It follows that the V20 weighs more as well.
Build
The LG V20 has an aluminum unibody, while the newer G6 has front and back glass panels with an aluminum frame.
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
The LG G6 has an IP68 water resistance rating, but don't expect the V20 to survive splashes or accidental dips.
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
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
LG is the rare Android manufacturer that opts for IPS instead of AMOLED displays.
Second Screen
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
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
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)
This pair has matching f/1.8 rear camera apertures.
Optical image stabilization
Both cameras are also equipped with optical image stabilization to minimize blur from shaky hands.
Battery
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
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
Both phones support Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging when you're almost out of juice.
Wireless charging
The G6 supports wireless charging, but only the US version.
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
The two have equal amounts of RAM.
Storage
The V20 offers twice the built-in storage.
microSD
Conveniently, they both have microSD slots for expandable storage.
Headphone jack
Unlike Apple, LG doesn't have the "courage" to remove the headphone jack.
Hi-fi audio
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
Both phones have a fingerprint sensor on the back.
NFC
They also contain NFC technology, so you can use Android Pay to make on-the-go payments.
Operating system
Both phones run Android Nougat with LG's (slightly bloat-y) branded skin.
Release
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)
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.
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
Aaron wanna switch ;)