LG has unveiled its newest flagship smartphone, a dual-screen device dubbed the V10. Along with a pair of front-facing cameras and a discreet second display, the phone offers manual control over video recording and high-end materials for a more durable build.
LG has gone with a 5.7-inch display in the V10, a slight upsizing from the 5.5-inch G4. Above this main QHD display is a second screen, a 2.1-inch display (which also has a razor sharp 513 PPI) that can be configured to show things like weather, time, date and battery 24/7, even when the main screen is off. With the main display switched on, the second screen can become a slender launching pad to fire up selected apps. It also serves the purpose of alerting you to texts or incoming calls when watching videos or playing games on the big screen without needing to pause.
With smartphones having long reached maturity in the most important areas, we've been seeing OEMs get more and more creative trying to differentiate their handsets, with features like curved screens (both of the sloped and banana-shaped types) and pressure-sensitive displays.
At first blush, it's easy to blow off the second screen as a gimmick (or at least somewhat redundant for people who own smartwatches), but we've been surprised before and we'll have to spend some quality time with the V10 before knowing one way or the other.
Alongside the second screen sit a pair of 5 MP front-facing cameras. Why the need for two, you ask? Well with each camera equipped with its own lens, LG says the array can snap clean, wide angle 120 degree selfies by stitching images from each camera together.
The V10 also has a manual mode for video recording, allowing users to set things like shutter speed, frame rate, ISO and white balance for more control over their captures. It includes image stablization and video can be recorded in HD, Full-HD or Ultra HD, in 16:9 and even 21:9 aspect ratio.
LG has opted for a stainless steel frame with with a soft, grid-pattern material on the back and bottom of the phone for better grip. It says the device has been independently shock and drop-tested from a height of 48 inches (1.21 m). nThe V10 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Processor (the same CPU found in the new Nexus 5X), a 3,000 mAh removable battery and 4GB of RAM. It comes with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop installed and 64 GB of onboard storage, extendable by way of a microSD card slot (supporting up to 2 TB).
The V10 weighs 192 g (6.77 oz) and comes in black, luxe white, beige, ocean blue and opal blue. It will be available in Korea this month, with US, China and countries in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East to follow. No word on pricing just yet, but US carriers will likely announce their own costs leading up to release.
