Key features
- Main 5.7″ Quantum display, QHD resolution (515ppi)
- Secondary 2.1″ line display, 1,040 x 160px
- Stainless steel (316L) body and Dura Skin cover; shock-proof (MIL-STD-810G)
- 16MP main camera, 1/2.6″ sensor, f/1.8 aperture; optical image stabilization and laser autofocus
- 2160p video capture, manual mic control
- Dual-selfie cameras: both 5MP, one with 80° lens, one with 120°
- Dual-core Cortex-A57 (1.82GHz) + quad-core Cortex-A53 (1.44GHz), Adreno 418, 4GB of RAM; Snapdragon 808 chipset
- Android 5.1 Lollipop with Optimus UI
- 64GB built-in storage plus microSD card slot
- Fingerprint sensor
- 3,000mAh battery; Quick Charge 2.0 (50% in 40 min)
Main disadvantages
- More powerful chipsets exist, a flagship should have gotten the best
- Rugged, but not water resistant
- The durable back cover not as premium as G4’s leather covers
- Rather heavy, even for its size
The LG V10 provides a nice antithesis of the Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+. Their sealed back compartments and glass backs (which double the chance of cracks when dropped) make them seem more vain than practical. Also, the Galaxy S6 edge+ does not use its dual-curved screen as a separate control like last year’s Note edge did.
LG issues a serious challenge to other makers on the camera and audio battlefields with the V10. The phone is also LG’s first to feature a fingerprint reader since 2009’s GW820 eXpo (not counting the Google-designed Nexus 5X).
Time to get started since there’s a lot of ground to cover. The bodywork on the LG V10 is quite complex, the software section has to explain why you need a secondary screen and the camera section has a couple of new terms to introduce to the world of smartphone photography.