LG basically made its own version of a Galaxy S9+, and that may just be enough.
, LG's V series has been about content creation and offering more ways to capture the world around you. But over the years, the G and V series have to converged to the point where they're nearly identical. Not unlike Samsung's Galaxy S and Note lines (go figure), the G and V series are basically the same aside from slightly different sizes and some key feature advancements that a staggered release cycle affords.
In a world where hasn't garnered the mind share of , that leaves the V40 in a tough spot considering how much it shares with LG's attempt from earlier in the year. The "hook," if you will, is a five-camera setup that's backed up by neat camera software. But the V40 has more to offer, as the rest of the phone is filled with appealing specs and features lifted directly from Samsung's playbook.
Here's how it all comes together in the LG V40.
Five camera fun
LG V40 ThinQ
A great all-around high-end phone, with a price tag to match.
LG managed to make a top-notch phone by following Samsung's lead. The V40 is a beautiful and solid phone that's filled with must-have and nice-to-have features, with top-end specs and a large high-quality display. The software is quick and relatively simple, choosing to lean toward Google's ecosystem more than ever. The triple camera combination is a treat to shoot with and provides both unique and good-looking photos. The only potential shortcoming is underwhelming battery life that isn't as good as you'd expect for the V40's size.
Pros:
- Big, beautiful screen
- Triple camera is a treat
- Solid and beautiful hardware
- Headphone jack and good DAC
- Wireless charging
- Simpler software than before
- A phone this big should have more battery
- Secondary cameras missing OIS
- No higher storage option available
- Aurora Black model is slippery
I've been using a U.S. unlocked LG V40 for 6 days, initially in San Francisco, CA and then in Seattle, WA. The phone's software updated 2 days into the review period to build OPM1.171019.026 with the September 1, 2018 security patch. It was provided to Android Central for review by LG.
Solid
LG V40 Hardware, display and features
The V40 generally follows the industry trend of being a rounded metal-frame phone with smoothly sculpted glass and a typical layout of buttons and ports. The 6.4-inch display is notably larger than the G7, and is ever-so-slightly larger than the Galaxy S9+ — less than 1mm taller, and 2mm wider. It has a notch, of course, but LG made a subtle change to make the bottom bezel the same thickness as the top — and despite the notch up there it has a very nice sense of symmetry when you look at the screen.