Amazon.com: Customer reviews: LG Electronics V20 - Factory Unlocked Phone

Sleek, Beautiful and Fast, Unlocked, Removable Battery, MicroSD, Second Screen, OS Customizations and Themes, etc

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2016

Color: TitanStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

This phone is absolutely amazing. I came from the LG V10, and I always loved that phone. I was waiting forever to upgrade to this phone. Finally received it on Nov 11th!

This phone is very sleek and beautiful. I rarely care about that, but it really is a nice looking phone.

Having a removable battery is in my top 3 needed things. It is the only thing that I sometimes budge on when buying a phone, but I hate to, it is so handy to be able to just swap batteries and in less than 30 seconds have another whole full charge. The new Battery Cover release button is awesome and I love the new metal battery cover. I purchased a LG Genuine extra battery and charger kit on eBay, shipped from Korea. Well worth it. I also love the USB Type C plug, fiddling in the dark is no longer a problem! The Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 is very fast and convenient as well. My Anker PowerCore+ 10000mah Portable Battery Charger with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 comes in handy when I'm not wanting to completely drain my battery. So between that and my second battery. I am set for a long time of use.

This phone is snappy, not only does Android 7.0 Nougat make it better, but I am very happy with it's performance. My only wish was that it would have had 5GB or 6GB of memory instead of 4GB like the V10 had. It's always nice to have a slight upgrade.

The second screen is by far in the top 3 coolest features of the phone. Always having the time and date available while the main screen is off is sweet. I also use the flashlight using the second screen while the main screen off a lot. You can control your music that way too. Saves battery and time. While the screen is on I have some contact shortcuts on it, and I love being able to answer and hang up a call from it while I'm in other apps. The main screen is also very high quality, loving the 5.7" Quad HD IPS.

I love the new fingerprint sensor and being able to unlock the phone with my fingerprint without having to press the power button. The V10, I could unlock with fingerprint, but had to press the power button first. I use fingerprint to unlock and get into secure apps very very frequently. Love this feature.

One thing I'm not sold on yet is the movement of the volume up and down buttons. I really did like having them on the back of the phone. Made one handed use even easier. I've been having some issues/getting used to the new location. Not even close to being a disappointment though.

Having an unlocked non-carrier version is the best thing ever. No carrier bloatware, and no carrier bootup screen. It's wonderful, and I love that I can use it on almost any carrier in the US.

I'm excited to use the camera more, the V10 camera was outstanding, and I can only imagine how much better this one will be. Being able to save photos to the MicroSD is awesome too. If the phone ever crashes I have all my photos on the MicroSD and can remove it. I also upload my photos to Dropbox, and using Google Photos with their unlimited free photo storage.

LG Backup is an amazing app, it really is. Between that app and what Google backs up, settings etc. Transferring phones was a breeze. I went from my V10 to my V20, in less than an hour and a half . Minus a few apps that had to be relogged in, or permissions having to be regiven. I highly recommend LG Backup to anyone.

Capture+ is very useful to me, to be able to quickly clip any part of my screen to share, instead of having to do a full screenshot. Nice feature of the QuickMemo+ app, otherwise, for notes I usually use notePad by niceSprite.

LG allows so many OS customization's that most manufacturers don't. I love the option to change the order and color of the soft touch buttons. I also noticed the addition of Phone Themes! This is awesome, I changed mine from the normal white to the Black High Contrast, and really like it. I also like that I can change and organize my status bar shortcuts. See photos. As you can notice, I use Nova Launcher, so I can't comment on the new LG launcher without an app drawer. But I think I did notice that LG has an option to download their old Home Screen and Launcher App.

I love having the Hi-Fi Quad DAC output through my treasured Headphone port (Sorry iPhone 7 users). I use Bluetooth in my car, I have a bluetooth beanie, a JBL Charge, and a JBL Micro Wireless, but I still use the headphone port while mowing the yard and whenever else I need to. I've also used the headphone port to plug in an external microphone using an adapter. So no Apple, it's not outdated and I still want it. I'm also excited to try the HD Audio Recorder that allows recording over a separate track.

Finally getting to Android Nougat, the best new feature in my opinion is direct reply notifications. This allows you to respond to emails, sms, instant messages, etc right from the notification tray. Very handy.

I probably missed something, I will add more if I think of it. But I would recommend this phone to anyone looking to upgrade to a new phone. It's one killer device.

179 people found this helpful

Helpful

M. Webb

Super deal for a super phone

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2017

Color: SilverStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

better late than never, as they say, so here's my review.
first and foremost i was looking for sound quality. i'm an audiophile and have been so since 1978 (my first stereo).
secondly, value was a huge concern.
so after looking everywhere i found that LG was the only manufacturer to cater to audiophiles. then much to my joy, i found that last year's model (2016) LG V20 has the same DAC as the LG V30.
boom! i wishlisted the sucker until the price was lowered by the actual release of the V 30.

now for the slightly confusing bit... i was a bit put off that an "unlocked" phone had an ATT box, but i went ahead and put in my nano-sim and sd(xc) memory.
well the phone boots with ATT world buullcrap...i was even more worried. then the LG walk thru was pleasantly brief....ok
well more bloatware set up that's unavoidable.
now i was planning on going to the ATT store to have them unlock this locked "unlocked" phone -
until the phone rang. my buds to the rescue lol.
the phone works just fine.

Make sure you find the APN's of your service so you can enter them in settings under network. otherwise no data.

OK real review. the LG V20 freaking rock and rolls. literally if you are playing a lossless 24/192 track - which it does with aplomb and style.

in order to find a dac that can compete with the sound of the V20 you have to go to the Chord Hugo... which may or may not be equal, given the same amplification. and that's double the price of the LG V20 in Nov. 2017. the V20 makes hash out of lesser dacs, the implementation of the ESS Sabre Quad DAC (dual differential in other brand speak) is spotlessly executed.
the one weakness is not from the DAC, it's from the amplification. my moderately hard to drive Focal Listen has to be in the 85% volume range before the stunning power and definition of the bass is realized.the expansive spaciousness, smoothness of the highest frequencies, pinpoint detailing and rock solid imaging along with the highly musical and engaging midrange is there at any volume. i would recommend that those using headphones known to be hard to drive use a quality amp - not a DAC/amp as the outboard DAC would have little to no value. i'm using the Focal Listen in the 85% volume range instead of the 65% volume i was planning on. For the IEM's , i'm using the 1MORE triple driver which has no problem at all. earbud and IEM users can ignore my gripes about the output level of the amp.

For desktop audio a solid win - all it needs is powered speakers or bluetooth. no other DAC needed except for the highest end, i.e. going over your super audiophile friends house who has $1k + DAC, plus matching gear, then you just whip out the USB cable and use your phone as the drive.
or if you're like most, you just turn on the bluetooth...which is finally listenable. the wifi antenna in the V20 is awesome as is the overall speed of operations and ease of use. the LG implementation of Android is very close to spot on.
given the power of the cpu and the screen size i can see power users might complain about battery life...but hey this phone has the ability to switch out a fully charged battery for a used one if you buy the extra battery kit (well worth it).
i'm doing that and a power bank anyways so it doesn't bother me.
oh yeah a phone protector case is highly recommended. i bought the zizo case in black for $10 and it works great.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

charles

Great phone - if Amazon actually shipped what they advertised

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2017

Color: TitanStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

The problem is not with the phone but with the listing and the Seller's description. The description here is for a factory unlocked phone. It is not.

Let me explain. There are several types of "unlocked" phones.

Each carrier has their own version of this (and any other) phone. These phones have their carrier's software on top of the stock LG software. A factory unlocked phone has only the LG software and has the ability for carrier software to be added.

Once a carrier has added their software, the average consumer cannot easily remove that carrier software. While an "unlocked" carrier phone can be used on another carrier (at least on GSM networks in the US), it most likely will not have all of the features of the carrier specific phone - T-Mobile, for example, has the ability to use wi-fi calling (allowing you to get better reception when connected to Wi-Fi and not use minutes). More importantly, carrier phones won't get updates (security patches, software updates and so forth).

The three "factory unlocked" phones I received were actually phones US Cellular - with US Cellular software and no ability to get software or security patches unless you are on the US Cellular network - these phones had security patches from December 2016, while the current patches pushed out by the carriers is dated May 2017. Given the current cyber threat environment, having up to date security patches is vital.

Phone geeks can "root" the phones and overwrite the carrier software but that comes with the risk of permanently damaging the phone and may keep you from downloading software from the Google Play store.

Amazon could solve the problem easily by correctly identifying these phones. In this case, their error cost me $300.

372 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mark G.

Honest review of phone- be careful no guarantees

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2018

Color: TitanStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

I hesitated leaving a review as I bought from Amazon Warehouse not this seller. But after seeing reviews that the phones people are getting are not as promised I felt the need to review both. I have left shipping feedback as well but feel there is a need to review my experience.
Its a gamble....
I will review the phones I received as well as where I picked them up. While some do not like mixing a review about who sends the phones vs the phone itself, there has to be some "heads up" to those who might be surprised when they actually get the phone.
First off the V20 is a nice phone. A bit smooth so it will easily slide on surfaces.
Wide angle camera has allot of noise compared to the 16 mp camera.
Phone likes to say the SD card is corrupt. Best to Eject the card and run it on computer before you think the data is gone. It seems to do this if it loosens up or is not seated properly or if you pull the card out while the phone is on. I had one mode version l that it would not even see the card . I learned to not have the SIM in or have it in slot 2 (one global version sent) and then it would find the card and then it seemed to work after that without having to do that again.

The curved ends will make it VERY HARD to use anything labeled as FULL SCREEN protection. If you do not like the plastic protectors , tempered glass, as I have been told, will lift . I did not realize it had a curved edge when purchasing but now am still searching for the best solution to protect the screen. It would seem the screen glass is easily scratched as I have tried over 5 of these and most of them l looked good at first but twisting the phone i the light to find some scratching.

Camera lens is very fragile, something you might know if you do not research . If you are fortunate to get one that still has the screen plastic over the glass, LEAVE IT ON. One video test on line shows a guy scratchching it with a blade and shortly after just shatters on its own. Luckily this was such a common problem , there are after market repair kits for the glass. But still, something to note as it is a big bump. which may force you to get a thicker case.
Cases are also hard to get. That is, the selection is dwindling as the model is no longer made.
Finger print has been responsive and not picky. I like I can add several fingers.
I do not like the LG keyboard but you can download your favorite and have that be the default.

Battery life is OK. Better than my last phone but it all come down to use. But then the one benefit of this phone, if you do not use an OtterBox, is to be able to quickly pop the back off and swap. As just a phone, and some light video watching or music, I get about 2 days of battery life. But I can also go from 100 to 50% in just a few hours if I am watching allot of content straight.

I wanted a factory unlocked phone that works in the USA and also wanted a removable battery and the LG V20 is one of last phones that offered this. Its specs are very close to some of the flagship phones of 2018. So when I saw that they were selling the US Version/warranty and listed US996 and had some "Used Liked New" I figured it would be worth a try. Amazon states Used like new items are in PERFECT condition but the packaging will be damaged. So PERFECT and Like New are their words not mine. However what I got was , as times far from it.
And to read that the listing of NEW on the main page is not even honoring the model or condition is a bit concerning

Please note there are SEVERAL versions of the LGV20. They have their submodels and it effects if you will get updated.
H910 is ATT, LS997 Sprint, H915 Canada, US996 has two versions, US Cell and the one I wanted US996 US unlocked.
Then there are the Global sub models. Like F800 is Korea, H990N is HK, H990 DS which as several versions tied to the country or region.
All the phones came with Android 7 but all but two have not updated to Oreo 8. Now that Pie 9 is out, LG states LGV20 will receive it next year. However While most of the models have recieved Oreo in October the one with software from Mid East Africa "AME" still has not gotten the update .
So if they are sending out "global' phones you may stuck with Android 7 and old security patch from January 18
Rooting is a very complex process on this phone.

So if they sending you global version you may have issues upgrading and in the US you might have issues getting updates with a branded phone. And if you get a branded phone you will have bloatware and annoying popups you cant always remove . Sure you can hide but you cant not remove.
I ordered 7 like new phones and feel Amazon is just pulling from bins of mixed stock seeing what will get sent back. Either that or they have a very loose definition of what is "perfect condition" . Or they are paying refurbish sellers to do this for them under their name.
I have used AW before and never had such a mixed bag of dishonesty.
First phone was a Dual Sim H990 DS. I did not know at the time there were several versions of the H990 DS so not sure but it might have been Taiwan or more likely theAME version This is far from the US WARRANTY version promised. And there was very light scratches you could see only when twisting in light. The accessories were not original but US version.
Next was a US996 it was the only one but had light scratches to the glass and the screen appeared brighter but maybe was just more blue.I had it laid out next to all the screens and this one stood out as different while the others matched closely. Was that screen replaced? So I wanted to see if I could get another US996.
They sent a LS997 Sprint with dead, aftermarket battery and obviously used heavy. How dare they send me a crap phone at the same price, same category!
They sent another 990 DS (AME) with damage to the back camera lens glass.
Another ATT with very light glass scratches. Any damage to the glass no matter how fine, is not "perfect" I feel the inspectors are not looking for issues just what jumps out . Yes if I just took out the phone in the right light all but a couple looked clean. One had a visible scratch on the glass that anyone cold see and feel. Again, you damage this type of glass and you have a weak point when you do drop it.

The last two they sent was a pieced together phone. The Back was black on a titian Grey phone. Now seeing several of these and having two other ATT phones, I am not sure why it was black unless it came from a black phone But as far as I know, they did not sell a black LGv20. There was more crude on the seems and the back and bottom did not line up. The phone was obviously dropped or worked on . The 2018 battery was zero charge and the box stated BO headphones but there was a generic white with LG logo on the toggle but not sure if it is genuine. And this phone was not updating to Oreo 8 like the other ATT branded model I still am holding onto.

The last phone was another 990DS (AME) but was finally "Like New" The only draw back so far is it still is the model that has not updated to Android 8. At least no bloat ware.
It is real shady as if these were open box or returns they should have original content.
Some had a standard charger, one had the Euro charger, some came with the fast charger. Most had fall 2017 batteries and two had first quarter 2018 batteries. Are those genuine?

I suspect this is some deal AW has with one of these resellers as there is no way some of these should have ever been sent to me as "Like New" Most could be "Very Good" but some were Fair or Good.
What angers me is that they charged me the same if not more with each purchase. The price started around $240 then $250 then $260 and then back down to $230 range. OVer each week they would play with the price for the same condition and wold not price match. They did offer a credit but it has been very hard to find items I want that amazon actually sells to be able to use it. The rep did state he has heard other customers concerned over the listing stating US but getting international phones.
My guess is they are just gambling and seeing what they can send out and let the customer decide. The fact I got a couple with obviously poor condition, tells me things are not above board. I probably could have paid less and got some of these phones .
It was disappointing that I get only 1 US996 out 7 and shame it had the scratch and screen color difference.
At this point I risk them sending me the phones I already returned so guess the game is over. It is a shame they are not sending what was advertised.

24 people found this helpful

Helpful

T.Y.

Good phone, but weak Speaker

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2017

Color: TitanStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

I wanted this phone when it first launched. Good thing I waited for the price drop.
I heard horrible things about the LG G4, G5 and V10. I owned a G3 and that was a solid phone.
I have T-Mobile. LTE and VoLTE work great!

What really attracted me to this phone was the built in DAC. My HI-Fi headphones sound great, but there's a catch. Read on.

Pros:
* Good battery life. Probably better or on par with my old Nexus 6P.
* Quick Charging 3.0 (must use certified quick charge 3.0 charger to reap benefits)
* USB-C
* Removable back which you can access battery, SD card, and nano SIM card
* 2 Camera lens (Wide and Standard)
* Camera is top notch. It does struggle a little in low light, but all cell phone cameras do
* Video recording is great. It switches from the normal lens to the wide angle lens seamlessly during recordings
* The Hi-Fi DAC, but there's a big CON for this
* I like the 2nd screen on the top. I leave it on all the time. It doesn't seem to drain the battery at all
* Fast finger print scanner
* NFC & Bluetooth works great on this phone, unlike my Nexus 6P which had connection issues with both
* Kinda customizable with LG's theme and font shop. Wish there was an icon pack or something
* Something that the Nexus 6P was missing, but this one has was that you can set different volume levels for your ringer and notifications
* Still has IR blaster like their last phones
* Not a lot of gimmicky features like Samsung phones....there were a few that I disabled, like the volume rocker shortcuts and answer when move to phone up to your ear. I love the "knock" (double tab) feature. This should be standard on all phones.

Cons:
* Although it comes with a high powered DAC, It's useless without a good Equalizer. I was really disappointed when I found out it didn't have a system wide EQ. I didn't use the LG Music app, which seems to be the only way to control the EQ. But I fixed it with a $2 app called Equalizer FX. I was hoping the phone would support 7 band EQ, but like most phones it only does 5 band. My old One+ 1 had 7 band.

* The supplied charger is not Quick Charge 3.0...WTF.....I was wondering why the phone charged so slow. I plugged in into my QC 3.0 charger and BAM!!!.....the phone chargers very quickly. You'll know because it displays a Quick Charging message and the battery icon has the Quick Charge "circle-bolt" logo

* I replaced or disabled almost all LG apps, like their calendar, messaging, and email apps. Bloatware wasn't as bad as I thought, but it comes with Evernote, Instagram, and Facebook preloaded. Disabling and hiding them was pretty easy. I highly recommend replacing their Messaging app. I wish I can replace their dialer and contact apps too. I tried, but on incoming calls, the default LG is the one being used.

* Big Con here: The speaker is weak ASF. It's unusable in my opinion. If you like to do a lot of speaker calls, this phone is not for you. I thought that since it came with a Hi-Fi DAC, the built-in speaker would be thumping. We need front facing speakers. Compared to Nexus 6P, the 6P is still way louder than this phone and the 6P's speakers aren't that loud either. If you want speakers, then you can't beat Axon 7

* The LG UI isn't that good, but it's not that bad either. By default the app drawer is gone (by design), but LG gives you the option to bring it back too. I don't like their icons.

* Does not have built-in visual voicemail. Bummer. Most high end phones include it these days. Now I gotta pay T-mobile $5 a month to use theirs, which I won't be using.

* Slow patches. When I was on the 6P, I was getting monthly patches. This phone is still on December patch and it's almost April.

Overall, I am happy with the phone and would highly recommend this phone if you don't mind the weak speaker. I switched over from my Nexus 6P which was a very good phone, but I wasn't getting consistent LTE speeds and bluetooth was dropping signal all the time. Camera wise, the are both pretty similar. I thought the 6P took better indoor pics.

13 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dan Dunay

Love the Audio, Camera, Battery Life, Nougat, Customizations ...

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016

Color: TitanStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

L O O K S . . .
The display is large, bright, and sharp. The 5.7" 500nit 513ppi display is easily visible in direct sunlight. From the settings, you can choose the font. I chose a bold font. The font is not as heavy as a bold computer font, and looks great on the phone. Colors look neutral.

The second tiny screen sips battery at a rate of 2% per hour, and can automatically turn itself off at night. If the main screen is off, swiping selects among:
o Status: Time, Date, battery, running apps
o Settings: Sound, Camera, Bluetooth, ScreenCap, Flashlight
o Music: Skip back, Play/Pause, Skip Forward
o Incoming phone calls are automatically displayed

If the main screen is on, you swipe among:
o Signature: In handwriting script (or other font).
o Quick Dial: You choice of 5 numbers with picture icons
o Settings: (Sound, Camera, Bluetooth, ScreenCap, Flashlight)
o 5 Favorite apps
o Media Control
This is a great use of 2.1 inches of screen (160x1040), and it does not subtract from the 5.7" primary display.

You can choose up to 5 Android icons to always appear at the bottom of the screen, and specify their order. I choose Back, Home, Apps, ScreenCap, and Q-Slide (LG mini apps). You can also hide all these keys on an app-by-app basis, temporarily returning them to the screen by swiping up.

S I Z E . . .
6.3" X 3.1" X 0.3", 6.1oz. This fits in your shirt pocket, but probably nowhere else. Not recommended for your back pocket.

S O U N D . . .
At a time when other manufacturers are eliminating the headphone jack, LG has doubled down on headphones. Literally. Their HiFi Quad DAC (Digital Audio Converters) offer audio quality comparable to high-end audio equipment. Don't believe it? LG allows you to return to ordinary phone quality at the touch of a button. Most people can easily hear the improvement.

The single internal speaker fires downward. It has great volume and a pleasing timbre tuned by Bang & Olufsen. Of course, it would be better to have stereo speakers, but I like the bottom placement. You can put the phone upside down in your phone holster and hear the audio clearly from your hip. Great for audio podcasts.

There is great support for audio recording:
o 24-bit stereo
o 3 hifi microphones
o Very low noise and high dynamic range (130db)
o 2 parallel DACs per channel. For more info, search for the ES9218 DAC from ESS.
I love my live recordings.

H A R D W A R E . . .
This phone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 4GB of fast DDR4 RAM, 64GB of local storage, and is expandable with microSD up to 256GB. This hardware makes on-screen operations very fast. You can plug this phone into your computer and it acts like fast external storage. So, you can quickly download your photos to your computer and upload your mp3s to the phone.

Accepts Nano-SIM and MicroSD. Has an IR Blaster so you can use your phone as a remote control. Has Gorilla Glass 4 over the screen. Has a one-touch fingerprint sensor on top of the power button. It is not water resistant.

Charge:
Supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. Charge from 0% to 50% in about 30 minutes. From 0% to 90% in about an hour. A reversible USB-C connector supplies power.

Battery:
Did I mention that the 3200 mAh battery is user replaceable? That allows you to carry a spare when you travel. When the battery loses capacity after a year or two, just replace the battery yourself. If the phone ever gets into the water, remove the battery and let it safely dry out. If the phone is frozen, remove the battery. If you don't want to be tracked, remove the battery. LG is the last major manufacturer to offer removable batteries. If you want a spare, search for LG BL-44E1F. The OEM version is $40, 3rd party batteries are much cheaper.

Camera:
A sweet dual back lens configuration allows you to switch between the normal 16MP 29mm (75 degree) f1.8 back lens, the 12mm (135 degree) 8MP f2.4 wide angle back lens, or the 5MP 120 degree f1.9 front lens. Or, you can combine 2 or 3 of the lenses for great effects. You can zoom smoothly between the 2 back lenses with very effective software interpolation. Laser focus, phase detection focus, contrast auto focus, and electronic image stabilization keep the images sharp. The primary lens sports a 1/2.8" image sensor, slightly larger than the 1/3" iPhone 7 image sensor. Although the camera is by far the best I have seen in a phone, and may even be superior to many "point and shoot" cameras, don't imagine that the 18.5 sq mm sensor area can match a 329 sq mm APS-C DSLR sensor. For convenience, volume keys double as a shutter release. Also, camera controls (Auto, Manual Camera, Manual Video) appear in the secondary screen.

S O F T W A R E . . .
Android 7 Nougat:
This is the first phone released with Android 7.0, Nougat. That provides an improved launcher, with features mostly borrowed from those hundreds of after-market launchers. However, it does also provide a split-screen capability to show 2 apps at the same time. Just hold down the square apps button at the bottom of the screen, and the current app shrinks to 50%, and you can choose the 2nd app to show from the list of recent apps. The 5.7" primary screen is so big that this feature works pretty well. The most impressive feature is the power savings. When the screen has been off for a while, the phone "dozes". In this state, network and app activity are limited. With regular (not intensive) use, I'm going to bed with 86% power remaining. Very cool! Battery life diminish as you load more apps. Keep it lean.

LG Customization:
LG's Desktop locks the phone with "Tap, Tap", and their lock-screen wakes with "Tap, Tap". LG's smart settings allows you to control the phone (GPS, Wireless Bluetooth, apps) by location and do health tracking (steps, stairs) and summarize all the health and smart settings as a page on the home screen. LG adds 7 mini-apps that can float above the main apps in semi-transparent windows: Phone, Video, Contacts, Messaging, Calendar, EMail, and File Manager. These apps have full size counterparts, and you can toggle them between full-sized and mini.

Camera:
Camera effects are available, including Panorama, HDR, Timer, Cheese Shutter, Tracking Focus, Optical Image Stabilization, Slo-Mo, Tracking Focus, RAW format and 4K video. I particularly liked the manual focus with green fringing on the items in the focus area (focus peaking). ISO can be manually adjusted between 50-1600 ISO.

Bloatware:
All the AT&T Bloatware that was locked-down on my previous LG phone is still available, I just have to download it or allow it to be restored from my previous phone. I can delete it without root if I don't like it. Google and LG apps remain locked.

B A D . . .
Size:
If you're used to a smaller phone, you may not like how tall this phone is. Also, it's just wide enough not to fit in holsters made for 5.5" phones.

Glass:
On the rear of the phone, over the 2 lenses and 2 flashes, there is a protective glass cover. See photo. A very few users have seen their camera cover glass shatter for no good reason. I checked with LG on the matter, and they're not sure what's going on, but promise to cover the phone. LG performs 60,000 validation tests on this phone, so no one is more surprised than LG when one fails. I suspect that the glass is in good shape when it leaves the factory, but is weakened by the high heat from sustained use of the adjacent dual flashes. So, let me humbly suggest 3 things:
1) Do not leave the flash on. LG provides a flashlight mini-app, so it's very easy to turn it on and leave it on for an extended time. Don't.
2) Keep your phone in a case to provide extra protection.
This has proven to be an isolated issue and LG is great about standing behind their products. 14 months and many drops later, my V20's glass is still perfect.

T I P S . . .
Restore the App Drawer:
The default home screen does not have an app drawer. Enable the app drawer by clicking:
__Settings->Home screen->Select Home->Home & app drawer.
Of course, you can switch to any of the hundreds of other launchers in the Google Play Store, but you lose the "tap, tap" sleep command. You'd still retain the "tap, tap" wake command.

Don't add dozens of apps. I did and battery life went from 2 days to 8 hours.'

Enable Individual Ringtones:
By default, you can only set one ringtone for your favorite contacts, but not by individual. Enable individual ringtones:
__Settings->Sound->Turn off "Ringtone ID".

Jump to Previous App:
Double tap the square "Recently Used" button (next to the home button).

Camera:
o From the lock screen, you can immediately go to camera mode.
__Settings->Shortcut Keys->On
o Swipe across the camera view to switch between front and back lenses.
o Pinch camera view to get a zoom slider
o Consider HDR for all your pix. It improves dark areas, but shooting is slower.
o Always shoot pictures with a voice command. The camera is more steady and it is less awkward than reaching.

Pin Favorite Apps:
As you scroll through the recent apps (square button), touch the pin icon and that app will always appear.

Choose Android Buttons:
__Settings->Display->Home touch buttons->Button combination

Wifi by Location:
__Settings->General->Location->Mode->High Accuracy
__Settings->General->Location->My place->[Home]Save
__Settings->Smart Settings->At Home->WiFi On
__Settings->Smart Settings->Away From Home->WiFi Off

Spare Battery:
V20 Battery, EPOBOO 3200 mAh V20 Li-Ion Spare Battery for LG V20 BL-44E1F H918 H910 VS995 LS997 H990 [24 Month Warranty ]

200GB Micro SD:
SanDisk Ultra 200GB Micro SD (SDSDQUAN-200G-G4A)

USB C Hub with phone charging:
USB C Hub, OSCOO 5-in-1 USB C Adapter 3.1 with Type C Charging Port, Card Reader, 2 USB 3.0 Ports for MacBook Pro 2015/2016, Google Chromebook 2016 and more USB C Devices(Gold)

4K HDMI & USB Adapter (no phone charging):
USB 3.1 Type-C USB-C To HDMI/USB 3.0/USB C/F Adapter Multiport,MOKiN HDMI Max 4K UHD With Power Delivery For New Macbook, Chromebook Pixel, Dell XPS 13, Or Other USB C Port Devices- Black

USB 3.1 Adapters:
Type C Adapter, VANDESAIL® Male USB-C 3.1 to Micro USB 3.0 Female Adapter Converter for New Macbook/ Nokia N1 (2-Pack,Golden)

Slim Case with Kickstand:
Get a nice slim case with kickstand like the Evocel LG V20 Case, Evocel [Explorer Series Pro] Premium Dual Layer Protector [Metal Kickstand][Credit Card Slot] For LG V20 , Gold Medal (EVO-LGV20-CK15) .

Holster (holds an extra battery and credit cards):
If you like the phone on your belt, get the Nite Ize Hardshell Holster XXL Nite Ize Carrying Case for Universal - Retail Packaging - Black . Cases with rubber corners are good for shock protection, but make it harder to remove the phone from your holster.

10000mAh Battery + Oversized Case:
For the ultimate in battery life, check out Hyperion LG V20 Extended Battery & Back Cover BL-44E1F (Compatible with All International and US Carrier LG V20 Models 2016) [2 Year No Hassle Warranty] (Black / Titan)

98 people found this helpful

Helpful

Shig123 & Zanne

Only phones since 2017, wish we had known there would never be anymore similar made.

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022

Color: SilverStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

Bought a silver and t.grey in 2017 to get us through, while waiting on a phone manufacture to make a phone with a removable battery, SD slot, and headphone jack. Phone was an upgrade from a set of 2016 Samsungs. That these phones were going to be our only phones, this long, we just couldn't have imagined at the time.

Sure city dweller can maybe be ok about popping into a store to get their phone batteries replaced, but not everyone lives anywhere close to a store. Besides batteries die at odd hours, depending on use, and we just couldn't believe everyone would tolerate having their Android phones randomly bricked up because they couldn't pop in another battery. Apparently, they will.

So, anyway. Phones were sold as new, in box, and unlocked, but mine came with a permanently messy camera lens, which I didn't even know was possible, which indicated not new. That has been aggravating when these phones turned into 7 plus years phones, instead of phones to get us by for a year, then turned into gifts or whatever. Works reasonably well with best coverage here provider, Version (just VM doesn't), and no bloatware.

Only other issues we've had is a battery on my spouses phone swelled and needed replacing with a spare about a year or two in. Processor speed is obviously terrible these days compared to what apps expect, especially games. However, even slow, the phones have been more stable than other player's games using new phones. That's an amazing thing.

Fell in love with the size, shapes and screen of these phones. Highly durable. We do use cases, nothing fancy, but also Tech Armor Premium Ballistic Glass Screen Protectors on both phones. Since day one. Still, you'd think after 7 years of getting dumped in all kinds of things, caught in the rain, left in assorted shrubs, plus one going swimming in the toilet, there would be damages. Nothing.
The camera lens that arrived messed up, and one battery going bad, have been the only not perfect functional behaviors. Batteries still go down to 15-30% and then fully charge. No strange increase in discharge, except that one bad battery. Charge ports are still great.

Wish I could get another set of new in box old stock, with both being truly new (for instance camera lens), but I guess I can get a new camera. (Although, maybe not, haven't researched anything silly happening with new plain camera batteries getting sealed in, or other strangeness.) What we apparently can't replace are these precious phones. At any price. Crazy manufactures.

Helpful

Trevor Tippett

The last flagship phone with a headphone jack and a removable battery.

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2022

Color: TitanStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

I dislike not having control over my devices. This is, to a degree, unavoidable with modern smartphones, but I object vigorously to the trend of perfectly-sealed plastic bricks designed with active contempt for the user instead of passive. I wanted to be able to plug in my headphones instead of wasting double the battery time on BlueTooth, and to remove my battery and replace it at will rather than needing to cut glue, unsolder the old one, solder in a new one, and hope my regluing sticks properly.
I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the features-it gets excellent reception, loads quickly, runs cool unless playing ambitious games, and with a new battery (sadly light on the ground these days) keeps a charge very well. Unfortunately, battery life becomes an issue after about a year.
It develops burn-in hilariously quickly (on the order of ten minutes or so) but thankfully that burn-in disappears similarly quickly, and it's a phone, not a TV-how long are you leaving it on a single screen?
The stock UI is very intuitive, and my sole complaints run thus: the stock apps want you to agree to a EULA before you can use them, and the keyboard won't let you delete words from Autocomplete.

All things considered, well worth the money-but then I paid $80 for it. I would not pay $200, but it may be worth it to you to do so.

Helpful

Johnny_Amazon®

Very Decent Phone for 2018, Its Value Now is About $300.

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2018

Color: SilverStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

This review is based on the date of the review, which is April, 2018, meaning about 1.5 years after the release of the V20. You can now buy a used one for $200-300, depending on the condition, or as low as $400 new. Based on the current price and phone climate, the phone has not aged well, and therefore I can only give it a 4-star rating. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 shows its age - opening/using/switching apps, and scrolling are not as quick and smooth as I'd like it to be. I have not used an Android phone since my Samsung S6 Edge, so I have forgotten a bit how it feels, but it feels slower than my iPhone 6s, and of course it cannot come close to my iPhone X. The photos are decent, but compared to the newer phones, even from the Samsung S8, it cannot compare. Having and using the iPhone X really spoiled me.

The older 16:9 ratio of the screen means this 5.7" screen is quite fat (wide). It is not comfortable to use one-handed. The screen is decent enough, and the sound is pretty good also. Perhaps what I like most is the built-in headphone amplifier, and HD quality, stereo audio recording. This is a great cheap phone for audio lovers, or if you use it to record interviews, music, etc.

In the end, seeing how you can get the LG G6 at the same price, I would recommend that over the V20. The G6 lacks the audio amp and HD audio recording, but it has a much better screen and camera. Most G6 are 32GB though, compared to 64GB for most V20.

One more thing - is the iPhone X truly worth the $1,000-1,150 price? Is it 3-4 times better than a decent (albeit used) Android phone? I would say no. If you want to go the cheaper, value approach, just buy a used iPhone 6s or 7 for $250-400, and a used V20 or G6 for about $250-300, and it would still come out to only 2/3 the price of a new iPhone X. The camera on the iPhone X is class-leading, and so is its OLED screen, but on the other side, you would have two phones, and roughly $400 extra to save for another phone or something else.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Beachybumgrrl

Has cool features; Not as awesome as I expected

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017

Color: TitanStyle: US Warranty VERSIONVerified Purchase

First, let me say that I'm an Android user and I came to the LG V20 from the ASUS Zenfone line of cellphones. If you're not familiar with that brand, they produce quality budget phones. So purchasing the V20 was a jump for me from using a $150 phone to a $500 phone. After days and hours of reading specs and watching YouTube reviews, I was confident and certain that this would everything I read about and more.

Here's my list of favorites/not-so favorites about the V20 and then I'll write in some details.

FAVORITES:
+USB-C and Quick Charge (3.0)
+”2nd Screen”
+Split Screen
+Great Video Quality

NOT-SO FAVORITES:
-Cell Phone Size Too Big
-Apps, Camera not as responsive as expected
(But, maybe this is an oS issue?)
-Photo Quality Not Great

I like LG cellphones, I had experienced with one in the past that I really enjoyed.
-The primary reason for purchase of the V20 was for the camera. I love taking photos of fun places I've been, my dogs, fancy dinner, etc. I had spent a good amount of time looking at several reviews and sample photos. IMO the camera did not perform to my expectations.
+Video quality is great! I was even able to take under water photos and videos in my water proof case. They came out great, not shakey at all and very fluid.
-However, still photos in Auto setting often came out very contrasty, sunlight would very easily cause alot of wash-out, and low lighting produced so-so photos. As for manual settings, I did like the extensive options available, but it was difficult to quickly reproduce the "real" colors in comparison to other camera phones I've used.
-Another issue with the camera that really bothered me was a portion of the photo seemed to always have a blur. I checked the lens cover and did not find any defects, this was a brand new phone, so I'm not sure what could have caused the fuzzy, blurry spots.
+I loved the USB-C port and Quick charge function. The battery would charge up in no time so I was rarely left with a dead phone.
+"2nd Screen" made it super convenient to see notifications without turning on the main screen. It also was so nice to access favorite apps like Google Music so quickly or get quick notification that my Bluetooth device was linked up. "2nd Screen" was def one of my favorite features and more phones should have it.
+Split Screen is also a cool feature to have to be able to access more than 1 app at the same time, although I rarely used it.
-Unfortunately, I did find the phone to be too large for my smaller hands and my personal preference. Im beginning to develop a little carpal tunnel and the weight of this phone in one hand really did not feel so ergonomic. There was no discomfort, but I definitely did not want to get in the habit of single-handed use. Also, the size made it difficult for single-handed use of simple tasks like opening an app or a quick text message, as my thumb would only comfortably reach to the middle of the phone screen, much less to the top.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

LG Electronics V20 - Factory Unlocked Phone - Titan Grey (U.S....

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

LG Electronics V20 - Factory Unlocked Phone - Titan Grey (U.S. Warranty)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

LG Electronics V20 - Factory Unlocked Phone - Titan Grey (U.S.... › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

LG Electronics V20 - Factory Unlocked Phone - Titan Grey (U.S. Warranty)

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

LG Electronics V20 - Factory Unlocked Phone - Titan Grey (U.S....

›

Customer reviews