- [Narrator] LG hasn't had the best year
when it comes to smart phones.
Despite some innovative ideas,
its G5 was not exactly well received.
But, LG has more than one smartphone line,
and the newest in the V series has
more than few tricks under its unassuming shell.
From IFA 2016 in Berlin, I'm Michael Fisher
with some first impressions of the LG V20.
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At first glance, the V20 doesn't seem to remarkable.
The colors are safe, the shape is safe.
It's a very conservative design
compared to last year's blend of shiny steel
and colorful rubber.
On the one hand, I like it.
I always thought the V10 looked a little confused
with its mix of materials.
And the mostly aluminum V20
offers a comparatively consistent aesthetic.
Also, while it's not waterproof,
it does feature the same durability rating as the V10.
On the other hand, the V series
is supposed to be LG's extreme phone.
And this design doesn't even hint at its crazy capabilities.
I guess I just wanted something more memorable.
LG comes through for the target audience
of power users, though.
Push a button on the side and you'll see that the V20
offers the increasingly rare removable battery.
Also, there's micro SD expansion
for beefing up the on-board storage.
And the phone is built on a foundation of specs
solid enough for all but the most extreme users.
And it's not just a scattershot spec dump.
As with the V10, the V20 is all about optics and audio.
On the back, two cameras sit side-by-side,
one for wide angle shots
and the other for high resolution ones.
If the phone works as claimed,
you should get some of the steadiest
videos around with the V20,
because it uses a new blend of optical
and digital stabilization as well as a hybrid focus system
that uses laser ranging, phase detection
and contrast detection.
Now, all that tech talk word salad means,
you should be able to focus faster and in more conditions.
You've also got manual controls
for everything under the sun,
as well as a bunch of film effects to spruce up your shots.
Up front there's just a single selfie camera, this year.
But it is wide angle and LG says
it's 34% brighter than last year's.
As for audio, you'd probably have to buy
Sony's $3000 Walkman, to find more audio file friendly
features in a portable device.
Most of this is lost on me, frankly.
But, one thing really stood out to me.
LG has improved the AOP of its microphones this year.
That means, the V20 should be able to record clearly
in extremely loud environments.
Which might make this your new concert camcorder
if you're one of those hosers who ruins my view
at shows with your cell phone.
Oh, but important, that Bang & Olufsen branding you see,
don't get to excited about it if you're in the US.
That custom tuning will not be available
in the North American version.
Finally, the V20 is the first flagship
shipping with Android N out of the box.
And its improvements are welcome.
LG's software skin is less so,
but at least I didn't detect much lag or stutter
in my brief time with the device.
LG claims Nougat's power management will give the V20
20% better battery life than the V10,
despite having only about a 7% larger power pack.
And yep, the secondary display is back.
The little ticker panel is almost twice as bright
and features better contrast than last year's.
But, honestly I still think it's in the wrong place.
On a phone this big,
an extra screen should be at the bottom, if you ask me.
With the V20, LG has stuck to an existing formula,
instead of reinventing the wheel.
We'll see if it pay off
and whether another smartphone for A/V aficionados
has a place in the market,
when it goes on sale later this year.
Check the description for more details
and be sure to subscribe for more Mr. Mobile Media
from IFA 2016 in Berlin.
Until next time, thanks for watching
and stay mobile, my friends.
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