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LG V10 Smartphone Review

Technical twin. The configuration of LG's V10 reminds us strongly of the G4. The South Korean company has equipped the handset with a second screen and an additional front-facing lens. Discover whether the surcharge is justified in this report.

For the original German review, see here.

With its V10, LG has launched a smartphone on the market that is technically very similar to LG's G4. However, its design has been completely revised, and the 5.7-inch screen is slightly larger. In addition,  a second screen is situated above the primary panel that displays brief information. The front-facing camera now comes with two lenses. A Snapdragon 808 clocks inside. The working memory has been increased to 4 GB. The rest is familiar and does not present us with any innovations. It is rather surprising that LG demands a relatively high price of approximately 649 Euros (~$727) for the V10 - especially since its successor is to be launched in a few weeks.

In addition to the company's own LG G4 smartphone, handsets like Microsoft's Lumia 950 XLMotorola's Moto X StyleGoogle's Nexus 6P and Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge+ are among the rivals. They all have a large screen and can present high-end specifications.

LG V10 (V Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 6 x 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A53/A57
Graphics adapter
Qualcomm Adreno 418, Core: 600 MHz
Memory
4 GB 
Display
5.70 inch 16:9, 2560 x 1440 pixel, capacitive touchscreen, 10 multitouch points, Quantum IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 21.95 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: headphone and microphone combo jack, Card Reader: micro-SD max. 2 TB (SD, SDHC, SDXC), NFC, Sensors: ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, position sensor, accelerometer, G-sensor, magnetometer, digital compass, WiFi Direct, infrared, Miracast, OTG
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz), LTE Cat. 6 (800, 1800 and 2600 MHz), LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.6 x 159.6 x 79.3 ( = 0.34 x 6.28 x 3.12 in)
Battery
12 Wh, 3000 mAh Lithium-Ion, removeable, 3.85 volts, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 22 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 18 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 150 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 150 h
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix (f/1.8, 8x digital zoom, RAW format support, laser auto focus, OS 2.0, HDR, UHD video)
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix (dual-lens, 80°/120°, Full HD video)
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker, Keyboard: virtual, headset, quick start guide, USB cable, power supply, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
192 g ( = 6.77 oz / 0.42 pounds), Power Supply: 78 g ( = 2.75 oz / 0.17 pounds)
Price
649 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

LG's V10 is not only larger because of its screen; it also looks bulkier and very robust. In fact, LG advertises the smartphone as particularly resistant. It is supposedly two and a half times more stable than a conventional smartphone. However, the manufacturer remains quiet on just exactly what this means. In any case, the handset does not fulfil any special specifications.

LG's V10 easily defies warping attempts, and does not produce noises while doing so. Only firm pressure on the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protected screen leads to minor wave formation. The gaps are accurate and do not give any reason for complaint. The looks of the dotted back cover is certainly a matter of taste, but it proves to be insusceptible to fingerprints. It is slip-proof and provides a good grip even on sleek surfaces.

The back cover is removable, and reveals the replaceable battery, as well as the Nano-SIM and micro-SD card slots. The smartphone is also available in white; more color options are to follow.

159.6 mm / 6.28 inch 79.3 mm / 3.12 inch 8.6 mm / 0.3386 inch 192 g0.4233 lbs159.3 mm / 6.27 inch 77.8 mm / 3.06 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 178 g0.3924 lbs153.9 mm / 6.06 inch 76.2 mm / 3 inch 10.6 mm / 0.4173 inch 177 g0.3902 lbs154.4 mm / 6.08 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 153 g0.3373 lbs151.9 mm / 5.98 inch 78.4 mm / 3.09 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 76.1 mm / 3 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

LG is not tight-fisted in terms of connectivity, and has installed several features in its V10 that no high-end smartphone should be without. The Korean manufacturer still relies on only a micro-USB port rather than a more modern Type-C interface. However, the integrated port supports OTG, making it possible to connect external peripherals and flash drives, as well as SlimPort. The latter enables connecting the smartphone to an HDMI port via an optional adapter, and to directly render the content on, for example, a TV screen.

Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, Miracast, Wi-Fi Direct and an IR transmitter are also installed. Typical of LG, several devices, such as TVs, players, Hi-Fi systems, projectors or air conditioners can be controlled via the infrared sensor in conjunction with the Quick Remote app.

Upper edge: Microphone, infrared
Upper edge: Microphone, infrared
Left: No buttons or interfaces
Left: No buttons or interfaces
Right: No buttons or interfaces
Right: No buttons or interfaces
Lower edge: Speaker, microphone, USB, audio
Lower edge: Speaker, microphone, USB, audio

Software

Google's Android 5.1.1 Lollipop powers LG's V10. The manufacturer covers it with its own user interface. It is to be updated to the latest Android 6.0, but no date has yet been set.

The apps have not changed that much compared with LG's G4: Only a few third-party apps are preloaded, and they can be uninstalled quickly and easily. LG has also installed several proprietary apps.

Communication & GPS 

The Wi-Fi module in LG's V10 supports the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, and consequently the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz frequency bands. The connection range was good in the test, and no significant irregularities were observed. The smartphone just could not really utilize its full potential in terms of transmission speed. It never achieved more than 72 MBit/s in the test, and when it had a choice, used the 2.4 GHz network exclusively.

LG's V10 accesses the mobile Internet via HSPA+ (max. 42 MBit/s) or LE Cat 6 (max. 300 MBit/s). The LTE frequency coverage is rather unsatisfactory, and is limited to the bare necessities. Nevertheless, it is sufficient in Europe.

GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Outdoors

The GPS and GLONASS satellite networks are used to determine positioning, which is relatively fast and accurate even indoors. The deviations in tracking accuracy are lower outdoors, and our position was found faster.

LG's V10 has to compete with the Garmin Edge 500 bicycle navigation system to determine its position accuracy. Both devices record the route on a bike trip. The smartphone is not quite as accurate as the navigation system and tends to take shortcuts. However, just 100 meters (~328 ft) over the entire route is acceptable.

Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
LG V10
LG V10
LG V10
LG V10
LG V10
LG V10

Call Quality

The phone app is already familiar from LG's G4, and only its colors have been slightly modified. LG's V10 takes a big step forward in terms of phone acoustics when holding the handset directly to the ear. It does not give any reason for complaint here, and the user will experience a good voice quality. The situation is different when using the speaker. While we could understand our contact well and the voice only sounded a little hollow, the acoustic at the other end was moderate. We were barely perceptible and sounded as if we had a bad cold (nasal). It also echoed so strongly that word parts were completely swallowed.

Cameras

Front-facing camera 120 °
Front-facing camera 120 °
Front-facing camera 80 °
Front-facing camera 80 °

A dual-lens camera is situated on the front of LG's V10. It has a resolution of up to 5 MP (2560x1440 pixels). Unlike many other dual-lenses, the images of both sensors are not combined. Instead, the user can choose between two different camera angles. While one offers an 80 degree angle, the other offers 120 degrees. The latter is particularly handy when taking panoramic selfies. The image quality is acceptable. Although the camera has a fixed focus, it supports HDR that also makes backlit photos possible.

The rear-facing primary camera is identical to the one in LG's G4 on the specification sheet, and its quality is also equal to that. The photos are quite good in automatic mode, and primarily the HDR feature is used sensibly. Unfortunately, a light grayish haze is produced in dark areas, and details look slightly blurred. The photos are razor-sharp in manual mode, and they appeal to us even more. LG could work on the software a bit here. LG's V10 still produces good results in low-light, which is primarily due to the large aperture (f/1.8), but the lens cannot compete with the low-light performance of the Lumia 950 XL.

Videos can be recorded in 2160p (max. 30 FPS), 1080p (max. 60 FPS) or 720p (max. 120 FPS). The biggest modifications compared with LG's G4 are found here. The manual video mode has been primped significantly. The audio qualities in particular have been greatly improved. The V10 now has three microphones with three sensitivity levels, as well as wind noise suppression. The image quality in Full HD is really good, but UHD never looks quite smooth. The auto focus could also be faster in the highest resolution.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Color Accuracy & Sharpness

Screenshot of ColorChecker colors: Original colors are displays in the lower half of every field.
Screenshot of ColorChecker colors: Original colors are displays in the lower half of every field.

We made an as full-frame as possible screenshot of ColorChecker Passport under controlled light conditions to better assess the color accuracy of LG's V10. Only the smartphone's automatic mode is used, and the pictures are not edited afterwards. Brown and skin tones are quite natural, but unfortunately, richer colors look rather pale and the grayscale levels could also be more saturated.

We evaluated the sharpness with a test chart that is also photographed as full-frame as possible in artificial light. It is very obvious that the sharpness decreases toward the picture's edges, and the image also fades slightly. The image is agreeably sharp in the center. Minor artifacts are seen in the text on colored surfaces, which is only visible on a full-sized photo.

Accessories & Warranty

LG's V10 comes with a modular power supply that has a nominal output of 9 watts (5 volts, 1.8 ampere), a USB cable, a printed quick-start guide, and a Quad-Beat 3 headphone optimized by AKG.

The manufacturer includes a 24-month warranty on its product, which cannot be extended.

Input Devices & Handling

The capacitive touchscreen in LG's V10 identifies up to ten fingers at a time. The Corning Gorilla Glass 4 surface has good gliding qualities and responds very reliably up into the corners. Inputs are also implemented quite fast. LG's UI appears to have gained a little performance. However, the odd stutter is still seen occasionally.

Like LG's G4, the power and volume controls are on the smartphone's back where they are easy to reach with the index finger. A fingerprint scanner is also integrated in the power button. It responded very reliably and quickly in the test. The smartphone's large size makes one-handed use rather awkward. However, handling the V10 is still relatively convenient when the displayed contents' size is reduced via swiping over the control bar.

The keyboard's layout is also familiar from the G4, and it is very well-designed. Some space is wasted only in landscape mode. Users can download other variants from the Play Store when preferred.

Display

A special feature of LG's V10 is its two screens. The primary panel has a size of 5.7 inches and a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. The resulting pixel density of 513 PPI ensures a sharp reproduction of the contents. The second screen is on the front-facing cameras' right, directly above the large screen. Both screens are so close to each other that only on close inspection it becomes evident that they are two separate components. The small panel has a size of 2.1 inches (160x1040 pixels) and the same resolution as the larger screen. Its illumination is not quite as homogeneous as that of the primary screen, and slight clouding is visible at the edges in the dark. Subjectively, no difference is noticed in the daylight. The so-called Second Screen Display serves as a notification center, enabling quick access to favorite contacts and apps, controlling the music player and managing calendar entries. Unfortunately, it takes just as much effort as when using the primary screen, and thus we do not really see an added value here. We would wish for more customization options and, above all, an easier way to act directly from a locked screen. Whether LG will add this via an update is not known.

Subpixel photo under microscope
Subpixel photo under microscope

The Korean manufacturer has done a very good job in terms of the primary screen. It is pleasantly bright with up to 450 cd/m². In conjunction with a low black level of just 0.22 cd/m², it achieves a tremendous contrast ratio that currently only OLED panels surpass. We also checked whether the rates stand up to more realistic conditions when dark and light areas are evenly distributed. However, the rates are identical, even at APL50.

424
cd/m²
424
cd/m²
423
cd/m²
436
cd/m²
450
cd/m²
428
cd/m²
423
cd/m²
448
cd/m²
420
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 450 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 430.7 cd/m² Minimum: 3.92 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 450 cd/m²
Contrast: 2045:1 (Black: 0.22 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.18 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.94 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.24
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
Screen
-17%
18%
-17%
21%
14%
Brightness middle
450
566
26%
297
-34%
538
20%
363
-19%
335.7
-25%
Brightness
431
536
24%
297
-31%
528
23%
365
-15%
332
-23%
Brightness Distribution
93
90
-3%
93
0%
92
-1%
90
-3%
89
-4%
Black Level *
0.22
0.47
-114%
0.66
-200%
Contrast
2045
1204
-41%
815
-60%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.18
6.17
-19%
2.67
48%
2.63
49%
2.34
55%
2.33
55%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.39
3.98
62%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.94
6.26
10%
2.81
60%
3.24
53%
1.03
85%
2.15
69%
Gamma
2.24 98%
2.48 89%
2.08 106%
2.17 101%
2.23 99%
2.15 102%
CCT
8091 80%
8171 80%
6379 102%
6906 94%
6429 101%
6184 105%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
65.48
66.31
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98.63
99.79

* ... smaller is better

The color accuracy of the screen in LG's V10 could be better for a premium smartphone. The measured average DeltaE rates are only mediocre. However, there are also some peaks. For example, the dE sometimes climbs to 10 in the grayscale and displays a visible cyan tint. This is also reflected in the panel's relatively high color temperature. These apparent shifts are not present in reproduced colors. However, this is not noticeable in everyday use.


Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (target color space: sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 84 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
58 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 40 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 93 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

LG's V10 looks good in outdoor use and remains legible even in direct sunlight. We cannot state conclusively whether the screen automatically dims in high temperatures, as was the case in LG's due to low ambient temperatures. We did not observe this during the test.

The viewing angle stability of the Quantum IPS screen is very good. The brightness decreases slightly only in flat viewing angles. We did not observe any color inverting or that the backlight in dark contents is too bright in LG's V10.

Viewing angle stability: LG V10
Viewing angle stability: LG V10

Performance

LG's V10 is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 that is used in LG's G4 and many other smartphones. Although the hexa-core SoC is not as fast as the Snapdragon 810, it still has plenty of performance reserves and is currently one of the fastest SoCs that are installed in smartphones. A generously sized 4 GB LPDDR4 working memory supports the system, and the Adreno 418 GPU is responsible for calculating graphics.

The performance is on the expected level, and the V10 is even slightly faster than the G4 in the benchmarks. However, the Moto X Style that is based on the same SOC is even faster. The rival calculates 3DMark Physics in particular by up to 17% faster. It is quite possible that this is due to LG's user interface since, unlike the V10, the Moto X relies on a pure Android operating system.

Geekbench 3
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG V10
1172 Points
LG G4
1107 Points -6%
Motorola Moto X Style
1276 Points +9%
Google Nexus 6P
1335 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1317 Points +12%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG V10
3684 Points
LG G4
3556 Points -3%
Motorola Moto X Style
3567 Points -3%
Google Nexus 6P
4587 Points +25%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
4207 Points +14%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG V10
18585 Points
LG G4
18821 Points +1%
Motorola Moto X Style
19702 Points +6%
Google Nexus 6P
26876 Points +45%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
23798 Points +28%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG V10
23276 Points
LG G4
23390 Points 0%
Motorola Moto X Style
23321 Points 0%
Google Nexus 6P
34758 Points +49%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
27549 Points +18%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG V10
10898 Points
LG G4
11178 Points +3%
Motorola Moto X Style
12767 Points +17%
Google Nexus 6P
14983 Points +37%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
16117 Points +48%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
LG V10
1332 Points
LG G4
1324 Points -1%
Motorola Moto X Style
1400 Points +5%
Google Nexus 6P
1877 Points +41%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1616 Points +21%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
LG V10
1361 Points
LG G4
1399 Points +3%
Motorola Moto X Style
1419 Points +4%
Google Nexus 6P
2302 Points +69%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1606 Points +18%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
LG V10
1241 Points
LG G4
1115 Points -10%
Motorola Moto X Style
1339 Points +8%
Google Nexus 6P
1142 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1652 Points +33%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
LG V10
9.4 fps
LG G4
9.5 fps +1%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
11.81 fps +26%
Motorola Moto X Style
9.3 fps -1%
Google Nexus 6P
17 fps +81%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
14 fps +49%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
LG V10
15 fps
LG G4
15 fps 0%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
17.54 fps +17%
Motorola Moto X Style
15 fps 0%
Google Nexus 6P
25 fps +67%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
18 fps +20%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
LG V10
4800 Points
LG G4
4579 Points -5%
Motorola Moto X Style
5859 Points +22%
Google Nexus 6P
4716 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
5130 Points +7%
Smartbench 2012
Productivity Index (sort by value)
LG V10
9071 points
LG G4
8940 points -1%
Motorola Moto X Style
8815 points -3%
Google Nexus 6P
10823 points +19%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
16793 points +85%
Gaming Index (sort by value)
LG V10
4055 points
LG G4
4118 points +2%
Motorola Moto X Style
3873 points -4%
Google Nexus 6P
4332 points +7%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
4566 points +13%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
LG V10
1627 Points
LG G4
1596 Points -2%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
1465 Points -10%
Motorola Moto X Style
1743 Points +7%
Google Nexus 6P
1405 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1801 Points +11%
System (sort by value)
LG V10
2598 Points
LG G4
2368 Points -9%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
1386 Points -47%
Motorola Moto X Style
2783 Points +7%
Google Nexus 6P
1798 Points -31%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
3321 Points +28%
Memory (sort by value)
LG V10
1527 Points
LG G4
1558 Points +2%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
1945 Points +27%
Motorola Moto X Style
1776 Points +16%
Google Nexus 6P
1136 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1298 Points -15%
Graphics (sort by value)
LG V10
1954 Points
LG G4
1995 Points +2%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
2040 Points +4%
Motorola Moto X Style
1918 Points -2%
Google Nexus 6P
2424 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
2457 Points +26%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
LG V10
25 fps
LG G4
24.9 fps 0%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
18.75 fps -25%
Motorola Moto X Style
24 fps -4%
Google Nexus 6P
33 fps +32%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
LG V10
35 fps
LG G4
33.7 fps -4%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
27.11 fps -23%
Motorola Moto X Style
34 fps -3%
Google Nexus 6P
44 fps +26%
Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
LG V10
453.2 MFLOPS
LG G4
361.4 MFLOPS -20%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
369.6 MFLOPS -18%
Motorola Moto X Style
415 MFLOPS -8%
Google Nexus 6P
87.1 MFLOPS -81%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
LG V10
570 MFLOPS
LG G4
507 MFLOPS -11%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
2957 MFLOPS +419%
Motorola Moto X Style
590 MFLOPS +4%
Google Nexus 6P
262 MFLOPS -54%

Legend

 
LG V10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Motorola Moto X Style Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Google Nexus 6P Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa, ARM Mali-T760 MP8, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash

Seen purely subjectively, LG's V10 does not slip up when browsing on the Internet. It is, however, somewhat slower than its rivals. The smartphone primarily shows its slow side in the WebXPRT 2015, Kraken 1.1 and Jetstream benchmarks. The comparison field is much closer together in Google's benchmarks.

WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
90 Points
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
82 Points -9%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
113 Points +26%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
110 Points +22%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
116 Points +29%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
95 Points +6%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
8083 Points
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7832 (6791min) Points -3%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
8059 Points 0%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
8065 Points 0%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
8804 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
7724 Points -4%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
42 Points
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
43.12 Points +3%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
46 Points +10%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
45 Points +7%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
47.4 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
48.14 Points +15%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4499 ms *
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4771 ms * -6%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
5553 ms * -23%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7325 ms * -63%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4193 ms * +7%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
5067 ms * -13%
Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7818 Points
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7818 Points 0%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7362 Points -6%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7829 Points 0%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
8622 Points +10%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
8801 Points +13%
BaseMark OS II - Web (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
903 Points
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
881 Points -2%
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
837 Points -7%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
974 Points +8%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
791 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
993 Points +10%

* ... smaller is better

A 32 GB internal eMMC flash memory is installed in LG's V10. Approximately 22 GB is available after booting the handset for the first time. The storage can be expanded via a micro-SD card should this not be enough. LG states that up to 2 TB would be possible. However, currently memory cards with a maximum of 200 GB exist. The review sample supports moving app data to the optional additional storage (App2SD).

We tested the card slot's speed with the fast Exceria SD-CX32UHS1 memory card (max. 95 MB/s read, 60 MB/s write). The card reader still managed a write speed of 34 MB/s; read was performed at 84 MB/s. Very good rates are primarily achieved in read performance, while the write speed is only average.

As expected, the internal storage is much faster and delivers good rates in AndroBench. Although it is not as fast as the UFS storage in the Galaxy S6 Edge+, it should hardly be noticed in everyday use. Once again, the review sample displays minor weaknesses in the write rates here.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
249.3 MB/s
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
251 MB/s +1%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
246.9 MB/s -1%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
236.3 MB/s -5%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
383 MB/s +54%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
105.3 MB/s
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
153 MB/s +45%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
46.15 MB/s -56%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
122.5 MB/s +16%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
151.1 MB/s +43%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
29.57 MB/s
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
31.5 MB/s +7%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
26.97 MB/s -9%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
20.1 MB/s -32%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
89.9 MB/s +204%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
16.55 MB/s
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15 MB/s -9%
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
31.1 MB/s +88%
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
11.79 MB/s -29%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
20.95 MB/s +27%

Games

LG's V10 is equipped with a premium-range graphics unit, and is thus also  quite suitable for gaming. Despite the screen's high resolution, no significant lags occur even in "Asphalt 8", while less demanding games like "Candy Crush Jelly" are never a problem for the phablet.

The touchscreen and the impeccably functioning sensors complete the gaming enjoyment. Only the speaker's position is not ideal in landscape mode.

"Candy Crush Jelly"
"Candy Crush Jelly"
"Asphalt 8: Airborne"
"Asphalt 8: Airborne"

Emissions

Temperature

The idle surface temperatures of LG's V10 of up to 32 °C (~90 °F) are uncritical. The rates climbed to over 40 degrees (~104 °F) primarily on large areas of the back. However, that was never unpleasant or disconcerting.

We used the battery test of GFXBench 4.0 to check the temperature development under the hood. Here, the OpenGL ES 2.0 T-Rex test is run thirty times in succession, and both the battery charge state and the frame rates are recorded. Surprisingly, the review sample does a worse job than LG's G4, which displays performance losses after 25 runs. The V10's performance abruptly dropped by 20% at the beginning of the sixth run.

Max. Load
 41 °C
106 F
37.2 °C
99 F
37.7 °C
100 F
 
 40.7 °C
105 F
38.8 °C
102 F
37.7 °C
100 F
 
 39.6 °C
103 F
38.3 °C
101 F
36.3 °C
97 F
 
Maximum: 41 °C = 106 F
Average: 38.6 °C = 101 F
37.8 °C
100 F
41.1 °C
106 F
41.2 °C
106 F
37.3 °C
99 F
40.1 °C
104 F
40.9 °C
106 F
37.5 °C
100 F
37.9 °C
100 F
37.7 °C
100 F
Maximum: 41.2 °C = 106 F
Average: 39.1 °C = 102 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.4 °C = 85 F | Room Temperature 21.8 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.6 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.3 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

System Noise

LG's V10 is absolutely silent unless it is prompted. However, that is different for our review sample's included power supply. It starts to whine after a few minutes when recharging the handset. This is very annoying especially in quiet surroundings.

Speaker

Speaker measurements: Pink Noise
Speaker measurements: Pink Noise

The speaker is situated on the lower edge of LG's V10 smartphone. It allows placing the handset on a table without having to worry about restricting the sound. The component cannot be covered when holding the handset in a hand, either.

The phablet can get really loud with up to 90 dB(A). Then again, the sound impression is not very balanced and the upper mids could distort slightly here. The bass range and lower mids are virtually non-existent.

Users who like to listen to music on the go could be very happy with LG's V10. Although the included headphones are only average quality, the smartphone features a 32 bit Hi-Fi D-A converter that enhances poor quality audio files and provides a clear sound impression at the audio jack. It is in fact very good and cannot be criticized. However, the promise of supporting especially high-quality headphones (50 - 600 ohms) should be taken with a pinch of salt because they only manage a low volume in conjunction with the smartphone. The audio jack does not have enough voltage to compensate high resistances.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption of LG's V10 is at a good level, particularly in idle mode, and does not give any reason for complaint. As we have previously observed in other flagships by LG, the smartphone has a relatively high requirement during full load. The power supply is a bit tight, but still recharges the smartphone even during full load.

The handset requires 0.21 watts in standby when the second screen is disabled. The energy requirement climbs by 0.05 watts when it is turned on. The second screen needs about 0.13 watts when using the smartphone, which is very little.

LG's smartphone supports Quick Charge and can fully recharge the phablet within 75 minutes. The 3000 mAh battery is recharged by 50% in just 30 minutes.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.08 / 0.21 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.67 / 1.94 / 2.1 Watt
Load midlight 6.53 / 9.93 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Gossen Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Despite the relatively small battery, LG's V10 does quite a good job in the comparison field and beats the smaller G4 model in all sectors. The long runtimes in the Reader's test are achieved thanks to the screen's very low minimum brightness of not even 4 cd/m². This not only spares the battery, but also the eyes at night.

The review sample cannot compete with any of its rivals in the more significant "browsing via Wi-Fi" test using a screen brightness of 150 cd/m². The small battery is noticed here. Nevertheless, the runtimes are just below those of the Lumia 950 XL (3340 mAh) and the Nexus 6P (3450 mAh). Samsung's smartphone is out of the V10's reach.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
28h 17min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 53min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 59min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 23min
LG V10
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Google Nexus 6P
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
-16%
-8%
7%
13%
-10%
Reader / Idle
1697
1654
-3%
1078
-36%
1447
-15%
1459
-14%
1141
-33%
H.264
539
501
-7%
611
13%
533
-1%
383
-29%
WiFi v1.3
353
326
-8%
369
5%
375
6%
501
42%
400
13%
Load
203
114
-44%
179
-12%
280
38%
223
10%
219
8%

Pros

+ fast SoC
+ robust and premium design
+ decent connectivity configuration
+ expandable storage
+ removable battery
+ good camera
+ Quick Charge
+ 32 bit HiFi D-A converter
+ fast fingerprint scanner
+ frugal secondary screen...

Cons

- ...with limited functionality
- tightly sized power supply
- SOC throttling
- UI slows down the system
- no wireless charging

Verdict

In review: LG V10. Review sample courtesy of LG Germany.
In review: LG V10. Review sample courtesy of LG Germany.

With the LG V10, the Korean manufacturer provides another superb smartphone that is very similar to LG's G4 on the specification sheet, but does not have much in common with its sister model in terms of looks. Selfie fans will certainly like the front-facing dual-lens. The second screen is nice to have, but its potential is not fully utilized, and most actions are performed just as fast via the primary screen.

The V10 also features a good fingerprint scanner that has been integrated inconspicuously in the power button on the back. Otherwise, LG also does a good job and has improved the screen that is familiar from the G4, which now has a tremendously high contrast, among other things. The features of the very good camera have been developed even further, but unfortunately, the manufacturer has failed to improve the automatic mode.

LG presents yet another strong smartphone with its V10. Its biggest shortcoming is the high market price.

The choice is ultimately a question of taste and budget when having to opt for one LG's flagship models. The V10 costs approximately 200 Euros (~$224) more than the G4, whose price has in the meantime dropped significantly.

LG V10 - 02/02/2016 v4.1(old)
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
90%
Keyboard
76 / 75 → 100%
Pointing Device
95%
Connectivity
59 / 60 → 98%
Weight
89%
Battery
92%
Display
85%
Games Performance
66 / 63 → 100%
Application Performance
51 / 70 → 73%
Temperature
86%
Noise
100%
Audio
60 / 91 → 66%
Camera
86%
Average
80%
87%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Daniel Schmidt, 2016-02- 9 (Update: 2018-05-15)