I've never owned or seen a phone that didn't have it's quirks. The V10 is no exception. I'll start with the bad, and end with the good...but all in all, I really like this phone, and am quite pleased I chose it. All these praises and complaints are solely based on my use of this phone, and everyone's experience will be different......because everyone uses their phone differently.
The not-so-goods:
-Let's start with the fingerprint scanner: I love that I have one, I don't love how often it fails me. There seems to be a number of people on both sides of this, so I think I may need to "retrain" my device, now that I've developed habits on how I hold the phone. When it was brand new out of the box, I was just random finger mashing, but it's likely I've developed some consistency now that I've been using it for a while.
-Delay of proximity sensor: When you pull your phone out of your pocket, or flip it after it sitting face down, there is a slight delay by the proximity sensor before the phone will acknowledge your attempts to wake it from it's slumber. This can been seen visually in the 2nd screen, as it it off when it senses it's covered. 70% (made up figure) of the time, it's a fairly instant transition, other times there's a delay. When it delays, attempts to turn on the phone turn into a 3 stooges skit......a series of button mashes that first do nothing, then mock you as you turn the phone on an off. Finally your brain catches up with your finger, but by then you're just slightly more irritated (depending on the day you're having) This is small, but I have enough irritation in my day already.
-External speaker: This one is my personal biggest disappointment. I don't like the placement.....I don't like the sound quality......and I don't like having to cup my hand just so to clearly hear whatever I'm watching.
-Auto brightness: In it's current configuration, this is useless. On auto, it's often far to dim to be usable. Seems like an easy fix in a future update, but until then, I can't use it.....which leads me to my next dislike
-Battery life: Now let me state that this is partly my fault. I've done nothing yet to optimize my battery life. My auto updates are frequent, my screen is bright, and I run a lot of apps. Also, my previous phone (Droid Turbo) had fantastic battery life, so the bar was pretty high for me. Problem is, I didn't have to "optimize" to get a full day of heavy usage before, so now I feel I shouldn't have to. I will at some point though, because I do not get a full day without charging this phone. The free spare battery and wonderfully fast quick charge has made it bearable, but it's still disappointing to me.
Now for the good stuff....the reasons I really like this phone:
-Build quality: This phone feels better in my hands than any I've ever held. It's beautiful, solid, and reeks of quality. It's both durable and elegant. It's easy to hold, and with the rear button placement, easy to operate.
-Screen: The screen on this thing is beautiful. A month it, I still find myself in awe. Image quality is something we quickly acclimate to. In the fairly recent history, a beautiful 1080p television was something to behold, but I doubt many of us are "blown away" by them anymore. The screen on this phone has yet to reach that point with me.....I'm still enamored with it's beauty. Yes, the beautiful AMOLED screens that Samsung use are perhaps even more beautiful, I certainly think they are the best, initially. But remember this, the O in AMOLED is for "organic", which means they degrade over time. Look it up if you wish, but it is true that an AMOLED will lose quality over the life of the device. Also, there's always the potential for "burn in" on those beautiful AMOLED screens. The LG's screen is breathtaking, and while it may also have it's own shortcomings, It still brings a smile to my face
-Hi-Fi: I listen to music via headphones a lot, so this one is a bit of a bid deal to me. Music sounds wonderful coming from this device (by wire). The sounds are rich and clean. The bass is deep and clear. The highs are crisp and vibrant. What more could I ask for...
-Camera: No surprise here....this camera is the balls. I'm not an armature photographer. I don't have any special skills or knowledge with photography. What I do have is a phone that takes really great pictures, and honestly makes me look better than I am. I have been playing around with the manual controls, and it's paying dividends. The auto mode is sufficient, but the manual pics are 2 steps above. It doesn't take long to learn. Here are a few examples
-2nd Screen: Now this isn't the "best most useful addition of all time", but I have found it quite useful on occasion. I like the music controls, the quick flashlight access, notification, camera functions, and "always on" date and time. It's also a good way to use what would otherwise be dead space beside the front cameras. Yes, the light bleed is real, but I only notice it in a dark room....which means I'll likely be sleeping shorty anyways. There are functions of it I'll probably never use, but over all it adds to the phones appeal for me.
-IR blaster, removable battery, and expandable memory: I lumped these together because, although I really like the (especially the IR blaster) there isn't much to say about them, just that I'm glad my phone has them.
-Radios: This phone handles all communications I throw at it very will. I've had no issues with call quality, data connections (well, some the first week, but I don't think it was the phone), bluetooth strength or general 3G/4G signal strength. It handles all these things as good as or better than any phone I've owned, including my wife's iPhone 6s Plus.
In summary: There are other things that different manufacturers do better than LG. Motorolla has the software beat. HTC wins the external audio battle, Samsung has some great innovations (S Pen, Edge screens).....but LG's offering fits best for me. It's not perfect, none of them are, but it's a phone I wield with pride and admiration. If you're a happy V10 owner, you know what I mean. If you're thinking about it, I assure you it's a great device. If you've tried it and hated it, well, nothing is right for everyone. If you have any questions about my specific experience with this phone, feel free to ask. Otherwise, enjoy your not so little pocket powerhouse!
The not-so-goods:
-Let's start with the fingerprint scanner: I love that I have one, I don't love how often it fails me. There seems to be a number of people on both sides of this, so I think I may need to "retrain" my device, now that I've developed habits on how I hold the phone. When it was brand new out of the box, I was just random finger mashing, but it's likely I've developed some consistency now that I've been using it for a while.
-Delay of proximity sensor: When you pull your phone out of your pocket, or flip it after it sitting face down, there is a slight delay by the proximity sensor before the phone will acknowledge your attempts to wake it from it's slumber. This can been seen visually in the 2nd screen, as it it off when it senses it's covered. 70% (made up figure) of the time, it's a fairly instant transition, other times there's a delay. When it delays, attempts to turn on the phone turn into a 3 stooges skit......a series of button mashes that first do nothing, then mock you as you turn the phone on an off. Finally your brain catches up with your finger, but by then you're just slightly more irritated (depending on the day you're having) This is small, but I have enough irritation in my day already.
-External speaker: This one is my personal biggest disappointment. I don't like the placement.....I don't like the sound quality......and I don't like having to cup my hand just so to clearly hear whatever I'm watching.
-Auto brightness: In it's current configuration, this is useless. On auto, it's often far to dim to be usable. Seems like an easy fix in a future update, but until then, I can't use it.....which leads me to my next dislike
-Battery life: Now let me state that this is partly my fault. I've done nothing yet to optimize my battery life. My auto updates are frequent, my screen is bright, and I run a lot of apps. Also, my previous phone (Droid Turbo) had fantastic battery life, so the bar was pretty high for me. Problem is, I didn't have to "optimize" to get a full day of heavy usage before, so now I feel I shouldn't have to. I will at some point though, because I do not get a full day without charging this phone. The free spare battery and wonderfully fast quick charge has made it bearable, but it's still disappointing to me.
Now for the good stuff....the reasons I really like this phone:
-Build quality: This phone feels better in my hands than any I've ever held. It's beautiful, solid, and reeks of quality. It's both durable and elegant. It's easy to hold, and with the rear button placement, easy to operate.
-Screen: The screen on this thing is beautiful. A month it, I still find myself in awe. Image quality is something we quickly acclimate to. In the fairly recent history, a beautiful 1080p television was something to behold, but I doubt many of us are "blown away" by them anymore. The screen on this phone has yet to reach that point with me.....I'm still enamored with it's beauty. Yes, the beautiful AMOLED screens that Samsung use are perhaps even more beautiful, I certainly think they are the best, initially. But remember this, the O in AMOLED is for "organic", which means they degrade over time. Look it up if you wish, but it is true that an AMOLED will lose quality over the life of the device. Also, there's always the potential for "burn in" on those beautiful AMOLED screens. The LG's screen is breathtaking, and while it may also have it's own shortcomings, It still brings a smile to my face
-Hi-Fi: I listen to music via headphones a lot, so this one is a bit of a bid deal to me. Music sounds wonderful coming from this device (by wire). The sounds are rich and clean. The bass is deep and clear. The highs are crisp and vibrant. What more could I ask for...
-Camera: No surprise here....this camera is the balls. I'm not an armature photographer. I don't have any special skills or knowledge with photography. What I do have is a phone that takes really great pictures, and honestly makes me look better than I am. I have been playing around with the manual controls, and it's paying dividends. The auto mode is sufficient, but the manual pics are 2 steps above. It doesn't take long to learn. Here are a few examples
-2nd Screen: Now this isn't the "best most useful addition of all time", but I have found it quite useful on occasion. I like the music controls, the quick flashlight access, notification, camera functions, and "always on" date and time. It's also a good way to use what would otherwise be dead space beside the front cameras. Yes, the light bleed is real, but I only notice it in a dark room....which means I'll likely be sleeping shorty anyways. There are functions of it I'll probably never use, but over all it adds to the phones appeal for me.
-IR blaster, removable battery, and expandable memory: I lumped these together because, although I really like the (especially the IR blaster) there isn't much to say about them, just that I'm glad my phone has them.
-Radios: This phone handles all communications I throw at it very will. I've had no issues with call quality, data connections (well, some the first week, but I don't think it was the phone), bluetooth strength or general 3G/4G signal strength. It handles all these things as good as or better than any phone I've owned, including my wife's iPhone 6s Plus.
In summary: There are other things that different manufacturers do better than LG. Motorolla has the software beat. HTC wins the external audio battle, Samsung has some great innovations (S Pen, Edge screens).....but LG's offering fits best for me. It's not perfect, none of them are, but it's a phone I wield with pride and admiration. If you're a happy V10 owner, you know what I mean. If you're thinking about it, I assure you it's a great device. If you've tried it and hated it, well, nothing is right for everyone. If you have any questions about my specific experience with this phone, feel free to ask. Otherwise, enjoy your not so little pocket powerhouse!
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