LG V40 specs confirmed, are you going to upgrade?

[tickerguy]

Meh on the battery complaints. I have a PH-1 with a 3000mah battery and it easily gets through the day unless I'm doing something like using maps heavily -- and that's with my charging it only to 80% to conserve cycle life, since the battery is non-serviceable. I started with Oreo on it and now have Pie; there was no material improvement in power consumption from Oreo->Pie, just UI and increases in "suggestions" the phone makes. Oreo is where the major improvements in the last several Android releases came in with putting a stop to abusive actions by apps both with notifications and power burn (now if Google just cared about about data security and apps siphoning off things like location, but of course they don't and never will since that's how THEY make money too!)

Oreo+ and modern processors do a decent job of keeping power consumption reasonable. On a full charge I get an estimated 8h SOT and have a rated ~30h in "mixed use", which jives well -- charge once a day, during the day using USB-PD (which is *extremely* fast; under an hour to reach 80%) and I'm good.

Now if you're into a lot of heavy video viewing or games then it's a different matter. Same if you use mapping a lot. But in that case even 4kmah won't do it, so.... yeah.

 

[Mooncatt]

Yep, phone still functions just fine, but c'mon, you should be guaranteed at least 2 major Android versions when spending that kind of money.

Considering my past issues with OS upgrades, I'd almost pay a premium not to get them. Oddly enough, the new Widows pay model does just this. Lol.

 

[flyingkytez]

Disappointed in that battery especially when note has 4000 now

The cost will probably be lower than the Note. Plus LG prides itself in being lightweight and thin in design, it's been their motto for the longest time (LG G series were first to do bezelless). I honestly don't want a 4000mAh battery because I had one before and it really does add a significant amount of weight which doesn't feel good in your hand. The phone needs to be easy to handle especially when taking photos/videos, a brick is hard to deal with. I don't want to hold a brick in my hand.. plus it takes a VERY long time to charge, probably 2.5 hours.

Galaxy Note 9 weight: 201 g (7.09 oz) (only uses Quick Charge 2.0, charging from 0 to 100% will take a long time, probably because they're scared of battery exploding again)

LG V30s ThinQ weight: 158 g (5.57 oz) (uses FASTER Quick Charge 3.0 which is actually very fast)

Believe me, that weight in your pocket isn't a great feeling. The bigger battery adds bulk, that's not what LG is aiming for. I had the Galaxy S7 Active phone which weighed 184.8 g (6.53 oz) and it had a 4000mah battery. It felt very heavy/bulky and since the phone wasn't optimized, battery life was mediocre and took hours to charge. Snapdragon 845 + Android Oreo/Pie will be good enough or better than expected.

 

[flyingkytez]

Also adding to the Lack of Updates experience with my V20. LG is beyond terrible for major OS updates, and if that wasn't the case, sure I'd jump to the V40.

Spending flagship money but getting boned by LG and then carriers to even get a single OS update is not acceptable. Yep, phone still functions just fine, but c'mon, you should be guaranteed at least 2 major Android versions when spending that kind of money.

Look, it all goes down to sacrifice:

Pixel: fast updates, excellent software, basic features and plain design but good performing hardware (single rear camera but great software on the camera itself so pictures turn out good), expensive

LG: slow updates, not so great software, very unique and useful features, hardware differs a lot compared to other flagships (new LG has 5 camera setup, only phone with Quad DAC + headphone jack still there, micro SD slot), affordable/semi-expensive

Samsung: pretty OK with fast updates, software still not better than Pixel but better than LG, features are in between LG and Pixel, basic but not super basic (headphone jack, S Pen, S Pay, 2nd lens telephoto camera), price varies but getting expensive every year

I'd rather go for the hardware. Since Andriod is so customizable/hackable, you can install custom software. There's basics that I expect from a smartphone, and that's a headphone jack and micro SD.. no matter what I will not favor fast updates over physically better hardware/features. It's really preference at this point.

 

[RaRa85]

Disappointed in that battery especially when note has 4000 now

And the 3300mAh V30 still outlasts it. We just have to wait and see if LG managed to maximize the SD845 or not because it is not as power efficient as the SD835 even though they claimed it would be.

 

[RaRa85]

Nope.

For the price it simply isn't attractive. Nothing is in the $1,000 range.

The incremental improvement over the previous generations is extremely small but the price is 2-3x as large. That makes it utterly silly from an economic perspective.

If you buy things to "virtue signal" your wealth, well, have at it. If you buy them for utility then there's nothing in the last two generations of handsets that makes them interesting and this will not change until Band 71 becomes important on T-Mobile, which is still a couple of years off. At THAT point there will be something in the "two years old" realm that HAS Band 71, so the wise man who is on that carrier in the US waits.

If you're NOT on T-Mobile or not in the US at all then it's even less-relevant.

Where'd we get the $1000 price tag from? I think LG knows better. At least they should. I think at $800-850 even $900 at the max it will offer a lot more than mostly everyone except Samsung which still offer a lot hardware wise.

 

[cohoman]

I would consider upgrading from my current LG G6 after reading some on hands reviews and seeing the phone in person. Also, the price would need to be less than $900.

 

[Morty2264]

I would consider upgrading from my current LG G6 after reading some on hands reviews and seeing the phone in person. Also, the price would need to be less than $900.

I'm sure LG will have promos and such for it. I agree, I'd consider it if I could snag it for a more decent price.

 

[tube517]

Tempting. Very tempting but that price sucks

 

[tickerguy]

Where'd we get the $1000 price tag from? I think LG knows better. At least they should. I think at $800-850 even $900 at the max it will offer a lot more than mostly everyone except Samsung which still offer a lot hardware wise.

And with V20s available "close to brand new" for $200ish you're spending four times as much. What do you get for the four times as much money?

A slightly better camera implementation (maybe), a sealed battery you can't replace (meh) when it wears out, water resistance, a somewhat faster processor and a newer design. The faster processor, however, is much like the "faster" processor in a PC -- unless you're in the 1% of the user population that actually stresses the processor in your current device you'll never see the difference in performance.

The water resistance is worth something but I can destroy TWO V20s by drowning them and still be ahead price-wise. Since I haven't drowned a device in the last decade this is a bad deal for me.

I just don't see the argument for any of the new devices. You get into the $400-500 range and bring me something I can actually use (e.g. dual SIM, both active) and suddenly I like the idea because now I'm buying utility value. But short of that no thanks.

I gave my V20 to my adult kid (she loves it) when I picked up an Essential PH-1 on "prime day" for $250. The PH-1 isn't really any faster than the V20 despite having better specs. Why did I buy the PH-1? The V20 is just a bit too big for me. I can tolerate it, but it's right in the boundary between "slightly obnoxiously large" and "too large", and the PH-1 is below that threshold. It has Pie on it now as well and I write apps so I know what the differences are between the last several major Android releases on an internal, code level (as I have to deal with them); there is no material difference between Oreo and Pie internally and, having used both now on the PH-1, there isn't much of one from a user interface and experience perspective either. And the PH-1 has USB-PD support which charges outrageously fast without heating; it can fill from ~20% -> 80% in well under an hour (I have Accubattery installed and unplug at 80%) and with Oreo (and now Pie) on it returns ~30 hours in mixed use and 8 hours SOT on a charge.

I'd buy a V40 if it didn't trip my "obnoxiously large" filter, had something in it that was materially superior to the V20 and/or PH-1 and was under $500. But it won't be anywhere near that latter threshold, with expectations being that it will be reaching for close to or at double that price-tag, at which point it becomes completely unattractive to me.

Same thing with my desktop and laptop computers. I've had no compelling reason to upgrade either for more than five years since while I CAN get more CPU and such today the difference in actual user experience is small to non-existent so why would I spend the money when my current devices are in good working order? The (large) expenditure of money doesn't get me anything other than virtue signalling that I can afford to waste funds on "bling."

 

[LuvMusic]

Where'd we get the $1000 price tag from? I think LG knows better. At least they should. I think at $800-850 even $900 at the max it will offer a lot more than mostly everyone except Samsung which still offer a lot hardware wise.

It's all speculation at this point. However, IMO, anything at $900.00 USD or above is in the $1000.00 range. At that price point it becomes a financial decision and not an impulse buy, at least for me.

Update - Here is a quote from an Androidcentral article on the V40:

"LG V10 — $600
LG V20 — $830
LG V30 — $800
LG V30S — $930
LG V35 — $900

LG's been steadily increasing the price of its V phones with just about every release, and based on the most recent V30S and V35, I think it's safe to say that the V40 will cost around $900 and possibly cross that $1000 threshold.

The V series has never been cheap and the V40 won't be an exception to that rule."

 

[Mooncatt]

LG V20 — $830

Unless you got the Verizon version. Full price on it was about $670 without any additional offers or trade in credits.

 

[ffejjj]

Let's not forget that damn near every LG phone gets discounted near 50% not long after launch.

My payment on my daughter's G6 is only $4.75 a month because I waited a couple weeks after it launched to purchase.

 

[RaRa85]

And with V20s available "close to brand new" for $200ish you're spending four times as much. What do you get for the four times as much money?

A slightly better camera implementation (maybe), a sealed battery you can't replace (meh) when it wears out, water resistance, a somewhat faster processor and a newer design. The faster processor, however, is much like the "faster" processor in a PC -- unless you're in the 1% of the user population that actually stresses the processor in your current device you'll never see the difference in performance.

The water resistance is worth something but I can destroy TWO V20s by drowning them and still be ahead price-wise. Since I haven't drowned a device in the last decade this is a bad deal for me.

I just don't see the argument for any of the new devices. You get into the $400-500 range and bring me something I can actually use (e.g. dual SIM, both active) and suddenly I like the idea because now I'm buying utility value. But short of that no thanks.

I gave my V20 to my adult kid (she loves it) when I picked up an Essential PH-1 on "prime day" for $250. The PH-1 isn't really any faster than the V20 despite having better specs. Why did I buy the PH-1? The V20 is just a bit too big for me. I can tolerate it, but it's right in the boundary between "slightly obnoxiously large" and "too large", and the PH-1 is below that threshold. It has Pie on it now as well and I write apps so I know what the differences are between the last several major Android releases on an internal, code level (as I have to deal with them); there is no material difference between Oreo and Pie internally and, having used both now on the PH-1, there isn't much of one from a user interface and experience perspective either. And the PH-1 has USB-PD support which charges outrageously fast without heating; it can fill from ~20% -> 80% in well under an hour (I have Accubattery installed and unplug at 80%) and with Oreo (and now Pie) on it returns ~30 hours in mixed use and 8 hours SOT on a charge.

I'd buy a V40 if it didn't trip my "obnoxiously large" filter, had something in it that was materially superior to the V20 and/or PH-1 and was under $500. But it won't be anywhere near that latter threshold, with expectations being that it will be reaching for close to or at double that price-tag, at which point it becomes completely unattractive to me.

Same thing with my desktop and laptop computers. I've had no compelling reason to upgrade either for more than five years since while I CAN get more CPU and such today the difference in actual user experience is small to non-existent so why would I spend the money when my current devices are in good working order? The (large) expenditure of money doesn't get me anything other than virtue signalling that I can afford to waste funds on "bling."

I get your points but I can tell you're probably not the target audience for who this phone is for. I had both the V10 with terrible battery life that absolutely needed the removable battery and the V20 which had very decent to very good battery life. In fact I would still have my V20 right now if the camera app didn't stop failing me and freezing and rebooting when I needed it most or even just randomly. The battery life was reliable enough on the V20 that I didn't even need the removable battery so that was nice non issue for me. But the camera is one of my number one factors in which phone I get. It seems as if LG is going with a larger sensor and pixel size for the main camera with an even faster f/1.5 aperture. That alone is an automatic upgrade for me over the V20. This should not only put the V40 on par with the competition but even ahead if LG does a little fine tuning. Even so, the best manual mode is available if LG has not quite gotten it right. But also the fact that we'll get a wide angle and telephoto lens all in one package! Sign me up. This versatility puts the V40 in a class of it's own as far flexibility. The P20 Pro is just as versatile but I think the B&W sensor could be done away with for a different focal length or wide angle like LG. Also the front facing camera has already been improved on the G7 with built in portrait mode for both the rear and front cameras. I will miss the IR blaster but that just means I'll have to keep up with my remotes. The software quick toggles are much easier to use one handed than the second screen so that's an equal compromise for me. So there's really nothing the V20 has that would keep me tied to it compared to the V40.

Everything else is just a bonus. Faster chipset and better processing power. Hopefully improved P-OLED screen. We'll see if Project Treble helps with improving update speed and consistency but since Android Nougat, the OS as is already has everything I need so that's not a huge deal to me.

But it's all about the multimedia experience and it looks to get even better with the V40 also for audio as well with the Boombox plus stereo speakers. So this is really the whole package. The best phone of 2018 for me(especially if LG gets everything right). So while I can understand why you wouldn't see it as an upgrade. I do. Most people don't make cinematic videos with their devices but I'm in that category. Two videos I did with the V10 and V20 respectively. And funny thing is I'm using a V10 again until the V40 comes out so I have another video I'm working on. Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/Fa495cN9I0Q

https://youtu.be/mZzrb63lBEQ

 

[RaRa85]

It's all speculation at this point. However, IMO, anything at $900.00 USD or above is in the $1000.00 range. At that price point it becomes a financial decision and not an impulse buy, at least for me.

Update - Here is a quote from an Androidcentral article on the V40:

"LG V10 — $600
LG V20 — $830
LG V30 — $800
LG V30S — $930
LG V35 — $900

LG's been steadily increasing the price of its V phones with just about every release, and based on the most recent V30S and V35, I think it's safe to say that the V40 will cost around $900 and possibly cross that $1000 threshold.

The V series has never been cheap and the V40 won't be an exception to that rule."

That is true so we'll see I'm hoping they make a smart decision though. The V line isn't exactly the biggest seller although people like me absolutely love them.

 

[Morty2264]

Let's not forget that damn near every LG phone gets discounted near 50% not long after launch.

My payment on my daughter's G6 is only $4.75 a month because I waited a couple weeks after it launched to purchase.

You're right - LG is notorious for price drops. Phooey, now you're convincing me to upgrade early!

 

[flyingkytez]

And the 3300mAh V30 still outlasts it. We just have to wait and see if LG managed to maximize the SD845 or not because it is not as power efficient as the SD835 even though they claimed it would be.

Just don't use 5G internet and don't watch a 4K video at 60fps (both features supported by 845). The Snapdragon 845 should be more efficient but probably not that different than 835.. it's both using 10nm processors but the 845 is 2nd gen, which is what makes it energy efficient (nano sized).



"The all-new premium mobile CPU retains the same 10nm footprint as its predecessor, but boasts a revamped architecture.

These tweaks have enabled some exciting new features – like 4K HDR video capture on smartphones and improved Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 will also offer improved power consumption, which should result in markedly better battery life for your new smartphone.

Overall, the Snapdragon 845 consumes 30 per cent less power than the 835."

https://www.express.co.uk/life-styl...napdragon-845-Battery-Life-4K-Ultra-HD-Camera


"Battery life is another key upgrade, with the new Snapdragon promising almost one-third power reduction for energy-hungry features like video capture, AR/VR and gaming."

https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/06/qualcomms-snapdragon-845-focuses-on-ai-vr-and-battery-life/



A 4000mAh battery is no longer necessary... Maybe it was awesome 2 years ago.. in 2018/2019 devices are much more energy efficient and battery is lasting much longer. It's better to have a slim and lightweight phone than a brick.

 

[Morty2264]

Just don't use 5G internet and don't watch a 4K video at 60fps (both features supported by 845). The Snapdragon 845 should be more efficient but probably not that different than 835.. it's both using 10nm processors but the 845 is 2nd gen, which is what makes it energy efficient (nano sized).



"The all-new premium mobile CPU retains the same 10nm footprint as its predecessor, but boasts a revamped architecture.

These tweaks have enabled some exciting new features – like 4K HDR video capture on smartphones and improved Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 will also offer improved power consumption, which should result in markedly better battery life for your new smartphone.

Overall, the Snapdragon 845 consumes 30 per cent less power than the 835."

https://www.express.co.uk/life-styl...napdragon-845-Battery-Life-4K-Ultra-HD-Camera


"Battery life is another key upgrade, with the new Snapdragon promising almost one-third power reduction for energy-hungry features like video capture, AR/VR and gaming."

https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/06/qualcomms-snapdragon-845-focuses-on-ai-vr-and-battery-life/



A 4000mAh battery is no longer necessary... Maybe it was awesome 2 years ago.. in 2018/2019 devices are much more energy efficient and battery is lasting much longer. It's better to have a slim and lightweight phone than a brick.

This is so good to know! Thank you so much! With processors becoming more and more efficient with battery management, it makes sense that we don't need batteries with higher mAh.

 

[SinisterSenator]

It's possible I'll get the V40. I got my V30 back in December 2017 and it's still holding strong. Battery life is still great and I've had little to no lag. I'm happy with what I have but I also just won the G7 from John Legere during his Facebook show a couple of weeks ago and I might just roll with that for a while or ultimately trade both phone's in for either the V40 or OnePlus 6T since it's coming to T-Mobile and the cost of the trade would probably pay for most of the 6T. Tough decision.

 

[Harry Rivers]

Ain't paying $1000+ for nobody's phone.