No matter how good the V30 is, it still may not put a huge dent in sales of the duopoly.

[MSFTisMIA]

The IR blaster is gone

That's unfortunate. I just think LG copies Samsung in the wrong way too much. They've always had this idea of throwing stuff in the wall and seeing what sticks and yet throwing away some functional things at the same time.

I'll watch it closely as I am thinking about a V30...but I'm ok with keeping my V20 too.

 

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

Disagree on the camera. Everyone is starting to jump on the dual camera bandwagon and everyone I've shown the wide angle camera loves it for group or wide shots that arent physically possible. Its not an issue anyway since the V30 is keeping the camera.

Manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon, but that doesn't mean it is due to consumer demand. Several manufacturers use dual lens to take a singular image. Several manufacturers use the second lens for telephoto. Only LG uses the second lens for wide-angle that I know of. Using anything other than the primary lens is going to be rare. A telephoto lens is a nice add-on, but not something that people are going to get excited about or use very often. The only difference between a wide angle picture and my panorama shot is that some people will be stitched weird. Otherwise, no visible difference.

 

[Aquila]

All of that is wrong. People don't want dual wide angle camera because they never USED it before. Once they have used it, and use it daily, they'll want it permanently.

A second display isn't necessary but it was different and useful.

Battery case? You know how thick that thing is? It's like carrying a brick in your pocket. I'd rather have a small and flat external battery in my back pocket. Fast charging is good, but you have to be around wires still. Traveling out of town with no car? Gotta carry a huge battery pack connected to your phone with wires hanging out of your pocket.

Majority of people don't use their phones for music? I think not. Why did HTC remove the headphone jack? To improve audio quality via USB.

I record video all the time when I travel. You don't go on vacation? With editing software included, a laptop or desktop computer is not needed, yet alone expensive software. You must not have a social media page.

No one cares about IR blasters? Everybody uses a remote control everyday. It's still being used, not obsolete yet.

You are an average user that needs an average phone (iPhone, etc.). The V series is not an average phone, it's a feature rich flagship phone aimed at those that want the best possible phone.

Sorry, I get what you are saying, but it's completely out of touch with almost every user, not just average users. And it's strategically completely the opposite of how LG needs to proceed if they hope to ever have relevance.

 

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

All of that is wrong. People don't want dual wide angle camera because they never USED it before. Once they have used it, and use it daily, they'll want it permanently.

A second display isn't necessary but it was different and useful.

Battery case? You know how thick that thing is? It's like carrying a brick in your pocket. I'd rather have a small and flat external battery in my back pocket. Fast charging is good, but you have to be around wires still. Traveling out of town with no car? Gotta carry a huge battery pack connected to your phone with wires hanging out of your pocket.

Majority of people don't use their phones for music? I think not. Why did HTC remove the headphone jack? To improve audio quality via USB.

I record video all the time when I travel. You don't go on vacation? With editing software included, a laptop or desktop computer is not needed, yet alone expensive software. You must not have a social media page.

No one cares about IR blasters? Everybody uses a remote control everyday. It's still being used, not obsolete yet.

You are an average user that needs an average phone (iPhone, etc.). The V series is not an average phone, it's a feature rich flagship phone aimed at those that want the best possible phone.

I've never seen or heard any interest in wide angle lenses in real life. In fact, the only people I've ever heard that cares about them are you and Krystal Key.

Second display was different, but it was a gimmick and made the phone less attractive. The difference between using the second display for a function and doing it the regular way is no more than a second.

The battery cases are thick because they contain 2-3 times more power than your smartphone battery does.

A survey found that only about 30% of people use their phones for music. HTC was stupid to remove the headphone jack. They lost sales because of it and the audio quality is worse than the competition, such as the Galaxy S8.

Everybody records video. Very few edit their smartphone videos. Even fewer need the depth that the V20 had.

You're right. Everybody uses their remote controls. They don't need an IR blaster in their phone. I've been able to control my TV through my phone for years. Never cared about it because using a remote control is simply better.

I'm not an average user. I'm far closer to a power user than an average person. LG features are unnecessary and often gimmicky. If their goal with the V series was to make the best phone possible then they aren't doing a very good job of that. They need to get good at the basics and then work on adding features. Manufacturing the Google Pixel 2 will probably be a great help for them.

 

[Aquila]

Agree with fix the basics. Get an industry leading display. Create a simple yet striking design with amazing build quality. Lead the pack on software and security updates, consistently faster and for longer than everyone else. Win the camera race. Best camera without room for dispute. Buy out the entire supply of the latest chip before anyone else can bid.

Coming in at second best phone of the year would be a miracle, LG has never done this... And it's still not enough.

 

[Aquila]

Heck I'm not sure I can honestly say that LG has ever finished in the top 5 for a years best phone list. I'll work on that list to figure it out, but I think the closest they've ever come has been on a Nexus.

 

[Aquila]

Ok so I made that list... and obviously people are going to disagree and all that, which is fine. These are in no particular order within each year. The larger point is that there is 1 LG, and it's a Nexus. But every year has some Samsung and some Apple, most years have some HTC and some Moto.


2017
Pixel 2 XL
Note 8
HTC U11
S8+
iPhone 8


2016
Pixel XL
S7 Edge
HTC 10
Moto Z Force
iPhone 7


2015
Nexus 6P
Note 5
S5 Edge
Moto X Pure
iPhone 6s Plus


2014
Nexus 6
Note 4
iPhone 6
S5
Moto X 2014


2013
Moto X
HTC One M7
iPhone 5s
Note 3
Nexus 5


2012
One X
iPhone 5
Note 2
S3
Droid Razr Maxx


2011
Thunderbolt
Galaxy Nexus
S2
iPhone 4S
Droid Razr


2010
Evo
Epic 4G
Incredible
iPhone 4
Droid X


Feel free to tear this apart as needed, I mainly used CNET and ZDNet lists as sources in order to make it fast. Also, 3 of the phones in 2017 aren't released yet, so obviously the final ranking of 2017 probably will change.

 

[Mike Dee]

I've never seen or heard any interest in wide angle lenses in real life. In fact, the only people I've ever heard that cares about them are you and Krystal Key.

Second display was different, but it was a gimmick and made the phone less attractive. The difference between using the second display for a function and doing it the regular way is no more than a second.

The battery cases are thick because they contain 2-3 times more power than your smartphone battery does.

A survey found that only about 30% of people use their phones for music. HTC was stupid to remove the headphone jack. They lost sales because of it and the audio quality is worse than the competition, such as the Galaxy S8.

Everybody records video. Very few edit their smartphone videos. Even fewer need the depth that the V20 had.

You're right. Everybody uses their remote controls. They don't need an IR blaster in their phone. I've been able to control my TV through my phone for years. Never cared about it because using a remote control is simply better.

I'm not an average user. I'm far closer to a power user than an average person. LG features are unnecessary and often gimmicky. If their goal with the V series was to make the best phone possible then they aren't doing a very good job of that. They need to get good at the basics and then work on adding features. Manufacturing the Google Pixel 2 will probably be a great help for them.

Im not sure what real life you're referring to. If you are only referring to phones and have heard no interest in wide angle that's one thing. In photography, wide angle lenses are very important as are telephoto and are tools no photographer worth his salt will do without. Dual cameras in cell phones are still in their infancy and have physical limitations so its hard to get it all in and every brand is going to have their own version of what is best till it all shakes out. Time will tell.

 

[Mike Dee]

Ok so I made that list... and obviously people are going to disagree and all that, which is fine. These are in no particular order within each year. The larger point is that there is 1 LG, and it's a Nexus. But every year has some Samsung and some Apple, most years have some HTC and some Moto.


2017
Pixel 2 XL
Note 8
HTC U11
S8+
iPhone 8


2016
Pixel XL
S7 Edge
HTC 10
Moto Z Force
iPhone 7


2015
Nexus 6P
Note 5
S5 Edge
Moto X Pure
iPhone 6s Plus


2014
Nexus 6
Note 4
iPhone 6
S5
Moto X 2014


2013
Moto X
HTC One M7
iPhone 5s
Note 3
Nexus 5


2012
One X
iPhone 5
Note 2
S3
Droid Razr Maxx


2011
Thunderbolt
Galaxy Nexus
S2
iPhone 4S
Droid Razr


2010
Evo
Epic 4G
Incredible
iPhone 4
Droid X


Feel free to tear this apart as needed, I mainly used CNET and ZDNet lists as sources in order to make it fast. Also, 3 of the phones in 2017 aren't released yet, so obviously the final ranking of 2017 probably will change.

Interesting... Do these rankings reflect sales or ratings by reviewers?

 

[Aquila]

Interesting... Do these rankings reflect sales or ratings by reviewers?

Definitely not sales, popularity among reviewers, mainly zdnet and cnet because both consistently made top device lists at the end of each year. I personally don't put any stock in either site, but agree with some of the placements.

 

[Aquila]

LG makes some really good phones, but competition is steep and a bid to challenge the Goliath takes more than luck and hope. They need their own giant that can win over crowds larger than they've ever imagined.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I don’t know about you, but I always found the LG V-line to be a rather special beast due to its focus on multimedia consumption and production.

Will the V30 make a dent in the figures of the duopoly? Likely no, not because the phone won’t be great but because the 2 gorillas are just too big to even touch right now.

The problem with the G6 wasn’t due to the phone itself. The G6 is a very good device. The problem stems from insufficient marketing and some baffling decisions like different featuresets based on region. If LG can deliver a V30 that is properly marketed and also a V30 that doesn’t have a different featuresets depending on where you live, I can see it becoming a relative favorite in our community.

The bootlooping issue is sadly still fresh in some minds. The LG G4 subthread is still getting new reports of it. I haven’t heard of any big issue with the G6 related to that, so we’re probably off to a good start.

 

[Mike Dee]

I don’t know about you, but I always found the LG V-line to be a rather special beast due to its focus on multimedia consumption and production.

Will the V30 make a dent in the figures of the duopoly? Likely no, not because the phone won’t be great but because the 2 gorillas are just too big to even touch right now.

The problem with the G6 wasn’t due to the phone itself. The G6 is a very good device. The problem stems from insufficient marketing and some baffling decisions like different featuresets based on region. If LG can deliver a V30 that is properly marketed and also a V30 that doesn’t have a different featuresets depending on where you live, I can see it becoming a relative favorite in our community.

The bootlooping issue is sadly still fresh in some minds. The LG G4 subthread is still getting new reports of it. I haven’t heard of any big issue with the G6 related to that, so we’re probably off to a good start.

One problem with the bootlooping hysteria is that many who post don't know what a bootloop is and report their phones as bootlooping when it's something else. Also the Nexus 5X was totally unlrelated and the 6P has the same problem due to an update.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I've never seen or heard any interest in wide angle lenses in real life. In fact, the only people I've ever heard that cares about them are you and Krystal Key.

Second display was different, but it was a gimmick and made the phone less attractive. The difference between using the second display for a function and doing it the regular way is no more than a second.

The battery cases are thick because they contain 2-3 times more power than your smartphone battery does.

A survey found that only about 30% of people use their phones for music. HTC was stupid to remove the headphone jack. They lost sales because of it and the audio quality is worse than the competition, such as the Galaxy S8.

Everybody records video. Very few edit their smartphone videos. Even fewer need the depth that the V20 had.

You're right. Everybody uses their remote controls. They don't need an IR blaster in their phone. I've been able to control my TV through my phone for years. Never cared about it because using a remote control is simply better.

I'm not an average user. I'm far closer to a power user than an average person. LG features are unnecessary and often gimmicky. If their goal with the V series was to make the best phone possible then they aren't doing a very good job of that. They need to get good at the basics and then work on adding features. Manufacturing the Google Pixel 2 will probably be a great help for them.

HTC and LG still have the better DACs in the game. I highly doubt the audio quality on the U11 is worse than the S8. HTC decided to go the proprietary route with USB-C because there is no standard yet. I don't think that's a selfish from a business model as they're in it to make money...it's just ******* inconvenient currently.

Still, audio listening preferences will always be subjective.

 

[MDMcAtee]

A survey found that only about 30% of people use their phones for music. HTC was stupid to remove the headphone jack. They lost sales because of it and the audio quality is worse than the competition, such as the Galaxy S8.
.

I put 0 stock in whatever survey you are quoting from. Everyone I know uses their phones for music play back and HTC has always been at the top for doing this..

The u11 blows any s8 or any other Samsung phone I have owned or used for music out of the water with it's audio capabilities with it's supplied Usonic headphones. There is way more to listening to music than just reading a graph and determining what is best and having the insides of your ears mapped as it actually does proves this. There are many professional audio engineers over on the u11 forum that will agree too. I am a audiophile as well as a power user and know what to actually listen for when sampling music sources and have a extensive collection of hardware that I use.

As much as I love my v20 for music, my u11 does just as well for everyday use and I don't have to use different sets of headphones with it for different types of music to get the same nuances I get with the supplied headphones with the u11. What they have done is truly amazing and anyone I have allowed to use both my phones side by side with the same exact music can hear this.

You will never convince some purist that digital can sound better than analog and for the longest time I felt that same way, but the u11 is a game changer and is only going to get better.

Changing to the USB from the 3.5 mm jack is way overblown and the u11 is selling very well as it is. Now if LG trys doing it without the software to do what the u11 does it will fail and fail big.

Sorry for going off track here

Mac

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think we're headed to a boring, monotonus stretch with smartphones...where there is so much conformity.

 

[Aquila]

AFAIK, and I'm definitely not an expert, the current kings of audio are these in this order: LG V10, LG V20, HTC U11, ZTE Axon 7 and then the 835 devices that are consistently pushing roughly 1V through the port or better. But, those 4 devices are so close to each other that the differences are essentially based on preferences and the type of content being listened to.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

One problem with the bootlooping hysteria is that many who post don't know what a bootloop is and report their phones as bootlooping when it's something else. Also the Nexus 5X was totally unlrelated and the 6P has the same problem due to an update.

For the 6P, the workaround is actually similar to the G4.

Which is disabling the big A57 cores.

 

[flyingkytez]

HTC and LG still have the better DACs in the game. I highly doubt the audio quality on the U11 is worse than the S8. HTC decided to go the proprietary route with USB-C because there is no standard yet. I don't think that's a selfish from a business model as they're in it to make money...it's just ******* inconvenient currently.

Still, audio listening preferences will always be subjective.

What do people do when they exercise or go to the gym? They wear headphones and listen to music on their phone. Music is a billion dollar industry, if not making money through music sales it's through advertising. Watching music videos on YouTube is considered listening to music on your phone. Only a few old timers don't really care for music but a mobile phone is the primary media player for most people, especially the younger generation. Most people don't even have laptops and ipods/mp3 players/CD players are near extinction. Smartphones and music go hand and hand.

 

[flyingkytez]

AFAIK, and I'm definitely not an expert, the current kings of audio are these in this order: LG V10, LG V20, HTC U11, ZTE Axon 7 and then the 835 devices that are consistently pushing roughly 1V through the port or better. But, those 4 devices are so close to each other that the differences are essentially based on preferences and the type of content being listened to.

ZTE is pretty good especially with the Dobly software included. The V20 is king hands down, no manufacture has put this much effort in smartphone audio.