So I just picked up the LG V20. Spent about a couple hours playing with it, didn't set it up yet.
Here is my initial impressions of the V20 compared to the iPhone 7+ and the S7 Edge.
Size ....
First place .... S7 Edge. Best display size to body ratio. Was able to use the phone 99% of the time one handed with minimal shifting. Same would go to the deceased Note 7.
Second place .... V20. Small side bezels which is unnoticeable when screen is off. Bottom bezel is minimal, but it doesn't have a physical home button placed there. Top bezel is even smaller. Both top and bottom bezels are slanted inward, which I like. Between the top bezel and main display is the second screen, selfie camera, and sensors, which I think is a great design.
Third Place .... iPhone 7+. A redesign is a MUST for the next iPhone!!! It also feels and look thicker than the V20 when holding them side by side.
Weight (by feel in hand)....
First place .... V20. It feels very light for a big phone.
Second place .... S7 Edge.
Third place ... iPhone 7+
Build Quality (based on feel in hand, weight, and size) ....
First Place .... iPhone 7+. It's just feels the most solid. Can't really put into words, but I worry the least with the iPhone 7+
Second Place .... S7 Edge. Even with a glass back, it still feels very solid.
Third Place ... V20. Too early to truly tell, but it feels the most delicate. And no, I don't feel that way cause I just got the phone.
Audio ....Speaker and Headphones ....
First Place .... V20. Speaker Audio is not as loud as the iPhone 7+, but it does get loud, especially for having just one speaker and has a much deeper and realistic sound. Headphone audio is better than the iPhone 7+ and S7 edge, with the Hi-Fi DAC turned off. With the Hi-Fi DAC turned on, audio quality is amazing, simply no competition. VERY GOOD LG!!!
Second Place .... iPhone 7+. The duel speakers make the iPhone 7+ louder than the V20, but the quality of the loud audio is subpar. Sounds like 100% treble which frequently you can feel the sound vibrate through the phone and high volume. iPhone 7+ sounds like AM radio compared to the V20. Headphone quality is good, but nowhere as good as the V20.
Third Place .... S7 Edge. Samsung is just so far behind when it comes to outputting audio on mobile devices. Audio on the S7 Edge is subpar for a flagship phone, on speakers, headphones, and bluetooth.
Call quality on all three phones sound good.
Display (My own eyes are the judge)....
First Place .... S7 Edge is simply the best display out of the three. It's instantly noticeable.
Second Place .... V20. I think it's display is better than the iPhone 7+. It's more crisp/sharp than the iPhone 7+. Watching video on the V20 is closer to watching a TV screen vs watching video on the iPhone 7+. Browsing and games look better on the V20 too. The V20 is the least bright of the three, I almost gave it third place for that. But it's bright enough, and direct sunlight doesn't wash the screen out as it does with the iPhone 7+.
Third Place .... iPhone 7+. I almost gave it second place, cause the colors are more accurate and max brightness is higher than the V20. But the display as a whole is just so soft compared to the S7 edge and V20. Doesn't have that crisp look that I like.
Side Note ...Fingerprints and dust is much more noticeable on the V20. It's the least noticeable on the iPhone 7+. I don't even notice dust on the iPhone 7+ or the S7 Edge, but for some reason it's very noticeable on the V20.
V20 Second Display vs S7 Edge display ....
I personally like the V20 Second Display better, but wish it was placed on the bottom, even if it meant placing the selfie camera on the bottom too. Placing it on the top means 2 handed use is always required. It also adds much more functionally vs the S7 Edge Always On Display.
The good thing about the S7 Edge display functions and Always on Display, is that it doesn't require any extra space, keeping the phone's profile smaller than the rest.
You can do more with the S7 Edge display functions, but it's much slower than the V20's dedicated second screen. The second screen on the V20 is FAST, even much faster than the dedicated edge screen on the Note 4 Edge.
Camera ..... (No S7 Edge, I don't have it anymore) ....
Don't know what to really think about the V20 Camera yet, as I haven't really messed with it much. I took a couple of quick shots with the V20 and iPhone 7+. Had nothing interesting to shoot at the time. Maybe it's just me, but it looks like the Wide angle photos on the V20 distorts things a little. The Camera UI on both the V20 and the S7 Edge is excellent, especially with manual settings.
The V20 camera module is huge compared to the iPhone 7+ and the S7 Edge. But I do love the fact that it's located in the middle. Which means you won't have those mistakes of your finger being in the way of the camera while shooting.
V20 ... Auto Default settings
V20 ... Wide Auto default settings
iPhone 7+ ... Auto 1x
iPhone 7+ ... Auto 2x
V20 ... Auto Default Settings
V20 ... Wide Default Settings
Finger Print Sensors/Home Button ....
A Tie for First Place(V20 and iPhone7+) ....
iPhone 7+. It's fast and the round home button/sensor is naturally easier to place your finger correctly compared to the S7 Edge.
V20. IMO, a finger sensor on the front is much more functional. The finger sensor on the back seems only comfortable using your index finger.
But the V20 finger sensor is faster than the iPhone 7+ and the S7 Edge. And I like the fact that you don't even have to press the button when unlocking. Unlike the iPhone 7+ and S7 Edge.
There's a disadvantage while using the V20 while docked.
Second Place ... S7 Edge. A slight lag between the lock screen and the home screen. Although it seems it's on purpose. The home button is not as natural feeling as the iPhone 7+ or any round sensor. Meaning more user errors when trying to quickly unlock.
Worthy Mention .... The deceased Note 7 after the recent update, improved the finger sensor quickness equivalent to the V20. If the Note 7 didn't have the battery issue, I would have put it at First Place.
So Far ....
I like the V20, it's seems snappy. Animations are much faster compared to the S7 Edge and iPhone 7+. Didn't expect to like the second screen so much. Fast charging is just as fast as the S7 Edge. This is my first LG smartphone. The skin seems like a toned down TouchWiz. Don't know if that's a good or bad thing yet, cause I do like TouchWiz.
I also just realized, the V20 has an IR blaster. Something I missed since Samsung took it away from their flagship phones.
I personally don't care much for the removable back and battery. Would have preferred water resistance. I do like the button that easily removes the back cover though, nice touch.
Here is my initial impressions of the V20 compared to the iPhone 7+ and the S7 Edge.
Size ....
First place .... S7 Edge. Best display size to body ratio. Was able to use the phone 99% of the time one handed with minimal shifting. Same would go to the deceased Note 7.
Second place .... V20. Small side bezels which is unnoticeable when screen is off. Bottom bezel is minimal, but it doesn't have a physical home button placed there. Top bezel is even smaller. Both top and bottom bezels are slanted inward, which I like. Between the top bezel and main display is the second screen, selfie camera, and sensors, which I think is a great design.
Third Place .... iPhone 7+. A redesign is a MUST for the next iPhone!!! It also feels and look thicker than the V20 when holding them side by side.
Weight (by feel in hand)....
First place .... V20. It feels very light for a big phone.
Second place .... S7 Edge.
Third place ... iPhone 7+
Build Quality (based on feel in hand, weight, and size) ....
First Place .... iPhone 7+. It's just feels the most solid. Can't really put into words, but I worry the least with the iPhone 7+
Second Place .... S7 Edge. Even with a glass back, it still feels very solid.
Third Place ... V20. Too early to truly tell, but it feels the most delicate. And no, I don't feel that way cause I just got the phone.
Audio ....Speaker and Headphones ....
First Place .... V20. Speaker Audio is not as loud as the iPhone 7+, but it does get loud, especially for having just one speaker and has a much deeper and realistic sound. Headphone audio is better than the iPhone 7+ and S7 edge, with the Hi-Fi DAC turned off. With the Hi-Fi DAC turned on, audio quality is amazing, simply no competition. VERY GOOD LG!!!
Second Place .... iPhone 7+. The duel speakers make the iPhone 7+ louder than the V20, but the quality of the loud audio is subpar. Sounds like 100% treble which frequently you can feel the sound vibrate through the phone and high volume. iPhone 7+ sounds like AM radio compared to the V20. Headphone quality is good, but nowhere as good as the V20.
Third Place .... S7 Edge. Samsung is just so far behind when it comes to outputting audio on mobile devices. Audio on the S7 Edge is subpar for a flagship phone, on speakers, headphones, and bluetooth.
Call quality on all three phones sound good.
Display (My own eyes are the judge)....
First Place .... S7 Edge is simply the best display out of the three. It's instantly noticeable.
Second Place .... V20. I think it's display is better than the iPhone 7+. It's more crisp/sharp than the iPhone 7+. Watching video on the V20 is closer to watching a TV screen vs watching video on the iPhone 7+. Browsing and games look better on the V20 too. The V20 is the least bright of the three, I almost gave it third place for that. But it's bright enough, and direct sunlight doesn't wash the screen out as it does with the iPhone 7+.
Third Place .... iPhone 7+. I almost gave it second place, cause the colors are more accurate and max brightness is higher than the V20. But the display as a whole is just so soft compared to the S7 edge and V20. Doesn't have that crisp look that I like.
Side Note ...Fingerprints and dust is much more noticeable on the V20. It's the least noticeable on the iPhone 7+. I don't even notice dust on the iPhone 7+ or the S7 Edge, but for some reason it's very noticeable on the V20.
V20 Second Display vs S7 Edge display ....
I personally like the V20 Second Display better, but wish it was placed on the bottom, even if it meant placing the selfie camera on the bottom too. Placing it on the top means 2 handed use is always required. It also adds much more functionally vs the S7 Edge Always On Display.
The good thing about the S7 Edge display functions and Always on Display, is that it doesn't require any extra space, keeping the phone's profile smaller than the rest.
You can do more with the S7 Edge display functions, but it's much slower than the V20's dedicated second screen. The second screen on the V20 is FAST, even much faster than the dedicated edge screen on the Note 4 Edge.
Camera ..... (No S7 Edge, I don't have it anymore) ....
Don't know what to really think about the V20 Camera yet, as I haven't really messed with it much. I took a couple of quick shots with the V20 and iPhone 7+. Had nothing interesting to shoot at the time. Maybe it's just me, but it looks like the Wide angle photos on the V20 distorts things a little. The Camera UI on both the V20 and the S7 Edge is excellent, especially with manual settings.
The V20 camera module is huge compared to the iPhone 7+ and the S7 Edge. But I do love the fact that it's located in the middle. Which means you won't have those mistakes of your finger being in the way of the camera while shooting.
V20 ... Auto Default settings
V20 ... Wide Auto default settings
iPhone 7+ ... Auto 1x
iPhone 7+ ... Auto 2x
V20 ... Auto Default Settings
V20 ... Wide Default Settings
Finger Print Sensors/Home Button ....
A Tie for First Place(V20 and iPhone7+) ....
iPhone 7+. It's fast and the round home button/sensor is naturally easier to place your finger correctly compared to the S7 Edge.
V20. IMO, a finger sensor on the front is much more functional. The finger sensor on the back seems only comfortable using your index finger.
But the V20 finger sensor is faster than the iPhone 7+ and the S7 Edge. And I like the fact that you don't even have to press the button when unlocking. Unlike the iPhone 7+ and S7 Edge.
There's a disadvantage while using the V20 while docked.
Second Place ... S7 Edge. A slight lag between the lock screen and the home screen. Although it seems it's on purpose. The home button is not as natural feeling as the iPhone 7+ or any round sensor. Meaning more user errors when trying to quickly unlock.
Worthy Mention .... The deceased Note 7 after the recent update, improved the finger sensor quickness equivalent to the V20. If the Note 7 didn't have the battery issue, I would have put it at First Place.
So Far ....
I like the V20, it's seems snappy. Animations are much faster compared to the S7 Edge and iPhone 7+. Didn't expect to like the second screen so much. Fast charging is just as fast as the S7 Edge. This is my first LG smartphone. The skin seems like a toned down TouchWiz. Don't know if that's a good or bad thing yet, cause I do like TouchWiz.
I also just realized, the V20 has an IR blaster. Something I missed since Samsung took it away from their flagship phones.
I personally don't care much for the removable back and battery. Would have preferred water resistance. I do like the button that easily removes the back cover though, nice touch.
