LG V30 review: All screen

Synthetic benchmarks

We finally got our hands on a retail unit and we used it to re-run all of our tests - we've updated the relevant review sections, benchmarks among them.

The LG V30 is powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset - the proper current flagship SoC unlike the G6 which makes do with last year's 821. There are 4GB of RAM on board and that's the only option available - even the tricked out V30+ version that packs 128GB of storage 'only' has 4 gigs of RAM.

On the pre-production unit we were only able to run some of the usual benchmarks - LG had restricted internet access to benchmarking apps, and a lot of them don't want to start when offline. No such issues with the finalized V30.

We start off with benchmarking CPU performance in GeekBench. The single-core result is about average for the current crop of flagship - a few score higher, a few are below the V30 in the chart. There's a slight improvement here when compared to the G6's Snapdragon 821 chip.

GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  1987
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  1986
• OnePlus 5T
  1960
• HTC U11+
  1939
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  1924
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  1915
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  1902
• LG V30
  1901
• Huawei Mate 10
  1882
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  1862
• Sony Xperia XZ1
  1840
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  1832
• LG G6
  1767

In the multi-core test the V30 is in the lower half of the chart, only managing to top the S835 version of the Galaxy S8+ and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. The rest of the flagships are ahead of the V30, with the Note8 and Mate 10 Pro leading the pack.

GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  6784
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  6783
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  6754
• OnePlus 5T
  6701
• HTC U11+
  6654
• Huawei Mate 10
  6625
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  6590
• Sony Xperia XZ1
  6541
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  6428
• LG V30
  6365
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  6301
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  6234
• LG G6
  4175

The less than impressive showing continues into Basemark OS II 2.0, which can be used as a gauge for overall performance. Here, the V30 places dead last among this season's favorites. It is still ahead of the V20 and G6, so that's something.

Basemark OS 2.0

Higher is better

• OnePlus 5T
  3632
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  3578
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  3425
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  3424
• Huawei Mate 10
  3415
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  3379
• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  3333
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  3319
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  3298
• HTC U11+
  3257
• Sony Xperia XZ1
  2986
• LG V30
  2705
• LG V20
  2159
• LG G6
  2126

Antutu paints a different picture of the V30, a more favorable one. Here the LG handset is in the upper half of the chart, on par with the Note8 and the Mate 10. The HTC U11+ occupies the top spot with the OnePlus 5T a close second.

AnTuTu 6

Higher is better

• HTC U11+
  180195
• OnePlus 5T
  179790
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  178510
• Huawei Mate 10
  175426
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  175153
• LG V30
  174330
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  174070
• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  172425
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  170407
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  168133
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  160319
• Sony Xperia XZ1
  144462
• LG G6
  143639
• LG V20
  141945

In the graphics department, the V30's scores are a little below average. Basemark X places the V30 second to last with only the S835 Galaxy S8+ behind it. The Exynos version of the Samsung phone is in the lead, but S835 devices are a step ahead of LG's offering too.

Basemark X

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  43862
• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  40890
• Huawei Mate 10
  40809
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  40232
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  39143
• OnePlus 5T
  38656
• Sony Xperia XZ1
  38583
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  38349
• HTC U11+
  38315
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  37211
• LG V30
  36704
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  34951
• LG G6
  30507
• LG V20
  29385

In Basemark ES 3.1 the V30 shows more brawn and punches as strong as the other S835 contenders. Exynos and Kirin rule here though, represented by the Note8, S8+ and a couple of Mates.

Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  1268
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  1183
• Huawei Mate 10
  1142
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  1111
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  875
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  874
• LG V30
  860
• OnePlus 5T
  856
• Sony Xperia XZ1
  853
• HTC U11+
  851
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  817
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  739
• LG G6
  541
• LG V20
  526

The onscreen GFXBench results of the V30 are the odd frame per second short of the competition, though the LG phone still inches ahead of the Galaxy S8+ in Snapdragon trim. The Exynos versions are typically ahead and so is the Kirin-equipped Mate 10 non-Pro. The Pro, as well as other FullHD phones are, predictably, in the lead.

GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  55
• OnePlus 5T
  52
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  50
• Sony Xperia XZ1
  48
• Huawei Mate 10
  43
• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  42
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  40
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  37
• HTC U11+
  36
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  36
• LG V30
  35
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  34
• LG V20
  25
• LG G6
  24

GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Sony Xperia XZ1
  40
• OnePlus 5T
  35
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  35
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  32
• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  23
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  23
• Huawei Mate 10
  23
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  21
• HTC U11+
  21
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  20
• LG V30
  19
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  18
• LG V20
  17
• LG G6
  12

GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Sony Xperia XZ1
  25
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
  24
• OnePlus 5T
  22
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
  21
• Samsung Galaxy Note8
  13
• Samsung Galaxy S8+
  13
• LG V30
  13
• Huawei Mate 10
  13
• HTC U11+
  13
• Samsung Galaxy Note8 (SD 835)
  13
• Google Pixel 2 XL
  13
• Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SD 835)
  12
• LG V20
  12
• LG G6
  8.5

It's quite easy to sum up the LG V30 benchmark performance - flagship-grade, minus 5-10 percent. The V30 is packing top quality hardware, it's just the tuning that's a notch below the competition. No harm, really, but it does make it look bad in the charts.