LG V60 ThinQ 5G hands-on review

Design and handling

The new V60 ThinQ 5G is a departure from what we are used to see from LG in terms of design. The handset now has more pronounced back curves, the ending in the aluminum side frame, which has chamfered edges helping with the grip and giving that distinct look. Speaking of handling, we can't miss the fact that this phone is huge. It has a slightly smaller screen than the S20 Ultra, for example, but it's considerably bigger at the same time, especially when you add the dual screen accessory into the mix. It's not an easy task to handle, that's for sure. The bezels aren't the thinnest ones around either.

Another big change is the camera module. It's strikingly similar to the Galaxy S10-series and has a small protrusion too. While some may consider this as a step back from the previous design where the module was flush with the panel, we find the new aesthetics are not as boring anymore. The bump isn't big and gives a nice contrast to the back glass, visually.

On the front we get a U-shaped notch housing the selfie camera with bezels that aren't exactly thin in our books even though LG says it's an "edge-to-edge screen."

However, despite the chunky feel and the thick frame on the front, the phone feels pretty nice in hand - elegant and premium. The curved back panel and chamfered edges give the V60 a distinct look and a modern feel. The available colors are Classy White and Classy Blue. Nothing too flashy and pretty minimalist approach, and we kind of like that. Both colors look really nice in person, and the contrasting color of the frame on the Classy Blue version is particularly appealing.

Hardware and features

The phone is built around a tall 6.8-inch OLED with 1080 x 2460px resolution making the aspect ratio rather unusual - 20.5:9. We can live with the fac that it's not QHD resolution, but we think LG is missing the mark by not delivering a high refresh rate screen in a flagship product in 2020.

The display should be able to peak at 500 nits, but we suspect it can go higher in Auto mode under direct sunlight. Under the screen sits an optical fingerprint scanner, and LG didn't talk much about that, and we didn't have time to assess its performance so that we will leave that for the full review. Our best guess is that they've used the same one found in the G8X, which was a hit and miss.

Performance-wise, we've got the Snapdragon 865 chip behind the wheel paired with Qualcomm's X55 5G modem, 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of expandable internal storage. LG pointed out that even during intense multitasking with the Dual Screen snapped on, 8GB of RAM is more than enough. The company considers anything above 8GB as just "specs wars."

Audio jack die-hard fans would be happy to know that the V60 doesn't skip on that rare commodity. The 3.5mm audio jack is at hand and HiFi audio DAC to go with it.

All of this hardware is powered by a massive 5,000 mAh battery, which supports Quick Charge 4.0 as well as wireless charging. The big battery should compensate for the lack of ultra-fast charging. LG claims that along with the so-called AI Power Management feature, the phone lasts 30% longer than the G8X ThinQ, which has a 4,000 mAh unit.

What was made evident from LG's briefing, however, is that the company focused on the camera and related features. The main 64MP camera on the back is the first snapper for the company supporting the pixel-binning technology. The large sensor (1/1.72") with 0.8µm pixels is paired with an optically-stabilized lens with an f/1.8 aperture. The secondary unit is 13MP with f/1.9 aperture and an ultra-wide field of view - 117-degrees. The front settles for a 10MP cam with f/1.9 aperture.

What we're missing here is a telephoto camera. The company claims it's able to provide a 2x lossless zoom by leveraging the large 64MP sensor. That's certainly a possible option, but we have yet to assess the camera quality resulting from this approach.

Following recent trends, the handset is capable of recording 8K videos in 24 frames per second since the 64MP main sensor provides enough headroom. The video can also be shot as HDR+ with 10-bit, so you can enjoy it in the full-color palette on your LG OLED TV supporting true 10-bit color depth.

LG has a legacy regarding the video recording capabilities of its phones, and the V60 offers even more advanced features in this department. We've got the so-called Voice Bokeh that lets you hone in on a subject from a distance to hear what they are saying. That's not an entirely new feature, but it's more refined as it uses 4 microphones and you can also adjust the amount of noise reduction from the surrounding.

Improving on the Super Stable video introduced with the G8X, the V60 is supposed to deliver even more polished experience. It's still limited to 1080p@30fps, though.

As far as stills go, LG says the 64MP sensor takes the best low-light shots on an LG phone yet, and the OIS plays a big part in that. The camera department has worked hard to refine some key features and modes like Night view, the manual mode for video and photos, slow motion, tracking focus and the AI Camera functionality.

LG has also added an additional 3D ToF sensor that can be used to gather depth information and in return help with some advanced 3D effects, such as the Dynamic Portraits - you can see the subject in 3D when you tilt and pan around with the phone.

And what about the iconic Dual Screen feature? Follow us to the last page to see what's new with the accessory.