LG V60 ThinQ 5G review

19 April 2020
While we were all expecting a successor to the G8, LG instead announced a successor to the V50. The LG V60 ThinQ 5G is the latest fully featured flagship smartphone from Samsung’s Korean rival. LG doesn’t go quite as hard with the spec sheet as others like Samsung and Oppo, but it also doesn’t go as hard with the price point.

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  • C
  • Cybran
  • Nns
  • 19 Apr 2020

Even though the V60 will probably be my next phone... a 21:9 screen is simply too tall and too narrow for any mobile device. Whatever happened to the practical utility of a 16:9 FHD 60hz screen? Most videos and apps are designed for that form factor chiefly so there is almost no bezels or black bar obstructions when viewing that screen. It is wide and tall enough for most use cases too. It is such a pleasure to use older phones with that ratio, resolution and framerate. Anything higher is simply pointless for a mobile device because you can barely see an improvement and it comes at a huge cost to battery power draw. Another gimmicky trend that needs to be removed from flagships is the multiple cameras! I reckon that most people only ever need ONE camera on the front for selfies and video calls and ONE higher resolution/framerate camera on the back. Marketing depts that are pushing for more and more cameras on these phones should be sacked wholesale because not only are phones becoming uglier with every added camera, they're also wasting the resources of their own company and their customers. Instead of all these worthless gimmicks can't these manufacturers add more utility to their phones? Such as front facing stereo speakers and mics in an even notchless yet minimal bezel? How about a Digital TV and FM/AM radio tuner that doesn't require an attachment but uses the phones own antenna bands? Or a stylus with integrated dock in every flagship so we can use those large screens as a notepad? Or larger battery capacities in slightly thicker phones so as to remove the uneven camera bump? Or a range of screen sizes ranging from the mini 4 inch, mid 5 and to the max 7 inch so all customer preferences are covered? Or more sensors on the back such as laser range finders, barometers, humidity, infrared and o2/co2 detectors etc if the marketing dept really needs more marketable differentiating features the least they could do is add more utility.

    • Z
    • Zeeeep
    • 7Xa
    • 19 Apr 2020

    Is downgrading on 60hz display will gonna affect the snapdragon 865 power in game i mean i want to buy this phone because its flatscreen and yes iam going to use this on some game. I understand that majority of smartphone using 90hz and 120 but is the low refresh rate will gonna affect the power of chip?? Sorry for my english

      • y
      • youtindia
      • XSf
      • 19 Apr 2020

      The sudden removal of headphone jack testing makes no sense at all. Why remove something that you guys have been doing well for a decade?

      Gsmarena was the only source for guaging the quality of headohone jack in smartphones. This is something that literally nobody else covers and hence this removal makes no sense at all.

        Fearghast, 19 Apr 2020No DAC benchmark on a LG phone!?! Wuuuut? Why? The biggest... moreGSMArena staff, please get 3.5mm jack audio quality tested for every phone that has a jack. At least.

        Once you said you can start testing if needed, then why not?

          Melissakis, 19 Apr 2020I used to be a loyal fan of LG, mainly because of the 3.5mm... moreIf you did like Creative Labs' X-Fi DAC/Amp compared to LG output, I belive there is something wrong with your testing or preference for real sound quality.
          Sure Dragonfly wipes the floor with V series, but Creative donle? I think not.

            No DAC benchmark on a LG phone!?! Wuuuut? Why?
            The biggest feature of LG V series is sound and you won't provide measurements?
            Well that's a shame...

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • PZa
              • 19 Apr 2020

              Melissakis, 19 Apr 2020I used to be a loyal fan of LG, mainly because of the 3.5mm... moreNot everyone wants to use a dongle and one with a good dac costs $100+. Also I'd like to be able to charge my phone and listen to music at the same time. I think this is a great phone and worth getting just for the headphone jack and quad dac.

                Mike9625, 19 Apr 2020This is definitely one of the less gimmicky phones of this ... moreI concur. I, too am not an LG fan, but this one got me. I've had my AT&T LG V60/Dual Screen/Smartphone for about a month now. Super impressive for the price. Everything I need, though the phone does not include every single thing.

                My personal only gripe, is when the phone is in the dual case, the charger cord uses a magnetic clip on to connect the charger to the base. I see me losing this little magnetic piece. I'm yet to charge wirelessly, but I think I'll have to remove the phone from the 2nd screen case 1st.

                I bought this phone when it was 1st released, didn't have a choice of color, thus I have the Blue Phone with Gold borders, which is nice just the same.

                And, last, 5G! (If available in your area)*

                  For the price, that's a great phone. Much better than the regular OnePlus 8. Yes some specs have been downgraded compared to the V50, but it's still a solid phone with all the essentials covered.

                    Finaly! Thank you!
                    I am going to bench this review right away.

                      This is definitely one of the less gimmicky phones of this year, this is all that you need in a phone, a higher refresh rate would be welcome, but I don't really mind that. I'm not a LG fan, but this time they just did a great job. Price and everything!

                        Abhi-Darth-Plagueis, 19 Apr 2020Had a good laugh reading it. Not only did they skip the ... more"as for the phone, Dual Screen 'workaround' solution for foldable dilemma is, once again, gimmicky..."

                        Gimmicky my bottom. Ever since I got my G8X with DualScreen, I sold the Galaxy Fold that I bought not that long before it. Not only the G8X and DualScreen bundle is miles cheaper than the overrated Galaxy Fold, but I can easily use two apps together at the same time without having to worry about app resizing whatsoever. Plus, the second screen is definitely come in handy for me to use the virtual touch keyboard for my Office work and also for my Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable emulator gaming. But the best bit? I can take the second screen off if I'm not planning to use it. Try that with Galaxy Fold!

                        The fact the V60's DualScreen actually has stylus support (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnHCb3rvwyM) made me loving LG's foldable solution even more. But I'm seeing no reason to upgrade from my G8X for now.

                          Had a good laugh reading it.

                          Not only did they skip the 3.5 mm jack test (which they did say would be their policy in future) but also the so-called replacement - the "Speaker Quality test"

                          also the photo/video lab tests too, were missing.

                          Just add a disclaimer saying you guys were staying-at-home due to coronavirus, so the review would omit stuff. Why create an impression of intentionally saboataging a review?

                          as for the phone, Dual Screen 'workaround' solution for foldable dilemma is, once again, gimmicky, but hey, if it comes free in the box, no-one ought to coplain about it.

                          The one thing I would have liked here is a quad bayer type ultrawide, having autofocus and all the bells and whistles that comes with some recent flagship offerings from other brands, sporting a high resolution imager for it. That'd have made it a killler deal. I don't mind the absence of telephoto at all.

                          Also the endurance rating is insane for a 5000 maH cell powering that large 6.8" screen, especially the video test. 3G call test did surprise me, however, because nearly all phones having a certain chip/modem output same results in this test. I wonder what could be the issue here?

                            This phone would have been a worthy successor to my V30+ bar the following
                            1. No QHD display
                            2. Very bulky and large

                            But it offers the following advantages over V30
                            1. More powerful
                            2. Better camera
                            3. Better battery backup.

                            I am skeptical about pricing and availability in India. If available, will upgrade else will retain my V30+ for atleast another year which has given me stellar ownership experience so far

                              YUKI93, 19 Apr 2020"You audiophiles, by a dedicated DAC/Amp and forget about 3... moreYou're not entirely wrong. I also do not like carrying that DAC with me when outdoors, that's why I still appreciate my S10's jack. But if I had to loose jack tomorrow, I wouldn't miss it that much as one year ago.\
                              First of all, I do not care about fidelity when outdoors that much. Second, TWS are good enough these days, I own Creative's Outlier Air and they are decent, to say the least. Third, you can always buy a tiny DAC/Amp, like Meizu's HiFi DAC pro. It's so small, you hardly notice it.
                              I know that these solutions I propose mean more expenses, but all these are things that are bought once and will stay with you for many years.

                                Where is the headphone jack and dac quality test!?

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • p${
                                  • 19 Apr 2020

                                  regarding the dual screen thing, there's a difference between "included for free" and "included in the price". it it's bundled with the phone then you're definitely paying for it, whether you want it or not

                                    Melissakis, 19 Apr 2020I used to be a loyal fan of LG, mainly because of the 3.5mm... more"You audiophiles, by a dedicated DAC/Amp and forget about 3.5mm jack."

                                    Haha, NO! Even for audiophiles like me, 3.5mm jack is still a necessity. As much as I love that dedicated AMP, there's no way I'd bring that hanging bulk everywhere. Using that AMP as a dongle on my smartphone really turns me off, hence why I always leave it at home. Just give me a straight and seamless connection to 3.5mm audio jack port all day tqvm.

                                      • F
                                      • Fer
                                      • Jv4
                                      • 19 Apr 2020

                                      Considering the price this is the best flagship you can buy.

                                        • M
                                        • MR45
                                        • sxs
                                        • 19 Apr 2020

                                        "Although shadows look darker than perhaps some other competitors' cameras, the scenes are captured more true to life."

                                        Shadows should be dark to contrast/compliment the highlights. It will give the picture a sense of depth. I don't like the current trends of new phone in which they try to brighten the shadows to "see" what is in there. It only makes the photo flat and lifeless.

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