LG V30 Screen Replacement Costs

40+ LG V30 Tips & Tricks

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We’ve already shown you the first things you should do with the LG V30. Now, we can dig deep into the features. LG traditionally packs a lot of stuff into their phones. The V30 is no different, but they’ve also scaled back in some areas. It’s a nice full list of features without burring the users in choices. We’ll help you get the most out of your V30 with this list.

How to take a screenshot on the LG V30

Taking a screenshot is a great tool for showing people what you’re looking at. It’s one of the most basic functions you can do with a phone. The V30 has a couple of different methods to perform this task.

Method 1:

Press and hold the power and volume down buttons simultaneously

Method 2:

Open the Floating Bar
Tap one of the Capture shortcuts
- You can draw on the screen, record a long screen, crop, or create a GIF

Set up the fingerprint scanner

The fingerprint scanner on the back of the V30 can be used for a few things, such as Android Pay and Google Play Store purchases, but the most common use is unlocking the phone. The V30 has one of the fastest and most reliable sensors I’ve used. You definitely should give it a shot.

Go to Settings > Fingerprints & security
Tap on Fingerprints (confirm your password)
Select Add fingerprint
Scan your fingerprint

Unlock the phone with your face

Unlocking phones with your face is all the rage these days and the V30 can do it too. LG’s “Face Print” is one of the best face unlocking implementations I’ve used. It can work along with the fingerprint scanner (you don’t have to pick just one). You should check it out and give it a try.

Go to Settings > Lock screen
Select Face Recognition
Tap NEXT
Tap START and follow instructions
Tap OK when done

Skip the lock screen in safe places with Smart Lock

The V30 has many convenient unlock methods, but sometimes you shouldn’t need any of them. A feature called “Smart Lock” lets you tell your phone when it’s safe to disable lock screen security. This allows you to lock your phone when you need it, but it won’t be locked when you’re in trusted situations.

Go to Settings > Lock screen
Select Smart Lock
Choose one of the Smart Lock methods

Currently, there are 4 types of Smart Lock, and you can use more than one at a time. Each one will explain how it works when you select it. Trusted places is a good place to start.

Make sure you can find your lost or stolen phone

The worst thing that can happen to a new phone is for it to be lost or stolen. Thankfully, you have some options for retrieving the device. The V30 comes with something called “Android Device Manager” pre-installed. If your phone is lost or stolen you can simply go to this website, log in with your Google account, and locate your phone. You can also remotely ring, lock, and erase the device. The best thing about this is there’s no set-up required. It just works.

Set up the Floating Bar

LG replaced the Second Screen with a new feature called “Floating Bar.” It has essentially the same features of the Second Screen, but it’s a widget that floats on your screen. You can drag it around wherever you want, but it’s always just a tap away.

Go to Settings > Floating Bar
Toggle it on
Toggle on the items you want in the bar
Tap Shortcuts and Quick contacts to customize

Get quick info with the Always-On Display

The V30 has an Always-on display that allows you to see the time, date, and notifications while the display is turned off. This feature really shines with the OLED displays. It’s pretty handy to see the time or whether you need to read a notification.

Go to Settings > Display
Tap Always-on display
Toggle the switch to ON
Tap the settings gear icon to choose how it looks

Wake the phone with a double-tap

If you haven’t used an LG phone in a while, you’re about to discover something you won’t be able to live without. Since the power button is on the back, sometimes it’s hard to quickly wake up the phone. You can simply double-tap anywhere on the screen and the display will light up.

Putting the phone to sleep works the same way. If you’re using the stock LG launcher you can double-tap on any blank space, but if you’re using a 3rd-party launcher you have to double-tap the status bar. Give it a try.

Put the Settings in list mode

On most V30 models, the Settings is organized with a tabbed layout. We’ve found that the tabs usually make it more difficult to find what you’re looking for. To go back to the more traditional list view, simply tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the Settings and select List view. You can also slide out the list of settings from the side.

Delete unwanted apps

Some carrier models of the LG V30 will come with a lot of apps pre-installed. It’s very annoying to see apps you never intend to use. The good news is we can uninstall, or at least disable, most of the bloatware. There are two methods to remove apps.

Go to Settings > Apps
Locate the appropriate app
1. Note: For system apps, tap the Menu icon > Show system
Tap UNINSTALL
Tap OK to confirm

Open the app drawer
Tap the Menu icon
Select Arrange apps
Tap the (X) icon on an app to remove

How to draw on the screen

You can draw on pretty much anything with a tap of a button on the LG V30. It’s a button that you can find in the Quick Settings or Floating Bar. When you tap the button, it takes a screenshot and lets you draw on it. Not only is it great for doodling, but it’s great for taking notes.

Expand the Floating Bar
Swipe to the screen capture shortcuts
Tap the pencil icon
Edit the image and tap the check mark to save it

Bring back the App Drawer

The default LG home screen does not include an app drawer. All of your apps will be on the home screen just like how it is on the iPhone. If you use a 3rd-party launcher, this isn’t a problem, but if you use the stock launcher you might want the app drawer. Thankfully, LG has a way to get the drawer back.

Go to Settings > Home screen
Tap Select Home
Choose Home & app drawer

Hide apps in the launcher

Now that we have the app drawer back, there may be some apps you don’t want to see in it. Sometimes these are apps you need to have installed, but you don’t want them cluttering up your app drawer. Thankfully, it’s easy to hide apps.

Open the app drawer
Tap the menu icon
Select Hide apps
Check the box for the apps you want to hide
Tap DONE

Change up the look with a Theme

By default, the V30 comes with a bright white theme. It’s not an ugly theme, but you may prefer something darker or just plain different. The good news is you can choose from a few pre-installed themes and even download themes directly from the Play Store. Here’s how to do it.

Go to Settings > Theme
Select one of the preloaded themes
Tap APPLY

Themes installed from the Play Store will show up in the same place. Here’s an example of a theme you can download from the Play Store.

Get a new keyboard

LG’s default keyboard isn’t terrible, but you probably already have a favorite keyboard. Changing the keyboard is an essential part of what makes Android unique. It’s easy to change on the V30.

Go to Settings > Language & keyboard
Select Current keyboard
Tap SELECT MORE
Toggle on your desired keyboard
Go back, select Current Keyboard again
Select your keyboard

To find Settings for your keyboard

Go to Settings > Language & keyboard
Tap the name of your keyboard
You’ll see all the settings

Turn off the “Rounded Square” icons

For everything that LG does well, software design is not on the list. One of the things you’ll notice right away is the “rounded square” icon shape on the default LG home screen. It’s kinda ugly, but the good news is you can turn it off and go back to the stock icons. Here’s how to do it:

Go to Settings > Home screen
Select Icon Shape
Choose Original
Tap OK

Adjust how apps scale to the 18:9 display

The V30’s display is taller than most phones. It has an 18:9 aspect ration, whereas most devices have 16:9 displays. All that means is you get some extra vertical space for apps. By default, most apps run completely fine on the tall display. Where you may run into some issues is with fullscreen apps, such as games. You can adjust the scale.

In a fullscreen app, swipe up from the bottom to reveal the nav buttons
Tap the App Scaling button
You’ll have three options:
1. Compatibility (16:9)
2. Standard (16.7:9) (default)
3. Fullscreen (18:9)
If the app is misbehaving, put it in compatibility mode.

You can also adjust App Scaling in the Settings.

Go to Settings > Display
Select App scaling
Tap the app you want to adjust
Choose one of the options

Change the display size

LG allows you to adjust the display size on the V30. Whether you have good eyes and want to take advantage of that extra screen real estate to show more of everything, or you want to further enlarge text, icons, everything, it’s all possible thanks to DPI scaling. Here’s where you’ll find it:

Go to Settings > Display
Scroll down and select Display size
Move the slider to the left or right to either shrink or blow up the entire UI

Change the wallpaper

Changing the wallpaper is one of the easiest ways to instantly personalize your phone. It’s super easy to do. Simply press and hold on any empty space on the home screen. Select the Wallpapers tab in the bottom right of the screen. You’ll be able to choose from installed apps and pre-loaded wallpapers. You can also change the lock screen wallpaper. Go to Settings > Lock screen > Wallpaper.

Add or reorder home screen pages

Adding extra home screens gives you more room for widgets and apps icons. LG doesn’t allow you to simply drag an app or widget to a blank screen to create a new home screen. You have to follow these steps.

Pinch to zoom out on the home screen
Tap the (+) on the blank home screen
Now you have a blank screen

Reorganize the Quick Toggles

There are a bunch of super handy Quick Settings toggles in the notification shade. Pull down once to see a few to toggles or pull down again to see a bunch more. You can customize the order of these toggles and add or remove certain ones from the list.

Swipe down to show the notification shade
Swipe down again to expand the Quick Settings
Tap the EDIT button (bottom right)
Drag and drop icons in the notification panel
Tap the menu icon to add/remove brightness, volume, etc.

Customize the Navigation Bar

The V30 has software nav button on the bottom of the screen. Unlike physical buttons, they can disappear to make room for fullscreen apps, or in this case, be customized to show more buttons. You can rearrange the existing buttons, change the color, and add up to two extra buttons.

Go to Settings > Display > Home touch buttons
Select Button combination
You can drag and drop the buttons in any order you like, but there can’t be more than 4 in the bar
Changes will show up in the navigation bar immediately
You can choose the color of the buttons on the previous page

Add shortcuts to the lock screen

By default, you’ll probably see shortcuts for phone and camera on the lock screen. While these are handy for most people, they might not be your first choices. LG allows you to add up to five shortcuts to the lock screen.

Go to Settings > Lock screen
Select Shortcuts
Simply tap on a shortcut and choose the desired app from the list
Tap SAVE when you’re done

Take advantage of ALL the megapixels

The V30 features a great camera. With a dual lens system, users can switch between the regular 16MP camera or a super wide angle camera on the fly. On some models, the camera doesn’t take full advantage of the all the megapixels by default. While it’s nice to see the viewfinder filling up the entire display, it’s basically chopping off the top and bottom. You should fix it.

Open the Camera app
Tap the Settings icon
Select Photo size
Choose 4:3 (16MP)
Flip to the front-facing camera
Go to Settings > Photo Size
This time select 4:3 (5.0MP)

Use the wide-angle camera to get everything in frame

One of the best things about LG phones is the wide-angle camera on the back. It allows you to get much more in the frame of a photo or video. You can switch between the cameras on the fly, even in the middle of a video.

Open the Camera
You’ll see two icons on the top or side of the app (depending on orientation)
1. The single tree icon is for the standard camera
2. The icon with three trees is for the wide-angle camera
Tap whichever one you’d like to use

Get Instagram pics with Snap Shot mode

LG has added a new “Snap Shot” mode to take advantage of the 18:9 display. Square mode uses the top half of the display, a 1:1 square, as the viewfinder. When you snap a pic it moves to the bottom half of the display for review. It stays there until you snap another pic. This mode is perfect for Instagram.

Open the Camera
Tap the MODE icon
Select Snap Shot

Switch to Manual mode for more control

LG has one of the best camera interfaces around. It can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like. Auto mode removes most of the buttons from the screen so you can just tap to focus and take a photo. Manual mode is only for advanced users. It has settings and sliders for things like focus, ISO, shutter speed, and more.

Open the Camera
Tap the MODE icon
Choose Auto (default) or Manual (there are options for manual video and photo)

Try all the unique camera shooting modes

The camera is also packed with several nifty “modes” that are fun to play around with. In the Auto interface, you’ll see an icon labeled “MODE”, tap it to see a list of different shooting modes. These modes will allow you to do some interesting things with your photos and videos.

Panorama: stitch together photos to create a panorama shot
360 Panorama: creates an immersive 360-degree panorama
Snap Shot: assemble short clips into a 60-second video
Pop-out: take a photo with both rear cameras to create a PIP effect
Time-lapse: record long videos that are sped up for a short video
Slow-mo: record a video in slow motion
Food: specifically for food shots. Adds white balance slider

Feel like a movie director with Cine Video

One of the big features that LG talked about with the V30 is a new camera mode called “Cine Video.” This feature allows you to add professionally created lighting effects and color grading to your videos. You can get some really cool looking videos with the Cine Video tools.

Open the Camera
Tap the MODE icon
Select Cine Video
Tap the Cine icon (looks like movie film, next to MODE icon)
Select one of the presets and adjust the sliders
Record the video like usual

Take selfies with a gesture

Another cool trick is called Gesture shot. You can take a selfie by holding your open hand up to the camera and then closing it into a fist. The feature actually works really well, and it can come in handy quite often. Gesture shot is enabled by default, so all you have to do is use it.

Hold up your open hand to the camera until brackets appear around it
Make a fist once to take one photo (a 3-second timer will count down to the shot)
Make two consecutive fists to take 4 burst shots

Use your voice to snap a photo

You can also use your voice to snap a selfie (or any photo). With “Cheese shutter” enabled you can say “cheese, smile, whiskey, kimchi, or LG” to snap a photo with your voice. It’s that easy.

Open the Camera
Tap the Settings icon
Switch the toggle on for Cheese shutter

Automate tasks with LG Smart Settings

LG phones come with a feature called Smart Settings. It allows your phone to automatically adjust settings based on your location or connected devices. For example, your favorite music app can open when your plug in headphones or WiFi can be disabled when you leave your house.

There are four different things that can trigger the Smart Settings: arriving at home, leaving home, plugging in earphones, and connecting a Bluetooth device. Each one has several options available.

Go to Settings > Smart Settings
1. (you may need to turn on My Place in Settings > Location first)
Select one of the Smart Settings
Toggle it on and adjust the settings

Get every last drop of battery life

The V30 has pretty good battery life, but you still might end the day with not much life left. There are built-in settings for getting every last drop of juice when your battery is low. Battery Saver can turn off background activities and limit resources. It works great and only requires a short set up.

Go to Settings > Battery & power saving
Tap on Battery saver
Select Extended or Maximum mode
Select Edit mode to customize

Show battery percentage in status bar

Want to keep a close eye on battery life? You can put the actual battery percentage in the status bar. You’ll see the number for battery percentage next to the battery icon.

Go to Settings > Battery & power saving
Toggle the switch for Battery percentage on status bar

Pin apps and safely hand off your phone

If you’re like most people, your phone is full of personal information and sensitive content. Handing off your phone to someone else can be a little nerve-racking. Screen pin is a feature that lets you lock your phone to one app. You can “pin” a specific app so the user can’t do anything else.

Go to Settings > Fingerprints & security > Screen pin
Toggle the switch on
Also, toggle Pin with screen lock on

To use Screen pin open the app you would like to pin, press the Recents button in the nav bar, scroll up and tap the thumbtack icon in the bottom right corner of the most recent app (not the pin in the title bar). To unpin an app simply long-press the back and Recents buttons simultaneously.

Take advantage of the SD card slot

While some phones these days don’t have microSD card slots, the LG V30 still has one. You can easily upgrade your storage capacity without buying any cloud storage subscriptions and relying on a data connection. Check out these great cards.

Launch shortcuts with the volume buttons

The volume buttons on the V30 are not only for adjusting the volume. You can also use the volume buttons to quickly launch the camera or take notes when the display is off. All you have to do is double-tap the volume up or down buttons.

Go to Settings > Shortcut keys
Switch the toggle to ON

Double tapping Volume Up will launch the Capture+ app for taking notes. Double tapping Volume Down will quickly launch the camera.

Silence your phone automatically with Do Not Disturb

Everyone has certain times of day when they don’t want to be bothered by notifications. Do Not Disturb allows you to choose those certain times and days for your phone to automatically go into silent mode. It can be incredibly useful, and you should definitely use it.

Go to Settings > Notifications > Do not disturb
Select Schedule > (+) button
Choose the days of the week you’d like it to be enabled
Choose the start and end time
Choose if you’d like Priority interruptions or total silence during this time

Crank up animations for faster performance

The V30 is a very fast phone, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be faster. To speed things up and make the UI feel more snappy, you can increase the speed of the animations. But you’ll first need to activate the hidden Developer Options by following these steps:

Go to Settings > About phone
Select Software info
Tap Build Number 7 times until you see “You are now a developer” message
Go back to the main settings and you’ll see Developer options

To speed up animations:

Go to Settings > Developer options
Scroll down select Window animation and choose .5x
Select Transition animation and choose .5x
Select Animator duration scale and choose .5x

How to factory reset the LG V30

If you ever want to start fresh or sell your phone, you need to do a factory reset. This will wipe the device clean, so make sure none of your personal information is left. It will be like you turned the phone on for the first time again.

Open the Settings app
Scroll down and select Backup & reset
Tap Factory data reset
Tap RESET PHONE (confirm password)

Find the best Android apps & games

An awesome phone is nothing without some equally awesome apps. We’ve compiled tons of helpful guides for finding the best apps and games in the Play Store. Before you dive in and rummage around, you’ll want to check out these lists first.

Download the Forums for Android app!

iPhone X versus Android’s best: A surprisingly lopsided affair

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Apple shows Android how OLED is done.

The Galaxy Note 8 is an incredible phone. Back when I reviewed it for PCWorld I gave it the highest possible score and raved about its display, still the greatest I’ve seen in Android phone. The dual camera delivered impressive portraits and lush landscapes, and the battery powered through the busiest of days. In short, it was the best phone I had ever used and I thought it would be a long while before anything topped it.

I was wrong. Apple’s iPhone X not only beats the Note 8, it practically makes it seem obsolete. I’ve tested a wide array of Android handsets over the past 12 months, and I can confidently say that none are in the same league as Apple’s newest handset. And only a couple come close.

The Galaxy Note 8 is an extraordinary phone, but iPhone X beats it in every category.

Quite frankly, it’s hard to even describe how much better iPhone X is without using it for a stretch of time, and most Android fans will never get that chance. That’s a shame. It wasn’t until I spent a day or two with iPhone X, going back and forth with the Note 8, Google Pixel 2 XL, and LG V30 that I could see just how much of a triumph it is.

Samsung might need its own Note X just to catch up.

iPhone X vs. Android: Display

Before we debate the benefits of the notch, let’s talk about the display. Yes, Apple is playing catch-up here. Android phones have been using OLED displays for years, and while Apple might have made the best smartphone LCDs in the business, they were still a notch below the superior color-handling and power efficiency of the best OLED phones from Samsung and Google.

So, I didn’t expect to be blown away by Apple’s first OLED. As I said, iPhone displays have always been superior, and I assumed iPhone X would be more of the same, a marginal improvement over iPhone 8’s already great True Tone screen and on par with what I saw with the Note 8.

That’s not the case. Apple has worked wonders with its Samsung-sourced OLED display for iPhone X. It’s accurate without being dull, bright without bring harsh. And while the Note 8’s screen is technically brighter based on my light meter tests, iPhone X is just as readable in direct sunlight. And with True Tone turned on, I don’t even have to manually increase the brightness.

Keep in mind this is out-of-the-box calibration. With Android phones, I generally spend a few minutes cycling through the various screen modes to find the most pleasing one. With iPhone X there aren’t any settings or switches to play with. While the Note 8’s quad HD 1440p display is again, technically superior to the iPhone X’s 1125p one, that advantage is neutralized by Apple’s tremendous calibration. Even if I could adjust the colors, I wouldn’t.

The Pixel 2 XL’s blueish screen (left) is much more obvious when compared to the Note 8 (center) and iPhone X (right).

And it puts the Pixel 2 XL and LG V30 to shame, both of which have LG-made displays. The V30‘s screen has similar issues as the Pixel 2 XL, which have been well documented, but they are amplified next to iPhone X. While my Pixel 2 XL test unit hasn’t exhibited any image retention, it does have a noticeable blue hue that overtakes every color, even at slight angles. But aside from that, there’s no denying the overall dullness of it. Even with the new boosted and saturated settings switched on, there’s still a general flatness to the display that’s hard to miss when compared to iPhone X. And little things I overlooked about the Note 8—particularly the smooth feel of gesture animations thanks to iPhone X’s 120Hz touch sample rate—became glaringly and distractingly obvious.

I do prefer the size of the other phones (particularly the 6.3-inch Note 8), and I’m hoping the rumors of a Plus size next year are true. Also, I very much miss the always-on display when using iPhone X, something that’s a staple on Android flagships. But to say that iPhone X has the best display I’ve ever used might actually be selling it short. It’s likely to be better than the ones in next year’s crop of Android phones too.

My pick: iPhone X

iPhone X vs. Android: Design

2017 has been something of a watershed year for smartphone design. While it was starting to seem as though we were approaching the limits of what could be done with glass rectangles (iPhone included), Samsung, LG, Essential and others pushed the envelope by dramatically trimming the bezels and tweaking the standard 16:9 screen ratio to make their phones easier to hold and use.

Apple follows that path with iPhone X but also manages to break new ground. Lying on a table, iPhone X looks a lot like LG’s V30, with a wraparound chrome edge sandwiched by two pieces of curved glass. But while the V30 and most other 18:9 Android flagships have slivers of glass above and below the screen, iPhone X is the first to truly go “all screen.” Now, you can quibble over that characterization since there is a healthy bezel going around the entire edge of the display, but the symmetry of the design does make it seem like you’re truly holding nothing more than a screen.

That’s not an iPhone X Plus. That’s just an LG V30 next to iPhone X.

Of all the Android phones, I prefer the Note 8’s boxy shape and overall aesthetic, but Apple’s design still wins out. I particularly appreciate the corners of the screen, which are perfectly rounded, unlike the V30’s rough edges and the Note 8’s somewhat beveled ones. The sloped edges of the Note 8’s Infinity Display might feel a touch more luxurious, but iPhone X is nothing less than a dramatic leap ahead in smartphone design and will no doubt spawn a slew of imitators.

The corners of iPhone X’s display are perfectly round, unlike the V30 and Note 8.

Which brings us to the notch. I’ll admit to being extremely skeptical of it based on photos I saw, but in reality it makes a lot of sense, if for no other reason than the aforementioned symmetry. The notch doesn’t upset the visual balance of the phone like a full strip of glass does, and it does a nice job of tucking the status bar out of the way without sacrificing precious pixels. When the status bar disappears, pictures elegantly fill every corner of the display, and developers are already experimenting with cool ways to use the “horns” to their advantage. The only time it’s distracting is in landscape mode, but even there, it’s worse in pictures than in practice.

The next race will be the one to deliver the first edge-to-edge phone without a notch, and I suspect Samsung or LG will beat Apple to the finish in that one. It might not be as functional as the home button, but the notch is going to be Apple’s new defining characteristic for the iPhone. And in an era where it’s getting harder and harder to tell flagship phones apart, the notch gives iPhone X an unmistakable identity.

My pick: iPhone X

iPhone X vs. Android: Battery

iPhone X’s battery is a smidgen bigger than the 2,691mAh cell that’s in the iPhone 8 Plus, but it’s still way smaller than the ones in its Android peers. To compare the specs, you’d think iPhone X is at a serious disadvantage here:

iPhone X: 2,716mAh
Note 8: 3,300mAh
V30: 3,300mAh
Pixel 2 XL: 3,520mAh

But numbers don’t tell the whole story. Case in point: The iPhone 8 Plus has a smaller battery than the iPhone 7 Plus (2,691mAh versus 2,900mAh), but there’s no noticeable dip in longevity. Granted, you’ll still need to charge it overnight, but it should be able to power though as long of a day as the 7 Plus. In short, Apple’s iOS efficiency and battery optimization lets it do a whole lot more with less.

And the same is true of iPhone X. Power users might want to keep a battery charger around, but the vast majority of people will be able to easily make it through a day of heavy use. iPhone X was mostly on par with the Note 8, but the Pixel 2 XL fared a bit better in all of my tests, as I assumed it would. For example, streaming a 1:40 HDR/Dolby Vision movie over Wi-Fi with the brightness cranked up to max yielded these results:

iPhone X: 21% drain
V30: 20% drain
Note 8: 19% drain
Pixel 2 XL: 15% drain

It’s true that iPhone X experienced the biggest draw, but considering the size of its battery compared to the Pixel 2 XL and Note 8, I expected the gap to be much bigger. The same was true with other tasks I tested. iPhone X was consistently a couple of percentage points below its Android counterparts, but nothing that would suggest it had such a smaller battery. As such, by the end of the day I was usually in the red with iPhone X and the V30, near the red with the Note 8, and around 25% with the Pixel 2 XL. I can live with that.

That being said, it’s irritating that Apple refuses to put bigger batteries in its flagship phones. Next year’s Android phones will likely all have 4,000mAh batteries and we’ll be lucky if the next-generation iPhone X has topped 3,000mAh. That shouldn’t be the case for a $1,000-plus phone, even if Apple has optimized the heck out of it. If the iPhone X had a 3,500mAh battery like the Pixel 2 XL, it would likely last well into a second day and possibly a third.

My pick: Android (Pixel 2 XL)\

iPhone X vs. Android: Charging

Charging is another point of contention. While iPhone X finally supports wireless charging and fast charging, Apple still ships a tiny 5W charger in the box, which only charges slightly faster than a slow-as-molasses wireless charger. Android phones, meanwhile, all ship with a chargers capable of actual fast charging. To replicate the experience with iPhone X, you’ll need to purchase a $19 12W USB power adapter.

Using out-of-the-box chargers, the Android phones I tested were pretty much in line with the charging times I got with the 12W iPhone X plug. Here’s how fast iPhone X fills up in an hour when it hits 20 percent:

Wireless: 26%
5W plug: 35%
12W plug: 48%

When it comes to wireless charging, the Note 8 faired best when connected to the Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand (which also charges the iPhone X, albeit slower), filling up about 10 percent more than the other phones per hour. The LG V30 was roughly in line with iPhone X, and the Pixel 2 XL doesn’t support wireless charging.

iPhone X and the Note 8 (center) both offer wireless charging, but the Pixel 2 XL doesn’t.

It’ll be interesting to see how Apple’s AirPower handles charging speeds. Apple hasn’t offered much in the way of tech specs for its new charging mat other than that it will charge three devices simultaneously, though the upcoming iOS 11.2 update will increase wireless charging speeds from 5W to 7.5W.

My pick: Android (Galaxy Note 8)

iPhone X vs. Android: Sound

iPhone X doesn’t have a headphone jack, but this year it’s not alone. The Pixel 2 XL doesn’t have one either. Both phones comes with the appropriate 3.5mm adapter in the box, but while Apple also includes Lightning EarPods in the iPhone X box, the Pixel 2 XL doesn’t bundle a pair of USB-C headphones.

The LG V30 doesn’t just have a headphone jack, it has a Quad DAC built in.

The Note 8 and V30 both have headphone jacks, with the V30 upping the game with a Quad DAC and Samsung supplying a set of premium AKG earbuds. The V30 leads the pack when it comes to wired sound (though you’ll need to bring your own pair of headphones), but the bundled buds on the Note 8 are no slouch. Both options are substantially better than Apple’s wired earbuds.

iPhone X doesn’t have a pair of front-facing stereo speakers like the Pixel 2 XL, but it sounds like it does. It’s still a phone, so we’re not talking high-fidelity sound here, but to my ears, it sounded just as good as the Pixel 2. The Note 8 and V30 were decent as well, but the Pixel and iPhone were consistently clearer and louder.

My pick: Android (LG V30)

iPhone X vs. Android: Speed, biometrics, and OS

iPhone X features Apple newest processor, the A11 Bionic chip, and it’s every bit as fast as it sounds. Apps launched and loaded incredibly quickly, and the speed boost is noticeable over iPhone 7 Plus or even last year’s iPad. But the Snapdragon 835 processor that powers the Note 8, Pixel 2 XL, and V30 is no slouch either, and in real world use and tests, they all stacked up well against each other. But Apple’s iOS optimizations make the real difference.

Navigation on iPhone X is completely new.

Without a home button, iPhone X offers a dramatically different iOS experience than any other iPhone. All navigation is done using gestures on the home screen, but rather than use a virtual home button, Apple introduces the home indicator, a thin strip at the bottom of the screen. Instead of tapping a button below the screen, your fingers never need to leave the display, swiping and sliding as your apps literally fly across the screen. Apple hasn’t just replaced the physical with the virtual here, and simple tasks like switching between apps feels more natural and intuitive as a result.

Navigation remains pretty consistent across the Android flagships, but there’s an undeniable learning curve when it comes to iPhone X. Apple’s newest phone is different than any one that came before (iPhone or otherwise), and like any new navigation, there will be stumbles along the way. It’ll be several iterations before Apple gets the home indicator just right, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Android P or Q adopt something similar. After using it for just a week, the physical and virtual home buttons felt stale.

Samsung's Galaxy phones feature iris scanners, but they're not as fluid or reliable as Face ID.

Apple has also introduced Face ID with iPhone X, a new biometric to replace Touch ID. The Note 8 and V30 also offer facial recognition, but Samsung and LG actually warn you against using their phones’ facial recognition as the primary unlocking biometric. Not only is Face ID way more secure than Touch ID, it’s faster and more accurate too. In most cases, my phone unlocked before I even realized it, and as Apple improves the speed and camera angle, we eventually won’t need to think of it at all. I’ve never had a problem with fingerprint sensors (the placement on the Note 8 notwithstanding), but Face ID makes it seem like a chore.

Granted, Face ID was hardly perfect in my tests, but it worked in all sorts of lighting, only struggling when my face was lit with bright, direct sunlight. The Note 8’s iris scanner, my biometric of choice on Samsung devices, had the same difficulties, and I need to position my eyes just so to trigger it. Facial authentication will be a feature in 2018 Android phones for sure, but Apple has run out to a huge lead here with its TrueDepth camera. Even if Samsung or Google can get authentication right, thoughtful little touches like notifications expanded for my eyes only and of course, animoji, are unlikely to be replicated any time soon.

Android Oreo on the Pixel 2 XL is head and shoulders above any other Android phone.

When it comes to Android, the Pixel 2 XL handily bests the Note 8 and V30 here. Google’s newest handset may have its deficiencies, but its OS isn’t one of them. In fact, it may be reason enough to overlook the Pixel 2 XL’s less points. It’s not just that it’s one of the only phones to run Android Oreo, it’s that it runs it so well, other Android skins are exposed for how bloated and over-designed they are.

However, the choice between the Pixel 2 and iPhone X is no contest. Using iPhone X feels like Apple is finally embracing the future while its Android peers remain grounded in the present. There might be some things that the Pixel 2 XL does better with Oreo and the Note 8 has some cool S-Pen and edge screen tricks, but iOS 11 on iPhone X is the first phone in years that feels like it’s on the verge of something entirely new.

My pick: iPhone X

iPhone X vs. Android: Camera

The camera is one of the main reason why we choose the phones we do, and each of these phones offer top-notch picture-taking experiences (no pun intended). And despite extremely similar specs, they all bring something unique to the table:

iPhone X: 12MP, ƒ/1.8 wide-angle and 12MP, ƒ/2.4 telephoto
Note 8: 12MP, ƒ/1.7 wide-angle and 12MP, ƒ/2.4 telephoto
V30: 16MP, f/1.6 + 13MP, f/1.9 wide-angle
Pixel 2 XL: 12MP, f/1.8

In the battle of the portraits, the single-camera Pixel 2 XL (center) does a tremendous job of keeping up with iPhone X (left) with just one camera. Meanwhile, the Note 8 (right) made my son look way paler than he should.

The Pixel 2 XL’s lack of a dual camera stands out here, but Google has more than made up for it with its image processing. Not only does it manage to mimic iPhone X’s and the Note 8’s portrait modes with just a single lens, it’s virtually indistinguishable from the dual-camera results (and oftentimes better). So it basically comes down to a matter of which features you prefer. The Note 8 has the ability to adjust the intensity of the background blur before and after the shot, and Apple has added studio lighting effects to iPhone X.

The V30 (right) captured more of the scene, but iPhone X got the lighting right.

Without a telephoto lens, the V30 doesn’t have a portrait mode at all, but its wide-angle lens captures more of the scene than any of the others. But despite some cool app features and the largest aperture of the bunch at f/1.6, the overall quality of its photos often trailed the field, particularly in low-light conditions. It’s not it’s a bad camera, just not as good as the best.

iPhone X (left) nailed Lego R2-D2's white body and picked up some good detail in harsh low-light conditions, but there's more detail in the Pixel 2 XL's shot (second from left). The Note 8 (second from right) and V30 (right) both paled in comparison.

Speaking of low light, the Pixel 2 and iPhone X are pretty neck and neck here. Google’s incredible image processing was consistently able to draw out details that iPhone X and the Note 8 missed, though iPhone X handles white balance better.

All three phones performed well in sunlight, but the flowers in the iPhone X's shot (left) pop with color and detail more than the Pixel 2 XL (center) and Note 8 (right).

Around the front, the picture-taking abilities of the cameras are all basically the same, though the V30 brings up the rear with its 5MP lens. Apple and Google have both added portrait effects for selfies, but while the Pixel 2 is a little more successful, neither is as good as the rear camera. Better is the Note 8’s Snapchat-style stickers for jazzing up your selfies, but I’d still rather have the best rear camera than a fun front one.

My pick: Tie (iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL)

Overall winner: iPhone X

Even in the categories where iPhone X lost out to another phone, it was never by much, and none of the other handsets here offer anything as complete of a package. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s not like the other phones are cheap:

iPhone X: $999 (64GB)
Note 8: $950 (64GB)
Pixel 2 XL: $849 (64GB)
LG V30: $830 (64GB)

I expected Apple’s first OLED iPhone to be a clear improvement over the iPhone 7 Plus’s LCD, but I didn’t expect it to handle the top 2017 Android phones so handily. The sharpness, color accuracy, and clarity make all other phones look inferior, and Apple is just getting started. Android’s flagships, particularly the V30 and Pixel 2 XL, have a lot of work to do, and I suspect next year’s flagships will feature 120Hz touch sampling if not full 120Hz refresh rates and a sharp shift toward facial authentication.

iPhone X will cast a large shadow over next year's crop of Android phones.

Even if you could somehow combine the Note 8, Pixel 2 XL, and V30 into a superphone mashup, iPhone X would still come out ahead. From the screen to the design to the camera and chip, iPhone X doesn’t just hold its own against Android’s cream of the crop, it raises the bar considerably for the 2018 models to come.

The bottom line is we’re going to see a lot of iPhone X influence on next year’s crop of Android flagships. So much so that I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of them adopt camera notches too.

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6 best iPhone X alternatives

THERE ARE LOTS OF GREAT IPHONE X ALTERNATIVES

We have three new iPhones, but if you judge by all the news and talk, you would think Apple had just unveiled one: the Apple iPhone X.

The new iPhone X is certainly the one that has everyone’s attention with its new edge-to-edge screen and compact size, but with a prohibitive starting price of $1,000 for the base 64GB model, you might wonder if there is an alternative.

Of course, there is! In fact, the iPhone X is late to the bezel-less screen game, and we round up 5 great Android options for a lower price, but with a similarly great design and cameras. With no further ado, here is our selection of the iPhone X bezel-less alternatives.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8, S8 and S8 Plus

Price: from $725 to $930

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus were among the first phones in the “bezel-less” trend. They have one of the finest Super AMOLED screens out there with lively, vivid colors. The Note 8 is just like the other two, but bigger and with the accurate S Pen on board that allows you to quickly take notes or get creative with drawings.

The Galaxy S8 in particular is available at nearly half the price of the iPhone X and the other two are also great alternatives. One big downside with them? The fingerprint scanner. It’s positioned weirdly to the side of the camera, where it is hard to reach and you will often smudge the camera instead of the finger reader.

Google Pixel 2 XL

Price: $850

Google’s new Pixel 2 XL comes with one glaring issue: an OLED screen that gets very bluish once you tilt the phone just slightly, and it can suffer from a ghosting effect, but if you are not pedantic about having the absolute display. the Pixel 2 XL delivers. It’s a stunning phone: it has arguably the best camera ever put in a phone, a clean version of Android that already has the latest update and is guaranteed to be first in line in the future, it has solid battery life and it performs admirably well.

Essential Phone

Price: $450

The Essential Phone is a true design gem with its ceramic back and a solid construction. It has an extremely high screen to body ratio with a very distinct, “notch” design where a tiny cutout at the top of the front is made for the front camera. It all blends together nicely when you have the notification bar at the top, or if you have a black screen, but is otherwise noticeable. The Essential Phone lacks branding, runs on a clean version of Android and comes with the promise for timely updates.

ESSENTIAL PHONE ON AMAZON

LG V30 and LG G6

Price: $800 and $500

The LG V30 is the company’s best phone as of fall 2017. With a 6-inch display and an edge-to-edge display, the V30 is actually a little smaller than the 5.5-inch OnePlus 5 that has a traditional, 16:9 display with bezels on the top and bottom. And that’s quite the achievement. The V30 – unlike Samsung phones – has its fingerprint on the back, below the camera and properly centered, so it’s really easy for your finger to reach it.

The G6 has a 5.7-inch full-screen display, but it lacks some of the V30‘s media capabilities, and has a less refined camera experience. It makes up with a much lower price. It also looks a lot like the V30, though, and features a very sleek glass and metal build.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

Price: €800

The bezel-less Huawei Mate 10 Pro features a sleek design and one of the finest cameras on Android. It performs good as well: equipped with Huawei’s own Kirin 970 system chip, this powerful phone is the first around with a neural engine built-in. Battery life is another strong point for the Mate 10 Pro.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Price: €500

The Xiaomi Mi Mix was certainly one of the most interesting products of 2016: in fact, one could argue it was the device that kickstarted the bezel-less design trend. In 2017, we have the much more practical and smaller in size Mi Mix 2 with even less bezel and a more refined look and feel. The Mi Mix 2 features a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, narrower than the wide 17:9 screen on the original Mix. It runs top-grade silicon with the Snapdragon 835 chip on board and comes in three versions: 64GB, 128GB and 256 gigs. The phone also features an improved camera, now with the Sony IMX386 sensor and with 4-axis image stabilization.

Apple iPhone X vs LG V30: first look

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One of the biggest surprises this fall happens to be the LG V30, a refined product that has been highly praised by critics as the no-bull smartphone – offering a wealth of uncompromising features. Meanwhile, the hype surrounding Apple’s latest device, the 10th anniversary iPhone X, is in full swing as buyers packed stores and shops to pick it up recently. Apple’s reputation isn’t necessarily on the spot, given how its iPhones are continually popular amongst consumers, but for LG, they’re on the upswing after last year’s sour performance, so it’ll be interesting to see if the V30 can remain relevant now that the iPhone X is here.

Design

When you stack these two titans next to one another, it’s apparent that there’s no shortage of premium qualities with their designs. It’s so blatantly rampant, as the two phones share almost the same philosophies – a metal meets glass construction. However, the stainless-steel bands of the iPhone X combined with its slightly heavier weight does give it a more substantial feel in the hand. In terms of size, the iPhone X is slightly more manageable, since it’s shorter and narrower than the V30. But at the end of the day, it’s clear that the two phones simply look stunning!

What we like about the V30‘s design over the iPhone X is that it features a slightly more water-resistant construction; an IP68 rating versus the iPhone X‘s IP67. Furthermore, it packs the ever-so-useful 3.5mm headphone jack and a fingerprint sensor. The latter has been omitted with the iPhone X, replaced instead by its new Face ID technology, but we still certainly appreciate this alternative form of security.

Display

Apple might’ve moved beyond 1080p resolution with the iPhone X, which flaunts a 5.8-inch 1125 x 2436 Super Retina Display that leverage OLED technology, but the V30 is still technically more pixel packed with its larger 6-inch 1440 x 2880 FullVision P-OLED display. Not surprisingly, they hopped on the trend of boasting that near bezel-less look with their fancy looking new displays, so they’re more than equipped for all of your multimedia consumption.

Briefly comparing the two, it’s tough to make enough of an assertive affirmation about which one is more superior, but we can definitely say that the viewing angles on the iPhone X‘s display is better. For now, we’ll be reserved before making a final judgement – that’s until we can fully test out the qualities of the iPhone X’s new Super Retina Display. With the V30, it has already established itself as a strong contender with its strong brightness output and high contrast.

User Interface

Apple’s iOS versus Google’s Android, this is a battle we’ve seen countless times before. With LG‘s skin on the V30, it manages to retain a faithful experience to stock Android, but there are some useful additions thrown into the experience that enhance the experience, like its always-accessible floating bar. As for the iPhone X and its latest iOS experience, there are some new tweaks and tricks up its sleeve, like its new Animoji feature, but the core stuff continues to favor simplicity and straightforwardness.

Honestly, the two competing platforms have grown so much since their inceptions, so either can suffice for all sorts of needs. Android clearly continues to offer more customization and control by the user, but Apple’s control has been lessened. That new Animoji feature with the iPhone X is intriguing, providing users with a new form of interacting through messages, but knowing how the two platforms eventually adopt ideas from each other, it shouldn’t surprise us if and when a similar feature comes out for Android.

Processor and Memory

Just for specs sake, the LG V30 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC accompanied with 4GB of RAM – whereas the iPhone X leverages Apple’s new A11 Bionic with 3GB of RAM. Until we can properly put the iPhone X through our barrage of testing, we’ll just mention our quick takeaways with their performances during our initial look. And with that, it’s just unbelievable how snappy the iPhone X runs. We’ve been using the V30 for quite some time now, exhibiting the tight responses you’d expect from a high-caliber phone, but it blows us away the noticeable difference in how the iPhone X performs with simple navigation around the interface!

Both handsets start with base storage capacities of 64GB, but there’s also an iPhone X with a 256GB capacity as well. That’s surely nice and all, but it can’t take away from the storage expansion of the V30 courtesy of its microSD card slot.

Camera

Dual-camera systems have been the trend amongst top-tiered smartphones this year, but even though these two prized smartphones offer them, their purposes are totally different. With the iPhone X and its dual 12MP cameras, it’s meant to deliver those creamy looking portrait shots as your subject is surrounded by beautiful bokeh. Oppositely, though, the LG V30‘s combo of having a main 16MP camera and a 13MP wide-angle one, is meant more to deliver a wider capture with compositions.

The intent of each camera system is definitely on the opposite ends of the spectrum, as the iPhone X seems to be the kind of camera for those who want simplicity in capturing shots, with an attention to portraits and those blown out backgrounds. Those wishing for more control, the V30‘s implementation offers a rich set of tools for content creators, especially on the video side. Then again, the iPhone X is notable for offering 4K capture at 60 FPS.

Regardless, we’re eager to compare the two and uncover who is going to deliver the better end result quality – both stills and videos, of course.

Battery

The LG V30, with its 3300 mAh battery cell, has already proven its endurance in delivering solid battery performance. It’s not the longest lasting thing we’ve tested, but it’s definitely up there still. Oppositely, though, the iPhone X‘s 2716 mAh battery will be scrutinized moreover not only for the fact that the capacity is a little bit underwhelming, but it makes us wonder how it’ll perform with that new, higher resolution display.

Thanks in part to their glass surfaces, the two are endowed with wireless charging technologies, which is always a nice complement to find in a high-end phone.

Expectations

What makes the LG V30 so compelling is that unlike its contemporaries (iPhone X included), it’s not priced so exorbitantly that it would make it unreachable to mere mortals. Although, based on the craziness and demand from consumers on launch day for the iPhone X, it seems people are willing to enter this new threshold for a smartphone.

Starting at roughly $829.99 at most retailers and carriers, the LG V30 seems like a value rich option in comparison to the $1,000 cost of the iPhone X. For the additional $130 you’re required to fork over for the iPhone X, it makes us wonder how much more you’re getting from Apple’s latest gadget. Still, we can’t stress enough how we appreciate some of the design cues found with the LG V30, like its headphone jack, in addition to how it’s a great option for video content creators.

The iPhone X, on the other hand, has a lot to prove to consumers at $1,000.

Class of 2017: The sexiest smartphones

A smartphone can have top-of-the-line specs and an affordable price tag but if it’s ugly, no one will buy it. Like it or not, design has a huge impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions. It can make or break a device.

Most of this year’s smartphone announcements have been pretty average-looking. Some are just plain ugly. However, a few devices sporting super sexy designs, which instantly grab your attention, were also released this year. A really great design is something every manufacturer aims for, but rarely manage.

Here are five of the sexiest smartphones we’ve seen this year. What makes them so alluring? Let’s dive in.

Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung’s phone design made a huge leap forward with the Galaxy S8. The front of the device is gorgeous thanks to its thin bezels and curved display, both of which give off a futuristic vibe. It’s clean and elegant. It also doesn’t have a Samsung logo on top like its predecessor, which no one liked.

The back of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is simple but still eye-catching.

The Galaxy S8 has a premium-feeling metal frame and glass back too. The back of the handset is simple but still eye-catching and features a nicely designed camera sensor, with the flash module and fingerprint scanner to the left and right. The Samsung branding on the device’s rear doesn’t make it any less gorgeous. The back also has curved edges that not only look nice but help with handling.

Samsung’s flagship features four buttons located on its sides. The power button is on the right, sitting right where your thumb naturally rests— at least if you’re right-handed. The volume rocker is on the left side, above the dedicated Bixby button used for launching Samsung’s digital assistant. There’s a SIM card/microSD card slot on top and a headphone jack at the bottom alongside the USB Type-C port and speaker.

The device comes in a number of colors, although not all are available in every market. You can get it in Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Arctic Silver, Maple Gold, Rose Pink, or my favorite, Orchid Gray.

The Galaxy S8 is a stunning device, but it’s not perfect — no smartphone is. I think the overall design could be improved by placing the fingerprint scanner below the camera sensor, instead of next to it. This would look better and make the scanner a little easier to reach.

Huawei Mate 10

Huawei’s latest smartphone is a stunner and looks way better than its predecessor. It features a bezel-less design, but unlike the Galaxy S8, has the fingerprint scanner on the front. Whether that’s good or bad depends on who you ask, but what’s important here is that the scanner blends in with the overall design and looks really nice.

What makes the Huawei Mate 10 stand out from the crowd is the reflective stripe that runs horizontally across the cameras.

The Mate 10’s glass back is what makes it one of the most beautiful smartphones released this year. It has curved sides and a vertically positioned dual-camera setup along with a flash module and a Huawei logo that’s located on the bottom. The reflective stripe that runs horizontally across the cameras gives the device more character. It’s a simple design element which really improves the overall look of the Mate 10 and makes it instantly recognizable.

The power and volume control buttons are all located on the right side of the device and the SIM card slot can be found on the left. There’s a USB Type-C port at the bottom alongside a speaker, while the headphone jack is located on the top of the smartphone. There are four colors to choose from, as the Mate 10 comes in Black, Champagne Gold, Pink Gold, and Mocha Brown (which is the best one, in my opinion). You can take a closer look at the Mate 10 in the images below alongside the Mate 10 Pro.

The Mate 10 is simple and elegant, but also very stylish thanks to that gorgeous stripe. It has a little bit of everything and doesn’t take things too far, so to speak. Its design is universal and could be the key factor that will allow it to outsell its predecessor globally.

LG V30

The LG V30 doesn’t have a design “X factor” that makes it stand out from the crowd but is nevertheless one of the most beautiful handsets on the market.

The LG V30 doesn’t try to be too fancy or dazzle you with some crazy design features but instead just sticks to the basics.

It doesn’t try to dazzle you with crazy design features, instead sticking to the basics. It has a bezel-less design with a very clean, branding-free front. The device comes in four color options: Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue, and Lavender Violet. No matter which one you choose, the front of the device is always black. This makes it look even cleaner, as the camera, speaker, and proximity sensor aren’t as visible as they would be on a white smartphone.

The V30 has a metal frame and a simple yet stylish glass back. The dual-camera setup is more minimal than on a lot of other handsets but — just like the fingerprint scanner below it — stands out due to the rim that surrounds it. The back also has a flash module to the right of the cameras, the V30 and LG branding, and curved edges for a great feel in the hand.

Looking at the sides, you’ll find the SIM card slot on the right and two buttons for volume control on the left. The power button is on the back and doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which is something that takes getting used to. The headphone jack is on top, while the speaker and USB Type-C port are located on the bottom edge.

There’s not really anything bad I could say about the V30’s design; it’s impressive in every way. One thing worth pointing is that although the glass back looks and feel premium, it can be a fingerprint magnet. So to keep it looking clean as the first time you took it out of the box, you’ll have to wipe it down often.

Honor 9

It might not have a bezel-less design like the rest of the devices on this list, but the Honor 9 is still one hell of a sexy smartphone.

The Honor 9 may not have a bezel-less design like the rest of the devices on this list, but it’s still a sexy smartphone. Its front is simple without any over-the-top design elements, as it features a camera, speaker, and proximity sensor above the display, and a home button/fingerprint scanner along with two capacitive buttons below it. The great thing about the navigation keys is their minimal design, both marked with a small dot for a cleaner look.

Just like the Mate 10, it’s the glass back that got the Honor 9 a place on this list. Its design is minimal and eye-catching. There are two small horizontally positioned camera sensors in the upper left corner along with a flash module, and the Honor branding sits a bit further down.

The back has curved edges and is very clean, which is always a good thing in my opinion. A clean design can sometimes be a bit boring, but that’s not the case with the Honor 9 mainly due to its light-refracting composition that enables some enthralling reflective patterns. Sure, its shiny back might not be to everyone’s taste, but it definitely gives a boldness to the phone’s minimalistic look. In terms of colors, you can get it in Blue, Amber Gold, Gray, and Black.

The smartphone sports a metal frame that makes it feel sturdy in the hand and has the power as well as volume buttons on the right edge. The SIM/microSD tray is on the left. An IR blaster can be found on the top. The bottom edge features a speaker, USB Type-C port, and 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Overall, the Honor 9 offers the best of both worlds in terms of design. It keeps things simple, but also comes with a shiny glass back to prevent it from looking boring like most recent smartphones.

HTC U11 Plus

The U11 Plus is without a doubt the most beautiful smartphone HTC has ever made. I mean, just look at it.

The front of the device looks very minimalistic thanks to the thin bezels surrounding the screen and the lack of HTC’s branding. The back is also quite simple, as it only sports a camera sensor, a flash module, the company’s logo, and a fingerprint scanner that blends in nicely and doesn’t stand out too much.

However, the back does have a liquid glass surface already seen on the HTC U11 that’s quite reflective and gives the device more character. It’s very eye-catching and is the main reason that makes the U11 Plus one of the sexiest smartphones in the world.

The Translucent Black version of the U11 Plus is gorgeous and unique, as it reveals parts of the internal components.

The HTC U11 Plus comes in Ceramic Black, Amazing Silver, and the gorgeous Translucent Black that stands out from the crowd. What makes it unique is its translucent glass back that reveals various internal components. It’s a bold design feature that makes the device instantly recognizable.

The smartphone sports a metal frame for a premium look and feel and a textured power button that’s located on the right side, below the volume rocker.

The HTC U11 Plus is a real stunner, and there’s not a lot of bad things to say about it. The only thing worth mentioning is that although the back is extremely sexy, it’s also hungry for fingerprints — just like the majority of glass smartphones.

Conclusion

Each smartphone on this list is unique in terms of design, but they all have a couple of things in common. The first is that they are made from a combination of metal and glass, which is clearly the trend this year. Which doesn’t mean that smartphones with full metal bodies aren’t sexy anymore; metal handsets can look just as gorgeous and premium as those made of glass — just look at the OnePlus 5. However, a glass design is more eye-catching, especially if it has a reflective mirror finish and is paired with a vibrant color.

But a smartphone with a glass back does have a major drawback: it’s a fingerprint magnet. This means that after using it for a while, it won’t look anywhere near as gorgeous as when you took it out of the box for the first time. You’ll have it wipe it down often to keep it looking clean, which is a problem you won’t experience with a metal device. Glass phones are also much more likely to crack if dropped, but I guess that’s the price we pay for fashion.

The other thing these smartphones have in common is that what makes them sexy is a combination of simplicity and something a little bit extra. For example, the Galaxy S8 has a curved screen, the Mate 10 has a beautiful stripe that runs horizontally across the cameras, while the U11 Plus sports a reflective liquid glass surface and is available with a translucent back.

Phone Comparisons: LG V30 vs OnePlus 5

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Do we have a good one for you today as we compare two dual-camera devices – the LG V30 to the OnePlus 5. While a few months apart in their debut, these two devices do have many things in common, though not their looks. The OnePlus 5 takes its design cue from the iPhone 7 Plus, while the LG V30 looks more modern with its smaller bezels. The LG V30 has a larger display, yet it has a smaller footprint than the OnePlus 5, mostly due to the 18:9 aspect ratio of its screen. Both devices have a strong following with the OnePlus users and today we are going to look at these devices side by side, comparing the high-priced LG V30 at $840 and the moderately priced OnePlus 5 at less than $500 to determine which one is better. Before we examine each individual device, we will first see what these two flagships have in common.

Despite their large difference in pricing, the LG V30 and OnePlus 5 have many comparable features. They both use the OLED technology for their displays and both use Gorilla Glass 5 for protection on the front. They use identical processors and GPUs, although their RAM (in favor of the OnePlus 5) and memory (in favor of the LG V30) are different. They both use a dual-camera setup, a 16-megapixel sensor for the main camera, but different megapixels for the secondary camera. You will find a 3,300mAh non-removable battery with a rapid charge feature in each device. The physical sizes are almost identical with the LG V30 being just slightly shorter than the OnePlus 5. They even weigh within 5 grams of each other. Both have a form of Hi-Res Audio, 3.5mm headphone jacks, and single speakers. You will find Android 7.1 running on both devices with their own overlay and a promise of an Android 8.0 Oreo update in the near future.

Please take a thoughtful look at the detailed specifications comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another. After that, we will look at each device individually in greater depth and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.

Specifications

LG V30

LG has to be a very innovative company as it strives to keep up and even surpass its South Korean competitor Samsung regardless of how doing so may seem impossible at the moment. We saw the firm take a chance with the LG G5’s module design, its jump to dual cameras, and four DACs, so it should come as no surprise that this innovation would carry over to the new LG V30. The LG ‘V’ series has evolved from an all-metal stainless design of the LG V10, an aluminum design of the V20, and now an all-glass design seen on the new V30. This new design caused LG to abandon its long tradition of a removable battery, but it gains both an IP68 certificate and wireless charging. LG also scrapped the LCD display technology and jumped on the OLED bandwagon. The LG V30’s display also jumps from the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio and adopts a taller 18:9 format. This small design difference allows the V30 to have a larger display than the V20, but a smaller physical footprint and a little narrower viewing area. LG chose the top processor for its new flagship, the Snapdragon 835, while also retaining the Hi-Res audio circuitry with four DACs that works great with a pair of headphones, though the new handset lacks stereo speakers.

The limited LG G Flex used a P-OLED display, but this is the first time LG has put it on its flagship. The LG V30 sports a 6-inch QHD P-OLED display with a resolution of 2880 x 1440 with a pixel density of 538ppi. The company included Dolby Vision, HDR 10 support, and a “FullVision” display as competition to Samsung’s “Infinity Display.” The LG V20 used a fixed secondary display while the LG V30 uses a floating software bar that can be moved or swiped out of the way. The LG V30 packs a Snapdragon 835 processor clocked at 2.45 GHz that adds speed, more capabilities, and better battery life compared to its predecessor, and also uses the Adreno 540 GPU for rendering stunning graphics. LG kept the standard 4GB of RAM in the V30, with the base model having 64GB of expandable memory.

LG helped start the dual-camera rage with the LG V20, and the LG V30 keeps that configuration with some annual improvements. The primary camera takes the majority of your photos and sports a 16-megapixel sensor, OIS, laser and PDAF support, a dual-tone LED flash, and a large f/1.6 aperture to help capture those low-light shots. The secondary camera used for wide-angle photos does not possess the same specifications. Instead, it uses a respectable 13-megapixel sensor with a wide-angle 120-degree field of capture and a narrower aperture of f/1.9. The front-facing camera is the same 5-megapixel unit used on the LG V20 but handles the V30’s facial recognition as well as selfies and video chats. LG used a 3,300mAh non-removable battery that offers Quick Charge 3.0, as well as wireless charging. Like it or not, non-removable batteries are the growing trend in the industry and aren’t going away anytime soon.

LG kept many of the good features of the LG V20 and included them in the V30 which succeeded functionalities like the quad-DAC (Digital-to-Analog) converter, EQ with left/right balance controls and B&O Play certifications, and even with the glass back on the V30, the company was able to keep the MIL-STD-810G certification. The glass back forced LG to use a non-removable battery in the V30, but now offers IP68 water resistance and wireless charging. The improvements start with the P-OLED technology and a larger display. The main camera area improves all around and now adds facial recognition to the V30’s voice recognition. The non-removable battery is a suitable 3,300mAh unit and will easily make it through the day on a single charge. The device measures 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.4mm and weighs in at 158 grams. The V30 comes in your choice of Cloud Silver or Moroccan Blue and runs Android 7.1.2 out of the box, in addition to starting at approximately $840 outright.

OnePlus 5

There is a pack of devoted fans of the OnePlus line, so it comes as no surprise that the OnePlus 5 was one of the most anticipated smartphones in 2017. While it resembles the iPhone 7 Plus and is rather boring in looks when compared to the Galaxy S8 or LG V30, the OnePlus 5 is a solid, well-built device that comes with cutting-edge technology. Its body is anodized aluminum with a curved back that makes it easier to grip comfortably. The side bezels are small, while the top and bottom bezels are rather large. The OnePlus 5’s front-mounted fingerprint sensor is extremely responsive and has a layer of ceramic over it to prevent scratches. We must mention the value of the OnePlus 5 – the base 6GB/64GB model costs a mere $479 and the 8GB/128GB model is only $539 – if you’re still able to buy it new these days through a reseller, that is. Still, just how well does the OnePlus 5 stack up against the much more expensive LG V30?

As with other OnePlus devices, the OnePlus 5 sports a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and its 5.5-inch display generates a pixel density of about 401ppi. OnePlus does use an Optic AMOLED display that offers a very good viewing experience, just not a QHD experience. There is also no secondary display for notifications whether it is of the Always-On or floating variety. When it comes to raw processing power, the OnePlus 5 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core SoC clocked at 2.45GHz. For graphics rendering, the SD835 is teamed with an Adreno 540 GPU. The device comes in two different versions – one with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of non-expandable internal storage and another with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage. If you need more storage than that, you must look to the cloud.

The OnePlus 5 uses a dual-camera setup whose primary sensor is a 16-megapixel module from Sony with an f/1.7 aperture, EIS, PDAF, and a dual-LED flash, as well as 1.6x optical zoom. The secondary camera uses a 20-megapixel sensor paired with an f/2.6 wide-angled lens. The front camera on the OnePlus 5 comes with a large 16-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, EIS, and Auto-HDR. A 3,300mAh non-removable battery that includes OnePlus’ Dash Charge feature supplies power to the flagship.

The OnePlus 5 includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and cellular connectivity with support for 34 different frequency bands. The device also includes a front-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer, and keeps the 3.5mm headphone jack. The OnePlus 5 comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with an OxygenOS overlay and a path to an Android 8.0 Oreo update in the future. The device measures 152.2 x 74.1 x 7.3mm, weighs in at 153 grams, and comes in Midnight Black or Slate Gray, not counting its limited editions.

…And The Winner Is…

The Final Word

This was a very tough decision. On one hand, the LG V30 is the more exciting phone; it has a much better look, a better display, better camera, expandable memory, better sound, wireless charging, IP68 certification, face and voice recognition, and a MIL-STD-810G rating, but all of that comes with an $840 price tag.

On the other hand, the OnePlus may not be as flashy, but it is a great bargain at $479 and represents one of the best values when it comes to smartphones. Besides using the same processor/GPU as the LG V30, it offers up 6GB of RAM as standard equipment and for $539, you can have 8GB. True, 64GB or 128GB is the most memory you can have, but even at $539 for the 8GB/128GB model, it is still a bargain and more memory than most would ever need. That much RAM may be an overkill, but it makes the OnePlus 5 fly through its operations, being able to keep much more apps in memory. While the camera may not give as consistently good photos as the LG V30, it does have excellent software for the camera. No, it does not have an IP68 rating or wireless charging, or even facial recognition, but those omissions are understandable given its price tag.

Based on the pros, cons, and price, we have to pick the OnePlus 5 as the winner of this comparison. It has the right parts that matter in a smartphone, and while it may be missing a few items in the comparison, the pricing more than makes up for those shortcomings. The only issue that remains is getting your hands on the OnePlus 5 these days as the Chinese OEM isn’t selling them directly anymore, though resellers like GearBest still have some stock which they’re shipping internationally.

Buy the LG V30 (Verizon)

Buy The OnePlus 5

LG V30 tips and tricks

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The LG V30 has just launched in the United States and it’s the company’s best looking and most powerful phone so far.

It comes with some neat functionalities that you may not know about, so that’s why we’ve outlined some of the basic tips and tricks that you can do to enjoy it a little bit more and make the most of its features.

Let’s waste no time and get started with…

KnockON: double tap the screen to turn it off or on

All recent LG phones come with this one trick built in: simply double tap the screen to turn it on or off. This is particularly useful on the V30 as the fingerprint reader is on the back and if you just want to check the time or see something on the lockscreen, you can simple double tap the screen.

Add more useful icons to lockscreen

First, go into Settings.
Select the Lock Screen tab in the Display section.
Choose the Shortcuts menu
You will see “+” buttons for the empty spots. Add any app you like to the lockscreen.
Here is how it all looks after we’ve filled all the available spots!

Customize Always-on Display

First, go into Settings.
Select the Always-on Display section in the Display tab.
Tap on the big Content field.
Choose the look you like best!
Consider setting a Daily timeout when the feature will be off (usually at night) to save battery.

Bring back the app drawer

First, go into Settings.
Select Home Screen under the Display section.
Tap on the Select Home button.
Select Home & app drawer, and you’re done!

Enable, disable and/or customize Floating Bar

Last year’s LG V20 came with a tiny secondary display right above the main screen, where you could access useful shortcuts. That secondary screen is gone on the V30, but you have a new Floating Bar feature from where you can access your contacts and shortcuts to apps and neat actions. It should be enabled by default, but you will want to customize it or even disable it if it gets in your way. Here’s how to do it.

First, go into Settings.
Next, select Floating Bar in the General tab. (There is an on / off toggle right here to turn it on or off.)
Here, you can customize which apps and contacts to appear as shortcuts!
You can also add new shortcuts.

Capture a GIF from a video you are watching

You can create a GIF really easily using the floating bar shortcut. Remember to keep GIFs short in duration and do not forget that they do not have sound. With this in mind, here is how you create a GIF from a video on the LG V30 (you can then share GIFs on social media like Facebook and Instagram):

Open a video you like, tap on the floating bar arrow and select the GIF option
Adjust the size of the capture window by dragging its edges up, down and to the side. When you are ready press the record button to initiate GIF capture and start the video.
Once you are done with your GIF, it will automatically be saved in your Gallery, in the GIF Capture folder.
Tap on the edit button to fine tune that GIF!
Save the results and find them in your Gallery.

How to take a screenshot

Simply hold down the power key on the back of the phone and simultaneously press the volume down key, wait for a moment and you will see the screen blink. A screenshot is captured and it is automatically saved to the gallery.

Set your screen for comfortable use at night

(Comfort View)

Comfort View on the LG V30 is a useful option for those who use their phone at night. The blue light from a screen makes it harder to fall asleep after using a phone and this option removes the blue spectrum of the light, so you can use your phone and still fall asleep without your phone interrupting your body’s biological patterns.

First, go into Settings.
Select Comfort View under the Display section.
Enable the “Use Comfort View toggle”
Consider scheduling it, so it automatically starts at night.

Change Icon Shape

ROUND SHAPE ONROUND SHAPE OFF

1. First, go into Settings.
2. Next, select Home Screen in the Display tab.
3. Here, tap on Icon Shape.
4. And change the icons to use their original shape!

Change the order of your navigation buttons, add buttons

Where should the back button be on Android? Some people think it should be on the right, closer to where your thumb is since it’s arguably used more often. Well, you can do those kinds of customizations on the LG V30.

First, go into Settings.
Scroll down to Home touch buttons under the Display section.
Tap on Button combination.
Here you can add new buttons or change the place of the existing ones. Some people prefer having the back button on the right!

Change the screen resolution to get better battery life

First, go into Settings.
Scroll down to Screen resolution under the Display tab.
Select a lower resolution like the Medium one to get better battery life.
You can even go down to 720p for further battery savings, but the drop in sharpness will be more noticeable here.

Remember, you can find the location of a stolen or lost phone

The last thing you should know is that as long as your phone is registered with a Google account, you can easily find it, pin-point its location on a map if you’ve lost it, or lock and erase the contents of the V30 if it’s been stolen. For this, you can open the Google Find My Device website from any platform, log in with your credentials and you will see the location of your phone.

Google Pixel 2 XL vs. LG V30: The perfect pair for right now

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Should you buy the LG V30 or the Pixel 2 XL? It’s a hard decision.

I was the last person to leave Google‘s Pixel hardware event in Toronto this week, the cleaning staff already entering the converted movie studio to remove the painstakingly crafted demo spaces for Google Lens, augmented reality, and the Pixel 2 camera’s Portrait Mode. I just didn’t want to give the damn phones back, them feeling so good and comfortable and right in my paw.

And gave them back I did, but not before I snapped some photos of the Pixel 2 XL next to the LG V30. I’m saying this both to hedge against the poor quality of the photos themselves (Lightroom’s Clarity can’t fix what isn’t in focus) but to emphasize that, Samsung flagships aside, I think this is the most interesting comparison to come out of the entire event.

See, the LG V30 goes on sale pretty much now — it’s already available at Verizon and AT&T, and will be next week at T-Mobile and Sprint — despite being announced in August and seeded to reviewers shortly thereafter. LG has a knack of announcing its phones well before they actually go on sale, which means that despite a great product, they tend to lose the momentum of public discourse in the weeks following.

Anyway, what that means is that the October 5 release date of the V30 is only two weeks before the LG-made Pixel 2 XL, which is astonishing if you think about it.

So which should you buy? Honestly, that’s a difficult question to answer. But let’s try to get you closer to that truth.

What’s the same

Both the LG V30 and the Google Pixel 2 XL share a number of hardware similarities, and while they don’t look the same, they are built on similar bones.

LG brought its Plastic OLED technology to the V30 first, but it appears that the Pixel 2 XL has either the same panel, or one very similar — they’re both six inches at 2880×1440 pixel resolution, with the increasingly-common 18:9 / 2:1 aspect ratio. I like this compromise between width and height; unlike the Galaxy S8+ and Note 8, neither the V30 nor Pixel 2 XL feels top-heavy or onerous to use in one hand. That’s not to say they’re one hand-friendly the way the smaller 5-inch 16:9 Pixel 2 is, but they’re easier to maneuver without risking a drop.

The panels themselves are excellent. These are OLED displays with vivid colors, perfect blacks, and awesome calibration; both LG and Google boast of full DCI-P3 color gamut support.

Those screens, curved at each corner, fit into chassis only slightly larger, making them practically bezel-less. But LG does a better job on the V30, mainly because it eschews front-facing stereo speakers for a single bottom firing port. The Pixel 2 XL is slightly taller, and a bit wider, as a result, but to me it’s not a dealbreaker — I haven’t heard them just yet, but I love the idea of phone speakers with actual impact.

Both phones are powered by the same underlying hardware, too: Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, between 64GB and 128GB of storage (though only on the V30+, which is limited to Sprint and US Cellular), and a sizable battery — 3300mAh for the V30 and 3520mAh for the Pixel — along with IP67 water resistance. Thankfully, the rear fingerprint sensors are in the same (gratifying) place — though only the Pixel’s lets you swipe down to reveal the notification shade. Come on, LG!

On a high level, that’s where the similarities end. And that’s what makes this comparison so interesting.

What’s different

The LG V30 focuses on so many different things than the LG-made Pixel 2 XL, and that’s why I love Android. The V30 is a shiny slab of glass on the front and back, which supports wireless charging. The Pixel 2 XL is … not. It has a unibody metal chassis, but a portion of the back is covered in glass, which is both a design and signal benefit, since Google doesn’t have to break up the look with plastic antenna lines. The metal back is rendered slightly more tactile, and less slippery, thanks to a finish that can only be described as plasticky. When I first picked it up I had to be reassured the phone was indeed aluminum — it feels more like the Nexus 5X than the original Pixel XL.

Of course, the V30 has two cameras, one 16MP sensor with a wide-angle lens, and a 13MP sensor with an extra wide-angle lens. The two form the basis of one of the more interesting and fun camera experiences on the market, and as we’ve said before, no one does landscape photography better than LG. At the same time, many of LG‘s new video modes are substantially more robust than anything you’ll find on a Samsung or even Sony device, and far surpasses that of Google‘s simple camera app, which even lacks a dedicated manual mode.

At the same time, Google‘s focus (pun intended) on a single camera, which is lower-resolution with larger individual pixels than the V30‘s main sensor, allows for some incredible low-light shots. Google also boasts of a computational portrait mode, while its HDR+ capabilities bring out color and detail in situations that many other phones would fall flat.

We’ve spent a lot of time with pre-production versions of the V30‘s hardware and came away impressed, but I’m fairly confident that, when put head to head with the Pixel 2 XL, it won’t square up in most situations. The Pixel also has Google Lens, which further reinforces the company’s lead in using the camera for contextual gain; point it at a sign and get information about the words, or its location. Point it at a dog and (hopefully) find out the breed (it’s a Great Dane). That’s all very cool, but it remains to be seen if people will actually use the feature.

If you care about audio quality at all, the V30 isn’t just better than the Pixel — it’s the best out there.

LG also puts a tremendous amount of effort into shoring up its audio game; not only does the V30 have a headphone jack, but its Quad DAC and powerful amplifier ensures that all headphones, even high-impedance ones, sound excellent. It’s also possible to tune the phone’s sound to suit one’s individual ear, with additional filters and settings that even 2016’s V20 lacked. This is as robust an audio-visual experience as you can get on any phone today — but it requires a tremendous amount of tweaking to get there.

The original Pixel was renound for its awful Bluetooth performance, so it’s a bit concerning that its successor lacks a headphone jack. Sure, there’s a dongle in the box, but it’s one sure to be quickly lost or discarded. At the same time, Google is patterning with companies like Libratone to deliver “Made for Google” Bluetooth accessories, which consist of easy pairing and (we assume) consistently good performance. It really would be nice if Google were to deliver a phone that didn’t experience base-level problems for once.

LG also delivers some very decent headphones in the box, whereas Google delivers… well, that dongle.

The last two differences are obvious, but worth pointing out. Google‘s software is worlds ahead of LG‘s in many respects; not only does the Pixel 2 XL ship with Android 8.0 Oreo, but its interface and general aesthetic feels substantially more mature; LG, which has made strides in recent years, ships the V30 with Android 7.1.2, and though many of the more hard edges have been softened, it’s still easy to find nits to pick. For example, LG still insists on shipping its own keyboard, which is terrible, and its default launcher lacks an app drawer and hits icons with an ugly stick.

The Pixel 2 XL is sure to get more updates sooner, but LG‘s software is a lot better than it used to be.

At the same time, Android 7.1.2 is a known quantity, both mature and easy to understand, and LG benefits from this extended lead time; the V20 was one of the first devices to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat and experienced some awful bugs that took months to resolve. I’ve yet to experience a single show-stopping issue with the V30. The original Pixel on Oreo, on the other hand, has developed a cottage country of complaints since the update became available.

But updates are going to come to the Pixel must more quickly, and for longer, than the V30 can hope to see. For starters, Google updates the Pixels directly, and is promising three years of both security updates and, for the first time, platform updates. The V30 is being sold primarily through carrier channels, so it will have to go through approval processes that often take longer. We can hope that the V30 receives Oreo sooner than later, but it’s the next update, Android P, where that lead will lengthen on Google’s behalf.

Which should you buy?

The LG V30 costs between $800 and $840 at U.S. carriers, which works out to around $32 to $34 per month for 24 months. The V30+, which is available only at Sprint and US Cellular, runs closer to $920, or $38 per month. The Pixel 2 XL starts at $849, but can be had at Verizon or the Google Store for around $35 per month for the 64GB model and $39 for the 128GB version.

So the cost is a wash.

That leaves the features, and to my eyes the V30 has a more robust collection of experiences for the advanced user, especially when it comes to audio and photography. Not only does the Quad DAC provide better sound, but there’s a headphone jack with a powerful amplifier and plenty of adjustability. The dual camera setup is tons of fun, and the manual mode is just wonderful. The V30 has wireless charging, too, and the all-glass design keeps it lighter than the Pixel 2. The overall body is smaller, too, though you forgo front-facing speakers.

The Pixel 2 XL is a simple phone. It’s meant to be easy to understand and use, and accessible to any and all who buy it. It hides much of the complexity that Android is famous for. Its design is also sure to be divisive; it’s both whimsical and utilitarian, and while the larger Pixel doesn’t have the substantial bezels of its smaller counterpart, it probably won’t win any design awards.

Apple iPhone X vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30: Specs and size comparisons

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It’s now clear what the main antagonists for late 2017’s smartphone championship are – the upcoming Apple iPhone X, the Google Pixel 2 XL, the exceptional Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and finally, the LG V30. An exceptional round-up of devices, for sure, with each vying for its rightful place in your pocket. But with the hefty premium prices that almost all of these command, you will most likely want to narrow your choice to a single of said devices. Sorry, three will have to go with only one spot available!

So, which one should you pick?

The Apple iPhone X is a new chapter in Apple’s history, featuring a rather flashy new design, an OLED HDR-capable display, an intriguing face-scanning Face ID camera up front, the iPhone X is on its way of being Apple’s most advanced phone yet. And this commands a premium – $999, to be exact, which is already stepping over the psychological barrier of a thousand dollars.

Apple iPhone X

The brand new Pixel 2 XL is a device that aims to put Google on the map, and from what we’ve seen so far it has a rather good chance of doing that if El Goog doesn’t stumble upon any supply issues. The demand is there, but from the looks of it, you will have to wait long if you want to get one of these before Halloween.

Google Pixel 2 XL

The Galaxy Note 8 is easily the most-spec’d out phone out there right now, boasting almost anything but the kitchen sink in its deep feature bag. Aside from the excellent hardware and head-turning design, the Note 8 turns things to 11 thanks to the S Pen – the Note 8‘s single most important feature.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Finally, the LG V30 is easily the most affordable of the bunch, but don’t let this fool you, it doesn’t skimp on hardware or design for that matter. Even more, it has found its own niche – LG’s latest top-shelf phone aims to be the multimedia phone to beat out there, with a bevy of multimedia and video-related features on board.

LG V30

Size comparison

So, here’s how all four of these high-end devices stack up against one another as far as size goes.

Apple iPhone X vs Google Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30

Specs comparison

With size out of the equation, it’s time to compare the specs of the four devices and see how the stack up.

UPGRADED UX IN LG V30 ENABLES MORE PERSONALIZATION OPTIONS FOR MAXIMUM CONVENIENCE

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Multimedia Excellence, User Personalization and Intuitive Usefulness
at the Heart of LG’s New Smartphone UX

SEOUL, Aug. 14, 2017 — The new UX 6.0+ to make its debut in the upcoming V30 from LG Electronics (LG) is an advanced version of LG’s UX that has been optimized to work even better with the immersive 18:9 OLED FullVision display while offering more personalization options for a more intuitive user experience. Featuring the company’s first OLED FullVision display and an advanced dual lens camera, the LG V30 is a powerful multimedia tool and the new UX is designed so that users can leverage its advanced capabilities to the fullest.

Graphy, which can be accessed in the camera’s Manual Mode, gives any shutterbug professional quality photography capabilities. With Graphy, users can choose from among a portfolio of professional shots, each with a different style and mood or they can download photos taken by professionals from the Graphy website or mobile app and apply those metadata presets – such as white balance, shutter speed, aperture and ISO – to photos taken with the V30. Different shooting modes such as auto, grid shot, snap shot and match shot are conveniently grouped under one menu for ease of selection. GIFs can be quickly created in the Gallery menu while the Create Movie option allows for the creation of movie using photos and/or video files which can then be edited in the included Quick Video Editor.

The Second Screen in the LG V20 has evolved to become Floating Bar on the V30. The semi-transparent Floating Bar allows for quick access to frequently used functions and can be dragged completely off the FullVision display when not needed. When powered off, the Always-on Display is even more customizable than before. The AOD now not only shows the clock, it can also be set to display Quick Tools, Music Player or a personal photograph as well.

Security features in the LG V30 are also more advanced than in LG’s previous smartphone UX. Using Face Recognition, the V30 can be unlocked instantaneously using the front facing camera even when the phone’s display is off. And there is no need to press the power button first, unlike on other phones. Voice Recognition uses a combination of the user’s voice and self-generated keywords (ideally three to five syllables combined) to unlock the V30 without the need to press a button or swipe the screen. It is supported by Qualcomm Aqstic voice UI technology for always-on, always-listening capabilities that requires very little battery power.

Even the feel of the UX can be tailored to users’ preference. Haptic feedback on the LG V30 can be customized with various included vibration combinations that can be matched to the phone’s ringtone.

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