- Aug 17, 2004
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Due to the introduction of the zoom camera and getting $300 off I decided to go with the LG V40 this time around. Since it's only been a few days I only have some initial impressions, but having researched as best I could I knew mostly what I was getting.
The cost: since LG isn't Samsung or Apple there was an immediate price drop. The bad is I had to use Verizon's payment plan, I would have preferred to just pay it off right away. One plus was that I used the Verizon chat feature to order the phone, and they credited me the $30 activation fee back after I complained about it. So I got $200 off the phone, and they will credit me $100 if I send in my old phone, which I won't do as I can sell it for more. It also came with a free gimbal that I'll probably never use and sell, and a free 256gb memory card which I may keep.
The pros: the OLED display is great, blacks are inky black which is good for hiding the notch. I can't really say that any display is that much better than another when I'm playing with phones side by side in the Verizon store. It gets plenty bright, and there are color temp and other settings which I'll probably never touch.
Sound using BT earbuds sounds like BT earbuds, basically just okay. I did not lose connection at any time during a 2 hour run, but the phone was right there in my pocket. I only tried using the headphone jack with a pair of B&O earbuds briefly and it sounded just fine, I'm not really an audiophile I just listen to music mostly while trail running. The headphone jack is a plus, especially when on an airplane for music or movies though.
The 3 rear cameras are great. Online reviews of the top tier smartphone cameras have it lagging behind other phones, however most phones nowadays do an adequate job imho for the average user that knows nothing about white balance or any of that. The zoom camera is only 2x optical, but it still is producing better images than the normal camera using digital zoom. I took it on a hike with the dog, and it was fun trying out all 3 cameras on different things. I left it in auto and turned off all of the AI and HDR stuff for the time being. I did try the portrait mode, which gave me a couple decent shots despite having not perfect blur of the background. Possibly because I tried to get the wife and the dog in the shot instead of just a person.
The rest of the specs are what I guess are all as good as you can get now. Internal memory is only 64 and I think there is a 128gb version coming, but I usually shoot most pictures to the memory card, and I only have 66 apps installed along with about 11 gigs of music so it won't affect me.
I put a slim urethane protector on the phone, I may install a screen protector since I am outdoorsy and it may end up in a pocket with other things accidentally.
I do wish the power button was the fingerprint reader also, and I don't really need the dedicated Google button, but it can be turned off. LG's double tap to wake continues to be awesome, and the fingerprint reader is almost instantaneous compared to my old phone.
The cons: the phone's 6.4" display is longer and narrower than I am used to. I would have been happy if a smaller version were offered, however the phone is fairly light and easy to hold. Speaking of being light, I wish the battery had more capacity than the 3300 non-removable it came with, I doubt there would be any complaints if the made it thicker and put a larger battery in there.
The phone should have came with Android 9, although I'm not even sure what is new to that version that is useful. I'm sure LG/Verizon will get to it in a year or two.
The cameras are not the best. I've read there are software updates coming to address some issues some people are having such as slow capture times and grainy low light photos. Right now I'd say the cameras are good, but there is room for improvement.
LG is also giving a second year of factory warranty that you need to register for after you buy the phone, likely in response to the issues they have had with prior phones.
Overall I like the phone and will likely keep it. Many reviews call it boring or uninspiring, I'm not sure what else you could ask of a phone that has the latest hardware and 5 cameras?
I did have to go though and delete a bunch of LG and Verizon crap or disable it, and some apps can't be removed.
The cost: since LG isn't Samsung or Apple there was an immediate price drop. The bad is I had to use Verizon's payment plan, I would have preferred to just pay it off right away. One plus was that I used the Verizon chat feature to order the phone, and they credited me the $30 activation fee back after I complained about it. So I got $200 off the phone, and they will credit me $100 if I send in my old phone, which I won't do as I can sell it for more. It also came with a free gimbal that I'll probably never use and sell, and a free 256gb memory card which I may keep.
The pros: the OLED display is great, blacks are inky black which is good for hiding the notch. I can't really say that any display is that much better than another when I'm playing with phones side by side in the Verizon store. It gets plenty bright, and there are color temp and other settings which I'll probably never touch.
Sound using BT earbuds sounds like BT earbuds, basically just okay. I did not lose connection at any time during a 2 hour run, but the phone was right there in my pocket. I only tried using the headphone jack with a pair of B&O earbuds briefly and it sounded just fine, I'm not really an audiophile I just listen to music mostly while trail running. The headphone jack is a plus, especially when on an airplane for music or movies though.
The 3 rear cameras are great. Online reviews of the top tier smartphone cameras have it lagging behind other phones, however most phones nowadays do an adequate job imho for the average user that knows nothing about white balance or any of that. The zoom camera is only 2x optical, but it still is producing better images than the normal camera using digital zoom. I took it on a hike with the dog, and it was fun trying out all 3 cameras on different things. I left it in auto and turned off all of the AI and HDR stuff for the time being. I did try the portrait mode, which gave me a couple decent shots despite having not perfect blur of the background. Possibly because I tried to get the wife and the dog in the shot instead of just a person.
The rest of the specs are what I guess are all as good as you can get now. Internal memory is only 64 and I think there is a 128gb version coming, but I usually shoot most pictures to the memory card, and I only have 66 apps installed along with about 11 gigs of music so it won't affect me.
I put a slim urethane protector on the phone, I may install a screen protector since I am outdoorsy and it may end up in a pocket with other things accidentally.
I do wish the power button was the fingerprint reader also, and I don't really need the dedicated Google button, but it can be turned off. LG's double tap to wake continues to be awesome, and the fingerprint reader is almost instantaneous compared to my old phone.
The cons: the phone's 6.4" display is longer and narrower than I am used to. I would have been happy if a smaller version were offered, however the phone is fairly light and easy to hold. Speaking of being light, I wish the battery had more capacity than the 3300 non-removable it came with, I doubt there would be any complaints if the made it thicker and put a larger battery in there.
The phone should have came with Android 9, although I'm not even sure what is new to that version that is useful. I'm sure LG/Verizon will get to it in a year or two.
The cameras are not the best. I've read there are software updates coming to address some issues some people are having such as slow capture times and grainy low light photos. Right now I'd say the cameras are good, but there is room for improvement.
LG is also giving a second year of factory warranty that you need to register for after you buy the phone, likely in response to the issues they have had with prior phones.
Overall I like the phone and will likely keep it. Many reviews call it boring or uninspiring, I'm not sure what else you could ask of a phone that has the latest hardware and 5 cameras?
I did have to go though and delete a bunch of LG and Verizon crap or disable it, and some apps can't be removed.
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