LG Made a True Power User’s Phone and No One Cared

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Does anyone care about removable batteries and expandable storage any more? By Lewis Leong

The year is winding down and everyone's taking a look back at the best tech of the year, myself included. After choosing my Best Smartphones of 2015 nominees, I was surprised to see the LG V10 left off so many top lists.

Taking a look at the numbers, the LG G4 and V10 haven't been doing so well. The G4 sold 240,000 phones in two months in Korea, while its competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge sold 1.3 million in the same amount of time. The V10 is struggling in the US because of its high pricing, prompting LG to slash its price from $700 to $600 on T-Mobile. The company is also offering a free spare battery, charging cradle, and 64GB microSD card when you buy the V10 during the holidays.

For me, the LG V10 was one of the highlights released this year but it was a flop in terms of sales. Maybe it was LG's marketing, which focused on the phone's gimmicky 2.1-inch secondary display, which shows notifications and shortcuts. Maybe Joseph Gordon-Levitt couldn't convince people to buy the V10 for its camera. Whatever the reason, I'm shocked the LG V10 needs to be buried in extras and gimmicky marketing to sell. Here's why:

It has a removable battery and expandable storage

While most phone makers have gotten rid of removable backs and expandable storage in order to make their phones thinner, LG has kept these features on the V10. This means you can replace the battery on the go, instead of carrying around a charger or portable battery pack to stay juiced up. The V10 comes with a sizable 64GB of internal storage, but you can add up to 2TB of theoretical storage via a microSD card. Having a removable back also means you can add wireless charging with a different back, although it's a shame the V10 doesn't come with it out of the box.

Removable batteries and expandable storage used to be a norm for Android phones, but the V10 may be one of the last flagship phones with these features.

It not a slippery bar of soap

While the textured plastic back on the V10 isn't the most attractive thing in the world, it does wonders to keep the phone from slipping out your hands. It looks utilitarian because it is. The entire phone feels extremely solid with rubber on the top and bottom bezels and steel rails on its sides. My Samsung Galaxy S feels like a cracked screen waiting to happen in comparison, and has slipped out of my pocket in the car. This is one of the few phones I feel entirely comfortable using without a case.

It has one of the best smartphone cameras out there

I was blown away by the LG V10's camera. In good or bad lighting, photos looked incredible and I felt comfortable taking it on assignments in place of a DSLR or mirrorless camera. In my tests, the V10's camera is on par with the Galaxy Note5 and iPhone 6s Plus's cameras, if not besting them in certain situations. Its camera software is equally impressive for pro users, featuring RAW support and a manual mode that lets you adjust everything from ISO, shutter speed, and much more. There's even a manual video mode to let you adjust everything from mic levels and exposure on the fly. And if you're into selfies, the LG V10 has a wide angle front facing camera that can fit all of your friends in the frame without using ridiculous selfie stick.

The follow images were taken with each phone in full auto mode.

LG V10

Apple iPhone 6s

Samsung Galaxy S6

It's really quick

Throughout my testing, the V10 never skipped a beat. LG's custom Android skin allows split screen multitasking, which works great on a large phone like the V10. Apps I opened hours ago loaded instantly without needing to be refreshed, thanks to its 4GB of RAM. Its Qualcomm 808 processor isn't the fastest chip on the block, but still plenty capable. LG did a great job of optimizing its software and the V10 feels speedy. It's not as powerful as the Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Nexus 6P but for a power user like me, it was more than enough.

Music sounds seriously awesome

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the LG V10 is its 32-bit ESS SABRE digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and amplifier that LG calls "Hi-Fi DAC." While most phones use mediocre DACs that are built into the processor, a dedicated DAC and amp chip does wonders to make music sound fuller and more dynamic, assuming you have lossless music files, like FLAC, to take advantage of it. For an audiophile like me, this is a killer feature as it means I won't have to carry around a separate DAC/amp for serious listening. Even without the DAC, the ESS amp on the phone will make your music sound just a bit better and is powerful enough to drive all but the most demanding headphones.

The last of its kind?

The LG V10 may be the last of a dying breed. Popular flagships have all gotten rid of their removable batteries and expandable storage, though Samsung is rumored to bring back a microSD slot in its upcoming Galaxy S7. Power users who would have flocked to the LG V10 are going to Google's Nexus phones for fast Android updates, which also don't have removable batteries or expandable storage. Perhaps most people just don't care about these features any more, especially when many phones come with adequate storage space and quick/wireless charging abilities. But if LG can cut down on its bloatware apps and streamline its Android skin, I think power users may flock back to the company's flagship for its myriad of other great features.

Although the V10 is a sales flop, I love that LG crafted such an "old school" phone. Its dedicated DAC, solid performance, and stellar camera are great and I would happily use the LG V10 as my daily phone. It's far from perfect (meh screen, soft speaker, bloatware) and the competition just keeps getting better. But if you care about the quality of your photos and music, and want the flexibility of replacing your battery and upgrading your storage, the LG V10 deserves a second look.

Source: LG Made a True Power User's Phone and No One Cared