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Introduction
While we were all expecting a successor to the G8, LG instead announced a successor to the V50. The LG V60 ThinQ 5G is the latest fully featured flagship smartphone from Samsung's Korean rival. LG doesn't go quite as hard with the spec sheet as others like Samsung and Oppo, but it also doesn't go as hard with the price point.
The V60 is packed with 5G, a 64MP camera chock-full of features including 8K video, a 3.5mm headphone jack, hefty battery, wireless charging, and an optional Dual Screen accessory - all starting at a price lower than the entry-level Samsung Galaxy S20. On paper, LG has all it needs to compete not just with Samsung, but other brands like Apple and Google.
LG V60 ThinQ 5G specs:
- Body: 169.3 x 77.6 x 8.9 mm; 218g; Gorilla Glass 5 (front), Gorilla Glass 6 (rear); MIL-STD-810G compliant; IP68 water and dust resistant
- Screen: 6.8" FHD+ (2460x1080px) OLED Cinematic FullVision Display; 20.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi; HDR10+
- Chipset: Snapdragon 865 (7nm+): Octa-core CPU (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 640 GPU; Qualcomm X55 5G modem (Sub-6 on T-Mobile, mmWave on Verizon)
- Memory: 128GB (Expandable via microSD up to 2TB), 8GB RAM
- OS/Software: LG UX 9.0 based on Android 10
- Rear camera: Primary: 64MP, 1/1.7" sensor, f/1.8 aperture, 78-degree FOV lens, 0.8 µm pixels, PDAF, OIS; Ultrawide: 13MP, 1/3.4" sensor; f/1.9 aperture; 117-degree FOV lens; 1.0 µm pixels; ToF: 14 µm pixel, 1/4" sensor, f/1.4 aperture, 80-degree FOV lens
- Front camera: 10MP, 1/3.1" sensor; f/1.9 aperture, 72.5-degree FOV lens, 1.22 µm pixels, PDAF
- Video: Main: Up to 8K Video (7680x4320px) with HDR10+; 4K time lapse, video portrait; Selfie: 4K @ 60fps
- Audio: 3.5mm jack, 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, LG 3D Sound Engine; Stereo loudspeakers
- Battery: 5,000 mAh battery, Quick Charge 4.0+ (25W) USB-C adapter included; Wireless charging support
- Misc: Dedicated Google Assistant Key; ASMR recording; Wi-Fi 6; Bluetooth 5.1; MIDI device support; FM Radio
- Dual Screen: Optional snap-in secondary display; 6.8-inch FHD+ OLED (same as main one); 176x86.1x8.9mm; 134.1g, (347.8g combined); magnetic USB-C passthrough; no battery
There's no longer a dedicated telephoto camera on the V60, but LG attributed this was because the high-resolution of the 64MP sensor can shoot lossless zoom photos, so we'll certainly be testing this. The other two cameras are the ultrawide and a dedicated 3D ToF camera. This took preference over a dedicated zoom camera - so we'll see how much better portraits will look.
LG switched to a Full HD+ panel with the G8X and is has done the same with the V60. Only a handful of manufacturers continue to use QHD panels on their top-tier offerings including Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and Huawei. We don't mind the switch, but we'll be looking out for brightness and color quality. Other phone makers are fitting their devices with high-refresh rate displays, and LG hasn't done so here.
LG's vision of multitasking continues with the Dual Screen accessory. A few changes have been made to the texture on the back, the external display is brighter, and the magnetic charging tip has been updated. LG plans to bundle the Dual Screen with purchase of the V60, which drives the value up even further.
There's a lot to like about the LG V60 on paper, and although it doesn't have every item on the feature list that competitors do, it's got the whole flagship ground floor covered. Let's dig further and see what LG is packing this year.
Unboxing
LG's packaging hasn't changed much over the years. The unit we received was a T-Mobile branded one, and the only visual difference was the T-Mobile branding printed on the side and the inclusion of a T-Mobile SIM card in the box.
Under the lid is a welcome note and cleaning cloth. The note from LG has information about adding a second year of warranty for free when you register the V60 online. The phone itself is wrapped in protective plastic.
Under the phone is a pack full of documents with warranty information, a quick start guide, and SIM tool. At the bottom of the box is a Quick Charge 4.0+ USB-C adapter and USB-C to C cable.
On the next page, we'll unwrap the V60 and check out its exterior design.
Design
LG's design language sees a few slight changes in the hardware that, when combined, give the V60 a more refined look. The most notable changes to the design are the chamfered edge around the frame and the deeper tapered edges on the rear glass panel, and the protruding camera setup, arranged horizontally.
We enjoy seeing a chamfered edge in the frame - smartphone makers used to do this a lot and the trend has gone away for the most part. As well, the frame has an anodized finish, which is a nice contrast to the many devices finished with glossy frames nowadays.
The back of the device carries a sly resemblance to the Samsung Galaxy S10+ with its horizontal camera "bar". This new camera setup is a departure of LG's choice to usually keep the cameras flush under the rear glass. By designing it with a "camera bump" it has a nicer accent that compliments the Classy White finish of our unit. Meanwhile, the rear glass panel is made of Gorilla Glass 6.
The color finish of the phone is attractive. It isn't anything like the Prism White on the Galaxy S10+, but its reflective properties remind us a bit of the two-toned finish on the HTC U11. The Classy White has warm hints of pearlescent.
The layout of the phone is very similar to the G8X's. On the front is a single camera notch and although the bezels aren't razor thin, we didn't mind them as the top and bottom ones are at least symmetrical. The left side has three keys: volume up, volume down, and the dedicated Google Assistant key.
The power key is on the right, SIM/microSD card tray at the top, and the USB-C, loudspeaker, and 3.5mm headphone jack is at the bottom.
The phone certainly feels large and although heavy, its weight is well distributed. It isn't too heavy when you consider all that LG's packed in here: a 5,000 mAh battery, 6.8-inch display, beastly triple camera, Quad DAC headphone jack, and in-display scanner - topped with the latest silicon from Qualcomm, and 5G support.
The V60 is also rated for IP68 water and dust resistance and is MIL-STD810G compliant for military standards of low and high pressure, high and low temperature, temperature shock, solar radiation, rain, humidity, vibrations, and shock resistance. You wouldn't exactly throw the V60 around, but it's sturdier than most.
Overall, we enjoyed handling the V60. Despite it being made of glass, it didn't feel too slippery without a case. The tapered edges and corners make the V60 comfortable to hold. The overall design is not too flashy, but elegant and no nonsense.
Now let's look at the Dual Screen accessory. How is it built, and how practical is it to use?
Dual Screen hardware
This is LG's third iteration of the Dual Screen accessory and it's come a long way since the first one. LG's solidified its dual-display vision for multitasking amidst other, more expensive folding smartphones like the Huawei Mate XS and the Samsung Galaxy Fold. LG believes this is the best way to multitask - by treating each display as a separate entity or using both displays to render a single (supported) app.
The V60 slides into the case bottom first and then snaps in at the top. Since its connected via a USB-C port, the display pulls power directly from the phone. Since the accessory takes up the V60's USB-C port, you need to use the included magnetic charging tip to charge the V60 while its docked in the Dual Screen accessory. Conversely, you can also drop it on a wireless charger.
The new Dual Screen case sees an update in the texture on its backside, which feels soft and grippy. Aside from the brightness of the external monochrome display being brighter than the G8X's Dual Screen, everything else is identical to the previous DS.
The external screen can't be set to always stay on, but it does light up whenever you grab the phone or press the power key. Here, you can glance at the time, date, notifications, and battery life.
Like the G8X, the V60's DS display is identical to the main one, notch and all. Though there's no camera on the second display, we understand why there needs to be a notch on the second screen. It works for both consistency of symmetry between displays and symmetry in manufacturing.
The LG V60 is already a large device, so you can imagine the Dual Screen adds a notable amount of bulk. With the case, you're looking at 176x86.1x8.9 mm. The case itself weighs 134.1g but that adds up to 347.8g with the phone docked inside.
The second display flips all the way around so you can use the V60 in solo-mode, but it can be cumbersome to use the phone with so much bulk on it. What we like about the Dual Screen is you can take it off when you're not using it.
So what exactly can you do with this Dual Screen? You can use apps side by side, you can open new browser tabs on the other screen, you can watch videos while you text, and you can use one of the displays as a full-screen game pad for supported games.
LG Dual Screen: software
LG's Dual Screen is essentially an extension of the phone, and you can use any two apps side by side with the main display. This means you can multitask with any two apps installed on the phone and use them side by side. Each display has its own home screens, so you can set up the second display (the left one) with its own app shortcuts, wallpaper, and widgets to your liking.
After you slide in the phone, you'll need to press the floating Dual Screen menu to power on the second display, otherwise, it will come on the next time you unfold the case. Now, you're free to multitask to your hearts content. Watch a YouTube video in full screen during a video call or pull up a Google Search to verify that one sketchy video your grandma shared on Facebook.
Once you have two apps open, you can tap on the floating DS menu and choose from the following options, provided that the content open contextually supports the command.
- Swap Screens: Switch two open apps between the two displays
- Show main on Dual Screen: Bring app from main screen to the Dual Screen
- Show Duals Screen on main: Same as above, but vice versa
- Put main screen to sleep: Useful when watching a video with the DS angled up on a table
- Wide View: Use a single app across both displays
- Turn off Dual Screen: Turns off the second screen, useful for propping the phone up in a "tent" mode
Dual Screen menu
LG has a custom browser made specifically for its DS called "Whale for LG Dual Screen". This is one of the few apps that supports Wide Mode and a useful way to multitask while navigating a blog or shopping site. Double tapping a link quickly will open the link on the other display, so let's say you're looking through a list of eBay search results, you can keep the results open on one display, and see the listing on the other.
Whale browser
When using Wide View, the keyboard will split into both halves of the screen. Just keep in mind this will only work with the LG Keyboard. You can still use something like GBoard, but it will not separate the two keyboard halves.
Whale Browser in Wide View
Aside from the hardware improvements, there aren't any new software experiences that we didn't already see with the G8X's DS. With the V60, LG worked with Google to enable some of the GApps to support Wide View so now you can use Chrome, Gmail, Google, Maps, Photos, YouTube, and YouTube Music in Wide Mode. Perhaps not all of these apps are ideal to use in Wide Mode: remember, there's a significant gap between the two displays that is very hard to ignore when you're trying to watch a YouTube video.
We do wish there was a way to enable Wide View for unsupported apps with a disclaimer. We can think of one app (The official GSMArena App, hehe) that could span across two displays.
Thanks to the second display, you can use the main one as a full gamepad. LG's made it possible to fully customize a gamepad for any game, mapped to touch controls. If the game supports a Bluetooth controller, you can also use any of the included gamepad setups (console, raving, arcade, basic, custom) for supported games. It isn't as good as using a physical controller, but it does significantly improve the gaming experience.
Creating a custom gamepad
The LG gamepad
The only downside that we can think of regarding the Dual Screen attachment is the bulkiness that it adds. In addition, there's the topic of the magnetic charging tip, which might be a hassle if, say, you went out with the Dual Screen and a power bank, but you have to remove the Dual Screen in order to charge the V50. Then again, if you remember to just attach the magnetic tip to the end of your charging cable, you can easily snap the charger on.
These are certainly nitpicky reasons to dislike the Dual Screen but considering LG will bundle the Dual Screen with the V60 - likely for free, it's hard to complain about something that will likely not cost you any more than the price of the phone itself.
Display
There's a large 6.8-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2460 x 1080 px which comes out to an aspect ratio of 20.5:9. The previous generation V50 had a QHD+ display, but the refreshed V50S knocked it down to FHD+. The same was done with the G8X so it's safe to say LG's made a conscious decision to use FHD panels on its flagships.
This display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
In our testing, we saw a brightness of 511 nits from the V60's display. Switching the brightness setting to automatic yielded us 622 nits under bright sunlight, so legibility in bright light won't be a problem. Minimum brightness is a low 2.1 nits, great for viewing in the dark.
With the Dual Screen case attached, we managed 513 nits of brightness on the second display. Unlike the main screen, however, the Accessory display won't go brighter than that - but it is a significant upgrade from the LG G8X's Dual Screen, which only mustered a max brightness of 371 nits.
With the Dual Screen case on the V60, the displays can be configured with individual brightness, or you can sync the Dual Screen to match the main. While you can set both displays to any color profile, you'll be happy to know the displays colors will match each other. You can't set the profiles individually, though. You can, however, set the main display to any profile and the secondary screen will remain on the default "Auto" setting.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 894 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 888 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 871 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 858 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 820 | ∞ | |
| 0.428 | 644 | 1505:1 | |
| 0 | 622 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 603 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 596 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 538 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 536 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 513 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 511 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 510 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 429 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 398 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 371 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 330 | ∞ | |
In terms of color reproduction, most of the color profiles are tuned to the DCI-P3 color space. The default Auto mode features bluish whites and bright vivid colors. We measured an average deltaE of 4.1 with a maximum deltaE of 8.5 compared against the DCI-P3 color space.
Otherwise, the most accurate profile is "Cinema", which showed us an average deltaE of 2.9 and maximum deltaE was at 4.9, based off the same DCI-P3 space. This color mode is significantly more accurate with much more natural whites, grays, and semi-vibrant colors.
There are a bunch of sliders for tuning the display colors and appearance including: color temperature, reds, blues, greens in Auto, and Expert mode also offers additional sliders: saturation, hue, sharpness.
Display tuning options
Battery Life
There's a hefty 5,000 mAh battery in the V60 - a 20% increase over the LG V50 (and V50S') 4,000 mAh one. Bundled with the V60 is a Quick Charge 4 USB-C adapter, capable of 25W charging speeds. The adapter is rated for 5V/3A (15W) and 9V/2.77A (25W).
The included 25W adapter recharged the V60 to 42% after half an hour, which is less than the advertised 50% in 30 minutes. In addition, the V60 supports Qi wireless charging.
In our battery tests, the LG V60 did exceptionally well. We saw over 23h of video playback and over 15h of browsing on a charge. The V60 also mustered more than 28h in call time. Even though we expected better standby draw, the V60 managed an impressive 103h overall.
Our battery tests were automated thanks to SmartViser, using its viSerDevice app. The endurance rating above denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the LG V60 ThinQ 5G for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern so that our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritty. You can check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
The endurance is great enough to cover an offset of an added draw of about 20%. Chances are you aren't going to use the Dual Screen continuously 100% of the time. Even if you did use the Dual Screen nonstop, you'll certainly last through the whole day.
Audio and Quad DAC
Like several of its past iterations, the V60 has the 3.5mm headphone jack with 32-bit Quad DAC audio. There are lots of settings to play with to set the audio to your liking.
There's an option to normalize volume levels, set a preset equalizer (or create a custom preset), and LG's got a 3D Sound Engine for simulated surround settings. A Digital Filter can be applied to change the characteristic of the sound. The sound that the V60 can output through its DAC in no way compares to what you'd hear from Bluetooth audio or a passthrough dongle.
LG DAC (audio) settings
Software
The V60 comes with version 9.0 of LG UX running on top of Android 10. The overall interface doesn't see any major changes from the previous iteration based on Android Pie, but it does of course bring changes from Android 10 like the baked-in gesture navigation, improved privacy and granular location permissions, and a universal dark mode which works with supported apps.
The lock screen shows missed notifications, and the dialer and camera apps can be quickly accessed by left or right. Double-tapping on notifications will prompt for your password or fingerprint. If set up, there's also a shortcut for LG Pay by pulling on a tab near the power key.
Setting up a fingerprint
The AOD (always-on display) is highly customizable with lots of different clock styles to choose from, as well as the accent color. It can be set to come on for 10 seconds when you tap the display, or you can keep it always-on.
We like that there's a nifty toolbar for quickly accessing quick settings, volume profile, and the flashlight - along with shortcuts for the camera and Quick Memo.
Lock screen • AOD settings
The interface is clean and simple with no complicated menus or endless list of settings.
Settings
We like that during setup, you're given the choice of whether you want an app drawer or not. However, like Samsung's, the LG app drawer puts apps in the order they were installed, but its easy to switch to alphabetical.
Swiping to the far left will get you to your Google Feed, but at the top of the feed is a T-Mobile tab (this is a T-Mobile variant, after all), which offers a feed of video clips and episodes provided by the carrier's on-demand video service - T-Mobile Play.
Home screen 1 • Home screen 2 • App drawer • Drawer sorting • Google Feed • T-Mobile Play
The notification shade is dark with blue accents, and there are a bunch of quick settings when you swipe again. Some notable shortcuts are toggles for HiFi audio through the headphone jack, screen recording, data, screen sharing, and comfort view.
Here we reach the first thing we don't like about the software, and it's the way that auto brightness adjustment works. If you have the brightness set to automatic, but you'd rather nudge it up a bit, the slider is locked until you toggle off the "auto" button.
Thankfully its right next to the slider in the notification shade, but we prefer an adaptive adjustment that would learn our brightness preference over time.
Quick Reply • Notification shade • Quick settings • Edit quick settings
Users have a choice between the navigation bar and Android's gesture bar. As before on LG devices, you can customize the navigation bar with up to five buttons including a screenshot button and a button to pull the navigation bar down.
Navigation bar • Customize bar • Gestures control
Built into Android 10 is the universal Night theme, which blacks out the interface, menus, and core LG apps like the dialer, messages, contacts, etc. Supported third-party apps will also be seen in Night mode, and we like that you can schedule night mode on a scheduled time or based on the sunrise and sunset times.
Night Mode settings
LG Pay has been available in South Korea since 2017, but it only debuted in the US in July. What separates LG Pay from Google Pay and Apple Pay is that (like Samsung Pay) LG Pay can simulate a magnetic card swipe if the terminal doesn't support NFC tap payments.
In the US, there's not a very long list of banks that are supported. American Express and Discover are not yet on the list. Chase it the biggest partner at this stage of LG Pay in the States.
You can quickly access LG Pay by swiping in from the LG Pay tab from the lock or home screens.
LG Pay • Signing up • Supported banks • LG PayQuick
One last thing worth noting is that LG still offers you the option to "hide" the notch. Back when the V30 came out and LG decided to get rid of the secondary display over the screen, it began calling the upper portion the "New Second Screen". If you'd rather keep the notch hidden away in a black bar, you can.
Hiding the notch
Finally, here are some of the LG apps.
LG Apps: Dialer • Messaging (SMS) • Contacts • FM Radio
The HD Audio Recorder is fully featured and offers an ASMR mode and fully customizable audio (gain + low cut filter + limiter) and recording at up to 24 bit / 192 kHz. It even has a "Studio mode" that lets you record voice over a track you might have on your phone.
HD Audio Recorder
Synthetic benchmarks
The LG V60 is powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset and paired with the X55 modem with support for sub-6 or mmWave 5G networks, depending on your market and carrier. The 865 uses 8 Kryo 585 cores in the following configuration: 1x2.84Ghz +3x2.42GHz + 4x1.80GHz with the first four being Cortex-A77 and the latter four are Cortex-A55 cores, all built on the 7nm+ process.
The V60 only comes in an 8GB RAM configuration paired with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The US variants only come in 128GB (UFS 3.0), though the V60's storage is expandable via microSD card up to 2TB.
LG was adamant about offering the V60 with 8GB of RAM. Once could argue that it isn't enough compared to its competitors, but the phone maker is confident that this amount of RAM is ample for smooth operation and performance of the V60, whether you decide to use it with the Dual Screen case or not.
As expected, performance of the LG V60 is great, but it doesn't top the charts among other devices with the same chipset. Let us see just how the V60 is stacking up against the others.
In the multi-core tests, the V60 is certainly a step up from the LG G8X and V50, but its bested by just a couple of other devices powered by the same chipset. Single-core performance doesn't vary too much down the list, and Apple's A13 beats anything out there in this regard.
GeekBench 5.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
3503 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro
3466 - vivo iQOO 3 5G
3402 - nubia Red Magic 5G
3387 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (60Hz, 1440p)
3349 - Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
3331 - LG V60 ThinQ 5G
3289 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (120Hz, 1440p)
3269 - Huawei P40 Pro
3197 - LG G8X ThinQ
2870 - OnePlus 7T Pro
2803 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (60Hz, 1440p)
2728 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (120Hz, 1080p)
2697 - LG V50 ThinQ 5G
2672
GeekBench 5.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro
1333 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
1332 - nubia Red Magic 5G
929 - vivo iQOO 3 5G
928 - LG V60 ThinQ 5G
910 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (60Hz, 1440p)
910 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (60Hz, 1440p)
906 - Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
905 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (120Hz, 1080p)
904 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (120Hz, 1440p)
900 - Huawei P40 Pro
780 - OnePlus 7T Pro
773 - LG G8X ThinQ
746 - LG V50 ThinQ 5G
739
Graphics performance is great. The V60 may even have an advantage over other flagships thanks to its FHD+ display, thus making games less demanding compared to pixel dense QHD screens.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
120
118
87
86
86
86
86
86
85
85
80
75
70
70
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
75 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (120Hz, 1080p)
74 - vivo iQOO 3 5G
61 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
60 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro
60 - LG V60 ThinQ 5G
59 - nubia Red Magic 5G
59 - LG G8X ThinQ
58 - Huawei P40 Pro
52 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (120Hz, 1440p)
43 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (60Hz, 1440p)
43 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (60Hz, 1440p)
42 - OnePlus 7T Pro
40 - LG V50 ThinQ 5G
36
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
57 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro
57 - LG V60 ThinQ 5G
44 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (120Hz, 1080p)
43 - Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
42 - vivo iQOO 3 5G
42 - nubia Red Magic 5G
41 - LG G8X ThinQ
38 - Huawei P40 Pro
31 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (60Hz, 1440p)
25 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (120Hz, 1440p)
25 - OnePlus 7T Pro
24 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (60Hz, 1440p)
24 - LG V50 ThinQ 5G
22
Finally, Antutu 8 puts the V60 almost at the median of the devices compared here. It managed to outperform the Galaxy S20 Ultra by a little bit, but other Chinese competitors and the iPhone 11 Pro Max still scored higher.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G
595246 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (120Hz, 1440p)
593717 - Oppo Find X2 Pro (60Hz, 1440p)
585764 - vivo iQOO 3 5G
575601 - nubia Red Magic 5G
557056 - Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
536883 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (60Hz, 1440p)
528631 - LG V60 ThinQ 5G
527612 - Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (120Hz, 1080p)
514485 - Huawei P40 Pro
496356 - OnePlus 7T Pro
493901 - LG V50 ThinQ 5G
421934 - LG G8X ThinQ
411980
In raw numbers, competitors with the same chip are seeing higher numbers, but that is not to say the V60 is slow. We've seen great performance and stability from the V60 all around, but these benchmark tests are meant for those who care about raw performance numbers as an objective way to compare performance between brands.
Three cameras (technically)
One major change to the V60's camera is the lack of a dedicated telephoto camera. We're seeing more smartphones outfitted with depth sensors, and the V60 is one of those. LG's main camera is a 64MP (9248 x 6936 px) sensor with 0.8 µm pixels (1.6 µm accounting for pixel binning) and normally outputs 16MP images. The main sensor has an f/1.8 aperture lens and a 78-degree field of view and the main camera is the only one that is optically stabilized (OIS).
Next, the ultrawide camera has an f/1.9 aperture lens and 1 µm pixels. This one has a 117-degree field of view, and over the years, LG has done a great job of reducing lens distortion through this lens. This one uses a 13MP sensor.
Finally, the third camera is a ToF sensor with f/1.4 aperture and 14 µm pixels. LG calls this its "Z Camera" but it's just a fancy way of naming its depth sensor.
The front-facing camera is a 10MP shooter with a 72.5-degree field of view, f/1.9 aperture lens, and relatively large 1.22 µm pixels. Last year, the V50 featured dual front-facing cameras - one of which was an ultrawide. Perhaps putting a second selfie camera was not worth the trouble (nor the wider notch).
LG's camera app is straightforward to use. Swipe across the screen to switch between modes or swipe vertically to switch between the front and rear cameras. The top row contains toggles and settings for each mode like flash options, aspect ratio, resolution, and the timer.
Camera app
For a few years now, LG's been offering manual video and manual still photo modes with control for ISO, shutter speed, focus, white balance, and the video camera offers all the latter, plus manual audio gain control. A histogram and gyro-level are both welcome tools for composing shots.
Manual: Video • Still camera
There are also a couple of video modes that take advantage of the multiple microphones on the V60. New here is an ASMR mode for recording this recent trendy type of video. We saw that mode on the LG G8X first and now it's making its way to the V series.
Voice Bokeh uses the surrounding mics to reduce background noise and focus on vocals in front of the camera.
Video viewfinder • Audio modes: Normal • ASMR • Voice Bokeh
Image quality
Images shot with the LG V60's main camera look excellent. Although it has a 64MP sensor, 4-to-1-pixel binning results in 16MP images in the end.
Image quality is great, and the dynamic range is quite good as well. Upon close inspection, we notice that sharpness is just a tad bit on the strong side, but that's only noticeable once we peek at the pixels at 1:1. Although shadows look darker than perhaps some other competitors' cameras, the scenes are captured more true to life.
Camera samples
Noise levels and contrast are both great. We are liking what we are seeing so far. Colors are deep and true to life as well.
Here are some samples to compare with the OnePlus 8 Pro's 48MP camera (which has a larger sensor and outputs 12MP images). The OnePlus tends to make shadows brighter and cooler (bluer). The 8 Pro also seems to capture details that represent true life.
OnePlus 8 Pro samples
We don't imagine that many folks will shoot in full resolution - after all, a full-res photo does take up about four times as much storage. If you would like to, however, the option is easily accessible from the aspect ratio setting in the viewfinder. Full size images are 9248 x 6936 px in resolution.
White balance and colors are consistent with the regular photos. We're happy with the camera images so far.
Full-res camera samples
We see less noise than we expected. There's a lot of detail in these images, and shooting handheld is no problem here. Just know that it may take a short moment longer to capture than the standard 16MP photos.
For comparison, here are a few full-res 48MP images from the OnePlus 8 Pro as well.
OnePlus 8 Pro full-res samples
The ultrawide camera captures 13MP images, and its photos are consistent with the main camera's in white balance, colors, and contrast. Over the years, LG's ultrawide cameras have consistently reduced lens distortion (the fish-eye effect), and the V60 has no noticeable distortion. The exception is the garage door in one of the shots, but that's due to the angle.
Ultrawide samples
Details and sharpness can get a little murky towards the edges of the frame, but this happens on many ultrawide smartphone cameras.
The V60 doesn't have a dedicated zoom camera, but the V60 will shoot "2X zoom" by cropping it from the main camera. We're not upset by this; images are quite good in details and the sensor has plenty of resolution to cut a good zoomed image from it.
2X zoom samples
We put the LG V60 in more demanding low-light tests than we normally do, but we can still gather a conclusion from our tests. Like many cameras, shooting in low light results in softer details, duller colors, and noisier areas.
Low-light samples
By default, the Night View mode is in the "More" tab, so it was a little annoying to have to dig for it every time we wanted to use it.
But using Night View was worth it. The mode does a great job of making out details in the shadows, and it did a pretty good job with foliage. Of course, if it's a windy night, you can expect some mushier details like in the palms above the house but that doesn't have anything to do with the camera's properties.
Night View samples
In some cases where there might be a decent light source available, Night View may not make a huge difference. One example of that is the red-lit gate. Although Night View does make some improvements to the scene, you can only notice them if you look up close at the pixels.
Here are some lowlight photos shot with the OnePlus 8 Pro for comparison.
OnePlus 8 Pro lowlight samples
OnePlus 8 Pro lowlight with Nightscape
Night View didn't do much to save the ultrawide camera's low light shots. As is the case with many smartphones (and there are some exceptions) we don't even recommend you bother with using the ultrawide at night as you'll get much better images with the main camera.
Low-light ultrawide samples
Night View ultrawide samples
The V60 shoots portraits with the help of the third "Z Camera" as LG calls it. The depth sensor helps the main camera detect the subject and soften the background.
Portraits shot with the V60 are nice. We do wish there were an option to zoom in portrait mode, however. With a real camera, the proper way to take a portrait shot is using a longer lens (one that zooms) and shoot the subject from further away as it adds for a more flattering perspective on the person's face.
Portrait
Anyway, portraits aren't bad. Skin tones are good, and the bokeh is smooth. We just wish the subject line were better defined. It's acceptable, but you really start to notice when you zoom further in or when you enable any of the other portrait shooting modes.
Portrait modes: Color focus • Stagelight • Backdrop
The front-facing 10MP camera is great, and autofocus here is a bonus. Selfies are flattering with nice skin tones, great details, and a natural bokeh that keeps the focus on faces. Exposure is also even while dynamic range and colors are consistent with the main camera.
Selfie samples
Selfie portraits are okay. Again, the subject line is not accurate, but here it's perhaps more noticeable than the main camera's portrait shots.
Selfie Portrait
8K Video
The LG V60 is one of the very few smartphones that can shoot video in 8K resolution out of the box. The other noteworthy camera with this capability is the Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup. The resolution comes out to 4320x7680 px with a resulting bitrate of 47Mbps at 26 frames per second.
The truth is, there is no real need to record in this high of a resolution. The only reason we can think of is if you plan to grab frames from the video, which come out to around 33MP images.
Resulting video looks good, the washed-out colors are due to an overcast sky, so if you watch past about halfway, you'll see the sun peek out, and you can get a better look at the shadows. Exposures are even, and the dynamic range is good. White balance and skin tones are both great as well.
The video quality is quite good with lots of details. The reality is you probably don't even have a display or even a computer that's capable of playing back this video. The turth is you can't tell the difference between a 4K video and 8K video just watching it on the phone's screen or on a 1080p computer screen.
4K video shot at 60 fps is sharp and full of details. However, we do notice noise throughout the 60fps 4K video.
For the record, 4K@60fps video samples have a bitrate of about 63Mbps while 4K@30fps is doing 49Mbps - both in the H.264 codec. You can switch to H.265, where 4K@30fps will be recorded with a bitrate of 38.5Mbps thus saving you some storage.
The noise present in 4K@60fps video is not present here. Colors, white balance, and dynamic range are consistent with the other video modes.
The same noise we saw in the 4K@60fps video is also present in the 1080p@60fps video, though not as much of it can be seen throughout the video.
In practicality, we'd recommend recording in either 1080p@30fps or 2160p@30fps.
Wrap-up
The LG V60 covers a lot of ground - its bright and colorful OLED screen, subtly refreshing design, great processing power, excellent battery endurance, and an impressive camera. The Dual Screen Accessory also makes this phone a worthy consideration for anyone who wants to get into versatile multitasking without spending hundreds more - and the best part is its very likely you'll find it bundled for free.
The capable and versatile camera and recording modes, along with 8K capabilities, make the V60 the only other smartphone on the market to record with such a resolution, aside from Samsung's Galaxy S20 lineup. LG goes further with manual sound recording controls, ASMR recording, and lots of video recording modes for creators.
LG's still holding onto the headphone jack, which a lot of our readers will apprecaite. The industry has already moved on with Bluetooth and TWS audio and Samsung's already killed off the headphone jack from its flagship phones, thus further reducing the niche group of audiophiles who want true Hi-Fi sound from their smartphones.
The LG V60 is a nice step up in design and function, but it still leaves some boxes unchecked. The V60 doesn't sport a top-of-the-line panel (it's FHD+) and there's no high refresh rate while competitors are outfitting their phones with 120Hz displays nowadays. Is this necessary? Well, not to everyone, but high-refresh-rate screens bring about a notable improvement in user experience.
It seems this latest V-series phone is not touting the highest specs possible. LG has instead focused on keeping the cost of the phone down (both for themselves and the consumer) while retaining the more important features like wireless charging, a hefty battery, and the headphone jack. And whether you like the choice they've made for you, will be your call only.
Let's see what else the V60 is up against.
The competition
LG's largest rival in both its home turf of South Korea and American shores is Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy S20 has all the bells and whistles that anyone could want in a smartphone but its starting price for the smallest Galaxy S20 is still higher than the V60. Sure, the V60 only comes in one size, but it's a more practically equipped high-end smartphone for those who want a large display, great battery, and don't need every feature in the book.
Samsung Galaxy S20 • Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
If you manage to find one at a more modest price, the Oppo Find X2 Pro features a higher-res display, a capable camera, high-end internal specs, and it comes in a vegan leather option which adds a unique style to it. The Find X2 Pro has the V60 beat in charging speeds with SuperVOOC 2.0's break-neck 36-minute-to-full charging solution.
Oppo Find X2 Pro
OnePlus just unveiled the 8 Pro, and its feature set might have it as a worthy alternative to the V60. Aside from top-of-the-line hardware and specifications, the OnePlus 8 Pro has a superior display in brightness, color accuracy, and refresh rate (120Hz). Battery life is still better on the V60, but it doesn't offer reverse wireless charging, nor does it match the 9 Pro's Warp Charge 30 Wireless top-ups.
OnePlus 8 Pro
Given the size of the V60, it's only logical that we compare it to the largest iPhone on the market. Then again, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is quite a well-polished iPhone: it has one of the best all-around cameras on the market, offers excellent battery endurance, water resistance, and wireless charging.
Still, the iPhone doesn't have such granular control of the cameras and volume levels as LG has implemented in the V60. Not to mention, the multitasking abilities of the V60 and its Dual Screen case are currently unmatched by any other competitor at its price point.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
The verdict, pros and cons
For the price, LG is certainly going after the Galaxy S20 crowd - after all, the latter starts at $999 for the smallest one. That price does include the Dual Screen Accessory in most (if not all) cases for free, and it comes with support for 5G networks. It's worth noting that in the US, T-Mobile is the only carrier that lets you buy the LG V60 for $799 if you opt to get it without the Dual Screen.
We like the camera on the V60. It takes great still images and Night View is strong with the new camera sensor and the selfie camera takes great shots. 8K video recording is a nice headline feature for the marketing department, but there's no practical use for it for the end user. The phone's camera takes great video otherwise. Meanwhile, the camera's portrait modes are a little under-baked, but the selfie camera's autofocus was a nice touch. As you can see, the camera experience has its ups and downs.
Still, you can't deny the versatility of the dual displays at this price point. At the same time, it isn't easy to justify a need for it. In other words, not everyone will need or even use the Dual Screen. There are certainly some great use cases for it and we're sure that certain industries can take advantage of its multi-tasking abilities, but it ain't a true alternative to the Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate XS.
For what it's worth, we like the V60. It's one of the more practical flagships in that it keeps its feature list down to the more essential things like a huge display, lengthy battery life, wireless charging, and even manages to keep the 3.5mm headphone interface.
The choice is certainly a no brainer for an audiophile - who would happily get lost in all the tweaks and audio modes that the V60 has to offer. Paired with the large display and the great battery life makes it a great phone for content consumption on the go.
Pros:
- Large display and loud speakers are great for content consumption
- Durable body with IP68 and MIL-STD-810G compliance
- Top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865 with 5G support
- Excellent battery life
- 3.5mm headphone jack with Quad DAC
- Unique Dual Screen experience
- Great still images and good-looking selfies
Cons:
- Display lacks a high refresh rate or QHD resolution
- No dedicated telephoto camera
- No fast(er) charging
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