LG unveils V20, the first smartphone featuring Android 7.0 Nougat, Google In Apps and Quad DAC

LG has finally taken the veils off its latest V series smartphone called V20. The company says it has the highest multimedia capabilities and is the first handset to run Android 7.0 Nougat. The phone would be available in Korea starting this month, before being rolled out to other markets across the globe in the coming weeks.

A glance at hardware features

Crafted into a metal build, the phone comes in three colour variants: titan, silver and pink. Like its predecessor V10, the V20 packs a 5.7in screen featuring QHD resolution, and a dual display located just above the main display. The dual display feature, introduced in the V10, makes it easier to view notifications and alerts. Using the expandable notification feature to tap a button on the secondary screen allows enlarging the notifications to check long messages.

Like other flagship phones, the V20 also packs 4GB of RAM, which works in conjunction with the quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor that powers the handset. The processor supports X12 LTE which offers three times faster upload speeds and 33% download speeds.

There are other hardware features the LG 20 inherits from the previous V10 such as a dual-sense camera. Both cameras have different resolutions, one at 16 megapixel and the other one at eight megapixel. There is a front-facing camera of five megapixel for selfie lovers.
The phone comes in a 64GB storage option and supports microSD card for additional space up to 2TB. It uses a 3200mAh battery and supports quick charger 3.0.

Steady Recorder 2.0

The phone introduces Steady Recorder 2.0 to capture clear video footage. It can record Hi-Fi videos and control the settings for better audio using Low Cut Filter that removes background noises and Limiter that sets the recording distance.

Hi-Fi Quad DAC

Prior to the official launch of the phone, LG said the V20 would be the first phone to feature 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC for improved audio experience.

The Quad DAC offers sound as clear as a live performance when the phone is paired with compatible wireless headphones. It delivers audio much better than that is produced by a traditional DAC and reduces up to 50% of ambient noise.

LG UX 5.0+

Another noteworthy feature is LG UX 5.0+ mobile user experience, an upgrade over the UX 5.0 introduced in the LG G5. With Android Nougat running on the phone, you can take advantage of multi-window display that allows displaying two apps simultaneously in a split screen.

Google's In Apps search

It is also the first smartphone to feature Google's new search mode called In Apps using which you can quickly find content from the apps such as contacts and messages. To access this feature, head over to Google app on your phone.

Juno Cho, president of LG electronics and mobile communications, in a statement said: "The LG V20 is designed to offer customers a more dynamic experience by building on the most popular video and audio features of the V series. With the LG V20, we are giving our customers more of everything they love and less of anything they don't need to set a new standard for premium smartphones."