Opinion: The LG V10 is still a viable option

LG V10 in different colour variants

My contract with my carrier ended a while ago and they have been bugging me to upgrade from my Nexus 6 to something new. If any of you follow me you will know that I own many devices from smartphones to tablets and even some weird or "out of the norm" products like Android TV sticks and boxes. And as I looked over what was being offered to me by my carrier, the choices were not that plentiful.

My options ranged from the Apple iPhones to the latest and greatest from Samsung, LG and a couple other manufacturers. Mind blown, now where do I start? I could have gone with the "what everyone else is doing" by getting an iPhone 7 or the Galaxy S8 from Samsung or, even the LG G6 but as I pondered this decision I was taken back to the device that I passed over, on a couple occasions, when I got my Nexus 6 and even when I got my 6P, and that was the LG V10.

I had my eyes on this device from the release and said that if I could, I would have one someday. Well, the day came and I had the chance to finally get one. But would it be a viable choice with all of the offerings out right now that are all new and cool with all the bells and whistles? I say yes but only in this line of thinking.

I don't have the money to spend on a new iPhone 7 Plus, and don't care for iOS, nor did I have the funds for the S8 Plus either and coming from my Nexus 6, the new device had to have a large and brilliant display that I had grown accustomed to. But nothing in the flagship range, that would work on Verizon radios, was in my price range but the used V10.

So, I started looking on portals like eBay and Swappa for mint versions of this device and soon had one at my doorstep. The unboxing was not like the other professional YouTube videos and very un-ceremonial as I ripped the tape and wrapping paper from the box it came in and then proceeded to un-package it from the manufacturer's box. Wow. This was a stunning device and the look was what I would call a professional look. I wasn't too sure of the white version that I had purchased but was surprised at just how stunning it looked. I was very pleased with it already.

Looking at the specs of this device, you get a Snapdragon 808 processor with 4GB of RAM and it comes with 64GB of internal storage to boot. Couple that with still one of the best cameras on a smartphone, plus removable battery and micro SD card support of up to 256GB and this is still a very viable option for anyone looking for a decently priced smartphone. This thing will hold its own against some of the giants out today but at a much, much cheaper price.

LG V10's product introduction video

The sides of the phone have stainless steel, which on the white phones comes in a gold colour and the camera ring is also that same gold tone making for an attractive looking device. It has the now famous volume buttons flanking the power button/fingerprint reader and in my opinion, is very well placed on the back of the device and easy to use. The plastic back cover is removable for access to the removable 3000mAh battery and it is also made to look and feel great in the hand. Nothing about this device seems cheap in any regard.

That camera is so sweet. I am still learning and finding uses for all of the features that come with this camera, which I will not go over here to save time, but they are strewn throughout the settings in the camera app. The front facing camera has 2 lenses for standard selfies and a wide angle view. The video quality is exceptional and by using the manual settings, you can do just about anything. It also comes with its own video editing software built right in.

Battery life seems OK and no worse than either my Nexus 6 or the 6P. And what's even better is that when it does get low I will just swap it out with the spare that came with it. Most used V10 devices will come with one since that is one of the first accessories upgrade that a V10 owner will get. Or by using the supplied charging brick and cable, this phone has fast charge capability built right into it which should take you from an empty battery to full in a little over an hour,

Also nice is the DAC built into the device for audio enjoying and I really mean that it is loud and crisp over a good set of earbuds or headphones. The one external speaker is OK but where this device shines is with the use of a good set of buds or muffs. It is literally the best-rated device for music quality over a wired external source of any device out so far.

The screen is LG's own awesome IPS LCD panels and is 5.7 inches with a 2560x1440 quad HD display and it is brilliant in bright lights or outdoors. Viewing angles are endless and the picture quality is more real to life and less saturated than the AMOLED panels like the ones that I am used to. But the picture quality is simply amazing.

It also has the second display which at first I thought was kind of an afterthought or gimmick than a usable feature, but I have really grown used to the "most used app shortcut" feature that it has and all the other things that you can do with it. Yes, it may seem vain but I kind of like being able to put my name on the second screen for each time I view the device.

I could go on and on with specs and other stuff about this amazing smartphone but most of this can be had on other reviews and video reviews on YouTube are plentiful. I am not saying that this device is better than the new devices out but what I am saying is it is still a contender. If you are looking to upgrade your phone and want a powerful camera that is "still one of the best on the smartphone market" and are on a budget, you can't go wrong with the LG V10. Swappa, Amazon and eBay still have them available, so get one while you still can.

[Image credit: Wikipedia]

David Hayes

A lover of custom ROMs, a husband, and a proud father, David Hayes is the eldest member of the AndroGuider family. He owns a plethora of devices including several from Google, Samsung, OnePlus and Motorola. In addition to being a blogger, David is also a custom ROM developer having compiled ROMs for the Nexus 6, the Nexus 6P, and the Google Pixel 2.