LG unveils V20, company’s first Android Nougat-powered smartphone

Don’t have a Nexus and want to get your hands on an Android 7.0 Nougat device already? LG just unveiled the V20, the V10’s successor. It’s the first device outside of Google’s Nexus devices to get the latest Android operating system.

Instead of maintaining its distinct look with a rugged, grippy back and stainless steel sides, the V20 looks rather similar to the G5 with its smooth aluminum surface. But this phone doesn’t carry LG’s interpretation of modular smartphones. The good thing though is you can still swap out the 3,200mAh battery and the phone is supposedly sturdy having been rated MIL-STD 810G for drop and shock resistance. Don’t take it swimming with you, though, as the phone isn’t water resistant.

Like a true 2016 flagship, the V20 packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It supports up to 2TB expansion via microSD and is Quick Charge 3.0-compatible as well via the USB Type-C port. The second screen is also still present on the V20, which LG claims is brighter and has better contrast this time around.

The selling points of the device though remain its cameras and audio capabilities. But LG moves the dual camera setup to the rear of the V20. For the selfie camera, you get a 5-megapixel f/1.9 wide angle shooter. Meanwhile, the two-camera setup includes a “standard angle” 16-megapixel sensor with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization and a wider 8-megapixel with f/2.8 aperture. According to The Verge, LG was touting the video recording capabilities of the V20 more with video stabilization provided by Qualcomm’s Steady Record 2.0. This supposedly helps eliminate common video distortion issues.

When it comes to audio, the V20 also has a 32-bit quad DAC setup and LG partnered with Bang & Olufsen to improve playback performance of the V20. There’s 72-stage volume control included as well as support for popular lossless music formats. LG claims the microphone setup in the V20 is able to record everything from voice memos to loud concerts without any distortion or clipping. LG says while shooting video, you can opt to save the audio side as lossless to keep the quality as high as possible.

The V20 is expected to roll out globally this month and will be available in titan (dark gray), silver, and pink.