LG V30 finally launching in the US on October 5
The LG V30 is finally coming to US shores, starting on October 5 at Verizon and October 13 at T-Mobile.
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We've seen the launch of the Galaxy Note 8 and Apple iPhone 8/8 Plus, along with the iPhone X announcement, since we first took a look at the LG V30. In addition, the Google Pixel 2 will be announced next week and the Huawei Mate 10 shortly after. It's a crowded smartphone market at the moment and it's going to be tough for LG to stand out from the crowd.
The Note 8 starts at $930 and the comparable iPhone X starts at $999 so I was hoping to see LG launch the V30 at a more reasonable price. LG's flagship V and G smartphones have always been released at prices lower than Samsung or Apple and that continues today.
$800 is only $30 higher than what the LG V20 launched at last year. The LG V30 is $130 to $200 less than the newest flagships from Samsung and Apple.
You will be able to pre-order the LG V30 on T-Mobile on October 5 for $80 down and $30 per month for 24 months on T-Mobile's equipment installation plan (EIP). Verizon provided a launch date of October 5, with no pre-order option, but has not provided a price yet.
The LG V30 is a V-series product with a focus on high end video capture and advanced editing. The second camera on the back is unlike any other rear dual camera design we see more commonly used on phones today with a focus on wide-angle photography. Others may state wide-angle in press materials, looking at you Samsung, but LG's second rear camera is a true wide-angle lens with the ability to capture photos with up to 120 degree range.
I'm still using a non-final sample of the LG V30 so won't be posting a full review until I get a chance to use a retail unit in the next couple of weeks. The LG V30 is very well designed with solid construction, wonderful in-hand feel, excellent performance, and attractive looks.
If you are a T-Mobile customer, it is comforting to know that the LG V30 is the first phone to support the new 600 MHz LTE spectrum so you can trust it will be a good phone to own for a couple of years. Unlike Apple's new iPhones, the LG V30 also supports gigabit network speeds, like other high end Android smartphones, so you will get the fastest network speeds currently available on the LG V30.
Stay tuned for our full review and please let me know what you want tested in the comments.
LG V30 first look: in pictures
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