LG will bringing its Note 8 rival - the V30+ - to Australia on November 16 at a recommended retail price of $1,199. JB Hi-Fi is set to be the exclusive retailer for the V30+. Customers who pick-one up through JB before Christmas Eve will get a free set of Beoplay H3 earphones, valued at $230.
While LG's V series has been fraught with gimmicks such as a second screen, the V30+ abandons them for a taller 2:1 aspect ratio display that takes up the majority of the phone's front. This has allowed LG to cram a 6-inch display into a phone that's smaller than the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus. The V30+ measures in at 151.7 by 75.4 by 7.3mm in terms of dimensions, while the iPhone 8 Plus is 158.4 by 78.1 by 7.5mm.
As with the LG G6, the V30+ has two cameras on the back; the primary camera is 16MP and has an aperture of f/1.6, making it the one of brightest smartphone camera currently on the market (the upcoming Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro also have a primary camera with an aperture of f/1.6). This should theoretically result in better low light photography. The secondary camera is a 13MP wide-angle camera that essentially lets you "zoom out" from the main camera.
The V30+ is actually a souped-up version of the standard LG V30, which won't be available in Australia. On top of increased storage, the V30+ has addition high-end audio capabilities certified by B&O Play and will ship with a pair of earbuds designed to take advantage of this. The standard V30 doesn't have any special audio features, and doesn't come with earbuds.
Key specifications for the V30+ include a 6-inch Quad HD+ display running at 2880x1440, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 128GB of expandable storage, 4GB of RAM, IP68 water-resistance, and a 3300mAh battery. It will ship with Android Nougat 7.1.2, rather than the newly finished Android Oreo.
Priced at $1,199 for a 128GB configuration, the V30+ is set to be quite competitive. For comparison, the 128GB Pixel 2 XL - which is based on the same design and said to be manufactured by LG - will retail for $1,549 here.
The V30+ and Pixel 2 XL share most of their specifications, including the 6-inch Quad HD+ display, Snapdragon 835 processor, and 4GB of RAM. Camera configurations and battery capacity are the main points of difference when it comes to hardware. Oh, and importantly, the V30+ still has a headphone jack. In terms of software, the V30+ will ship with an LG-customised version Nougat, while the Pixel 2 XL will run pure Oreo out of the box
Alex Choros
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