LG's latest smartphone, the LG V20, is now available for preorder from AT&T, with shipping set for Oct. 24-27, while Sprint will begin taking preorders Oct. 21 with availability set for Oct. 28. T-Mobile announced that it will offer the phone starting Oct. 28, while Verizon says it will also sell the new V20 but has not announced preorder or availability dates.
The V20 is the company's flagship device and will be the first smartphone that will be preloaded and ship with the latest Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, according to LG. Android Nougat incorporates improvements such as split-window multitasking, streamlined notifications and improved battery life.
The phone, which is priced at $829.99 from AT&T, is a 4G LTE handset that features a 5.7-inch quad HD IPS main touch-screen display (1,440-by-2,560 resolution) and a 2.05-inch always-on secondary display (160-by-1,040 resolution) for easily checking texts and other activities with a quick glance. Both displays are covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for durability.
The LG V20 includes a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of memory, 64GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for additional storage. The handset also includes a primary 16-megapixel rear-facing main camera with an f/1.8 adjustable lens, OIS 2.0 optical image stabilization, laser autofocus and LED flash; a secondary 8-megapixel rear camera with a f/2.4 135-degree wide-angle lens; 8x digital zoom; Hi-Fi video recording; 4K video capabilities and Steady Record 2.0 image stabilization when shooting video; and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/1.9 wide-angle lens and built-in selfie flash. Also built in is an HD audio recorder and quad digital analog converters for premium audio recording and playback, according to LG.
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The phone is also built to be durable, with a rear cover made from the same AL 6013 aluminum that's used in airplanes, and top and bottom surfaces that are covered in silicone polycarbonate, which is used to reduce shock in helmets and airbags, according to LG. The V20 also meets military MIL-STD-810G standards for drops on concrete and other hard surfaces.
The handset, which is a quad-band world phone, also includes a 3,200mAh removable battery and can be used for HD voice calls or WiFi calling. The phone features 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, near-field communications (NFC) and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity options and can be used as a mobile hotspot for up to eight devices. A USB-C port and a USB adapter are also included.
The handset, which is 6.28 inches long, 3.07 inches wide and 0.30 inches thick and weighs 6.14 ounces, replaces LG's previous flagship phone, the LG V10, which was unveiled in October 2015.
Buyers of the new LG V20 are also eligible to receive a free pair of Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H3 headphones, worth $149, with their purchase through a limited time special offer from LG.
AT&T says it will offer the V20 in Titan Gray or Silver for one payment of $829.99 or under a monthly AT&T Next payment plan for 30 months at $27.67, or under an AT&T Next Every Year plan for 24 months at $34.59 per month. AT&T customers who also subscribe to DirecTV or Uverse are eligible for up to $695 in monthly service credits after buying a new LG V20 handset under either monthly plan. AT&T customers can also buy an LG G Pad X 10.1 tablet for $0.99 with a two-year agreement with the purchase of an LG V20 smartphone.
In addition, both AT&T and Sprint are offering V20 buyers $200 trade-in credits for their eligible old phone for a limited time, according to the carriers.
Pricing has not yet been announced by the other three carriers.
In April, LG unveiled its G5 modular smartphone, featuring an all-metal body, a 5.3-inch quad HD IPS display, a modular design, and line of attachments and accessories that bring virtual reality capabilities and more to users. The all-metal design of the LG G5 came from input from customers who told the company that they wanted to see a device covered with metal rather than the leather-covered back of the previous LG G4 smartphone, according to an earlier eWEEK story.
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