I wish the phone were available in hot rod red or some more unique color. If you’d rather dial in the exact amount of zoom, you can still pinch your fingers on the screen. However, slightly faster speeds aren't really enough to make this phone a must-buy, especially with availability limited to where Sprint's 5G network has come online. The sound isn’t perfectly balanced — the woofer woofs louder — but it’s effective enough when casually watching YouTube clips. I don’t think it is too big, but the slippery glass makes it hard to use one handed. I tested the V50 on Sprint 5G in Dallas and saw average speeds in excess of 190Mbps, with peaks reaching nearly 700Mbps. It's a solid device in every way, from its flagship-level specs to its gorgeous display, but the addition of a 5G modem comes with a hefty price tag. Brightness is quite good. At 93dB, it's loud enough to fill a room and sounds good both in your hands and on a table. Last year LG announced a new initiative and software center in South Korea to speed updates to its handsets, but so far it doesn't seem to be very effective. Moreover, Sprint’s 5G network has expanded quite a bit since launch. The flash sits to the right of the triple cameras, ruining the symmetry, and below is the fingerprint sensor, V50 ThinQ logo, and then LG’s branding. LG’s first 5G phone is here, in the LG V50. You can even game on one screen and use the second one as a controller — not unlike Nintendo’s 3DS. As a result, the back now looks a bit crowded. It's a similar setup to many premium devices, like the Galaxy S10 Plus and OnePlus 7 Pro. If you’re a Sprint customer in a 5G market (or not a 5G market), there’s no excuse to not buy this phone. Low-light photos with the V50 are good, even if they can't compare with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Your subscription has been confirmed. You want cameras? But in our testing, 5G isn't worth the premium for this otherwise average handset. We’ll always tell you what we find. The accessory won't see release in the U.S., so we weren't able to test it out. That includes AI scene recognition and a new Night View mode that intelligently combines 10 frames for one evenly exposed image. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. experience testing Sprint’s 5G network in Dallas, TX, Sprint 5G service expands to New York City, Plan picks: Get 5G on Sprint with the half-price LG V50 ThinQ, 5G has arrived – here’s what you can expect from Sprint, Sprint 5G: Testing Sprint’s new network in Dallas, T-Mobile-Sprint deal finally gets the green light from the Justice Department, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform with Snapdragon X50 5G Modem, LG V50 ThinQ 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage: $999. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. One of our biggest complaints with the V50 is the amount of bloatware it comes with. Until then, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is a much less expensive option that features a cleaner UI and faster software updates. It was a close call between the V50 and Samsung's Galaxy S10 Plus, which both sport triple-lens arrays. Other than these small blemishes, the phone does really, really well. The addition of band 71 is particularly interesting since it would provide Sprint customers better coverage in rural areas should the Sprint/T-Mobile merger be approved. But in Geekbench 4's test of overall system performance, the V50 hit 9,015, well below its rivals, the S10 5G (10,684), the S10 Plus (10,732) and even LG's other 2019 flagship, the G8 ThinQ (10,958). It's a little heavier than other flagships, but by no means difficult to hold for extended periods of time. Now this isn’t so bad by itself, but as soon as you’re connected to 5G networks, the logo will light up yellow. It’s also a great piece of hardware in its own right, ensuring the user experience offered up by the V50 remains solid, speedy and stable. In our testing around Dallas, the top speeds we saw ranged between 300 and 600 Mbps on average, which is much faster than you'd expect from an LTE network. The major differences are these: The rear panel glass is curved on all four sides where it meets the frame. Bottom line, the value is surprisingly good for the moment. You can read our full report on 5G testing with the LG V50, but so far, the phone shows improved faster speeds (though not eye-popping numbers) with a few inconsistencies typical of a new network. And while some U.S. carriers will be bringing 5G networks online this year, it will be in certain areas in select cities. For the most part it works well, though we did notice some minor background detail loss in test shots, as well as some oversaturation in some images. Thank you for signing up to Tom's Guide. Sunny scenes give the sensor lots to work with and colors look really nice. If you’re into capturing audio, you can take advantage of the HD audio recorder and select between concert, normal, and custom modes. Sharpness was hit or miss. It’s also worth mentioning the V50’s audio capabilities, which excel over most of the current market (the LG G8 notwithstanding). Bottom line, device makes much more sense as a purchase now. One of the other big selling points that LG is pushing with the V50 is support for a new Dual Display accessory. Also, as 5G grows and more devices come to market, you won’t need to shell out a lot of money for a 5G device — prices will inevitably drop. The LG V50 ThinQ is reserved for just a few markets right now. The only way you'd be able to tell one LG phone from the other is that the V50's triple-lens housing doesn't protrude from the handset's glass back like it did on the V40. Personally, I find it gaudy — and it's certainly not helped by the ugly logo. The-triple camera setup is back. For now you can get it only on Verizon, but it'll come to other carriers later. In mid-January 2020, global unlocked V50 units began receiving the update to Android 10. Instead, the V50 is elegant, especially with the triple-camera setup, which rests under the rear glass (like the new LG G8 ThinQ) instead of sitting in a separate module. Bluetooth 5.0 is on board for wireless audio and wearable connectivity. CNET may get a commission from these offers. It would be an understatement to say Steven Winkelman is obsessed with smartphones and tablets. 6,40 Zoll Smartphone mit 128,00 GB Speicher und Android 9.0 (Pie) Betriebssystem. If you're not excited about 5G and want a top-notch phone though, you can't go wrong with the S10 Plus. We first saw LG's 5G phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, and at the time, the V50 looked a lot like the V series phones that came before it. LG has been serious about supporting the headphone jack, particularly on the V series. Colors are accurate to the eye. However, Sprint is clearly interested in getting people signed up for its 5G service (and/or its unlimited plan.) LG V50 ThinQ Review LG’s first 5G phone is here, in the LG V50. 5G is still in its early stages, and coverage isn't as widespread or reliable as it will (hopefully) be in the next year. The improved AI prospects of the new chipset are what LG is leaning on, with shooting modes like Studio and AI Cam meant to intelligently add effects or enhance colour and contrast based on what the phone detects is in-frame. If you live in a Sprint 5G market you can expect quick download speeds. On PCMark 2.0, a suite of tests that emulates everyday tasks, the V50 scored 8,727. On the right edge you'll find the power button. Don’t go in expecting Samsung Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X levels of foldable coherence; compared to the elegant glass and metal build of the V50 itself, the Dual Display is a mix of chunky matte black plastic, a glossy outer face that looks like a display but isn’t and the screen itself – it’s a bit of a mess, not to mention the added thickness and weight it imposes on the V50’s overall form. The phone is expensive if you don't use much 5G and it lacks compelling software extras. The V50 ships with Android Pie 9.0 with LG UX 8.0. For the most part, LG has maintained much of its V-series design aesthetic in its latest flagship. And it's MIL-STD-810G tested, meaning it should withstand shock from accidental drops. In our battery drain test, which streams video over Wi-Fi at full brightness, it lasted 8 hours and 52 minutes. Unless you're an early adopter who doesn't want to wait for the improved Snapdragon X55 modem later this year (not to mention more 5G coverage), you're better off opting for the less expensive Google Pixel 3 or Samsung Galaxy S10. There’s a glowing 5G logo above the camera lenses. The Good The water resistant LG V50 has a big, sharp display, five cameras that take a bunch of different kinds of photos, a headphone jack and 5G connectivity. But the shots they deliver are perfectly acceptable, even in the cases where they're not quite as good as rival smartphone cameras. Be careful where you put the phone. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. We never, ever accept money to review a product. This secondary shooter lets you take wider selfies. Searching for a great show to watch tonight? The blues in the V50's shot are vivid, but the S10 Plus captured a more color-accurate image. Learn More. But the aesthetic is somewhat ruined by the 5G logo on the back, which is placed awkwardly at the top. It’s manageable, but it’s not our favorite theme, as there is some bloatware, and elements of the interface look clunky and cluttered.