LG’s new V10 phablet has two screens and two front cameras

LG is claiming a few firsts with its latest smartphone, the V10, which it unwrapped late Wednesday and which is the first in its new V Series. There is clearly a new focus on premium materials here — LG says the stainless steel Android device comes with a durable silicone skin, but it also mentions social media (and multimedia in general) as being a top priority.

The company is well aware that users are spending more time consuming and creating content for social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and others, so it makes sense to put out a device that excels in catering to those needs. Once the V10 ships, we’ll be able to put it to the test, and LG claims that the steel and silicon build means it performs better than most smartphones on the market when put to the old drop tests, as well. No release date has been announced for now, though the device is expected to hit South Korea this month and then roll out to other markets after that.

Like Samsung did with its Edge devices, LG wants to offload some additional functionality to a second screen, though in this case it’s not one that curves around the side. The V10’s second screen is up top above the main 5.7-inch QHD IPS Quantum display and comes with an always-on mode that LG says is designed to “enhance the V10’s productiveness all without impacting battery life.” This allows it to display things like the weather, time, date, and battery icon when the main display is off.

LG explains the second display further, and why it hopes it’s more than just a gimmick: “With the main display on, the second screen can be set to convert to a dedicated launching area for shortcuts or your favorite apps. What’s more, when you’re enjoying a movie or game on the V10, the second screen will notify you discreetly without blocking your view when a call or text comes in. Ignoring the notification won’t distract you from your enjoyment or you can pause whatever you’re doing to respond.”

The dual front-facing cameras are designed to allow users to capture clear, wide-angle selfies in the Age of Instagram. Indeed, it’s still one of the biggest complaints around Apple’s camera hardware: The selfie cameras are still not as good as they should be, considering how far the rest of the hardware has come. The V10 promises “a sophisticated software algorithm to combine images from the two separate lenses which are just far enough apart to provide two different points of view,” according to LG.

The rear 16MP camera can shoot 4K video, and a “Snap Video” feature allows users to combine lots of short videos into one longer one. In general, there are a bunch of editing features baked into the camera software — an auto edit feature claims to automatically eliminate blurred frames and static scenes from video footage. Meanwhile, half the battery can be topped up in 40 minutes thanks to Quick Charge 2.0, and the fact that it’s removable also means it’s easy to swap in a second battery if you’re in a squeeze. Obviously useful if you’re consuming and creating a lot of multimedia-rich content, which typically drains the battery fast.

Here are the V10’s key specs:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Processor
• Main display: 5.7-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440 / 513ppi)
  Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS Quantum Display (160 x 1040 / 513ppi)
• 4GB RAM / 64GB internal storage / microSD (up to 2TB)
• Rear camera: 16MP with F1.8 Aperture / OIS 2.0. Front camera: 5MP Dual Lens (80^o Standard Angle / 120^o Wide Angle)
• 3,000mAh (removable)
• Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
• 6 x 79.3 x 8.6mm
• 192g
• LTE / NFC / USB 2.0
• Space Black / Luxe White / Modern Beige / Ocean Blue / Opal Blue

You can check out all the press shots of the V10 below: