LG V10 review: great camera, solid construction, but the second screen above the main display is superfluous and gimmicky
Vlad Savov / The Verge :
Context & Ripple Effects
Vlad Savov's verdict lands a month after Gizmodo's hands-on had already flagged the tension: solid construction and a genuinely useful-but-awkwardly-placed second screen. The full review resolves that tension against the feature — the camera and build carry the phone, while the second screen reads as superfluous.
First-order effects
- LG launches its new flagship-tier V line without a validated differentiator: the parts reviewers praise (camera, construction) are table stakes against Samsung, while the one exclusive feature is dismissed as a gimmick.
Second-order effects
- LG doubles down anyway — the follow-up V20 keeps the second screen, which Tom's Guide finally judges practical, but that doesn't close the gap to the Galaxy S7 Edge, which is cheaper, waterproof, and lasts longer on battery.
Third-order effects
- By the V40 ThinQ, LG's differentiator has migrated from the second screen to a five-camera array — yet reviewers again find the hardware versatile rather than excellent, suggesting the V line never converts its experiments into premium parity.
The trend: LG's V-series spent three generations cycling through display and camera novelties in search of a durable answer to Samsung's flagships, without landing one.