Is anyone still using an LG V20 in 2019?

When LG launched the V20 back in 2016, the phone was met with a lot of positive feedback. Power users loved it thanks to the removable battery, headphone jack, and expandable storage, whereas LG tried to appeal to mainstream consumers too with the dual rear cameras and secondary ticker display.

A lot has changed since the V20 was released, and all these years later, some AC forum members decided to take a look at how it's holding up here in 2019.

Just curious. My main phone is a Huawei p20 pro. I still have the v20 just in case, did not want to sell it. I use it sometimes for media consumption, web browsing and planning to take it with me to any trip to use the wide angle camera if needed.

christianttt

I'm starting to get some lag to the point of being annoying and apps being forced closed that shouldn't be. I'm a power user and I think I'm starting to hit the RAM limits, causing them to close out. Otherwise I'm still happy with it and there's no true upgrade for it that I've seen yet.

Mooncatt

I'm still happy with mine. I've never done an update of any kind. Not that I wouldn't. I just can't. It's an AT&T phone and I live in Canada. I'm not that impressed with the stuff coming out lately. First, it's thinner and thinner. Then, let's fold them in half and make them twice as thick again. Duhh! I am happy with the cameras. The sound is second to none. The batteries are replaceable....

Greedog

What about you? Are you still using an LG V20?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Joe Maring

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.

42 Comments
  • If LG was able to get a software update out the door in a reasonable amount of time, the V20 could have been the basis for a solid line of phones that might well have met with long term success. They had the chance to market a sort of future proof device with the V20's user replaceable battery but blew it with update delays and the ultimate abandonment of the replaceable battery concept. Mores the shame because it was really good phone for its day. Nowadays, I cannot fathom why anyone would pay full price for one of LGs Samsung copycat devices, especially when the likely lack of long term software support is factored in.
  • I don't know about previous recent LG phones, but the v40 is simply awesome. It's far better than the s9. The only complaint it's that it's not on Pie yet. That's soon to be rectified, apparently. What other phone has all of these features? Headphone jack, mil spec certified, IP rating, and the quad DAC? No other phone does. We'll maybe the v50 but that's not out yet.
  • I love my V20. It's laggy, I have to force close apps, and AT&T's default messaging app makes texting using Messages miserable. However, the V20 is known as the last flagship with a removable battery. People forget how helpful it is to go from 0% to 100% in 15 seconds. Manufacturers have been able to successfully get the marketplace to buy into the spin that removing the removable battery feature makes a better phone. Yeah yeah, the waterproofing!!! But what about the waterproofing???? <MEH> I'm sure it does make for a better phone, but let's be honest--removing the ability for a consumer to easily swap out a battery also makes manufacturers WAY MORE money by rendering phones dead when sometimes they just need a new power source after hundreds of depletions and charges. It sucks that the niche market of people who prefer the ability to change out batteries are no longer being served. Think about this--the article alone discusses how people are still using the V20 nearly three years after its release. Without the ability to swap out a bad battery, I'd bet most would have traded it in for a newer (more expensive) model. I see the same thing happening with the headphone jack. Spinning it as "making the phone better" but come on....it's all about getting those Pixel/Samsung buds for $149 too!!!! Greedy. ("Noooo, it's about the waterproofing!!!!!!!") The only way this ever changes is if the consumers demand it. Unfortunately they just take what they receive. Maybe the latest news that smartphone sales are down will spark a trend that will require manufacturers to stop selling phones for a GRAND or MORE, or allow the tech to allow for a replacement battery. I mean, if I'm paying a thousand dollars for a phone, shouldn't the tech be so good to allow for a replacement battery by the user? Look at the Pixel 3a. Pretty decent phone specs. About $400. Bigger screen for $100 more. That's fair. And by golly, it even has a headphone jack so it's clear to me Google learned a lesson there. Add a "non-waterproof" version and that's right about where we should be with smartphones. I bet it does better than the Pixel 3. Maybe Google will provide some reasonable versions moving forward that aren't considered "middle tier" phones. Give me a flagship with a removable battery and a headphone jack for $500 and you have the next big thing. The tech has plateau'd. Smartphone fatigue. You're gonna win with a price correction. Really hope the market corrects because Samsung, Apple, etc. have become some really greedy bas&&&ards. Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.
  • Yep. I still use my unlocked V20 on AT&T, with a $30 11,800mAH battery. Even with such a ginormous battery, it fits in my dress-shirt pocket and never falls out. I keep a spare 11,800 in my car but I seldom need it.
    A second reason is the twin-lens camera. It's terrific to have an ultrawide lens built-in. I think it's equivalent to about 21mm full-frame.
    A final plus is the high-fidelity Bluetooth CODEC.
    If I lost mine today, I'd order another on eBay for about $100 shipped.
  • Careful leaving your battery in the car. The the temperature cycles will destroy it. I live in MD too and I've had batteries go bad from sitting in the car
  • Joshua you and others that espouse these points are spot on! These are critical to why many users just love the LG V20:
    1 - Removable battery. Right at the top because they all die and then you are always tethered to a cable if you want your phone to work. That, or you have to buy a new phone. Right - better phones because they are "waterproof" and not phones that make more $$$ for the OEM... I live in Idaho and love to hike and backpack camp. If you go "out there", you NEED extra batteries for your phone. Lock and load a new one and you are good for another day, at least. They don't add to your Ultra-Lite weight like a power pack does (1.75 oz vs over 1 #) and certainly don't take up lots of volume in your backpack! I bought 2 new batteries plus a charger for mine on Amazon for about $25. If interested, they are awesome even after a year of use they still take a full charge and work as well as the LG battery. Turns out they changed their name. Used to be AEXPOWER and is now SHENMZ. Here is the new name version of what I ordered a year ago. Ooops! Didn't realize I couldn't embed links to Amazon products. Search for LG V20 SHENMZ batteries and you will find this. I just ordered their new Li-Poly upgrade which is 4400MAh rather than the original 3200MAh battery. Note that this new one is Li-Poly, not just Li-ion. Here is that link: Ooops! Didn't realize I couldn't embed links to Amazon products. Search for LG V20 SHENMZ batteries and you will find this. 2 - 2nd Screen! Most folks have never owned an LG V20 so don't know how cool this singular feature is. I don't think anyone other than LG has tried this and it is a shame. Without unlocking my phone I can get to the buttons for all my fav apps (flashlight, music player, etc). I also have mine configured so it scrolls my name and partner's cell phone number across the top (full 2nd screen display) when my phone is locked. If I ever leave it somewhere (a real problem for me), a thinking person can see this and call the number to tell my lady they have my phone - too cool! 3 - The external corded earbud jack! This coupled with the Quad-DAC stereo (available only on cabled connections the BlueTooth only gives normal stereo) makes for better than awesome music! 4 - So affordable now. As others have mentioned you can get them for just over $100 on eBay and a new-in-box unit can be had for around $175. Compare that to the new flagships! So, after going on three years why does it have a cult following? See the above... I'm thinking of buying another new one to stash as backup because I think I can live with this phone for another 5-7 years and the probability that my current one will get lost or broken in that timeframe is high... Nice reading all the postings on the V20. Thanks everyone. Long live the V20!!!
  • You are so spot on. I have always been someone that needs the newest technology. However, I am still using my V20 because no phone has come out since then that has new technology that is worth caring about. In fact, in many ways, they are all a step back. Your dead on about the companies looking to sell accessories and new phones to replace phones that just need a new battery. Other than removing usefull features, the phone market has not brought anything new to the table for years. Also as a side note... Who is dunking their phone in their glass of water? Where are all these people that care so much about their phone being water proof? The major phone manufactures "fixed" a problem that was never a problem and didnt need fixed.
  • Oh yeah, I LOVE my V20, for many reasons but the removable battery is absolute key for me! Unless it's absolutely not an option on ANY phone going forward, I will always buy phones with a removable battery design. Even if I have to go with a low-end phone after my V20 gives up the ghost. Mine still runs very well, some lag here and there and I just bought another battery for it. No damage as I never drop mine, and I never care about waterproofing either. Like you, I see right through the company's market tactics and that it makes them so much more money to have to sell whole new phones every year. Planned obsolescence is what its called. Sadly, people like us are in the minority. Right now, we all vote with our dollars and the people wanting their sealed-up, waterproof, headphone-less $1K+ phones are winning the vote. Tech has plateau'd for sure, but instead of giving us things we want, they shove things we don't want to see if we'll take the bait no matter if the form factor makes any logical sense or not... Folding phones that fold out to some square-ish tablet thingy? Whats the logical use-case for that? All of our games, media, and apps are all formatted for a tall/wide aspect ratio for the most part. I aint gonna be pulling out no giant square from my pocket so I can watch Youtube with huge letterboxes on my 2-grand bendy phablet with a creased screen. I think I'm gonna have to start to look at other manufacturers for the future. You know, before the V20, I had the LG G4, which was amazing, and the G2 before that. This V20 is going to be the last phone I have for a while unless I find like some Chinese probably-spying-on-me phone has a removable battery option.
  • What about the Zenfone 6? It has a 5000 mAh battery. So replaceable battery might be forgivable. The other feature you would be giving up is the Quad-DAC. Otherwise, I think the Zenfone 6 might be a solid replacement to the LG V20. Has a clean UI as well, this time. Personally, the Quad-DAC has too much value for me to switch to a phone without it. Combining that with a replaceable battery. That's just too rare. But I could just keep the V20 too if I need to upgrade.
  • I'm not using a V20, but I am using a V30, and it's the first phone I've had that doesn't have me constantly checking the forums and reviews for a better phone. I'm extremely happy with it, and will probably use it for another two-three years. The wide angle camera can't be beat, the sound is great, the screen is wonderful, what more could I want from a phone?
  • Still using mine, as there's nothing new on the market to match its overall feature set. It's very frustrating to see phone manufacturers going backwards in terms of their phones - removing desirable features like replaceable batteries, SD card support and 3.5mm headphone sockets, and introducing features that alot of people really don't want - e.g. glass backs. If only there was a manufacturer who was bold enough to produce new products which actually give users what they want, rather than what the manufacturers want to impose on them :0(
  • I was until I was having burn in issues with the screen, I know it's LCD but I was having bad ghost images, if it wasn't for that I would still be using it. It's by far one of my favorite all time phones along with the HTC G1, Blackberry Curve, HTC Evo and Note 2.
  • I was using my v20 until last week and I finally upgraded to a new device. My opinion is this was the last great device from LG. They have released other good devices but not great. At one point I was an LG fan. I had Bluetooth headphones a smart watch, bought the family LG devices etc. However somewhere around the release of the g5, customer support, and software updates just died. Sorry LG it was good while it lasted, upgrading from the v20 yo a different manufacturer was my last LG device. This device was just an example of great hardware, that survived even through poor support. This phone has a small cult following, you can find on Reddit with even a few people hoarding them so they have extras. The secondary screen was an amazing use of the real estate at the top of the phone. If I could pop in a new processor and extra ram I would still be using it. It was decently rugged, with the help of a case mine survived quite a few drops that would have been screen killers on other phones even with a case. The wide angle lens was only really an LG thing back when the phone was released and man did I like it. The fingerprint scanner and power button on the back is still my favorite position. Knock on, is really helpful. It's just aged past being able to multitask like I need it to. Perhaps a factory default could help there but that's a lot of work, and to be honest if it worked that's always just a short term fix. The only draw back to the phone was that darn rear camera glass that would crack for no reason. I replaced that three times before I gave up and just left it off.
  • I own one and it does everything i need. The microphone is giving me some problems; hopefully repairable. The battery however does not hold well, is lacking. Recently I got the phone wet and the camera app it came with failed and was not repairable. Nobody seemed to have a solution including you tube. Since it has 2 lenses, I fixed the problem by giving it a new camera app and it works perfectly. Short of limited battery it is a great phone.
  • I'm still running mine daily (sending from it now). Android as an OS was about the user instead of the corporation. The V20 is the last phone made for the user. I'll hold onto it as long as I can. If somebody releases a new flagship with removeable battery, incredible camera, expandable storage, notification notch, and quad DAC - I'll buy it immediately.
  • "I'm a power user and I think I'm starting to hit the RAM limits, causing them to close out." I get this on the Pixel 3 Xl so this must be an Android thing. *shrugs*
  • I just upgraded to a V20 from a Galaxy S4 late last year since I could buy a new in box one for $200 free and clear. I can't be compelled to be spending $500-1k every other year just for a phone. No problems with it except that I cracked the screen. That said, I have a replacement ready to go and it apparenrly only takes 20 min DIY. It has gotten a little slower recently but is generally helped with the occasional restart. Disappointed that LG renegged on updating it to pie.
  • I purchased on refurbished on Amazon a few months ago. I was looking for a high quality DAP and so many people convinced me the V20 with it's excellent DAC was the way to go. Add to that when I'm working(I have a dual SIM OnePlus 6 silk white[😁]) I sometimes like to have my two lines separate. With a removable battery and microSD slot, it is perfect for my occasional phone needs but crucial for my music loving needs, particularly on trips. And I find a few of the features on the V20 pretty slick. I think it's a great phone, even now...
  • Yeah, it's a year a half old phone. So no one in the entire world uses it. This is the stupidest article I've read today. I have one that is spectacular and I just bought my partner one off eBay For $130. I paid extra to get one in better condition. With 264 gigs in mine, extended battery that swaps in 15 seconds, it's still a spectacular device and will be so for years to come. Those complaining it's laggy may have loaded too much junkware. Any phone would be laggy if enough is loaded onto it and running in memory in the background. The V20 blows away even brand new phones in specs, especially at the price point it's at.
  • I get your point but it's more than a year-and-a-half old. It's more like two and a half years old.
  • Im 2 monthly payments from paying mine off on tmobile,got it when it got reduced to $480, works like a charm, i used to upgrade phone after one year, but there's a lot of garbage being released lately for too much money that does the same thing that my V20 does.
  • Got a link to the battery you are using?
    Yeah, other than more ram I don't see a reason to "upgrade". The asus rog phone has been on my radar but the price isn't really worth. And still no removable battery. I just used my ir blaster to fix some tv's on the wall for a presentation. Lol. The cameras are great and again the Bluetooth and sound. I wish someone would make the exact same phone with more ram and a newer processor. Even a 6 series would probably be fine. And 128gb base memory.
    Every other phone has been the same for the last 3 years with decreasing features at a higher cost. Lol. Also, I'm the guy who bought 4 iphones and 4 notes in a row the day they came out prior to the v20.
  • Worse phone I ever had freezes up all the time Hate it.
  • With all the positive feedback listed here, don't you think it could be a bad unit or something else?
  • I bought one over a year ago for $200. 00, and I have been using it since. I would like to get another year out of it. I got the Oreo update, which is nice. I doubt they will update it again. I never buy these phones new. After two years, you can get an unused or bearly used flagship level device for a fraction of the original cost, and it will still be pretty good. When I do give this up I will dearly miss the replaceable battery. Taking away replaceable batteries is the biggest scam in the cell phone industry.
  • Still rocking a V20. I won't give up the battery swap and audio quality / DAC. At some point I will wipe it and re-install the apps to make it run at full speed again, but the hardware is holding up well.
  • I used a Palm Centro for eight years before stepping to a new phone I think that tells you all you need to know about what I'll be doing with my LG V20. I have a new backup V20 just in case this one fails. Manufacturers just love the herd of sheep we call the American Consumer.
  • I love my V20. Great camera, solid battery life (and that is before swapping the battery), the secondary screen, headphone jack, the list keeps going...did I mention the ability to swap batteries? I am so pissed that EVERYTHING on the market doesn't allow you to swap batteries. It seriously limits the choices available once I'm forced to change models. Note 10, or a US demonized Huawei are the only devices I currently feel can even stand up to match the conveniences I get with my V20 (both based on battery size). I haven't experienced Huawei personally, but the software/chipsets seem to be the only downsides and Samsung propriety software is a big negative for me. The phones from Huawei look amazing though so I might have to take a chance. Unfortunately the decision is gong to have to happen at some point. I just hope there is something worthy when the time comes..
  • If you are looking at those 2 phones brands, you might also want to take a look at the one plus lineup.
  • Yo, unrooted with a Hyperion extended battery.
  • Yes! I've been using it since February 2017. I initially bought it because very few flagships were sold with removable battery, bootloader unlock, and microsd expansion. Also, the metal back is nice. It's gotten SOOOO much better since launch. The advent of 4100mah standard size lipo batteries, Lineage 16.0 (that treats the second screen as a notch), and gcam make it incredible in 2019. If anyone is interested in a phone they never have to charge or a phone that's stupidly easy to repair, I'd recommend the LG V20. However, I 1000% recommend running on the latest x86cpu build of Lineage 16.0 Android Pie on XDA as it makes the phone run incredibly fast, brings it up to date, and gives you the pixel experience.
  • Still using mine and it's been great. Bought a new battery for $20 and I get about 4.5 hours. Camera is good, screen is good, quad dac and ir blaster is very underrated. Everyone who complains about no software updates, mine is still very snappy and quick to load things, software updates aren't always a good thing. Also got it brand new for $450 CAD two years ago!
  • The LG V20 was one of the worse phones I ever had, the battery drain was horrendous I constantly had to swap in a new battery every 2 to 3 hours, I went through 3 LG V20 because the phones kept malfunctioning, stay away from this piece of **** and any LG phones.
  • Sounds like it was a software issue and pretty secluded to you, as no one has complained about that issue. Why so angry though lol
  • you could have just asked
    Is anyone using LG in 2019
    the answer would still be NO
  • I love that phone, I just lost mine a bit ago and am ordering a replacement off of eBay. I drive for Lyft and Uber and the app pinning to the second screen made it an essential part on my work experience. I kept minimum apps on it, put a 128gb SD in it and loaded it with music for offline consumption and it was a workhorse never slow down barely ever glitched and when it didn't you could just pull the battery out and reset it immediately. if LG made another version of this phone with the same IR blaster removable battery and headphone jack I would buy the updated version without question
  • I worry a little about the lack of security updates moving forward. I've been tempted to get a different phone. But I've decided to use the V20 until it dies. Got a bigger battery and the thing lasts forever. They just don't make 'em like they used to.
  • I still use my V20 for my second phone. It still works well, although it does seem dated to my 6T in screen resolution. The headphone jack IS necessary for me. I use Square and having to not worry about making sure I have my dongle for transactions or buying newer, more expensive equipment for phones without the jack is a life saver. The second screen is very helpful for playing music, quick flashlight access and turning on certain settings. It won't be my daily driver, but it is used a lot.
  • I've had the LG V20 since August of 2016 thru Sprint. Im not a power user but I depend on my phone for everything. The removable battery is still a winner as Ive had to purchase a battery last year and again a couple months ago as the length of time between charges had fallen. Batteries are about $10 at the present for factory replacements. The 2nd screen is something I think I would miss if I didn't have it. The phone is solid as I have no complaints about it and plenty of internal space still. I have a you case from Speigen and a cheap screen saver which have done a great job protecting her. The camera is great, the sound is terrific and it's payed for. Great phone and to those that think LG is garbage... I say enjoy your $1,000 IPhone or Samsung S10! I owe nothing and your not worth the extra grand. That's a lot of money LG is letting me keep!😜
  • Yup, still using it! This is actually the longest I've had any smartphone (nearly 2.5 years).
    My brother in law got the V20 upon my recommendation but his died a few months ago.
    I won't upgrade until there is a better device out there, and so far all I see is phones with embedded batteries and no headphone jacks. Screw that!
  • It's funny this article came out, as I was about to toss my V20 about a month ago. I had rooted it with the "Dirty Santa" routine quite a while ago and over the last year the phone was just nothing but problems. So many "app not responding" messages, apps lagging terribly (with hardly any running concurrently), black screens on youtube vs. video, extremely poor battery life, etc. I was stuck on Nougat, as well. Then I found it was a fairly simple process to unroot and reflash the stock rom, so I did that, and then just let it do all the carrier updates (Verizon) until I got it to where it's at now: Oreo.
    It's amazing now...like having a brand new phone. Battery life is tremendous. Apps run smoothly. It's a joy to have again. Now, will it eventually get laggy? Who knows...but I don't see any sign of it yet. It's easily as responsive as any other new phone I see out there today. So for now, I'm keeping it and happy I'm not dropping a ton of money on something else.
  • Best phone ever...long live V20!
    I have 3 extra batteries. Love this phone. Best phone I have ever had..and I have had them all.