“Pure” Android devices used to be the ones getting the latest version of the Android operating system, but with the LG V20, that is no longer the case. This marks a historical first, where the LG V20 is the second flagship from the South Korean conglomerate this year that will arrive with the latest Android 7.0 Nougat right out of the box this September 29. No longer do “pure” Android device owners such as the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and the ilk have bragging rights -- for now, at least.
The question is, when will the LG V20 see a worldwide release, especially in the US? I am quite sure that those who are loyal subscribers to T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T are on the lookout for the LG V20 to be on the smartphone roster as well. Word on the street has it that the LG V20 might see a rather muted release at the beginning, although we have yet to pinpoint the issue as to why that might be the case.
One can say that the Android 7.0 Nougat-powered LG V20 is one of the smartphones in which many people look forward to this year, barring the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, of course. Despite an announcement of the LG V20 in the US on September 6 earlier this month, folks in the US have not sniffed out a single pre-order just yet.
T-Mobile did list down the LG V2 as "coming soon" on its website, and if that is the case, surely the other US carriers like Verizon, Sprint and AT&T would not be too far behind.
The release of the LG V20 in South Korea would have it retail for KRW 899,800 unlocked, which amounts to approximately $810 after conversion. You can choose from pink, titanium and silver colors.
Apart from that, LG also announced that customers will have the opportunity to pick up a gift pack that is worth $185 for a fraction of the price at $15. This is to celebrate the LG V20’s introduction. In the heavily discounted $15 gift pack, you will get to enjoy a LG Bluetooth speaker, the LG Tone Plus headphones, as well as a battery and charging crib.
It remains to be seen whether a similar promotion will make its way to the US, although there have been rumors of the LG V20 rolling out this October 21st -- as well as in Hong Kong. Those living in Europe will have to give the LG V20 a miss in the meantime since there are no concrete plans of delivering the handset to the Old World just yet. It would definitely be a strange marketing decision to skip Europe, taking into consideration how its predecessor, the LG V10 was released in Europe.
Android 7.0 Nougat will bring to the table features such as split-screen mode that might just spark a new wave of multi-tasking on the smartphone, quick switching apps, better and redesigned notifications, a reprised system user interface tuner, Doze mode improvements that will help to push your battery life to its maximum, and multi-language support, among others.
