LG’s new V60 ThinQ 5G is a different kind of ‘foldable’ phone

Another year, another LG phone that “conveniently” clips into a case with a secondary display. This time around, it’s the LG V60 ThinQ 5G. Think of it as LG’s take on the foldable phone. 

As the successor to the LG V50 ThinQ 5G (woo, that’s a mouthful), this latest iteration comes with a few upgrades, like a bigger display, better cameras, and a larger battery. But other than that, its new features aren’t too exciting.

In terms of specs, the LG V60 ThinQ 5G comes with a 6.8-inch, 2,460 x 1,080 OLED display, along with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 chipset, and an X55 5G modem under the hood. 

Its 5G speeds will vary depending on your carrier: T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular users will only be able to take advantage of the handset’s sub-6 5G capabilities, while Verizon’s V60 variant will offer support for both sub-6 and mmWave.

Image: zlata iveleva / mashable

The V60 also comes with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot which supports up to 2 terabytes of additional storage. And, as mentioned before, the phone’s powered by a considerable 5,000mAh battery. It’s also one of the only phones left with a headphone jack. 

On the front, the V60 packs a 10-megapixel selfie camera. As for rear cameras, it features a 64-megapixel standard lens with f/1.8 aperture, a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens with f/1.9 aperture, and a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor.

Image: ZLATA IVELEVA/MASHABLE

To fit that ToF sensor, LG skipped out on the inclusion of a dedicated telephoto lens. Although, as seen on Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra and the S20 Plus, it’s possible to squeeze both into the rear camera module.

Regardless, using the V60, you can zoom up to 2x using information from the 64-megapixel sensor without losing detail, resulting in a 12-megapixel image. But when you zoom further than that (up to 10x), it switches to hybrid zoom. Essentially, this mode uses a mix of digital zoom and software to crop the photo.

The V60 also includes a new feature called Voice Bokeh which can be used for outdoor events, like concerts or even weddings. By leveraging the four microphones on the phone, the V60 can recognize and separate voices from background noise. That way, it reduces the ambient sound levels to boost the human voice.

Meanwhile, the dual-screen, clip-on case also packs a 6.8-inch OLED panel on the inside (the same as the phone) with a 2.1-inch cover display on the front. It comes bundled with the phone, so you don’t have to purchase it separately. 

LG worked with Google to expand the number of apps you can use in the V60’s “Wide view” mode, which allows you to display an app across the dual screens. It’s now compatible with Gmail, Maps, YouTube, YouTube Music, Photos, and Search.

Image: zlata IVLEVA / mashable

Since it’ll vary by carrier, pricing and exact availability have yet to be confirmed, but LG says we should expect to see the V60 hit shelves by the end of March.