LG is going to put an OLED screen on the V30, and we couldn’t be more excited

By Andy Boxall Published August 3, 2017

LG is bringing OLED screens back to its smartphones, a first for the company since the G Flex 2 launched in 2015, and this screen is likely to be on the highly anticipated LG V30. Yes, you should be very excited about it indeed. Why? First, OLED screen technology is a huge benefit on your device, providing a high contrast viewing experience with deep blacks and rich, vibrant colors, plus a fast response time. Second, LG really knows what it’s doing with OLED, due to its experience in the world of televisions, where its screens are among the best you can buy.

It gets better. The screen will be an LG FullVision display, which is the name given to the almost bezel-less screen used on the LG G6. It will also be a plastic OLED panel, ensuring it’s strong, thin, and lightweight. A earlier version of this technology appeared on the G Flex 2, enabling the trademark screen curve at the time. There won’t be any curve this time — except at the corners, just like the G6 — but the panel will be larger than the 5.5-inch G Flex 2, reaching six inches.

LG V30 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

LG says this will be the largest smartphone screen it has made in four years, so which phone will it debut on? There’s nothing explicitly mentioned, but repeated talk of the LG V20 in the press release, and corresponding rumors about an OLED-equipped sequel to it, tell us LG’s 6-inch FullVision plastic OLED screen will be a major part of the forthcoming LG V30. It will likely have an 18:9 aspect ratio and the quoted resolution is 2,880 x 1,440. A Gorilla Glass 5 panel over it will help keep it safe from harm. LG has even provided a hint about what the base of the phone will look like in the teaser image above.

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We like the V20, but there’s no doubt it’s a large phone. With a 6-inch screen, just how large will its sequel be? Here’s more good news. The V30 — if our assumption is right — will have a smaller body than the V20, with a bezel size reduction of 20 percent at the top and 50 percent at the bottom. Those are significant numbers. Just look at the phone currently in your hand (if it’s not the LG G6), and imagine the difference it would make if the bezel at the base was half the size?

There’s something else LG is hinting at when it talks about the new OLED screen. Virtual reality. The firm mentions how well suited the tech is to VR several times, and OLED screens are a prerequisite for Google Daydream, meaning the V30 maybe Daydream-compatible right from the start. It’s also going to have HDR10 compatibility, but there is no mention of Dolby Vision, which is a feature on the LG G6.

The LG V30 is almost certainly going to be revealed at the IFA technology show in Berlin on August 31. We can’t wait.

Former Senior Mobile Writer

Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.

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