LG V30 render video suggests LG is playing it safe and I don’t blame it

The design of LG’s rumored upcoming flagship phone, the LG V30, may have just been outed in a new CAD render video. The video arrives via @OnLeaks, the tipster behind many such leaks, and Gear India, giving us a hint at what we might can expect from the new flagship.

For those aware of the LG V20 and LG G6, the design might seem immediately familiar: the rear of the handset is almost the same, though the camera flash sits to the right of the dual lenses on the V30. Further, the device face, the button setup, and the rounded frame are all reminiscent of the LG G6 too, with slim bezels (and likely no secondary display).

Meanwhile, the video would seemingly confirm the presence of a fingerprint sensor, headphone jack and USB Type-C connector on the V30, and Gear India suggests it may feature wireless charging. Check it out below.

The familiar design, combined with reports that LG will drop the secondary screen that the V series is known for, might leave some fans disappointed, however.

The original V10 arrived with a secondary display built into the handset that offered additional functionality, bringing something fresh to an industry that has for years been accused of growing stale. What’s more, it delivered standout audio performance thanks to its Quad DAC audio support, a feature few other manufacturers have pursued, and a removable battery, something which has been lauded by die-hard Android fans.

Even the original V10 design, for better or for worse, was unlike any other phones. It was, in some ways, an enthusiast phone for Android fans, but it looks like LG might be scaling back on novelty with the upcoming V30 and instead produce something more “traditional.”

Devices like the LG G5, with its modular functionality, and LG G Flex series, which were curved in the middle, didn’t take off for LG, while the LG G6 seemingly has been a success. Thus, I can understand why the company would hesitate to continue pursuing niche interests when it could take a lesser risk on something that is already working. (For context, the LG V20 reportedly was a success in the US market, but this has been attributed, at least partially, to the cancellation of the Note 7.)

Now, it looks like LG is going down the same route as Samsung, bringing its main flagship series closer to its more specialized third-quarter phones: Samsung’s Galaxy Note series looks ever more like its S series, as LG’s V series becomes increasingly similar to its G series.

Though I can sympathize with LG’s motives, the situation is still unfortunate: there are more than enough phones out there that do virtually the same thing — losing those with some ingenuity always hurts. And I believe LG has made sincere attempts to deliver smartphones with a spark; it’s not easy to do that in the ultra-competitive smartphone market. But, in the end, the V30 might be a hit if it’s simply an LG G6 with a brighter screen and a better camera. If that’s the way this unfolds, I couldn’t blame LG.

For more LG V30 rumors, hit our dedicated article at the link, and give us your thoughts on how the new phone is shaping up in the comments.