LG reveals LG V30's new UI, secondary display is now a floating shortcuts bar

We’re little over two weeks away from the unveiling of the LG V30 and the rumors about it are stacking up. Earlier today, however, we got our hands on more official news about the V30, as LG dropped a few details on what we can expect from the smartphone’s new user interface: UX 6.0+.

In a press release, LG confirmed previous speculation that the static second screen has been ditched on the LG V series and has instead been replaced with a floating shortcuts bar. LG says this will allow for quick access to frequently used device functions, and can be removed from the display when not in use, but we didn’t learn much else about it (or there simply isn’t much else to say).

Based on the screenshot above, it looks like it may provide access to note-taking, calendar, favorite contacts and settings — which could be useful, but also isn’t out of the scope of what’s possible with a ton of third-party Play Store shortcut apps.

LG also noted that the Always-on Display has been overhauled too. Instead of showing just the clock, now it can also display Quick Tools (seemingly the same as the Wi-Fi, flashlight, Bluetooth etc toggles like on the LG V20), the Music Player or a “personal photograph.”

As for camera features, LG announced Graphy, a new option/service accessible via the V30’s manual camera mode. This, LG says, will give users access to metadata presets such as “white balance, shutter speed, aperture and ISO” that professional photographers have used on their own photos, and apply them to shots users take with the V30 (basically, custom-made filter presets). You can check the kind of professional photos we’re dealing with over at the Graphy website here — it seems like a bit of a work in progress, though.

LG has also included programs for creating and editing videos from pre-existing photos, and GIFs can now be made using an option in the Gallery app. In other recent news, LG recently confirmed that the V30 would feature which would feature an f/1.6 aperture lens — the largest of any smartphone major smartphone to date.

Finally, LG also said that it has added facial recognition to UX 6.0+ on the LG V30, which is said to allow you to unlock the device, when the screen is off, without pressing a button. This will arrive in addition to a secure voice unlock option which also wouldn’t require any button pressing.

LG didn’t reveal whether the V30 would introduce the new version of Android (Android 8.0) like its predecessor did with Android Nougat, but, at this point, that’s looking unlikely (Google probably won’t reveal this until after IFA in early September).

For more on the LG V30, head to our dedicated rumors page here. Give us your thoughts on the advances in LG UX 6.0+ in the comments.