LG G7 vs. V30: Which One To Pick As Your Next Phone?

Although LG has officially abandoned making smartphones, its V and G series smartphones are still some of the most reliable mobile devices on the market. The G7 and V30 are among the most popular smartphones that the company offers, mainly due to their excellent price/quality ratio. Which one should you pick, though? Let’s take a deep dive into both and see who’d win this theoretical LG G7 vs. V30 matchup.

Processor, RAM, and Battery Life

Regarding general hardware specs that a new phone owner might be interested in, some of the first things to look for are the processor type, the available RAM, the battery life, and the battery’s charging options.

As for the CPU, the LG G7 wins the battle, thanks to having a Snapdragon 845 processor, compared to the V30’s older 835 model. When it comes to RAM, both phones come with 4 GB.

The LG V30 ThinQ takes the lead on the battery front. It has a 3,300mAh battery, while the G7 boasts a smaller 3,000mAh one. Still, the difference is not that big, considering that both phones follow LG”s proud tradition of making smartphones with removable batteries. Both phones support fast charging and Qi wireless charging. 

Now that we’ve covered the basic LG G7 Thinq vs. LG V30 specs, let’s move on to display and the equally important camera specifications. 

Display and Camera

The display is where we can find the most significant differences between the two models. The LG G7 comes with a  6.1-inch, 1440x3120 pixel IPS LCD display, for a total of 564 pixels per inch (PPI). G7 ThinQ boasts a  6-inch,1440 x 2880 screen, featuring LG’s cutting edge P-OLED technology. While this gives  LG V30’s screen resolution an inferior 537 PPI compared to the G7, the difference is mostly negligible in everyday usage. Furthermore, OLED screens generally have significantly better blacks and contrast for superior picture quality when compared to LCD displays.

Camera differences are much harder to spot, at least when looking at the cameras on the back. The G7 comes with a dual-lens, 2 x 16-megapixel primary snapper. The V30, on the other hand, has one 16 and one 13-megapixel lens. However, the front camera shows some notable differences. G7 wins here as a phone you would turn to for selfies. It boasts a superior 8-megapixel offering compared to the 5-megapixel lens found in  LG V30’s front camera.

The most significant difference between the cameras lies in the software that’s under the hood. The V30 debuted camera AI tech to improve object and scene recognition, but the G7 took it to a whole new level. For example, the all-new portrait mode is a welcome addition, mainly since it works with both the primary snapper on the back and the front-facing selfie camera.

Software and Updates

Talking about Android these days is a bit like talking about food. The LG V30 came out with Android 7.1.2. Nougat, whereas the G7 boasted a newer Oreo 8.0 straight out of the box. However, this isn’t a significant difference when we compare LG’s cell phones, as most of the V30s on the have received the “cookie” update by now. The G7 has had some significant AI advances compared to the V30. It also features more advanced Google Assistant commands and an intelligent bulletin screen. However, the most important distinction is that the G7 is a newer phone that will receive more software updates in the future.

Special Features

The G7 has a couple of unique features that help tip the scales in its favor here. The first is an AI key on the left side of the phone, which brings some unique capabilities to Google Assistant. If you press the key once, it will trigger voice recognition. Holding it enables the walkie-talkie mode that allows you to talk continuously while the button is pressed. The smart AI button also enables Google Lens vision.  LG V30's phone features are decidedly more pedestrian in comparison.

The G7 also comes with a Boombox Speaker, a much-appreciated feature for anyone who relies on their phone to listen to their favorite music. On the G7,  LG removed the module which previously covered the speakers on their smartphones. This makes the G7 a much better music-listening solution and vastly improves the quality of the audio output. The V30 and the G7 both have Quad DAC, which performs admirably when quality headphones are plugged in. 

There is one particular feature where LG V30 ThinQ wins the LG G7 vs. V30 comparison - the V stands for video. Cine Mode was the unique selling point of this device, and that still stands true. This feature allows for excellent video recording and includes several tools that turn your regular, phone-made videos into something people would like to watch online. This makes it the best smartphone for kids who love spending time on TikTok and other similar platforms that favor shorter video formats typically filmed on the go.

Price Comparison

Currently, there is no significant difference in pricing between the two models, as both are already somewhat aging phones. Still, LG V30’s price reflects the fact that the V series of phones were designed to be LG”s most luxurious devices. As such, while you can find 64 GB G7 Thinq models for as low as $180, the V30 tends to go over $200, especially for the 128 GB models. 

Another thing to consider before purchasing any LG phone is that the company has announced that it will drop out of the smartphone business by July 2021.  This may cause a further decline in price and a lack of places to buy unused phones in the first place. Additionally, while LG has promised not to end its Android support for years to come, we’ll have to see how well that promise holds up in reality.

And the Winner Is…

It should be no surprise that the newer device is the winner here. Although it was at times a close fight, the G7 is our definite favorite in the LG V30 vs. LG G7 contest. Despite the V30’s high-end video editing features, the G7 is overall the better and (probably) cheaper phone to buy right now. This is especially true if you’re a fan of blasting your smartphone’s speakers when listening to music or if you like advanced AI-driven Google Assistant features. It’s definitely not a big enough upgrade to warrant switching to it if you already own  LG’s V30 ThinQ, though.