 I did get a couple of things wrong in my review of the LG G5. That was my bad. But knowing all that stuff at the time still wouldn't have changed anything about my conclusion. To this day, I don't believe that the bulky design and the trade-offs in camera quality and water resistance were offset by the promise of modular upgrades. And other than a surprisingly vocal minority, apparently neither did most people. But while the G6 fixed a handful of my gripes, including adding water resistance, it wasn't until the recent launch of the V30 that I saw this kind of demand for an LG phone review again. So immediately after finishing my Pixel 2 video, I dropped it for the V30. Let's see how that went. After, I fill your ears with Corsair's message about the new HS50 Multi-platform 3.5mm headset. It features 50mm neodymium magnets and more. Check it out now at the link below. Right out of the box, the V30 is something that the G series never was. It's a head-turner. I've gotten more comments on this than I did during the couple of weeks that I spent using the Mi Mix 2. And the Mix 2 is a stunning looking device. LG has taken the same kind of leap forward here that Samsung did when they went from the plastic S5 to the curvy glass and aluminum S6 Edge. IMO. And under the hood, you'll find all the things that the discerning consumer would expect from a flagship phone these days. Yes, actually all of them. With the highlights compared to the eerily similar. Pixel 2 XL being micro SD expansion, wireless charging, and yes, a headphone jack. And not just any headphone jack. Google placed its bets on users preferring to listen aloud, equipping the Pixel 2 XL with one of the best sets of front-facing stereo speakers that I've ever heard on a smartphone. While LG skimped on a single palm firing speaker and then went all in on the headphone experience. And as someone who uses both about equally, I am really torn on this one. Like, damn. Cause the V30's headphone jack is more than just present. It stands out. Presumably the reason it's disabled by default is to save some battery life. But if you listen to music throughout the day as much as I do, LG's quad amp hi-fi quad DAC setting is a must. I'm not going to say that it is competitive with an external amp and DAC that cost as much as the whole phone. And it should really have a simple touch and drag custom EQ configuration option. But even with those complaints in mind, this is the first time since probably ever that I felt even remotely tempted to use digital filters on a phone. The short preset ended up being a great match for the trashy pop music that I listen to. And it makes this device a fantastic middle ground between the ho-hum audio solutions that dominate the smartphone market and then investing a bunch of extra money, not to mention pocket space, into something external. Sold then, right? Uh, hold on. Let's talk about the screen. I didn't mention the blue shift on the Pixel 2 XL while I was working on my review. And the reason is that frankly, in my opinion, that whole thing got blown way out of proportion. It is more pronounced on the LG made PO LED panel, which appears to be a close relative of the one in the V30 than it is on the Samsung AMOLED panel in the smaller Pixel 2. But it doesn't affect any of the angles that I hold my phone at. And OLED displays of all flavors have exhibited this kind of behavior to varying degrees for so long now that I don't even consider it noteworthy anymore. So I liked the display on the Pixel 2 XL, and I like it on the V30 too. A far bigger concern is the potential for burn-in. Now my Pixel 2 XL and V30 are both still perfect, which is again why I didn't mention it. But I do have some bad news for you guys. Now theoretically, any OLED can get burn-in eventually. Some just faster than others. And if any of the units out there are suffering from baked on on-screen buttons after just a couple of weeks, this does set off some alarms for me. The good news though is that by regularly mixing up your on-screen elements, I should have changed this watch face more often on that subject, by running lower brightness overall and by avoiding notorious apps like Waze, you can prolong your display's life. And to give consumers additional confidence, LG is offering an extra year of warranty just for registering the device. As long as you're American. The rest of the world gets a good old-fashioned, sorry about that. And while as a Canadian, I can certainly appreciate that gesture, I'd rather have another year of warranty. And on the subject of things I'd rather have, there are a few other V30 drawbacks that do need to be addressed here. The battery is a little small for such a large phone. It didn't really affect me day to day in my wanderings about town, but the XL2's is bigger. The camera is also immediately and obviously inferior to other similarly priced flagship smartphones, like the iPhone 8 Plus, Galaxy S8, and Pixel 2 XL. And LG's Android skin, while functional, didn't light my world on fire. Even though I have an unlocked phone, it shipped chock full of bloatware, and while their animation style actually contributes to the phone feeling really snappy, it lacks something. Not just something, anything to set it apart. Where's the swipe down for notifications on the rear touch sensor? Where's the squeeze for Google Assistant? Where's the system-wide camera quick launch? It only does volume down if the phone isn't locked, and dare I say it, where's the Bixby button? As skinned Android experiences go, LG's is fine, it never offended me in any way. It even allows the software nav buttons to be remapped. Google! And the V30's hardware is both stylish and powerful. But I feel like all but the hardcore wired headphone nerds are going to gravitate towards other options, like the Galaxy S8 or Pixel 2 XL. Which isn't to say that that matters to our sponsor for today's video, dbrand, because they support all three of these devices. dbrand is your source for awesome vinyl skins, and they've got them for laptops, phones, tablets, consoles, controllers, and more. They use only high quality, authentic, true textured 3M vinyl, and probably the best thing about shopping with dbrand is their configurator. When you go over to their site, you just select which device you have, and you go ahead and just pick from all the different colors and textures of skins, and you get a real-time preview of exactly what your device is going to look like. And it's not just about looks. dbrand skins can also protect your belongings from incidental scuffs and scratches. Their customer service robots are easy to work with, and their products are affordable and ship worldwide. Check them out at the link below. So thanks for watching, guys. If you disliked this video, you can hit that button. But if you liked it, hit like, get subscribed, maybe consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured at the link in the video description. Also down there is our merch store, which has a... Yeah, I'm wearing one. Cool shirts like this one, as well as our community forum, which you should totally join.