LG says the V20 will be released in September with Android 7.0 Nougat [Update]

Android Police

By Ryan Whitwam

Published Aug 1, 2016

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US PR

LG has been having problems in the wake of poor LG G5 sales. The Korean smartphone maker has already given some execs the boot, moved others to different areas, and formed a new smartphone oversight group. LG is pinning its hopes for turning 2016 around on the V20, which it has now officially acknowledged on its Korean site. The V20 will be out in September with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

LG's announcement was posted in Korean (i.e. this is all based on translated info), and was not accompanied by any photos or renders of the phone. All we have are a few more tidbits about the hardware, the name, and the OS version. The V20 will again have a "dual front selfie" camera, much like the V10. It will also be the first phone with a built-in 32-bit DAC. A second screen similar to the V10 will be along for the ride too.

Google has yet to say exactly when Android 7.0 will be official, but this announcement helps us narrow it down. If the V20 comes out in September (not clear in which markets), then presumably Nougat will hit Nexus devices sometime before that. We'll probably find out about the new Nexus phones when Nougat is official too. So, this should all be worked out by the end of September at the latest.

UPDATE: 2016/08/01 8:39am PDT BY

US PR

LG has sent out PR in English, and there are a few new details. For one, LG isn't saying "September" anymore. Now it's just Q3, but that still means September at the latest. The talk of hardware features is gone as well. It turns out LG was talking about the V10 in that section; translations stink. It also says the V20 will be the first phone to ship with Nougat, which is unusual. One would expect the new Nexus phones to beat it to market. We'll have to see how this pans out.

SEOUL, Aug. 1, 2016 ― LG Electronics (LG) confirms that its next flagship smartphone, LG V20, will be the first device to feature Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The LG V20 will begin shipping in the third quarter.

The LG V20 builds upon the premium and rich multimedia smartphone experience of last year’s LG V10. It will be tuned to take advantage of many of the best features of Nougat, including Vulkan-supported graphics for more immersive gaming while also delivering better battery performance with Doze. Consumers will also enjoy new productivity features such as Direct Reply, which lets users respond quickly to text messages or update tasks using the notification interface.

LG and Google have collaborated closely since the 2009 launch of the very first Android phone from LG based on Android 1.5 Cupcake. The two companies continued to collaborate on a series of Nexus smartphones starting with the Nexus 4 in 2012, which was shipped with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the Nexus 5 that was released in 2013 with Android 4.4 KitKat, and the Nexus 5X that was unveiled in 2015 featuring Android 6.0 Marshmallow. LG and Google have also teamed up to offer smart wearables such as LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, the world’s first and only Android Wear smartwatch with cellular-based connectivity.

“We are excited to offer the first phone in the world to feature Nougat out of the box,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company. “The LG V20 upgrades and extends its predecessor’s cutting-edge multimedia features a step further, providing distinctive mobile experience and sets a new standard for premium phones for consumers.”

Source: LG