A few weeks or months after release, most phones’ common issues are all over the place in Android communities, meaning that would-be buyers who do their homework know what they’re in for. The LG V20 is no exception, and one of the first big issues to come to light is somewhat of a doozy; the amazing dual camera setup on the LG V20 is one of the big draws on the device, but some users are reporting that the glass that covers it cracks too easily, leaving their phones with either a lack of focus, if they’re lucky, or spiderwebbing veins of cracked glass thwarting any attempts they may make to take pictures with their device.
According to a user on Reddit, their device’s camera cover glass was discovered to have cracked during a session of flashlight use that lasted about 30 minutes. This may not have been the cause, but the fact that the flashlight use session was when the crack was discovered lends serious credence to the user’s assertion on Reddit that the LED may be overheating and causing the glass to fracture under the excessive thermal stress that the light allegedly generated. A few other reports of that glass being excessively brittle have come in , with reasons for breakage ranging from a standard drop to others noticing spontaneous breakage, and even some who received their units with cracked camera glass.
Interestingly, in a torture test video from JerryRigEverything on YouTube, the LG V20’s back camera glass passed the scratch test with aplomb. Shortly after, the glass spidered completely out of the blue, leaving serious doubts as to its internal integrity. Since this issue is being seen so often and is most likely not a per-device fluke, and since it is such a major malfunction that affects one of the biggest draws of the device, LG is unlikely to sit by as users languish with cracked units. That said, they have yet to issue any kind of official statement on the matter. Most customers, for now, are able to get replacement units under warranty through their carriers, but if the issue persists, and official and sweeping response from LG is unlikely to be far behind.