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Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the LG V20 goes up against the new Honor 6X. Both devices use an all-metal design, a solid build quality, and good specifications, which is unusual considering how cheap the Honor 6X costs. The LG V20 is made from aircraft grade aluminum and is geared towards those that like photography with its dual cameras and those that like good sounds coming through their earphones as it uses four DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters) that is a first for a smartphone. The Honor 6X also sports a dual camera set up to allow photographers to add special effects to their photos. Which one of these devices has what it takes to win this competition? Let’s see just what these two smartphones have in common and just how much they differ.
The LG V20 and the Honor 6X have a few things in common. The display on the V20 is only 0.2-inches larger, slightly taller, and weighs in at 12 grams more than the Honor 6X. The displays use the same LCD technology but different resolutions. They both use a different processor and GPU, and they both pack 4GB of RAM in the 64GB memory option, otherwise the Honor 6X only has 3GB in the 32GB configuration. Both devices have expandable memory via a microSD card. The primary camera areas are different, yet the same – the LG V20 uses one 16MP sensor and one 8MP sensor, while the Honor 6X uses a 12MP and a 2MP sensor. Both have a fingerprint sensor for unlocking your device, but only the LG V20 can authorize mobile payments as the Honor 6X does not have an NFC chip. They both come with the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.2 in the LG V20 and v4.1 in the Honor 6X,) GPS and USB port – the newer USB Type-C reversible port for charging and data transfer on the V20 and a microUSB v2.0 on the Honor 6X.
Please take a thoughtful look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below, and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each device in greater depth and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
LG V20
Many users loved the look of the stainless steel LG V10, but the LG V20 uses an aircraft quality aluminum that has a smoother and more professional look than its predecessor. Gone is the silicone backing, but LG fashioned a pair of two silicone-like bumpers on the top and bottom of the LG V20. The LG V20 retained the dual display for notifications, although LG increased the brightness of the secondary screen. The phone is geared towards those users interested in experimenting with photography or that demand a great sound through the earphones.
LG designed the V20 with two displays rather than using a single display with the ‘always-on’ technology. The primary display is an IPS Quantum Quad HD panel that measures 5.7-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 513 pixels-per-inch (PPI). The secondary display measures 1040 x 160 pixels with a density of 513 PPI. The secondary display saves battery life by allowing the primary display to stay off while only the smaller display stays on and feeds your notifications such as time and date. The LG V20 uses a Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with dual cores running at 1.6GHz and dual cores running at 2.15GHz. The LG V20 packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of faster UFS 2.0 internal storage with room to expand.
The LG V20 is designed for photo buffs, and it uses a dual camera arrangement that packs a 16MP primary sensor and another 8MP wide-angle lens that acts as a secondary camera. For routine shots, the V20 defaults to the 16MP, but when you want to take a shot that needs a wider view, the 8MP wide-angle sensor can step in. LG included both laser and phase detection autofocus (PDAF,) added a large f/1.8 aperture on the primary camera and f/2.4 for the 8MP sensor, OIS, and a dual-tone LED flash. The front-facing camera (FFC) uses a single 5MP sensor with a f/1.9 aperture for selfies or video chatting. The LG V20 packs a 3200mAh removable battery that should last you throughout the day. The user has the option of using Quick Charge 3.0 for a fast charge, or you can just replace it with a new battery.
LG went all out on the V20 for Hi-Fi buffs with four DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters), which is a first for a smartphone. The V20 is also equipped with an EQ with left/right balance controls that are B&O Play certified. This will enhance the sound on a good set of earphones, but it is a shame LG did not add dual front-facing speakers to take advantage of the technology. The LG V20 was awarded an MIL-STD-810G certification due to its rugged build. The V20 measures 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm and weighs in at 174 grams and cost about $670. The LG V20 is available in Titan and Silver, and it’s running Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box.
Honor 6X
Huawei’s Honor 6X is their newest mid-range smartphone and with a small price tag of only $250 for the 32GB model and $299 for the 64GB model. It has a solid metal build and rounded corners that make it a pleasure to hold. It uses 2.D-curved glass that works well with the curved sides. The Honor 6X is only 8.2mm thick and rather light at only 162 grams. The Honor 6X has a dual camera set up and takes decent pictures. Let’s see how it stacks up to the much more expensive LG V20.
The Honor 6X sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 403 PPI. Huawei used their designed processor, the HiSilicon Kirin 655 octa-core with four cores clocked at 1.7GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz. They coupled that to their Mali-T830MP2 GPU to handle the graphics. The base Honor 6X packs 3GB of RAM and offers 32GB of internal memory that is expandable via a microSD card, but Huawei claims there will also be a 4GB/64GB option available shortly.
The Honor 6X uses an unusual dual camera setup – not because dual cameras are unusual – but because the secondary camera is only 2MP. The primary camera is a 12MP and combined with the 2MP secondary camera, Huawei claims it will deliver a “professional-grade bokeh effect.” It comes with Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) and a LED flash. For its FFC, it uses an 8MP lens for selfies and video chatting. The Honor 6X uses a larger 3340mAh non-removable battery with rapid charging.
You have to keep reminding yourself that the Honor 6X is a mid-range smartphone as it has an excellent build quality, good looks, and offers a great value. It has a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device, but no NFC chip, so mobile banking is not an option. Huawei added a feature to prevent eye fatigue that filters out the blue light. It measures 150.9 x 76.2 x 8.2mm, weighs in at 162 grams, and comes in Gray, Gold, and Silver. Pricing is about $250 for the 3GB/32GB model and $300 for the 4GB/64GB model out later this year. It comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with a planned upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat. The Honor 6X is a GSM device, and it will function on AT&T or T-Mobile in the US.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
Okay, I had to pick the LG V20 as the winner of this comparison. It simply is the superior device in all aspects – except the price. We always take into account the value of a device, but the LG V20 just trumps the Honor 6X in all technical specifications. However, if you want a great phone for a bargain price and okay with only using AT&T or T-Mobile in the US, you may want to consider the Honor 6X.
The LG V20 has the larger display with Quad HD resolution, and it has a dual-screen setup, a better processor/GPU, better camera, more RAM in the base model, better sound, newer USB Type-C port, NFC for mobile payments, and is running Android 7.0. Yes, it is more expensive, but it may be worth the extra money for the added specs and functionality.
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