Dual-screen smartphones have always felt more gimmicky than innovative. The problem historically has been one of focus: Although manufacturers have approached the tacking on of ancillary screens in all sorts of different ways, the experiences have never been compelling-enough to justify added bulk. The Samsung Continuum’s ticker display, for example, was difficult to type around and hard to customize. The Kyocera Echo had a unsightly seam. But that baggage didn’t stop-LG. Riding on the coattails of the G4’s success, the electronics-maker announced the V10. It features a second display like the aforementioned handsets, but unlike the dual-screen handsets before it, it packs more than a few additional surprises: dual front-facing cameras capable of-capturing-wide-angle selfies, a manual video mode that exposes-granular image settings,-and a ruggedized body of stainless steel and silicon that’s-passed-third-party shock tests. Updated on 10-26-2015 by Andy Boxall:- Added pre-order date and prices for the V10 through AT&T and T-Mobile. Pricing and availability LG stated that the LG V10 will arrive at AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, but Sprint was left out of the list — for now. Prices and availability details began to come through in late October. AT&T initially issued a statement to Digital Trends via email, saying it will support the V10 and the new smartwatch from LG.-“AT&T is excited to enhance our device options for customers with the addition two groundbreaking smart devices from LG Mobile: the LG V10 smartphone, and the connected LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE Android Wear smartwatch.” Sure enough, AT&T provided more details in late October, and the network will open pre-orders for the V10 on October 27. -It’ll be available from November 6. If purchased with a two-year contract, the V10 will cost $250, or it’s sold through the Next program with nothing to pay up front. The 30-month Next 24 plan costs $23 per month, the 24-month Next 18 costs $29, and the 20-month Next 12 is $35 per month. If you’re quick, AT&T’s offering the V10 with an extra battery, a 200GB MicroSD card, and a charging dock, which has to be claimed before November 30.-However, AT&T hasn’t mentioned the LTE version of the Watch Urbane yet. T-Mobile-tweeted its excitement for the phone and set up a pre-register page for those who are interested. The V10 costs $600 without a contract, or it can be purchased with no downpayment, interest-free for 24-months. Bought this way, it’ll cost you $25 each month. We’re still waiting for the date when sales will start through the network. The LG V10 launched in South Korea first, and is available in black, white, beige, and two shades of blue.-We’ll keep you updated here as we learn more about pricing and availability in the U.S. and elsewhere. Specs and features LG’s no stranger to dual-display smartphones — it did, after all, debut-the twin-screen touting LG DoublePlay in 2011 — but the company’s taken a more measured approach with the V10. The second, 160 x 1,040 pixel IPS-screen-sits unobtrusively above the primary IPS QHD (2,560 x 1,440) display, and practically seamlessly — unlike dual-screen phones of yesteryear, it’s difficult to tell where the one-display ends and the other begins. Related: Make the most of the excellent LG G4 with these 10 tips As far as what you’re meant to do with the second screen, LG envisions it as a sort of it as a sort of segregated space for all manner of software distractions. Notifications will appear on the second screen instead of the main display when your watching a video or playing a game. It can be configured as a launcher for apps, and it can minimize the main screen’s power draw by displaying the weather, time, date, and battery when it’s off. A second screen might be considered differentiating enough, but the V10 packs another idiosyncratic-feature: dual 5-megapixel-front cameras.-LG says the two shooters, in tandem with a “sophisticated software algorithm,”-enable-the V10 to capture wide angle photos — fields of view between 80 and 120 degrees — that’d otherwise require an image-distorting large and heavy lens.-The photography uniqueness-carries over to software. The V10 records video up to 4K (at a ratio-of either 16:9 or 21:9), and LG says the it’s-is the first smartphone to offer a manual mode for video — with the built-in app, you can adjust settings such as frame rate, shutter speed, white balance, focus, and ISO. It’s-all packed in a durable frame. The V10’s exterior is composed-of soft, scratch-resistant Dura Guard silicon-and SAE grade 316L stainless steel in an etched design that’s intended to “offer a more secure grip.” Should that measure fail, though, LG says the materials are supple enough to withstand hard hits-— the V10’s-certified by MET Laboratories for falls up to 48 inches. Related: Why the LG’s G4 is the perfect Swiss Army-knife for a digital nomad In terms of other internals, the V10 is packed to the brim with high-end hardware. It sports a Snapdragon 808 processor, same as the G4; 4GB(!)-of RAM; a 16-megapixel rear camera;-64GB of memory expandable via MicroSD (up to 2TB); and a 3,000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. It’s got a Hi-Fi audio processor by ESS Technology, too, plus antennas with Qualcomm’s signal-optimizing TruSignal software, an apparent smartphone first. It’ll ship with Android 5.1.1. LG didn’t cut many corners with the V10, and that’s key. By positioning the second screen as a feature in addition to many impressive others, LG’s-avoided-the obvious pitfall of previous product entries in the second screen category:-the companion display as a selling point in and of itself.-With competitive pricing to accompany the compelling package, it’s a strategy that may well pay off. LG Urbane 2nd Edition Toward the tail end of the presentation, LG announced another surprise: the LG Urbane 2nd Edition, the follow-up to the Android Wear smartwatch of the same series. With the exception of a slightly smaller diameter (44.5mm vs. 45.5mm), a TPSiV elastomer band, and three new buttons on the right side of the watch that act as app shortcuts, most-of the improvements are internal.-The new Urbane features GPS and a larger, 570mAh battery, but perhaps the highlights are the upgraded display and 4G/3G-connectivity. The former is a 1.38-inch, P-OLED panel with a resolution of 480 x 480, the highest resolution of any smartwatch. And the latter’s an Android Wear first. The specs are otherwise identical to the predecessing Urbane: a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4GB of memory, a dust- and water-resistant (IP67) stainless steel body,-and array of motion sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and barometer). On the software side, it ships with LG Health and 16 different watch faces. A toggleable Power Saving Mode dims the display to extend battery. It’ll launch in the United States and Korea later this month in black, blue, white, and brown. AT&T has said that it will carry the watch. Previous updates: Updated on 10-01-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T will carry the LG V10.



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