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By 22 February 2018 | Categories: feature articles

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Over the past two years, LG Mobile's V series has proved a better flagship than the G series. Perhaps that is why the South Korean manufacturer is opting to forego a launch of a new G branded device at MWC 2018 next week, and instead showcasing an updated version of the V30 in the form of the V30s. 

With the V30 one of the best flagship phones we reviewed last year, improving it will prove a tough task. That said, here are five things we'd want to see in the V30s. 

1. Feel the glass

For LG's more premium devices, they often favour an aluminium and glass design, but the back cover is usually coated in a plastic that makes the device feel a little faux. As such, we would love to see LG ditch the coating and allow the phone to feel a bit more premium in hand. It should also help improve handling, with the plastic a shade more slippery than glass alone. 

2. Refresh the inside

While the V30s will not be a direct competitor to the upcoming Galaxy S9 from Samsung as it's not strictly a new phone, the fact that both devices will be unveiled at MWC 2018 means they will be stacked against one another. As such, LG needs to continue its trend of placing the best possible components in the V series. 

Consequently, there is little other option than the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, which should be paired with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of onboard storage. 

3. Up the camera

Following on from the previous point, the V30s also needs to up its camera capabilities, especially with Samsung touting the improvements its made for the Galaxy S9. The V30 currently has a covetable dual lens setup, with a 16 MP f/1.6 and 13 MP wide angle option on offer. 

While upping the number of megapixels is not really necessary, improvements to the aperture and image stabilisation are always welcome. Adding more cinematography shooting modes for video would also be a plus. 

4. Add more AI

One of the confirmed elements of the V30s will be a handful of AI features. Much of it has to do with the camera and object detection, and the early signs are that LG will be leveraging it for retail and shopping purposes. 

That seems limited to us, especially as object detection has been used in interesting ways by the likes of Google. LG adding a Google Lens-like feature to the V30s would be welcome, particularly for users aiming to point their camera towards buildings and landscapes and hopefully learn a bit more.  

5. Drop price (if possible)

Place this one under wishful thinking. With the V30 selling for R15 649 at local launch, the chances of the V30s being any cheaper are slim to none. That said, if LG does indeed wants to turn attention away from other manufacturers at MWC debuting new devices, their refreshed version of the V30 would do well to be less expensive.

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