LG has just trumpeted that the LG V20 underwent 60,000 stress tests before its public release to ensure that its consumers only get the best. Now, the level of that effort could prove meaningless as reports indicate that the glass panel that covers the camera of some V20 variants are shattering on their own.
There is already a small number of LG V20 smartphone owners who are trooping to Reddit to complain about what appears to be fragile camera glass. The accounts do vary. Some received the handset already with shattered camera glass. There are also consumers who noticed cracks after mere days of use even when the device was not dropped at all.
One post also showed cracks radiating from the LED, which could indicate that it cracked under its glare. The common ground out of all these stories seems to be the claim that the glass material is fragile.
The public has had a form of warning about this issue. When popular YouTuber JerryRigEverything subjected the LG V20 to an extreme torture test, the camera glass covering did not easily get scratched. It could have been another feather in the LG V20's cap. The scratched glass, however, spontaneously shattered shortly after.
Now, the fragile camera glass panel issue still pales in comparison to the issue of the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7. At this point, none of the affected users said they got hurt by shards of those splintered glass. The camera also seemed to work perfectly and was only hindered by the cracks before it.
However, one must remember that the phone is extremely expensive. Sprint, for instance is selling the device for $792, full retail price. For that amount, even a dent or scuff could be jarring for those who love their gadgets.
Now, if the complaints will continue, LG will most assuredly move to immediately address them, possibly launching an investigation to determine the validity of these claims of shattered glass. Otherwise, the company could be setting itself up for a minor controversy, which could undermine what so far has been recognized as a great mobile device.
This early, credit must be given to carriers for swiftly responding to the LG V20 cracked glass problem. However, there are signs that customers are increasingly getting jittery about the device.
"Received my V20 today and noticed that the glass on the camera was cracked about 5 hours later," a Reddit user posted. "Talked to T-Mobile support via Twitter and they are sending me a new phone so I'm happy with the resolution."
That post, however, has since been updated with a statement that the replacement phone is on its way back. It was being returned not because the problem recurred.
"Decided I'm going to return the replacement phone," the poster explained. "Too much risk and not enough positives."
Certainly, there is also the possibility that the cracked glass panels are isolated incidents. We will just have to wait and see.
