LG G8/V50 ThinQ Announcement/Owners Thread

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ShinyChrome

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#247821 25-Feb-2019 10:29

For the like 5 people that still buy LG phones:

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_unveils_v50_thinq_5g_with_a_case_that_adds_a_second_screen_and_two_lg_g8_thinqs-news-35685.php

https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_v50_thinq_5g_g8_thinq_hands_on-review-1898.php

Specs are looking a bit more competitive this year, could be interesting...

maoriboy

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#2186736 25-Feb-2019 10:59

Interesting that the V50 has the option to clip on a second screen. It looks very similar to the Nintendo DSI with the second screen attached.

caldazar

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#2186919 25-Feb-2019 13:47

Not sure these even make it to NZ? V40 never did... I was interested in a V40 but the cost of importing one is a bit high. Might have to get an S10 (a shame I'll lose LG's nice audio / DAC)

G7 came here through PB Tech but the small image sensor on it was a bit of a let down.

NikT

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#2186924 25-Feb-2019 13:57

caldazar:

Not sure these even make it to NZ? V40 never did... I was interested in a V40 but the cost of importing one is a bit high. Might have to get an S10 (a shame I'll lose LG's nice audio / DAC)

G7 came here through PB Tech but the small image sensor on it was a bit of a let down.

FYI the V40 just launched in AU last month and may still come to NZ. As a massive fan of the V-series - the V30 is still the best phone I've ever used - I'm keen to get one myself.

The open-market dual SIM SKU does not have the Quad DAC unfortunately, but I may be able to compensate for that.

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caldazar

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#2186943 25-Feb-2019 14:43

NikT:

FYI the V40 just launched in AU last month and may still come to NZ. As a massive fan of the V-series - the V30 is still the best phone I've ever used - I'm keen to get one myself.

The open-market dual SIM SKU does not have the Quad DAC unfortunately, but I may be able to compensate for that.

Yeah V30 is a great phone. I missed the sale when you guys cleared them, otherwise I think I'd have grabbed a spare one for family.

Ah the Aus V40 has no DAC? I didn't realise - I would have got a shock if I did import it then :-) LG. So many models with small variations.

NikT

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#2186948 25-Feb-2019 15:00

caldazar:

Yeah V30 is a great phone. I missed the sale when you guys cleared them, otherwise I think I'd have grabbed a spare one for family.

Ah the Aus V40 has no DAC? I didn't realise - I would have got a shock if I did import it then :-) LG. So many models with small variations.

To my understanding only one dual SIM open market hardware variant globally - LMV405EBW - which should make things a little simpler. While it doesn't include the ESS Sabre DAC, it may well still have a sufficiently grunty amp, which is half the battle really.

Despite tinkering with the S10(s) and currently using the Mate 20 Pro, I sorely miss LG's featureset. Things like double tap to sleep/double tap to wake, my favourite always-on display implementation, the seven-icon dock, and critically, advanced directional haptic feedback that makes the device a joy to use (and actively makes me more productive when typing). I would gladly switch to a V40 myself.

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caldazar

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#2186959 25-Feb-2019 15:30

NikT:

To my understanding only one dual SIM open market hardware variant globally - LMV405EBW - which should make things a little simpler. While it doesn't include the ESS Sabre DAC, it may well still have a sufficiently grunty amp, which is half the battle really.

Despite tinkering with the S10(s) and currently using the Mate 20 Pro, I sorely miss LG's featureset. Things like double tap to sleep/double tap to wake, my favourite always-on display implementation, the seven-icon dock, and critically, advanced directional haptic feedback that makes the device a joy to use (and actively makes me more productive when typing). I would gladly switch to a V40 myself.

The LMV405EBW listed on LG Hong Kong's website says audio tuned by Meridian. I believe this is the same DAC/audio setup as the B&O, just with different branding.. but I could be wrong. Maybe the AU model is different to the Hong Kong model, I don't really know. https://www.lg.com/hk_en/mobile-phone/lg-LMV405EBW-128GB

Good points about tap to wake (I use that feature constantly) and the better haptic feedback. Another thing I prefer is the rear fingerprint sensor.

NikT

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#2186972 25-Feb-2019 15:53

caldazar:

The LMV405EBW listed on LG Hong Kong's website says audio tuned by Meridian. I believe this is the same DAC/audio setup as the B&O, just with different branding.. but I could be wrong. Maybe the AU model is different to the Hong Kong model, I don't really know. https://www.lg.com/hk_en/mobile-phone/lg-LMV405EBW-128GB

Good points about tap to wake (I use that feature constantly) and the better haptic feedback. Another thing I prefer is the rear fingerprint sensor.

Huh - so I understood the audio tuning to refer more to the Boombox speaker, and last week I swear the AU techspecs said "HiFi DAC: No." Now it says "HiFI DAC: Yes." Nice!

I'll confirm with LG either way.

Agreed re: fingerprint sensor, the in-display sensors are...not my cup of tea.

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Geektastic

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#2188493 27-Feb-2019 22:20

I've got a G7 and in general it's a good device.

It has a relatively small battery that it seems to use in a very smart way: I've never felt that a normal day was beyond it.

The screen isn't bad. Not as punchy as some but perfectly useable as a tiny telly.

Sound is by far and away the best I've ever heard through headphones in a phone. As good as some plug in DAC units costing as much as the phone.

Processing seems zippy and gaming works just fine.

I suppose the biggest problem it has is that it has no 'amazeballs' feature. It just does everything in a quietly competent way, so it lacks a bit of wow factor.

Still haven't got Pie on it either.

Would I buy another LG? Probably. If they livened them up a bit and did better updates.

caldazar

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#2188499 27-Feb-2019 22:58

Geektastic: I've got a G7 and in general it's a good device.

It has a relatively small battery that it seems to use in a very smart way: I've never felt that a normal day was beyond it.

The screen isn't bad. Not as punchy as some but perfectly useable as a tiny telly.

Sound is by far and away the best I've ever heard through headphones in a phone. As good as some plug in DAC units costing as much as the phone.

Processing seems zippy and gaming works just fine.

I suppose the biggest problem it has is that it has no 'amazeballs' feature. It just does everything in a quietly competent way, so it lacks a bit of wow factor.

Still haven't got Pie on it either.

Would I buy another LG? Probably. If they livened them up a bit and did better updates.

Yeah, maybe I'll just grab a G7 sometime and tie over another year.

I agree with you on the sound. LG phones have really good audio.

Actually now that I've had a closer look at the G8, it looks like a nice improvement on the G7. Better cameras and OLED screen. Bigger battery. OLED Crystal sound tech looks great. If it was out now, I'd probably just buy a G8 but knowing LG, it'll not make it to market for months.

The Vein ID thing seems odd but they really should have showcased it as a feature someone can use while eating or cooking so they don't have to touch the screen.

LG's biggest stupidity is their high launch prices and not opening up their phones to the dev community to make up for their tardy software updates. If they handed out a bunch of phones to prominent devs in the xda community and unlocked the bootloader, they might develop some kind of interest in their product again in a grass roots way. They've always shot themselves in the foot - like with the LG V20, AFAIK, devs had no easy way to make use of the second screen, so not many novel uses beyond LG's implementation got developed. No doubt the ToF sensor in the G8 will be the same - locked down so only LG can develop handy wavy gestures, where as some other hackers/app devs might come up with much more creative uses.

You are right they might not have an 'amazeballs' feature but the good features they do have are not marketed well in the first place. The audio has been their advantage for years but it's so poorly marketed most no one knows about it.

caldazar

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#2190683 4-Mar-2019 13:49

So in Aussie there is talk we might not get the G8 but will get the G8S instead. Apparently a step down from the G8 (rumored to only have 1080p screen, no DAC and no crystal sound feature to save costs). A bit of a let down.

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#2190690 4-Mar-2019 14:03

caldazar:

So in Aussie there is talk we might not get the G8 but will get the G8S instead. Apparently a step down from the G8 (rumored to only have 1080p screen, no DAC and no crystal sound feature to save costs). A bit of a let down.

The G8s isn't just a neutered G8 - it has a significantly bigger screen (don't let 6.1" vs. 6.2" fool you, they have different aspect ratios) and a slightly larger battery, which should mean markedly better battery life than the regular flavour G8 given 1080p+ vs. 1440p+. Also has stereo speakers instead of the vibrating screen. I would personally take the G8s over the G8 given my form factor preferences, YMMV.

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caldazar

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#2190748 4-Mar-2019 14:45

NikT:

The G8s isn't just a neutered G8 - it has a significantly bigger screen (don't let 6.1" vs. 6.2" fool you, they have different aspect ratios) and a slightly larger battery, which should mean markedly better battery life than the regular flavour G8 given 1080p+ vs. 1440p+. Also has stereo speakers instead of the vibrating screen. I would personally take the G8s over the G8 given my form factor preferences, YMMV.

If it still has the quad DAC, then that's fine. The article I read seemed to indicate no quad DAC but I wouldn't be surprised if it was incorrect. Also now that I've become use to LG's method of using 2 mic's and receiver combination to record audio, it makes almost every other mobile phone video sound lifeless. Kinda itching to try the G7 at a concert to see how well it does.

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#2202243 20-Mar-2019 09:49

Right, launched the V40 this morning. I like it a lot. Discussion may be better off in this thread however.

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