LG Phone Thread 2019

Forums › Android › LG Phone Thread 2019

Kopkiwi

2552 posts

Uber Geek

#251049 6-Jun-2019 09:32

LG got some pretty interesting phones coming out, figured it would be good to have a dedicated thread for them. Didn't think a dedicated thread for each phone was required given they aren't huge sellers (sadly)

1 | 2 | 3

4636 posts

Uber Geek

#2253154 6-Jun-2019 15:31

One thing I do know is DXOmark is biased against their cameras.

They take into account Bokeh and Telephoto, yet there is no testing of widescreen. Firstly Bokeh or he quality of blur in technical terms, is just a software effect thats easy to add post should someone REALLY want it. So imo it should not be in their testing. If Telephoto which is not something every phone has optically is in tested why is a widescreen lens not?

IMO they should stick to testing the main sensor and only the sensor and lens, ie IQ.

Also in video whilst it is not camera related, the 4 quality mics in the v30, g7 etc make for great sound quality, and given it has in camera cinelog and video post processing, quality audio makes a huge difference.

Then listening and viewing content, a 2k pOLED HDR compliant screen along with a Quad Dac make v30 etc the ultimate multimedia consumption devices.

IM not sure if much changed in the v40 or G8. The G8 went with pOLED I thought. Will be interesting to see what the v50 brings.

LG produce the most under rated ultra high quality devices with every base covered imo. If they can increase he sensor and pixel size they will be perfect. Also if the video stabilisation has improved.

Lenovo

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Kopkiwi

2552 posts

Uber Geek

#2253164 6-Jun-2019 15:38

Yep, I'm very interested to see the G8 and hope we get a V50 variant. Juan Bagnell absolutely loves them.

NikT

1699 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2253247 6-Jun-2019 19:02

The G8 is exclusive to the US and South Korea - for other markets, the G8s is the upcoming model. It's quite a bit larger, has a different aspect ratio, proper dual speakers instead of the vibrating screen, slightly biggerbattery, 1080p instead of 1440p, handful of other differences with the details TBC. It's still a wee way away for ANZ, I'm looking forward to finding out more.

The RRP of the V50 with dual screen case in Australia is a whopping $1728 AUD on Telstra, which works out to around $1899 NZD accounting for GST differences. I am a massive fan of the V-series and quite enamoured with the dual screen concept as a tiny laptop/productivity device, but not convinced I'm $1899 keen just yet. Hopeful though.

Product Manager @ PB Tech

Smartphones @ PB Tech | Headphones @ PB Tech

zyo

510 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2253248 6-Jun-2019 19:05

LG is terrible when it comes to updates.
I would only consider them if they are using Android One

NikT

1699 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2253261 6-Jun-2019 19:34

zyo: LG is terrible when it comes to updates.
I would only consider them if they are using Android One

Depends if that's what's most valuable to you. It used to be for me.

I spent a year using the V30 despite having access to every other device on the market, and kept returning to it because nothing else could match it for featureset and hardware. Double tap to wake and sleep, wide-angle camera, tremendously good system-wide haptic feedback, the best always-on display, phenomenal manual camera/video controls, and of course the Quad DAC. I love LG's featureset and miss it on every other device. It's an ergonomic dream, there is a rhythm to using it - double tapping to wake, rapidly hammering out text, dismissing notifications with a delightful buzz, switching apps, and double tapping to sleep again. I'd been waiting years for LG to make the right phone for me and they were never quite right until the V30, but when it was right, it was exceptional. The V30 became my favourite smartphone to date, and I have used an awful lot of them. It was also, notably, rock solid and stable the entire time I used it.

There is a disconnect in enthusiast circles between what enthusiasts want (rapid feature updates) and what the average user wants (stability) and what everyone needs whether they realise/value it or not (security). For every fan screaming for updates, there are vastly more people who hate updates. You can't use your phone, it bugs you, things change when it was just the way you wanted it, bugs are introduced, settings are reset - if you want to use your phone as a tool, rapid software updates are not necessarily a net positive. I once had someone tell me that Google's security patches were more important than verifying emergency calling still works, which, no.

To add to this, Pie has been in my estimation the least compelling Android platform update in its history, with exactly one feature of value to me (Private DNS) and the rest largely being superficial change for change's sake or adopting elements that were already present in Huawei/Samsung/LG/Xiaomi/et al. I have readily switched between Android 9.0, 8.1, and 8.0 with nothing of value lost. The core of Android has largely hit a plateau. This isn't a bad thing.

There is a whole neglected piece in there around why updates aren't great, and it's chiefly to do with the ongoing revenue models that Google, Apple, and Microsoft have, and which the other Android vendors do not. I'll readily admit that the AU/NZ variants of LG phones do take longer than I'd like to get platform updates vs. regions in which LG have greater marketshare, but they have been good with quarterly security updates.

So yeah, if you want Google's end to end idea of what a smartphone should be, import a Pixel - vanilla Android is absolutely not a great choice for most users who expect a feature-complete experience ala Apple and Samsung. It has its place of course, and if you are an enterprise who wants to buy 1000 Android One devices with three years of security updates and lock them down with MDM, that is a different story. Buy one for your family? Good luck dealing with an unhappy relative when they discover Google Photos is the only gallery app and proceed to download a bunch of awful alternatives - I've been there.

On the flipside, if updates really are your #1 jam, you can get a Xiaomi device and install the global developer beta and you'll get a new update every week. Or unlock the bootloader and ROM away.

Don't get me wrong here, I am constantly telling smartphone vendors that updates should be faster and simultaneously rolled across as many regions as possible, as it's extremely frustrating as an enthusiast to be waiting for a new feature or bugfix only for it to roll out in NZ at a glacial pace. What Apple do with synchronised global releases is not as mystical as it seems, and it is disappointing other vendors have not achieved parity. But you only need to look at the scores of complaints about new and exciting bugs in both Pixels and Nokia's fleet of Android One devices to see that it's a case of "fast updates, stability, pick one."

Product Manager @ PB Tech

Smartphones @ PB Tech | Headphones @ PB Tech

zyo

510 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2253265 6-Jun-2019 19:42

NikT:

zyo: LG is terrible when it comes to updates.
I would only consider them if they are using Android One

Depends if that's what's most valuable to you. It used to be for me.

I spent a year using the V30 despite having access to every other device on the market, and kept returning to it because nothing else could match it for featureset and hardware. Double tap to wake and sleep, wide-angle camera, tremendously good system-wide haptic feedback, the best always-on display, phenomenal manual camera/video controls, and of course the Quad DAC. I love LG's featureset and miss it on every other device. It's an ergonomic dream, there is a rhythm to using it - double tapping to wake, rapidly hammering out text, dismissing notifications with a delightful buzz, switching apps, and double tapping to sleep again. I'd been waiting years for LG to make the right phone for me and they were never quite right until the V30, but when it was right, it was exceptional. The V30 became my favourite smartphone to date, and I have used an awful lot of them. It was also, notably, rock solid and stable the entire time I used it.

There is a disconnect in enthusiast circles between what enthusiasts want (rapid feature updates) and what the average user wants (stability) and what everyone needs whether they realise/value it or not (security). For every fan screaming for updates, there are vastly more people who hate updates. You can't use your phone, it bugs you, things change when it was just the way you wanted it, bugs are introduced, settings are reset - if you want to use your phone as a tool, rapid software updates are not necessarily a net positive. I once had someone tell me that Google's security patches were more important than verifying emergency calling still works, which, no.

To add to this, Pie has been in my estimation the least compelling Android platform update in its history, with exactly one feature of value to me (Private DNS) and the rest largely being superficial change for change's sake or adopting elements that were already present in Huawei/Samsung/LG/Xiaomi/et al. I have readily switched between Android 9.0, 8.1, and 8.0 with nothing of value lost. The core of Android has largely hit a plateau. This isn't a bad thing.

There is a whole neglected piece in there around why updates aren't great, and it's chiefly to do with the ongoing revenue models that Google, Apple, and Microsoft have, and which the other Android vendors do not. I'll readily admit that the AU/NZ variants of LG phones do take longer than I'd like to get platform updates vs. regions in which LG have greater marketshare, but they have been good with quarterly security updates.

So yeah, if you want Google's end to end idea of what a smartphone should be, import a Pixel - vanilla Android is absolutely not a great choice for most users who expect a feature-complete experience ala Apple and Samsung. It has its place of course, and if you are an enterprise who wants to buy 1000 Android One devices with three years of security updates and lock them down with MDM, that is a different story. Buy one for your family? Good luck dealing with an unhappy relative when they discover Google Photos is the only gallery app and proceed to download a bunch of awful alternatives - I've been there.

On the flipside, if updates really are your #1 jam, you can get a Xiaomi device and install the global developer beta and you'll get a new update every week. Or unlock the bootloader and ROM away.

Don't get me wrong here, I am constantly telling smartphone vendors that updates should be faster and simultaneously rolled across as many regions as possible, as it's extremely frustrating as an enthusiast to be waiting for a new feature or bugfix only for it to roll out in NZ at a glacial pace. What Apple do with synchronised global releases is not as mystical as it seems, and it is disappointing other vendors have not achieved parity. But you only need to look at the scores of complaints about new and exciting bugs in both Pixels and Nokia's fleet of Android One devices to see that it's a case of "fast updates, stability, pick one."

It's not just new functionalities but also security updates etc. And I am still shellshocked by LG's QA (previous Nexus 5X owner with bootloop of death exactly one year after purchase)

Rooting/unlocked bootloader isn't the ideal answer as a lot of Banking apps require unrooted device to operate and I also dont want to run the risk of bricking my 1k device.

Kopkiwi

2552 posts

Uber Geek

#2253411 6-Jun-2019 22:27

NikT:

zyo: LG is terrible when it comes to updates.
I would only consider them if they are using Android One

Depends if that's what's most valuable to you. It used to be for me.

I spent a year using the V30 despite having access to every other device on the market, and kept returning to it because nothing else could match it for featureset and hardware. Double tap to wake and sleep, wide-angle camera, tremendously good system-wide haptic feedback, the best always-on display, phenomenal manual camera/video controls, and of course the Quad DAC. I love LG's featureset and miss it on every other device. It's an ergonomic dream, there is a rhythm to using it - double tapping to wake, rapidly hammering out text, dismissing notifications with a delightful buzz, switching apps, and double tapping to sleep again. I'd been waiting years for LG to make the right phone for me and they were never quite right until the V30, but when it was right, it was exceptional. The V30 became my favourite smartphone to date, and I have used an awful lot of them. It was also, notably, rock solid and stable the entire time I used it.

There is a disconnect in enthusiast circles between what enthusiasts want (rapid feature updates) and what the average user wants (stability) and what everyone needs whether they realise/value it or not (security). For every fan screaming for updates, there are vastly more people who hate updates. You can't use your phone, it bugs you, things change when it was just the way you wanted it, bugs are introduced, settings are reset - if you want to use your phone as a tool, rapid software updates are not necessarily a net positive. I once had someone tell me that Google's security patches were more important than verifying emergency calling still works, which, no.

To add to this, Pie has been in my estimation the least compelling Android platform update in its history, with exactly one feature of value to me (Private DNS) and the rest largely being superficial change for change's sake or adopting elements that were already present in Huawei/Samsung/LG/Xiaomi/et al. I have readily switched between Android 9.0, 8.1, and 8.0 with nothing of value lost. The core of Android has largely hit a plateau. This isn't a bad thing.

There is a whole neglected piece in there around why updates aren't great, and it's chiefly to do with the ongoing revenue models that Google, Apple, and Microsoft have, and which the other Android vendors do not. I'll readily admit that the AU/NZ variants of LG phones do take longer than I'd like to get platform updates vs. regions in which LG have greater marketshare, but they have been good with quarterly security updates.

So yeah, if you want Google's end to end idea of what a smartphone should be, import a Pixel - vanilla Android is absolutely not a great choice for most users who expect a feature-complete experience ala Apple and Samsung. It has its place of course, and if you are an enterprise who wants to buy 1000 Android One devices with three years of security updates and lock them down with MDM, that is a different story. Buy one for your family? Good luck dealing with an unhappy relative when they discover Google Photos is the only gallery app and proceed to download a bunch of awful alternatives - I've been there.

On the flipside, if updates really are your #1 jam, you can get a Xiaomi device and install the global developer beta and you'll get a new update every week. Or unlock the bootloader and ROM away.

Don't get me wrong here, I am constantly telling smartphone vendors that updates should be faster and simultaneously rolled across as many regions as possible, as it's extremely frustrating as an enthusiast to be waiting for a new feature or bugfix only for it to roll out in NZ at a glacial pace. What Apple do with synchronised global releases is not as mystical as it seems, and it is disappointing other vendors have not achieved parity. But you only need to look at the scores of complaints about new and exciting bugs in both Pixels and Nokia's fleet of Android One devices to see that it's a case of "fast updates, stability, pick one."

I love the idea of the dual screen. I will absolutely be looking at picking up the V50 if it his our shores. The G2 is still the best phone I ever owned, I've been looking for an excuse to go back to LG.

elbrownos

107 posts

Master Geek

#2254470 8-Jun-2019 18:09

zyo:

It's not just new functionalities but also security updates etc. And I am still shellshocked by LG's QA (previous Nexus 5X owner with bootloop of death exactly one year after purchase)

Rooting/unlocked bootloader isn't the ideal answer as a lot of Banking apps require unrooted device to operate and I also dont want to run the risk of bricking my 1k device.

My experience with the G3 (which developed severe faults after 1 year) has also put me off ever buying another LG phone.

Dial111

938 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2254472 8-Jun-2019 18:22

elbrownos:

zyo:

It's not just new functionalities but also security updates etc. And I am still shellshocked by LG's QA (previous Nexus 5X owner with bootloop of death exactly one year after purchase)

Rooting/unlocked bootloader isn't the ideal answer as a lot of Banking apps require unrooted device to operate and I also dont want to run the risk of bricking my 1k device.

My experience with the G3 (which developed severe faults after 1 year) has also put me off ever buying another LG phone.

This, the G3 was an awesome phone but the boot loop issues I had with it and LG's initial response... never again.

Kopkiwi

2552 posts

Uber Geek

#2255873 11-Jun-2019 11:03

See a couple reviews coming out for the V50...little disappointing :-(

Hammerer

2378 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2255957 11-Jun-2019 12:32

I'm very happy with my "water, dust and shock proof" 2018 LG ThinQ G7. It has been a good move from the "water and dust proof" Sony (and Sony-Ericsson) models I've used for over a decade.

I'm aware of LG's past quality issues but I don't buy near launch so most problems are detected before I buy. If I eliminated brands based on past problems then most name brands would be out including Sony, Apple, Samsung, ....

Kopkiwi

2552 posts

Uber Geek

#2256075 11-Jun-2019 14:17

Hammerer:

I'm very happy with my "water, dust and shock proof" 2018 LG ThinQ G7. It has been a good move from the "water and dust proof" Sony (and Sony-Ericsson) models I've used for over a decade.

I'm aware of LG's past quality issues but I don't buy near launch so most problems are detected before I buy. If I eliminated brands based on past problems then most name brands would be out including Sony, Apple, Samsung, ....

How do you find the software and UI? Most of the complaints seem to agree it's gotten a little dated.