When you think of major smartphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung probably come to mind.
Maybe even Motorola.
But LG has been in the game for just as long and consistently releases solid handsets that can give any of these competing companies a run for their money.
The LG G8 ThinQ ($849.99) is no exception.
It looks sharp, has a killer screen with powerful audio, and performs like a champ.
That said, it's a bit of a hard sell compared with the Samsung Galaxy S10e and the Apple iPhone XR, which offer better performance and more consistent software updates for less money.
Design, Display, and Durability
The design of the LG G8 ThinQ doesn't deviate much from the G7.
It measures 5.98 by 2.83 by 0.33 inches (HWD) and comes in at 5.89 ounces.
On the front, you'll find a nearly bezel-less 6.1-inch display, save for a small notch at the top for the cameras.
There's a glass back plate, available in black, gray, or red, which is home to horizontal dual cameras.
A responsive, easy-to-reach fingerprint sensor sits below.
LG G8 ThinQ branding sits prominently in the center and a small LG logo is at the bottom.
The top of the phone is bare, and the left side features a power button and a hybrid SIM/microSD slot.
On the bottom, you'll find a USB-C charging port, the speaker, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The right is home to a dedicated Google Assistant button as well as volume buttons.
They're easy to reach and provide a satisfying tactile click when pressed.
The G8 has a crisp 6.1-inch OLED display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 3,120-by-1,440-pixel resolution for 564 pixels per inch.
Our lab tests measured peak brightness at 315 nits, which is bright enough for outdoor use.
Color accuracy is excellent, though blues and greens are slightly oversaturated.
Overall, it's an absolutely gorgeous display that's perfect for any task from sending emails to streaming multimedia.
In terms of durability, the LG G8 ThinQ is pretty solid.
Though it has an all-glass body, the front is constructed of Gorilla Glass 5 while the back is made of Gorilla Glass 6.
This was a smart choice on LG's part, since the Gorilla Glass 5 display is a little harder than its successor, making it less likely to scratch.
And while Gorilla Glass 6 may be more prone to scratches, it will fare better with drops and dings.
The phone also has IP68 protection so an accidental spill in the pool won't necessarily spell disaster.
Either way, we recommend a sturdy case for any glass-body phone.
Network, Call, and Audio Quality
The LG G8 ThinQ is available unlocked and works on all US carriers.
It supports LTE bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/46/48/66/71.
Although we tested the phone on Verizon's network, it should work well across the board; even T-Mobile customers in rural locations should see good performance thanks to the inclusion of band 71.
In our speed tests in congested downtown Manhattan, the phone got consistent data speeds of 56Mbps up and 38Mbps down.
Call quality is solid.
Our test calls were crystal clear, without a trace of static or clipped voices.
Noise cancellation works great as well; even on a very windy day test calls sounded clear.
Unlike most smartphones, there's no earpiece on the G8.
Instead, LG uses a technology called Crystal Sound OLED that uses the entire display as a diaphragm for the speaker.
When making a call without using the speakerphone, sound only emanates from the top of the display, so privacy isn't a concern.
Speakerphone calls emit from both the display and the speaker on the bottom of the phone.
When streaming multimedia, audio peaks at 89dB and sounds clear, with even a hint of bass.
That's likely due to the resonance chamber that creates a virtual boombox of sorts when the phone is sitting on a solid surface.
Bluetooth 5.0 is included for wearable and wireless audio support, and there's also NFC for contactless payments.
Wi-Fi is supported on the 2.5GHz and 5GHz bands.
Hardware and Performance
As one of the first smartphones available with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, the G8 packs a serious punch.
There's also 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, of which 106GB is available out of the box.
The aforementioned microSD slot can theoretically add up to 2TB of extra room, though only 1TB cards are currently available.
See How We Test Phones
Performance is excellent.
Apps open almost instantaneously, and we had no problem multitasking with over a dozen apps open simultaneously.
Gaming is solid as well.
During an hour of Asphalt 9 gameplay, we encountered no lag or skipped frames, and the battery only depleted by nine percent.
Compared with other flagships, the G8 performed well on our benchmark tests.
On Geekbench, a cross-platform benchmarking suite that simulates common tasks, the G8 scored 3,431 for single-core performance and 10,533 for multi-core performance.
That's slightly behind the Galaxy S10e (3,517/10,577) and significantly behind the iPhone XR (4,818/11,326).
That said, it's hard to notice any real speed differences between the devices in normal daily use.
Benchmarks are best used to provide objective comparisons between similarly priced phones, but cannot accurately predict how the phone will perform in daily use.
The G8 is powered by a 3,500mAh battery.
In our battery drain test, which streams video over Wi-Fi at full brightness, we were able to get 8 hours and 17 minutes before the battery died.
That's not bad, but it falls far behind the 11-plus hours of battery life we got on the Galaxy S10e.
With more conservative use, however, you should be able to get a full day between charges.
If you do find yourself needing a boost before the end of the day, the phone supports wireless charging as well as Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.
Cameras
Of all the new features on the G8, the cameras might be the most important.
The primary sensor comes in at 12MP with a bright f/1.5 aperture.
There's also a 16MP super-wide-angle lens with a 107-degree field of view and f/1.9 aperture.
Both take advantage of LG's extensive AI detection capabilities and have optical image stabilization (OIS) to minimize blur.
On the front you'll find a single 8MP selfie cam with an f/1.7 aperture.
In addition to the camera, there's also a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor for 3D imaging to assist with more realistic portraits as well as facial authentication, and LG's new Hand ID and Air Motion features that allow you to unlock the phone and control certain features without touching it.
An IR illuminator rounds out the array for more accurate distance measurements.
Both the rear and front cameras work well.
In our lab tests, the rear cameras aced every category.
Bright-light images are crisp, with superb color accuracy and detail.
Low-light photos have the slightest hint of noise around background details, but these imperfections are hard to see unless you're looking very closely.
There's also a feature called Night View that improves low-light photos, but it doesn't hold a candle to similar features on the Google Pixel 3 or the Huawei P30 Pro.
The super-wide-angle lens performs admirably.
Our test photos show no edge distortion and are as crisp as the primary lens.
We noticed slightly more background noise in low-light photos, but again, you have to look very closely to notice these imperfections.
While front-facing cameras tend to be a weak spot, even on the best phones, we were impressed with our shots on the G8 ThinQ.
In bright light, the photos look crisp and gorgeous.
Even portrait mode performed well and looks similar to images taken on a DSLR.
In low light we noticed some background noise and a hint of blurring in the foreground on small details like text.
Of all the special camera features, LG's AI CAM is the most impressive.
It accurately suggests camera settings after recognizing common places and subjects in real time.
And though the camera performs well on the regular Auto setting, AI CAM's minor tweaks do a great job of improving your photos.
Other special features still need some work.
Story Shot allows you to customize selfie backgrounds with images in your gallery or taken simultaneously with the rear camera.
In the right conditions it works decently, but more often than not it looks unnatural.
Makeup Pro allows you to change your complexion, physical features, and add eye makeup to your selfies, but results in unnatural-looking images that are often splotchy and blurry.
Along the same lines, Beauty Shot allows you to tweak your facial features on selfies.
There's a slider that lets you to select how dramatic of an effect you'd like, but it just doesn't work well.
In our test shots, my face looked flat and my glasses became blobs of blur.
Software and Special Features
The LG G8 ThinQ ships with Android 9.0 Pie.
LG adds its own custom UI layer, which is much different than stock Android.
Among the many interface changes, you'll find the app drawer is missing, Google Now is replaced with a similar feature called AppFlash, app icons are different, and there are more customization options in the Settings menu.
You'll also find several LG apps like Gallery and Calendar that seem superfluous since Android already has the same features baked in.
And on the topic of superfluous apps, we tested the Verizon version of the G8 ThinQ and it has lots of bloatware.
We counted more than a dozen apps including Final Fantasy XV, Yahoo Finance, Netflix, and Home Advisor.
Fortunately, they can be removed, but it seems egregious to add them in the first place since Verizon doesn't subsidize the cost of the phone.
As mentioned, LG also added some new gestures and security features to the mix, thanks to the Z Camera on the front of the phone.
Hand ID uses the infrared camera and TOF sensor to identify veins in your hand to unlock the phone.
LG states this feature is the same type of technology used in secure bank environments.
I do wonder, however, just how secure this feature is since it's not supported by banking apps or to make contactless payments.
That said, it's convenient when you want to quickly access a notification without picking up your phone.
With Air Motion, the Z Camera captures certain gestures made above the phone to let you do things like take screenshots or control music and video playback.
For example, if you want to change the volume of a video, you can hold your hand above the phone, then put your fingers together and turn them right or left as if adjusting a volume knob.
It's a good idea in theory, but there's a sharp learning curve in getting in just right.
There are also few cases where we can envision it being more convenient than traditional buttons.
That said, it's an innovative first-generation feature that will hopefully improve over time.
While we're fairly confident LG will update the G8 to Android Q in the future, the company's track record for updating devices quickly is spotty at best.
It's such an issue that LG opened a Software Upgrade Center in South Korea.
And nearly a year after the Software Upgrade Center opened, the company still appears to be slow with software updates.
LG released the V40 with Android 8.0 Oreo 74 days after Google released Android 9.0 Pie, and some owners are still waiting on an update.
Conclusions
The LG G8 ThinQ is everything you look for in a flagship phone.
It has a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, plenty of RAM, great build quality, and a stunning display.
It's a strong choice for smartphone photography enthusiasts, particularly if you're not a Samsung fan.
But aside from a sharper screen, it doesn't represent a significant step up from the Galaxy S10e, our Editors' Choice, which costs $100 less and offers a superior software experience.
If you're not tied to Android, meanwhile, the iPhone XR, also $100 less, gets you stronger performance, secure facial authentication, and guaranteed software updates.
Pros
The Bottom Line
The LG G8 ThinQ is a top-notch Android flagship that faces stiff competition from less expensive alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy S10e.
