And here we are on the official review of the LG V40 ThinQ. Turns out that the information previously leaked is not 100% accurate. There are tons of G7 features that was passed on to the V40. In fact, it’s just a lot like more the G7 with more cameras and incredibly expensive price.
Without further ado, here’s our review of the latest LG V40.
V30 Design
The LG V40 ThinQ is much similar to the V30 when it comes to design. Just like the leaked photos suggest, the V40 is somehow a combination of two LG flagships namely the V30 and the G7. Now it’s clear that it has a V30 external and G7 internal.
It also has a notch, but not as big as what we have anticipated. It can be intelligently hidden when you’re on the home screen.
Five Cameras
The V40 has a total of five cameras – two in front and three at the back. The notch holds the two cameras up front. This allows wide-angle selfies and portrait mode. One has a standard lens with an 8MP sensor, f/1.9 aperture, and 80-degree field of view, and one wide lens with a 5MP sensor, f/2.2 aperture, and 90-degree field of view.
The three rear cameras have the following specs: one has a standard 12MP sensor with a 78-degree field of view, an ultra-wide sensor with a 107-degree field of view, and a 2x zoom lens with a 47-degree field of view.
The back also has a fingerprint scanner and covered with a Gorilla Glass 5 panel. However, don’t expect too much from the fingerprint scanner. It’s rather slower than the average fingerprint scanners from other phones. It can be annoying when using it to unlock the device.
Same G7 Boombox speaker
The leaks suggested that the V40 ThinQ may only include an average speaker but with a headphone jack. To my surprise, it does inherit the amazing LG G7 Boombox speaker while not sacrificing the jack. At least that’s good news.
Samsung was the only major manufacturer who retained the headphone jack on flagship phones. Android users who take music seriously now have two options. But, what makes the V40 better is the 32-bit DAC. This high-fidelity audio brings better sounds than just about any other smartphones in the market.
Performance and Hardware
The new V-series phone is a true 2018 release. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The company announced that the 64GB storage is the only available option in the US, while a 128GB version will be available in Korea.
It will be running on Android 8.1 Oreo right out of the box. We were hoping to see an Android 9.0 Pie. Google has not announced yet if the unit will be receiving the update this year.
Another disappointing news is the 3,300mAh battery. It’s ancestor V30 boasts with its great battery and we can’t quite understand why it failed to adopt the said feature. LG could’ve made it with a 4,000mAh battery at least. With only 3,300mAh battery life, we can only get four to five hours maximum on-screen time.
Price and Availability
The LG V40 ThinQ will be available in the global market starting October 18. The price differs depending on the country. In the US, it is nearly $1,000. It’s a bit expensive knowing that it only has the same features as the G7 except for having five cameras.
In my opinion, if you want to enjoy 90% of the V40’s specs for only about $750, better stick to the LG G7.
