LG MWC 2019: A dual screen with a difference

LG MWC 2019

LG showed perhaps the most robust dual screen phone at LG MWC 2019. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G has an optional hinged dual AMOLED display. It also showed its next G, Q and K series.

LG makes great smartphones. The LG MWC 2019 announcements were safe rather than ground breaking – but the idea of an optional second screen is novel.

V50 ThinQ 5G

As a single screen device, it has

  • 6.4-inch QHD+ 3120 x 1440, 19.5:9 ratio. Notch, 83% S-T-B-R, Dolby Vision/HDR10 AMOLED
  • Qualcomm 855 Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 485)
  • 6/128GB and dedicated microSD slot to 512GB
  • Three camera rear
    • 12 MP, 27mm (standard), f/1.5, 1/2.6″, 1.4µm, 3-axis OIS, dual pixel PDAF
    • 12 MP, 52mm (telephoto), f/2.4, 1.0µm, 2x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF
    • 16 MP, 16mm (ultrawide), f/1.9, 1/3.1″, 1.0µm, no AF
  • Dual camera front
    • 8 MP, 26mm (standard), f/1.9, 1.4µm
    • 5 MP, 21mm (wide), f/2.2, 1.4µm
  • Stereo speakers, 32-bit/192kHZ high res Meridian audio, Dolby Atmos and DTX:S, 3.5mm audio
  • Wi-Fi AC, NFC, GPS and Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD
  • 4000mAh Quick Charge 3.0 battery and 10W Qi wireless charging
  • 159.2 x 76.1 x 8.3 mm x 183g, IP68 and MIL-STD 810G
  • And 5G via Qualcomm X50 modem, dual sim

The second screen option is a 6.2-inch, 2160 x 1080 that connects via pogo pins to the main screen. It weighs 131g

While others pursue one-piece foldables, LG has smartly adopted an optional hinge design – not unlike a 360° hinge laptop. It has allowed it to do two different things.

First, make the main phone 8.3mm thin and 183g. Second, the design allows for larger 5G antenna and a larger battery as well as a larger vapour chamber thermal solution for the Qualcomm 855 powerhouse SoC inside.

LG MWC 2019

LG has confirmed it will be coming to Australia via Telstra soon!

G8 ThinQ (and a G8s model to come)

We are often confused between the G and V series – the latter is supposed to be the flagship, but sometimes the former is a better performer.

The G8 ThinQ has

LG MWC 2019
  • 6.1-inch, 3120 x 1440 screen, notch, 83.5% S-T-B-R OLED (1st time in a G series)
  • Qualcomm 855 processor as V50
  • Ram and storage – same
  • Rear camera – same
  • Dual front 8 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm, AF and a 3D TOF camera (LG call this a Z camera)
  • Crystal Sound OLED top speaker and additional bottom speaker – same sound
  • 3,500mAh and Wireless Quick Charge
  • 151.9 x 71.8 x 8.4 mm x 167g and same IP and MIL-STD

The Gs version has a 6.2-inch, 2248 x 1080 screen, 6/64GB, 13MP wide angle lens, and a 3550mAh battery.

https://youtu.be/1c6c0hYQEkE

Q and K series

We often forget that few have a grand or so to spend on a smartphone.

LG has the new Q and K series for mass and value markets. We won’t go into all the specifications here and we are not sure if these models will come to Australia.

LG MWC 2019

The Q60, K50 and K40 have premium features, advanced technologies and stylish design at lower price points.

Each device features LG’s HD+ FullVision displays – 6.26-inch for the Q60 and K50 and 5.7-inch in the K40. The front-facing camera in the Q60 and K50 is located in a water drop cutout to make maximum use of the FullVision display

The Q60, K50 and K40 all feature AI functions typically found in flagship smartphones. AI CAM magically recognises objects it sees and recommends the ideal shooting mode for the best results. And a dedicated Google Assistant button gives users immediate access to the most widely-used virtual assistant on smartphones today.

In addition to its impressive 13MP front camera, the Q60 has three rear cameras: 16MP with Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF), 5MP with Super Wide Angle and a 2MP shooter with Depth Sensor that captures a sharp image of the subject while leaving the background blurred. With four unique lenses, Q60 owners can take perfect shots.

Both the Q60 and K50 have a 3,500mAh battery. The K40 has 3,000mAh.

GadgetGuy’s take: LG MWC 2019 – LG makes great smartphones

While Samsung and Huawei suck all of the smartphone oxygen out of the air at MWC, don’t overlook LG for quality, reliable smartphones.

This year LG has played it safe with 5G in the V40 and an optional screen – it may just pay dividends while the disruptive 5G market sorts itself out. And LG triple rear cameras are a delight to use making the best of wide-angle photography.

And its Q and K series are good honest phones at reasonable prices.