Outstanding optics

LG doesn’t compete with the big boys in the smartphone space, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check its latest out, says Khalid Anzar

South Korean electronics manufacturer LG is not as big as some of its peers in the Indian smartphone market. The reasons: its unusual product launch cycles and lack of presence in different price segments. The company’s recently launched flagship, LG G8s Thinq, is also making a rather belated entry into India — it was originally announced in February — but at ~35,990, it’s competitively priced and could make for a decent option in the midrange market.

Design (3/5)

The LG G8s Thinq’s glass-and-metal build gives it a somewhat odd look. Even as most smartphone makers are shifting to an all-screen design, LG has decided to continue with a notchscreen design, with thick surrounding bezels. The phone’s back is also unexciting — covered with glass, it features three horizontally placed cameras on top, an LED flash next to it, and a capacitive fingerprint sensor below the camera module. Though the phone’s design is dated, its lightweight build, broad form factor and compact design are convenient.

Display (3/5)

The phone comes with a rather small 6.2-inch screen. The small screen might deter some, but is actually a better fit for single-hand use. The screen is vivid and has a good contrast. The display supports HDR, and there’s a dedicated option in display setting to enable it. In the settings, you also get the option to custom-set the display colour profile.

Camera (5/5)

The LG G8s Thinq is a penta-camera phone — three cameras at the back and two in the front. The triple-camera set-up features a combination of wide, ultrawide and telephoto sensors — each with a 12-megapixel resolution. The front camera has an 8MP sensor, paired with a time-offlight (TOF) sensor.

The phone is an imaging powerhouse. Though it comes with optics that might seem similar to other phones in the segment, it excels in terms of output and value-added features. The phone’s rear cameras take decent photographs with ample detail, natural colours and a reasonable dynamic range in most lighting conditions. If the phone’s auto mode leaves you asking for more, try exploring manual mode — controls on the camera’s granular settings allow you to capture what you otherwise struggle to. The selfie camera also performs solidly.

Performance (4/5)

The LG G8s Thinq is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 systemon-chip, mated with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The phone’s performance is sleek and it handles everyday tasks without glitches. The gaming performance is satisfactory, but the phone tends to warm up if you use it for long hours. It boots the Android 9 Pie operating systembased LG UI.

Features like “air motion”, which allows you to operate it without physical touch, are value-adds — you can pull your palm up above the screen and make a pinch gesture to take screenshots, or use your palm to unlock the phone. The phone’s TOF sensor on the front doubles up as a biometric tool to recognise your palm for unlocking the device. Powering the phone is a 3,550 mah battery, good for a single day of medium usage.

Verdict (3.5/5)

The LG G8s Thinq could be considered for its imaging capabilities and sleek performance. Its old design and small screen, however, might disappoint some. If so, compare it with the Oneplus 7T, the Oppo Reno 2 and the Asus ROG Phone II before making up your mind.