LG’s upcoming smartphone is leaking rather more than LG’s products usually do, and that can only mean that the company is trying to turn around its fortunes with selective leaks to the world’s press.
The LG G8 ThinQ is shaping up to be an interesting device as well, eschewing cutout front-facing cameras, in-screen fingerprint sensors and three- or four-camera rear arrays for a more traditional device.
What’s new?
Indeed, the renders of the LG G8 ThinQ show a double rear camera, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a modest notch for front-facing sensors.
Notably, though, there’s no front-facing earpiece in this render; this supports earlier rumours that the device would use Sound on Display technology to turn the screen into a speaker.
Analysis
This is a much more traditional device than we’ve come to expect in late 2018 / early 2019, and I’m not sure yet whether that’s a good thing or not.
On one hand, it’s clear that LG should – at the very least – compete specifications-wise. A more traditional design may appeal to those who don’t embrace the newer technology yet. In-screen fingerprint sensors are hit and miss vs. their rear-facing counterparts. Three- and four-camera arrays are interesting, but not an order of magnitude more than what two-camera arrays can do.
On the other hand, though, a failure to keep up with the Jones’s may leave LG struggling for oxygen in an already-breathless tech media cycle. With Samsung doing all manner of new things with the Galaxy S10, and with 5G making a huge splash at other manufacturers, an LG G8 ThinQ that has neither 5G nor the bells and whistles of other devices may fall a little flat.
With a press event scheduled for the day before MWC 2019 officially kicks off, we’ll be on the ground to see what LG have been working on, and to ask the questions that most need answering.
I guess I must fall into the “those who don’t embrace the newer technology yet” category. I like the combo fingerprint/power button on the back. Give me an SD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a good sized battery, the latest processor, 6 or 8 gig of RAM, a decent display and minimal manufacturer software overlay and I’m a happy chappie. When do we say ‘enough is enough?’ Cheers.
I might be with you there, Lindsay. There’s plenty who will say the LG G8 ThinQ looks tired, old. I’m almost minded to say it actually looks good – it has the hardware that people want (and never wanted to be rid of) without all the bells and whistles that many people simple don’t need.
I’m pretty sure I don’t want a foldable phone. How much does THAT add to the price of a phone? Who knows – maybe ‘foldability’ will be considered essential in the future.
To your list, I’d add: no notch and no in screen camera hole, 128Gb on board storage.