Earlier this year it was revealed that LG had shelved their plans for an update to the G6 and instead would bring an incremental update to their most recent flagship, the V30+. Today in Barcelona they have taken the wraps off their new flagship and it seems to be a worthy update.
The new flagship from LG is the V30S ThinQ and it is once again an attractive looking device. We reported last year that the ThinQ brand launched by LG would encompass all of their products that use artificial intelligence. The name of the new LG flagship smartphone thus gives away it’s focus: AI.
The V30S ThinQ uses AI in many ways not yet seen including the camera with software they are calling Vision AI. It uses algorithms to brighten an image (Bright Mode) by a factor of two instead of just measuring the ambient as most smartphones do. The AI within the camera also analyses the content in the frame (AI CAM) and suggests the optimal shooting mode (similar to the Huawei Mate 10). Each mode is optimised for that particular subject matter (portrait, food, pet, landscape, city, flower, sunrise, and sunset) and enhances the image by taking into account the viewing angle, colour, reflections, lighting and saturation level.
In addition Vision AI also includes QLens which can be used to scan QR codes to provide information on where the item could be purchased online as well as finding the lowest price for said item. It can also be used to see matching images of food and fashion or detailed information of landmarks such as buildings and statues — much like Google Lens does.
Many companies talk about AI but we’re already delivering on our promise by integrating intelligent technology in the LG V30S ThinQ to features most commonly used by our customers for a whole new level of convenience never before available in a smartphone of this calibre. And we will continue to introduce new AI capabilities to enhance usability and to demonstrate to our customers that we are committed to delivering a great user experience that continues long after the purchase of an LG phone. Hwang Jeong-hwan, President of LG Mobile Communications Company
Along with the new AI camera features LG have included some specific Voice AI commands that are LG-exclusive. Working alongside Google Assistant the commands allow the user to use the voice commands to navigate anywhere throughout the settings and menus of the phone as well as direct selection of some functions.
The LG V30S ThinQ will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box (and will thus support project Treble) on top of some impressive hardware. The display will be a decent 6.0 inch OLED display with a 2k resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 835 and will come with 6GB of RAM. As is LG’s want they have included a different name for the variant with increased onboard storage: the V30S will have 128GB and the V30S+ will have 256GB of onboard storage. There is also a microSD card slot (up to 2TB) for those who need more onboard storage than this.
The rear camera will once again be a dual shooter with the primary camera being 16MP and having an aperture size of f/1.6 with OIS. The secondary camera will again be a widescreen lens (120 degree FOV) of 13MP size with f/1.9. The front-facing camera will be, what is now in the selfie world a disappointing 5MP f/2.2 90 degree FOV camera.
The new flagship is powered by a 3300mAh battery, charged wirelessly or through the USB-C port with Quick Charge 3.0. There will be a headphone jack included with a 32-bit Quad DAC. It will retain the IP68 water resistance as well as a 14 MIL-STD 810G rating for toughness and durability as determined by the US Department of Defence. It will be available in a Platinum Grey and a Moroccan Blue.
LG have put a lot of effort into the incorporation of AI into this phone and while it seems as if there is nothing totally new, we suspect (and hope) that they have improved on previous versions of this sort of functionality we have seen from others. If we manage to get a long term review (if it makes it here) you can be sure we will be testing out all the AI functionality and comparing them to other manufacturers’ offering.
Sales will begin in early March in Korea but at this stage it is unknown if this will make it to our shores. You can be sure though that we will be bending the ears of the LG Australia representatives in Barcelona at their press conference early tomorrow morning (AEDT).
