The LG V40 ThinQ is the first phone in the world
that lets you take an ultra wide-angle shot or zoom in, thanks to the three
cameras on its back. From the 107° ultra wide lens, through the 78° main lens
to the 45° telephoto lens, the new flagship covers 3x worth of optical zoom
(the lenses are 16-25-50mm in 35mm equivalent).
The main camera features a 12MP sensor with 1.4µm
pixels, significantly larger than the 1.0µm pixels of the LG G7 and V35. It
comes paired with a brighter f/1.5 lens and Optical Image Stabilization, so
low-light performance should be much improved. This is the first LG camera to
offer Dual Pixel autofocus.
The other two cameras on the LG V40 ThinQ allow you
to take an all-encompassing shot or zoom in closer. The latter is handled by
the 12MP tele camera with f/2.4 lens. The 16MP ultra wide-angle module has been
borrowed from the G7.
All three rear cameras feature digital image
stabilization for video along with HDR recording. The top video capture mode is
4K at 60fps and there’s a 1080p at 240fps mode for cool slow-mo shots.
Also, you can take a photo with all three cameras
(almost) simultaneously with the Triple Shot feature, which will create a video
or a GIF out of the three images. There’s naturally an AI engine that will help
you compose your shot. It recognizes people in the frame and will guide to a
perfect “rule of thirds” composition.
While the V40’s heart is its camera, it has much
more going for it. With the 6.4” FullVision display, the V-series has regained
its size advantage over the G-series. It’s a QHD+ OLED panel with HDR10 support
and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. And it has a notch.
Inside is the dual selfie camera – 8MP (f/1.9, 80°)
plus 5MP (f/2.4, 90°). These two come calibrated out of the factory and offer
studio lighting portraits among other cool effects.
The LG V40 ThinQ lives up to its legacy with the
full complement of IP68 rating and MIL-STD-810G certification. All that and at
169g, it’s significantly lighter than the Galaxy Note9 and iPhone XS Max. It’s
only a few grams more than the smaller G7 and it’s actually a tenth of a
millimeter thinner than it.
LG still believes in wired headphones, perhaps
because of the 32-bit QuadDAC provides a sonic boost that not all Bluetooth
headphones can match. The phone also boasts a BoomBox speaker (sadly, just the
one).
The V40 runs Android 8.1 Oreo (with LG's custom
launcher on top) on a Snapdragon 845 chipset with 6GB of RAM. There's a single
storage option: 64GB. The good news is that LG is keeping the microSD slot alive.
The battery capacity is 3,300mAh, on the small side
in this class. But the V40 supports fast wireless charging, a first for LG. The
wired option is QuickCharge 3.0.
The LG V40 ThinQ will be available from October 18
in Aurora Black (polished finish) and Moroccan Blue (sandblasted). Check out the US prices below (AT&T price is
still TBD).
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Carrier
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Price
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US Cellular
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US$ 900
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T-Mobile
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US$ 920
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Sprint
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US$ 960
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Verizon
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US$ 980
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If you pre-order a V40, you’ll get a DJI Osmo Mobile
2 gimbal along with a 256GB microSD card. That package has a retail value of US$ 258, US$ 139 + US$ 119, respectively.
If you miss the pre-order window, you’ll only get
the microSD card (a good thing since the phone comes with only 64GB built-in).
