LG V40 ThinQ: Plans | Pricing | Specs

LG's second flagship phone for 2018 faces stiff competition in the premium space, but the use of triple cameras and LG's own ThinQ AI platform could give it an edge.

LG's fortunes in the mobile phone space have dipped up and down in recent years, from the interesting-but-flawed modular LG G5 through to this year's LG G7 ThinQ. LG's V-series phones have generally carried a high level of both innovation and style, and this looks to carry forward with the LG V40 ThinQ

Design

• Slim design with a visible "notch"
• Retains the headphone jack

• Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ design

  

  The LG V40 ThinQ solidly carries forward LG's own design language for its premium flagships, with just a few changes along the way to accommodate new features like the rear triple camera array. Still, it can't help but look substantially similar to the existing LG V30 Plus.

  LG will produce the LG V40 ThinQ in black, grey, blue and red finishes, or if you prefer marketing speak, New Aurora Black, New Platinum Gray, New Moroccan Blue and Carmine Red. In Australia, the official colours are New Moroccan Blue and New Platinum Grey, so if you want the other tones, you'll need to import one.

  LG is the absolute market leader in OLED (organic light emitting diode) displays for its exceptional LG OLED TVs, but for its smartphones it's a slightly different story.

  

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  The phones that have used its pOLED (plastic OLED) solutions, such as the LG V30 or the Google Pixel 2 XL, have had a definite blue tint issue when tilted slightly in the hand. Images don't become invisible, but it does give them notable blue tint. This is not what you want in a premium handset. LG typically reserves OLED for its V-series phones, and it's present on the LG V40 ThinQ, but hopefully LG's display boffins have cracked this issue.

  On the audio side, the LG V40 ThinQ retains a headphone socket, as well as the Quad DAC used on the LG G7 ThinQ to expand its audio quality. Playing your audio in public via phone is still somewhat contentious but LG's phones have typically been among the best for audio output.

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Camera

• Triple cameras
• Triple preview and triple shot capability

• Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ camera

  

  The LG V40 ThinQ is LG's first phone to feature five cameras, with two front-facing and three rear-facing cameras. At the front there are 8MP and 5MP cameras for selfies with a depth of field, but it's around the back that LG's hoping the V40 ThinQ will really stand out.

  There's a 12MP f/1.5 sensor with 1.4μm sized pixels. Those larger pixels should enable it to seriously jump over the low light capabilities of the LG G7 ThinQ, and quite possibly the Samsung Galaxy Note9 or Huawei P20 Pro.

  That standard lens is matched with a 16MP f/1.9 super wide angle lens for landscape style shots, and finally, a 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens for zoom and of course portrait photography modes.

  It's a very different take to that of the triple-lens-equipped Huawei P20 Pro, where a mix of very high megapixel count and monochrome lenses make up its photographic muscle. LG's claim is that the LG V40 ThinQ is capable of a triple preview feature, allowing you to see how each lens is capturing a scene in real time. You can then choose the lens that suits you best, or capture all three as either individual shots or a stitched together GIF that moves between each lense's take.

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Performance

• Snapdragon 845
• 6GB RAM
• Android Oreo, not Android Pie

• Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ performance

  There's a processor of choice for 2018's flagship phones, and it's the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. While some manufacturers are opting for their own silicon solutions, like Samsung's Exynos or Huawei's Kirin, LG has played it simple with the Snapdragon 845, alongside 6GB of RAM.

  Disappointingly, while the LG V40 ThinQ is a late 2018 flagship, and it's launching in the same timeframe as the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL, it doesn't feature Android 9.0, aka "Android Pie". Instead, it will launch with Android 8.0, aka "Oreo".

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Battery life

• 3,300mAh battery
• Wireless and quick charge compatible

• Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ battery life

  3,300mAh isn't huge by flagship standards in 2018, especially for a 6.4 inch handset. That being said, the Snapdragon 845 is a very efficient processor, and LG's use of OLED could give the LG V40 ThinQ a little extra battery life. Still, compared to the 4,000mAh power packs we're seeing on some flagships, it's likely to struggle. It is compatible with Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4 standard for speedy topping up of battery, as well as wireless charging if that's your preference.

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Verdict

• A good phone coming late to market

• Read our full LG V40 ThinQ verdict

  LG has produced some fine phones in recent years, but not many that have been a "standout" against the premium flock.

  That puts the LG V40 ThinQ in a pressure situation, because LG is undoubtedly looking for a hit phone.

  The LG V40 ThinQ launches in Australia from early February 2019 for outright sale only at $1,299. That's a tough sales proposition, not because it's not made to premium quality, but simply because it's launching just before Mobile World Congress 2019, where's it's expected we'll see the first of 2019's flagship phones. That includes the LG G8 ThinQ, which is expected to run on a faster processor and with better cameras than the LG V40 ThinQ.

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Pricing and availability

• Available in Australia for $1,299
• No contract options

The LG V40 ThinQ launched in Australia in early February 2019 at at outright price point of $1,299. There's no carrier partners for the phone, so if you do want it you'll have to buy outright and match it up with a SIM-only plan.