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LG V40 ThinQ: Plans | Pricing | Specs

Alex Kidman

Last updated: 12 September 2019

LG's pushing its artificial intelligence ambitions to the fore with the LG V40 ThinQ, a phone with some serious camera capabilities.

6.4 inches

Display size

1440 x 3120px

64GB

Internal storage

16MP + 12MP + 12MP

Rear camera

3,300 mAh

Battery size

Finder rated as Average vs similar phones

Details

Display size	6.4 inches
Resolution	1440 x 3120
Pixels per inch (PPI)	538

Dimensions	158.8mm x 75.7mm x 7.6mm
Weight	169g

NFC	Yes
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Network category speed	Category 16

Headphone jack	Yes
Fingerprint sensor	Yes
Water resistance	IP68
Wireless charging	Qi

Launch price (RRP)	$0
Launch date	2017-10

Alex Kidman is the tech and telco editor at Finder. He's been a technology writer with experience spanning more than 20 years, writing and editing at Gizmodo, CNET, PC Magazine, Kotaku and many more. Alex has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New England and a serious passion for retro gaming.

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The good

Thin and light design
Triple rear cameras
32-bit Quad DAC
Water resistant

The bad

"Notch" display
Coming to market late in Australia

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

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.

LG 65"(164cm) OLED UHD AI Smart TV from The Good Guys

Perfect blacks, stunning colours, LG's own WebOS and smart assistant compatibility come together in LG's stunning OLED65E8PTA 65" Smart TV.
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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.

Camera

Triple cameras
Triple preview and triple shot capability

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.

Performance

Snapdragon 845
6GB RAM
Android Oreo, not Android Pie

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".

Battery life

3,300mAh battery
Wireless and quick charge compatible

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.

Verdict

A good phone coming late to market

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.

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.

LG V40 ThinQ specs

Display

Camera

Physical dimensions

Connectivity

Power, storage and battery

Device features

Display size	6.4 inches
Resolution	1440 x 3120
Pixels per inch (PPI)	538

Rear camera megapixels	16MP + 12MP + 12MP
Rear camera aperture size	f/1.9 + f/1.5 + f/2.4
Video recording	4K
Front camera megapixels	8MP + 5MP
Front camera aperture size	f/1.9 + f/2.2

Dimensions	158.8mm x 75.7mm x 7.6mm
Weight	169g

NFC	Yes
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Network category speed	Category 16

Processor	Snapdragon 845
RAM	6GB
Operating system	Android 8
Internal storage	64GB
External storage support	Up to 2TB
Battery capacity	3,300mAh

Headphone jack	Yes
Fingerprint sensor	Yes
Water resistance	IP68
Wireless charging	Qi

Compare SIM-only plans for the LG V40 ThinQ

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LG V40 ThinQ: Plans | Pricing | Specs

LG's pushing its artificial intelligence ambitions to the fore with the LG V40 ThinQ, a phone with some serious camera capabilities.

Details

Display

Camera

Physical dimensions

Connectivity

Power, storage and battery

Device features

Alex Kidman

The good

The bad

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.

Design

Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ design

Camera

Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ camera

Performance

Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ performance

Battery life

Read more on the LG V40 ThinQ battery life

Verdict

Read our full LG V40 ThinQ verdict

Pricing and availability

LG V40 ThinQ specs

Display

Camera

Physical dimensions

Connectivity

Power, storage and battery

Device features

Compare SIM-only plans for the LG V40 ThinQ

Latest LG V40 ThinQ news

Ask an expert

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