LG V40 ThinQ: A whole lot of cameras

The LG V40 ThinQ has been revealed, it has five cameras!

LG’s new flagship phone is different than other phones while improving its main camera; it adds an extra two on the back for more photography prowess.

Multiple cameras on a mobile phone are definitely not new, having a dual-camera on the back is nearly an industry standard for high-end flagships (except Google). The Huawei P20 Pro even pushed the boat further by adding three cameras on the back, but LG has a better idea.

LG has a total of five cameras, three on the back and two on the front. It gives the LG V40 a lot of versatility when it comes to taking photos. It features a standard camera, super wide angle camera and a telephoto camera that offers 2x zoom.

The design of the LG V40 is not a lot different than the earlier LG G7, it has an aluminium frame surrounded by a glass sandwich. The design of the new device is as nice as can be in a world full of glass flagships; it doesn’t feature the bright colours of Huawei but does feature a notch.

I’m not sure I like the design of the cameras on the back though; it does seem to make it look like a weird googly-eyed character. Saying that, it does stand out when put next to the new iPhone XS.

The LG V40 features a 6.4-inch screen, due to it having the notch and that little bit of a chin bezel, it’s a little bit smaller than the Galaxy Note 9 and the iPhone XS Max. The screen is an OLED panel, giving it rich colours and a way better viewing experience than LCD. It’s not as vivid or as saturated as Samsung’s OLED panels but it’s still a really good panel!

The V40 has the flagship standard Snapdragon 845 processor running the internals, coupled up with 6GB of RAM and storage starting from 64GB. It does feature a microSD slot so getting the base model is probably better for money.

It also features wireless charging, 3.5mm headphone jack and an IP68 water/dust resistance rating. The V40 also carries the G7’s BoomBox audio system, making the phone extremely loud, especially when it’s laid flat. There’s also a dedicated Google Assistant button on the side of the V40 which can’t be remapped.

One feature that is probably not mentioned enough is the haptic feedback system that LG employs; it is nearly on par with Apple’s Taptic Engine. LG definitely has the best in the Android industry, beating the likes of Sony and Samsung. I personally believe that this is a feature that needs to be more prominent on Androids.

LG has made the battery capacity bigger in the new V40, it is a 3,300mAh cell. This should provide all-day battery life and should last a while longer than the LG G7. This is definitely not as big as the Note 9’s 4000mAh battery but it is still good enough for the average user.

The software on this new device often feels a lot more optimized than on the G7, animations are smoother and a lot snappier. The software is not as good as OnePlus’s software but it is a lot better than the nightmare we had a few iterations ago. The only major issue is that it is shipping with Android Oreo and no timeline has been set for the new Android Pie software. Sometimes, things never change.

New camera specs

The main thing that will draw you to the LG V40 is the new camera system. It is different than other manufacturers and is definitely the key selling point.

The main camera on the back is a 12-megapixel camera with a f/1.5 lens with OS and a 78-degree field of view. It is a lower resolution than the LG G7 but the pixels are 40 percent bigger, giving it better low light capabilities.

The second camera is a 16-megapixel super wide camera with a f/1.9 lens and a 107-degree field of view. It is the same specs as the LG G7 (which is not a bad thing). It allows you to capture much wider photos than the standard cameras on mobile phones.

The third camera on the V40 is a new telephoto camera; it features a 12-megapixel resolution, 45-degree field of view and a f/2.4 lens. This will give you 2x zoom compared to other cameras, giving you great close up shots!

I haven’t had enough time to fully test out the new cameras but I will be doing a separate post just focusing on them.

While this is only a hands-on review, I can already tell that this is the best phone LG has ever made. The screen is great, software is better and it performs better than the G7. If you’re into photography and need a handheld powerhouse, this is definitely for you.