LG still makes some excellent phones but it is less popular worldwide than it was in the heady mid 2010 days of the rise of Android. Yet it is unwise to discount LG from your smartphone buying decision as the company still makes some of the best hardware out there – it just lacks the huge marketing budget of fellow South Korean giant Samsung.
But LG’s slight dip has meant its smartphone release schedule is a bit all over the place and it’s actually quite hard to guess when it will release new ones. We’ve just seen the LG V60 ThinQ and will be reviewing it soon, but we were expecting an LG G9 ThinQ before that and it hasn’t appeared yet. So who knows!
We’ve kept this list at a selective five handsets, with our number one pick the LG G7 actually not being the newest as we reckon it represents the best value. But handsets like the newer LG G8 have great specs and can often be found for hundreds less than the RRP once the phone has been on the market for a few months, so it’s worth your time to check out LG.
With dual-screen accessories on some of its handsets, the staunch keeping of the headphone jack and good quality hardware, these five LG phones are worth considering.
The best LG phones 2020 at a glance:
- LG G7 ThinQ
- LG V40 ThinQ
- LG G8 ThinQ
- LG V50 ThinQ 5G
- LG G8X ThinQ
1. LG G7 ThinQ
LG flagship quality with a bit of value
Release date: Q2 2018 | Weight: 162g | Dimensions: 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm | OS: Android 8.0 Oreo | Screen size: 6.1-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3120 | CPU: Snapdragon 845 | RAM: 4/6GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 3,000mAh | Rear camera: Dual 16MP | Front camera: 8MP
Big, bright display
Wide-angle camera
Small battery
Not exciting
The LG G7 ThinQ is the latest in one of LG’s two flagship phone lines (the other being the V series). Although it has effectively been succeeded by the LG V40, the G7’s lower price and high-end specs help it win out.
The phone packs a powerful Snapdragon 845 chipset, giving it about as much horsepower as you could need. With 6.1 inches of high-resolution OLED display, it’s definitely pretty where it counts and gets extra bright, helping visibility in direct sunlight. It’s all rounded out by an glass front and back with a notched display; Overall, the design is uninspired, but serviceable.
While LG’s AI features are neat in theory, it’s really the flexibility offered by the wide-angle camera on the back that helps the device stand out. On the media side, the LG G7 has surprisingly powerful speakers if you like to listen to music or podcasts directly from your smartphone.
Read our LG G7 ThinQ review
2. LG V40 ThinQ
As premium as LG currently goes
Release date: Q3 2018 | Weight: 169g | Dimensions: 158.8 x 75.7 x 7.6 mm | OS: Android 8.1 | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3120 | CPU: Snapdragon 845 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 3,300mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP | Front camera: 8MP + 5MP
Five cameras
Light yet solid build
Beautiful display
Small battery
Too expensive
The LG V40 ThinQ is to the G7 what the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is to the Galaxy S9: a similar yet bigger and slightly higher-spec sibling. The V40 has a 6.4-inch OLED display that’s both sharp and ready to display HDR10 content. On top of that, the phone features a versatile five-camera system with three on the rear and two on the front, even adding in HDR10 video recording.
Unsurprisingly, the LG V40 also runs on a Snapdragon 845 chipset, but comes with 6BG of RAM by default. The notched display is another feature it shares with the LG G7.
Audiophiles can enjoy the 32-Bit Quad DAC built in and the support for DTS:X surround sound. If you’re adventurous, the phone’s IP68 rating against water and dust along with its MIL-STD-810G shock resistance are reassuring, so you don’t have to worry as much about damaging your investment while out and about.
Read our LG V40 ThinQ review
3. LG G8 ThinQ
LG’s smartphone with air gestures and Hand ID
Release date: April 2019 | Weight: 167g | Dimensions: 151.9 x 71.8 x 8.4 mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.1-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3120 | CPU: Snapdragon 855 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Battery: 3,500mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 16MP + 12MP | Front camera: 8MP
Hole-less vibrating top speaker
Vibrant OLED screen
Hand ID tech is done in vein
Rather expensive
The LG G8 ThinQ was LG’s attempt at a ‘futuristic’ phone – it has Hand ID that scans the veins in your hand to open the phone, and gestures that let you navigate the device just by waving your hand through the air above the phone.
Not all of these work perfectly though, and so the LG G8 ThinQ doesn’t exactly fill all its promises.
But the handset still has some great features, like a cutting-edge chipset and a vibrating screen that functions as a speaker, so you can do a lot worse than it.
Read our full review: LG G8 ThinQ
4. LG V50 ThinQ 5G
Release date: May 2019 | Weight: 183g | Dimensions: 159.2 x 76.1 x 8.3 mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3120 | CPU: Snapdragon 855 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP | Front camera: 8MP + 5MP
Bright, sharp display
Variety of cameras
Dated design
Unjustified price
LG’s first 5G phone, the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, is… well… it’s the LV V40, but with 5G connection, really. There are a few spec upgrades here and there, and it’s got all the dual-screen functionality that the previous phone had, but it’s definitely a very similar device.
So why is the LG V50 ThinQ 5G lower on this list than the V40? That’s because it’s being sold at a much higher price, which makes recommending it a tricky affair. It’s even more expensive than certain 5G phones, when it perhaps doesn’t justify it.
Saying that, it’s still an impressive device in a few ways, especially if you’re a fan of the dual-screen set-up, so it’ll be a useful device for certain people. And if you’re an LG fan who needs 5G connection, it’s your only option.
Read our LG V50 ThinQ 5G review
5. LG G8X ThinQ
An affordable dual screen option
Release date: November 2019 | Weight: 192g | Dimensions: 159.3 x 75.8 x 8.4 mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: Snapdragon 855 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 13MP | Front camera: 32MP
A decent price for two screens
Great gaming features
Few useful multi-screen uses
Very bulky screen case
The LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen (what a mouthful) offers the advantages of a foldable design at a normal smartphone price. But unlike the actual folding displays of the Samsung Galaxy Fold or Motorola Razr, the G8 is a normal smartphone that ships with a clip-on second screen case.
This means it’s best for viewing two apps side by side, or turning the unit landscape to use as a controlpad for mobile gaming.
It’s not a smartphone design that many people are crying out for and it is quite niche, but with a Snapdragon 855 and double the screens, for the price the G8X might be the LG phone for you.
Read our full LG G8X ThinQ review.
