Introduced for the first time on the LG G8S ThinQ, the Z Camera utilises Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor technology to bring users a new biometric recognition option. LG calls it Hand ID. It can unlock the phone securely using your hand’s vein structure. The same technology comes into play in Face Unlock. And the third new feature that utilises Z Camera is Air Motion, a touchless command interface that allow users to perform actions such as raise the volume or pause a song in Spotify, without touching the G8’s screen.
Additionally, the G8S ThinQ comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display, a Quad DAC, wireless charging, supports microSD storage, and has an IP68 rating against water and dust ingress. Lets take a deeper look at the device.
The LG G8S ThinQ’s design is all about the user. Its stylish and ergonomic and offers easy one-handed operation. The smartphone comes with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass and sports a polished, seamless finish which feels strong, sophisticated and allows for a comfortable grip. Standard out of the box include MIL-STD 810G compliance and IP68 water and dust resistance. The LG G8SThinQ is available in three colours mirror black, mirror teal, and mirror white. Overall, the G8S ThinQ is neither an ugly or unattractive smartphone however, given its price, we would have expected more from the South Korean giant.
In terms of display, the LG G8S ThinQ comes with 6.2-inch full-HD+ FullVision OLED display having a resolution of 2248 x 1080. The display is bright and offers plenty of colours and deep black levels. And with excellent viewing angles and thanks to the HDR10 compatibility, the LG G8S ThinQ is great for multimedia purposes.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, you will find it hard to slow this phone down. And similar to the LG G8, the G8S ThinQ allows for gesture based navigation to unlock your smartphone using the palm of your hand and a few other gestures you can perform by using hand movements. While the idea seems nice, in reality isn’t not. Called as Hand ID and Air Motion, these gestures based functions are nice additions to have but do not make it any easier to use the smartphone or offer a great value over the competition.
For daily usage, the user interface of the LG G8S ThinQ is comfortable to use. The animations are quick and smartphone responds fast. You can also hide the notch. The app drawer is not present by default; however, you can turn it on from the Settings. Multitasking is seamless and fast and we didn’t notice any heating up of the device during our usage. In terms of gaming, the GPU does a fantastic job of playing even the demanding titles.
The handset is fitted with stereo speakers delivering a rich audio performance and immersive surround sound. The LG G8SThinQ continues the company’s tradition of audio excellence with the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack and DAC.
The LG G8S ThinQ offers a battery life that will delight most users. While it doesn’t last as longer as the Huawei P30 Pro or OnePlus 7 Pro, the 3,550mAh battery of the G8S ThinQ allows you to spend a day without any problems, even if use it for intensive use.
The camera of the G8S ThinQ is its main highlight. LG has opted for a triple camera configuration consisting of a primary 12MP sensor (f/1.8 aperture) with laser autofocus and optical image stabiliser (OIS), a 12MP telephoto lens (f/2.6 aperture) with OIS and 2x optical zoom and a 13MP wide angle sensor (f/2.4, 137 degrees).
In terms of quality, the LG G8S ThinQ is far better than the LG G8. The results are great, images offer true to life colours and the contrast is pretty good as well. In daylight, the LG G8S ThinQ produces fantastic shots and the images are sharp and detailed thanks to the combination of HDR and artificial intelligence. The varied focal lengths in the camera setups allow you to put your creativity to goof use and the wide-angle mode is also very good.
(Normal lens)
(Wide-angle lens)
In low-light, things get a little out of hand, but the camera still produces convincing images, however doesn’t match to the quality of the Pixel 3XL or even the Pixel 3a.
The video quality is plainly great. The G8S ThinQ offers 16:9 UHD (60fps), 16:9 UHD, 18.9: 9 FHD, 16:9 FHD (60fps), 16:9 FHD, 18.9:9 HD, 16:9 HD, 16:9 HD. And in Cine Shot mode, you can record videos in HDR10.
At the front, the device comes with a standard lens and the Z Camera, which supports features such as Portrait and Spotlight to help users raise their selfie game. The Z Camera is capable to quickly measure distances that helps produce portraits with more depth and feel. Spotlight detects the user’s facial curvature and simulates studio lighting to bring a professional quality and dramatic edge to selfies. With Video Depth Control, videos shot on the LG G8SThinQ benefit from a beautiful bokeh effect that puts the subject in sharp focus against a soft, blurred background. And for users tired of shaky video footage, LG G8SThinQ comes ready with Steady Cam which delivers smooth, clear videos without the use of a gimbal.
The LG G8S ThinQ is a great Android smartphone, and is certainly the best LG smartphone of 2019. With powerful hardware and a long-lasting battery, the LG G8S ThinQ easily ticks most of the boxes that you would expect from a high-end smartphone. However, at a price of Rs 36,990, there is no wow factor.
Wide angle camera, Z camera, gestures
Low-light camera performance
