We have seen recent new devices from the likes of Samsung, Huawei, and others, but there hasn't been much coming from LG. That has all changed as the company has finally introduced its 2018 flagship with the LG G7 ThinQ. The device was shown off at an event in New York City, which gave us a look at what's to come when it launches.
Keeping with the display for a moment, LG has done something that no other OEM has done before. With the G7 ThinQ, the company included a new LCD Super Bright Display. This is rated with 1,000 nit brightness, and includes six different viewing modes.
There are also some extra settings to help customize the area of the display that houses the notch. With software, LG's "New Second Screen" can either hide the notch or add a different color for "a more personal effect".
Powering the G7 ThinQ is the Snapdragon 845 chipset, which has been found on many of the other flagships already launched this year. This has been coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. For those who were worried about storage limits, LG has included a microSD card slot.
Finally, we have a rather disappointing 3,000mAh battery which includes Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 technology. We're unsure if this will really last you through the day, but we'll have to wait and see after the device has launched.
In the camera software for the G7 ThinQ, LG has included 19 different shooting modes. This is an increase from the eight that were found on the V30 and G6 from 2017.
One such addition is the "Super Bright Camera" mode for low-light shots. LG claims these images "are up to four times brighter" than others shot in similar lighting conditions. The included AI algorithm will help adjust the camera settings automatically to ensure you get the best shot possible every time.
Surprisingly, LG opted not to develop an AR Emoji or Animoji competitor with the G7 ThinQ. Instead, the company is relying on AR to add various stickers to your pictures. Obviously, this feels more like Instagram or Snapchat filters, but we're okay with that.
The "ThinQ" branding allows LG to put more of a focus on Artificial Intelligence features. The G7 ThinQ is now a part of this new family and has quite a few tricks up its sleeves.
The first is a dedicated hardware button which is designed only for Google Assistant. The G7 ThinQ is the first device to include this functionality for Assistant. Obviously, the only other OEM with a dedicated hardware button for an assistant is Samsung with the much-maligned Bixby button.
The button on the G7 will also automatically activate Google Lens, which was announced at I/O 2017 but has not rolled out to devices except in preview form. LG plans to have the G7 ThinQ become one of the first devices to launch with Lens on board. It will be activated by double tapping the dedicated hardware button.
LG G7 ThinQ Spec Breakdown
Starting off with the specs, we have a 6.1-inch QHD display with a resolution of 3120 x 1440. The reason for the odd resolution is due to the fact that LG has introduced a "notch" with the G7 ThinQ.
Keeping with the display for a moment, LG has done something that no other OEM has done before. With the G7 ThinQ, the company included a new LCD Super Bright Display. This is rated with 1,000 nit brightness, and includes six different viewing modes.
There are also some extra settings to help customize the area of the display that houses the notch. With software, LG's "New Second Screen" can either hide the notch or add a different color for "a more personal effect".
Powering the G7 ThinQ is the Snapdragon 845 chipset, which has been found on many of the other flagships already launched this year. This has been coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. For those who were worried about storage limits, LG has included a microSD card slot.
Finally, we have a rather disappointing 3,000mAh battery which includes Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 technology. We're unsure if this will really last you through the day, but we'll have to wait and see after the device has launched.
What about the Cameras?
In the camera department, the company included an 8MP wide-angle lens for the selfie camera. In the rear, there are dual-16MP sensors; one is a "Super Wide Angle" lens, and the other is just a standard camera. Since our smartphones have become the primary camera for most people, it's important that new features are included. LG followed the trend of dual-camera setups while adding a few extra goodies on the software side.
In the camera software for the G7 ThinQ, LG has included 19 different shooting modes. This is an increase from the eight that were found on the V30 and G6 from 2017.
One such addition is the "Super Bright Camera" mode for low-light shots. LG claims these images "are up to four times brighter" than others shot in similar lighting conditions. The included AI algorithm will help adjust the camera settings automatically to ensure you get the best shot possible every time.
Surprisingly, LG opted not to develop an AR Emoji or Animoji competitor with the G7 ThinQ. Instead, the company is relying on AR to add various stickers to your pictures. Obviously, this feels more like Instagram or Snapchat filters, but we're okay with that.
AI Features for all
For whatever reason, LG has decided to change up the branding for flagship devices altogether of owte. This was made apparent by LG V30S ThinQ which launched at MWC 2018.
The "ThinQ" branding allows LG to put more of a focus on Artificial Intelligence features. The G7 ThinQ is now a part of this new family and has quite a few tricks up its sleeves.
The first is a dedicated hardware button which is designed only for Google Assistant. The G7 ThinQ is the first device to include this functionality for Assistant. Obviously, the only other OEM with a dedicated hardware button for an assistant is Samsung with the much-maligned Bixby button.
The button on the G7 will also automatically activate Google Lens, which was announced at I/O 2017 but has not rolled out to devices except in preview form. LG plans to have the G7 ThinQ become one of the first devices to launch with Lens on board. It will be activated by double tapping the dedicated hardware button.