Samsung announced its Galaxy Note 8 on 23 August, eight days before LG announced its second flagship smartphone of 2017 - the LG V30.

The Galaxy Note 8 brings with it a lovely design with an almost all-screen front, a dual rear camera and an all-new S Pen stylus, while the LG V30 comes with an all-screen front too, as well as a dual-rear camera setup and a great premium design.

Here is how the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the LG V30 compare, based on their numbers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30: Design

  • Note 8 larger but includes S Pen stylus
  • Both offer IP68 waterproofing, but V30 drop protection too
  • Both rear-mounted fingerprint sensors and full-screen fronts

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 features a metal and glass sandwich design that measures 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm, weighs 195g and comes complete with IP68 water and dust resistance.

The front of the handset is predominately screen, with a dual-edge design and very slim bezels, while the rear has a dual-camera horizontal setup with fingerprint sensor positioned to the right of the lenses and a flash module in-between. There is USB Type-C and a built-in S Pen stylus at the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top and a dedicated Bixby button on the left edge.

The LG V30 also comes with a metal and glass sandwich design, like the LG G6. It too has an almost all-screen front, like the Note 8, and it also offers IP68 water and dust resistance, though it has the added benefit of MIL-STD-810G drop protection as well.

The LG V30 measures 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.6mm and weighs 158g, which makes it shorter, slimmer and lighter than the Note 8 but fractionally wider. A dual camera is present on the back of the device, with the flash module positioned on the right of the camera module and a circular fingerprint sensor below in a more conventional position than Samsung.

The LG V30 doesn't come with any kind of stylus, but it does have USB Type-C at the bottom of the handset, coupled with a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30: Display

  • Note 8 has a larger, dual-edge display
  • Both offer HDR compatibility 
  • V30 has customisable secondary screen

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with a 6.3-inch Infinity Display, meaning dual-edges as we mentioned previously, as well as a Super AMOLED panel, an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and a Quad HD+ resolution, which translates to 2960 x 1440 pixels for a pixel density of 522ppi.

There is an Always-On Display to show specific notifications and information without the need to turn on the main display, and Samsung also offers Mobile HDR Premium on its Note 8, meaning it is compatible for viewing HDR content from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Video.

The LG V30 comes with a 6-inch FullVision display, which offers an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a Quad HD+ resolution for a pixel density of 537ppi. It is a flat display, unlike the Samsung Note 8's dual-edge offering, but like the Note 8, it's an OLED panel meaning bright and punchy colours. LG has traditionally opted for LCD in the past so this marks a big step for LG.

LG's V30 also comes with a secondary display in the form of a floating bar that users will be able to access regularly used apps and settings though. Users will be able to customise the floating bar when the main display is off and they will also be able to drag it off the main display when not in use.

Dolby Vision and HDR10 are also on board the V30, like the LG G6, meaning it too is compatible with HDR content like the Note 8.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30: Cameras

  • Both have dual-rear cameras
  • V30 has wider aperture, but Note 8 has dual OIS
  • Both have facial recognition, Note 8 also has iris scanning

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the first Samsung device to offer a dual-camera setup. There are two 12-megapixel sensors on the rear, one telephoto with a f/2.4 aperture lens, the other a wide-angle Dual Pixel lens with an f/1.7 aperture. This means you can have 2x optical zoom from that telephoto lens.

Samsung also offers dual optical image stabilisation on the rear snappers, which is said to be a first for a smartphone. On the front, you'll find an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and autofocus. The front camera is capable of both iris scanning and facial recognition.

The LG V30 comes with dual-rear cameras too, with one 16-megapixel, 70-degree lens offering an f/1.6 aperture and OIS, and one 13-megapixel 120-degree lens with a f/1.9 aperture and no OIS.

The front camera on the V30 is 5-megapixels so not quite as resolute as the Note 8, and although it has facial recognition, LG does not offer iris scanning. The V30 does however have two microphones for recording video and a special Cine Log mode for colour remastering video.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30: Hardware

  • Both have similar performing processors
  • Note 8 offers more RAM
  • V30 audio capabilities likely to be more capable

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or the Exynos 8895, depending on region, both of which offer 6GB of RAM, 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of storage and microSD support for storage expansion. 

There is a 3300mAh battery capacity running the Note 8, which is charged via USB Type-C or wireless charging and compatible with fast charging via both formats. The Note 8 also supports 32-bit audio and comes with AKG headphones in the box.

The LG V30 arrives on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform, supported by 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and microSD support for storage expansion. Its battery capacity is 3300mAh, charged via USB Type-C with quick charging and wireless charging both supported.

The LG V30 also places a big focus on audio. It comes with a Quad DAC and MQA player so it is expected the audio capabilities will be good. LG has also collaborated with B&O for some V30 devices in some regions, offering B&O branding on the device itself, as well as headphones.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30: Software

  • Both Android Nougat with respective software skins over the top
  • Different features on both

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 arrives on Android Nougat with Samsung's TouchWiz software over the top. There are various features on board, including the ability to have two apps running on the screen at once, write on the screen with the S Pen even when it is off, turn live drawings into GIFs and translate sentences with a hover. 

The LG V30 meanwhile, also arrives on Android Nougat but with LG's UX 6.0+ software over the top, meaning a slightly different experience to the Note 8. The new software takes advantage of the FullVision display, whilst also delivering upgraded security measures, such as allowing users to unlock their device by looking at it, even when the display is off.

LG's device offers Google Assistant, while Samsung's offers Bixby meaning both have capable voice assistants on board.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs LG V30: Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the LG V30 are best friends when you compare their specs. They both offer lovely, solid designs, full-screen fronts, dual-rear cameras and powerful hardware.

The Note 8 has a larger display and it also has the benefit of the S Pen stylus, though it is also the larger device and heavier device. The LG V30 meanwhile, has a slightly sharper display, likely better audio capabilities and the benefit of MIL-STD-810G drop protection.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed for the V30, but as the Note 8 is £869, it is expected that the V30 will be cheaper. We will update this feature once we have reviewed both devices in full to let you know how they compare in the real world.