LG announced two flagship smartphones at Mobile World Congress: The LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G

Going forward, the G Series will be LG's hero devices for 4G LTE, while the V Series will be at the forefront of the company's 5G offering. How do the two LG flagships differ elsewhere though?

What's the same between the LG V50 ThinQ and the LG G8 ThinQ?

The designs are slightly different, as are a few others things, but there are also a couple of elements and features that are the same between the LG G8 ThinQ as the LG V50 ThinQ.

Processor

  • Qualcomm SD855
  • 6GB RAM

Both the LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chipset, supported by 6GB of RAM. The only difference between the two models in this area is the V50 ThinQ has the optional X50 5G modem on board allowing for that 5G compatibility.

Storage

  • 128GB 
  • MicroSD

There is 128GB of storage for both the LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ. They also both offer microSD expansion up to 2TB.

Durability

  • Glass and metal
  • IP68
  • MIL STD 810G

The LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ both offer a metal core, sandwiched between Gorilla Glass. The designs differ slightly, but the primary materials and finishes are similar between the two handsets, with both offering a single sheet of glass on the rear with no camera bump to be seen on either.

They are also both IP68 water and dust resistant and they also offer the MIL STD 810G drop protection.

Hardware

  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Boombox speaker
  • 32-bit Quad DAC
  • Rear fingerprint sensor

Both the LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ retain the 3.5mm headphone jack. They also both offer LG's Boombox speaker, a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC and DTS:X 3D Surround Sound.

In terms of other hardware, there is a rear fingerprint sensor on both devices and they both have USB Type-C for charging.

Display

  • OLED
  • 19:9
  • HDR 10

The size of the displays differ between the LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ but both have OLED panels with a 19:9 aspect ratio. They are also both notched displays and they both offer support for HDR 10.

Additionally, the two devices also both offer Quad HD+ resolutions. 

Rear cameras

  • Triple lenses: 16MP+12MP+12MP
  • Ultra wide, standard, telephoto

There are two options for the LG G8 ThinQ - a dual rear camera model and a triple rear camera model. The V50 ThinQ has a triple rear camera and there is only one model.

The same three lenses are used on both the triple-lens LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ. There is a 16-megapixel super wide, 107-degree field of view, f/1.8 lens, coupled with a 12-megapixel standard lens with an f/1.5 aperture and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture.

The dual LG G8 ThinQ model has the same ultra wide lens and standard lens, but it doesn't offer the telephoto lens. 

What's different between the LG V50 ThinQ and the LG G8 ThinQ?

As you would expect, despite their similarities, there are a number of key differences between the LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ.

Design

  • LG G8 ThinQ: 151.9 x 71.8 x 8.4mm, 167g
  • LG V50 ThinQ: 159.2 x 76.1 x 8.3mm, 183g

The LG G8 ThinQ differ in terms of physical size and weight. The V50 ThinQ is the larger and heavier of the two devices.

Brand positioning is the same across both devices but the V50 ThinQ has a three Pogo Pin connector on the back which connects it to a Dual Screen accessory - you can read more about that in our V50 ThinQ initial review

Display size

  • LG G8 ThinQ: 6.1-inch
  • LG V50 ThinQ: 6.4-inch

The display technology is the same between the LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ but the size differs, as we mentioned above.

The LG V50 ThinQ has a 6.4-inch screen compared to the G8 ThinQ's 6.1-inch screen. The V50 ThinQ also has the Dual Screen accessory (bought separately), allowing users to have two 6.4-inch screens side-by-side.

Front cameras

  • LG G8 ThinQ: 8MP + ToF
  • LG V50 ThinQ: 8MP + 5MP

Whilst the rear cameras are the same, the front cameras differ between the LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ. The V50 ThinQ has a dual camera made up of an 8-megapixel lens and a 5-megapixel lens.

The LG G8 ThinQ meanwhile, swaps that 5-megapixel lens for a Time of Flight sensor, allowing for more camera features including a Spotlight mode that offers control of shadows and lighting for studio affects.

Biometrics

  • LG G8 ThinQ: Fingerprint, facial recognition, Hand ID
  • LG V50 ThinQ: Fingerprint, facial recognition

The Time of Flight sensor on the LG G8 ThinQ also allows for some extra biometric options over the LG V50 ThinQ, including Hand ID.

The Z Camera, which is what LG is calling the ToF sensor, reads 3D objects allowing users to register their palm and unlock their device by hovering their palm over it. You can read more about that in our LG G8 ThinQ initial review.

Audio

  • LG G8 ThinQ: Crystal Sound OLED speaker 
  • LG V50 ThinQ: Full-range stereo speakers

Some audio elements are the same between the G8 ThinQ and the V50 ThinQ but in terms of speakers, the G8 ThinQ has a speaker module built into its display.

On the other hand, the V50 ThinQ offers full range stereo speakers.

Software

  • LG G8 ThinQ: Hand ID, Air Motion
  • LG V50 ThinQ: Dual Screen

The LG G8 ThinQ and the LG V50 ThinQ both run on Android with LG's software over the top. There are some differences however, in that the V50 ThinQ has some extra features surrounding the Dual Screen, while the G8 ThinQ has some extra features made possible by the ToF sensor.

There is a feature called Air Motion on the G8 that allows users to make particular hand gestures around 150 to 200mm above the display of the G8 ThinQ to control music playback, alarms, timers and take a screenshot.

Colours

  • LG G8 ThinQ: Carmine Red, Aurora Black, Moroccan Blue
  • LG V50 ThinQ: Astro Black

 The LG G8 ThinQ comes in three colours while the V50 ThinQ will only be available in one.

Which should you buy: LG G8 ThinQ or LG V50 ThinQ?

For those that want access to 5G when it becomes available, the LG V50 ThinQ is your only option when it comes to LG smartphones. It is likely to be more expensive than the G8 ThinQ but it does offer the optional extra of the Dual Screen accessory that makes it exciting. 

The LG G8 ThinQ has some interesting software features, such as unlocking it with your palm and in the air gesture control, but its design is very similar to its predecessor.

Both these LG devices offer powerful hardware, the same camera arrangement (in the case of the triple lens G8 ThinQ model) and they both have the same durabilty features, as well as similar designs.

The question is, do you want 5G and a Dual Screen? Or do you want palm unlocking and air gestures?