Samsung's Galaxy S10 range is now available to buy, with three devices in the line up. LG's G8 ThinQ was revealed on 24 February and should be available soon.

This is a breakdown of the similarities and differences between the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the LG G8 ThinQ. How do the two compare in terms of specifications?

S10 vs G8: What's the difference in price?

The Samsung Galaxy S10 range starts at $749.99 or £669 with the top-of-the-range S10+ model costing $1599.99, and £1399 in the UK.

The LG G8 ThinQ is reported to cost around £700, though LG has yet to confirm this. If true, it would put the G8 ThinQ between the S10e and standard S10 models.

Best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals 

Design

  • S10 range: Punch-hole front camera, bezel-less display
  • LG G8: Notched display
  • Both: 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, IP ratings

Samsung's Galaxy S10 is available in three models: S10e, S10 and S10+. All models feature glass backs, a bezel-less screen with a punch-hole front camera and a horizontal camera setup on the back. The S10e is the smallest model, the S10+ is the largest.

The standard S10 and the S10+ both have dual-edge displays along with in-display fingerprint sensors, while the cheaper S10e has a flat display and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. All three models have IP68 water and dust resistance, microSD slots and USB Type-C.

The LG G8 ThinQ also comes with a glass rear but there is no camera bump - with a smooth, interrupted finish instead. There is a notched display like its predecessor, allowing for the front camera in the centre at the top.

A horizontal camera setup is on the back and a circular rear-mounted fingerprint sensor is present below, meaning no in-display fingerprint sensor for the G8, like the S10e.

The LG G8 ThinQ has a headphone jack and USB Type-C and it also offers an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, as well as MIL STD 810G.

Display

  • S10 range: 5.8-inches to 6.4-inches, OLED, 19:9
  • LG G8: 6.1-inches, OLED, 19.5:9

Samsung's Galaxy S10 range offers three display sizes. The S10e has a 5.8-inch screen, the S10 a 6.1-inch screen and the S10+ a 6.4-inch display. All are Dynamic AMOLED panels and all offer a 19:9 aspect ratio.

The S10 and S10+ both have Quad HD+ resolutions with HDR10+ on board, while the S10e has a Full HD+ resolution. As mentioned previously, the S10 and S10+ have dual-edge displays, while the S10e is flat.

The LG G8 ThinQ's screen size sits at 6.1-inches - the same as the standard S10. Like Samsung's devices, the G8 ThinQ has an OLED panel, with LG making the switch from LCD to OLED in the first for the G Series. The OLED screen also doubles up as a speaker on the G8 ThinQ.

In terms of resolution, the LG G8 ThinQ has a Quad HD+ resolution, like the Galaxy S10. It also offers mobile HDR support in the form of HDR10, but not HDR10+ like Samsung. 

Cameras

  • S10 range: Triple rear for S10 and S10+, dual front for S10+
  • LG G8: Dual or triple rear, ToF front

The Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10+ have a triple camera system on the rear, while the S10e has a dual rear camera. The triple system consists of an ultra wide lens, a wide lens and telephoto lens and the resolutions stand at 16-megapixels, 12-megapixels and 12-megapixels respectively. The S10e has the ultra wide and wide lenses, but not the telephoto lens.

On the front, the Galaxy S10+ has a dual camera, comprising of a 10-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor. The S10 and S10e have a singular 10-megapixel sensor but no secondary lens.

LG meanwhile, offers two models of its G8 ThinQ. The first has a dual camera with an ultra-wide 16-megapixel lens and a standard 12-megapixel lens. The second model as a triple camera with the same setup as the dual model but with an additional 12-megapixel telephoto lens. The G8 ThinQ dual model therefore offers the same resolutions as the Galaxy S10e, while the triple model is on par with the S10 and S10+.

There is a single 8-megapixel front camera on both models of the LG G8 ThinQ, along with a Time of Flight camera that LG calls the Z camera. This camera sees objects in 3D and there are infrared sensors to make sure it is not affected by light from external sources. The Z Camera allows the G8 ThinQ to offer facial recognition, as well as a new biometric option called Hand ID. It also allows for a new camera feature called Spotlight, which offers control of lighting and shadows.

Hardware and software

  • S10 range: Exynos/Qualcomm, up to 12GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, up to 4100mAh battery
  • LG G8: Qualcomm SD855, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3500mAh expected

The Samsung Galaxy S10 range is expected to have either the Exynos 9820 chipset or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, though it is yet to be confirmed which 8nm processor the devices feature officially.

Storage and RAM capacities differ depending on the model with the S10+ being the hero. The top S10+ model has 12GB RAM and 1TB of storage. The top S10e model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and the top S10 has 8GB RAM and 512GB storage. All have microSD expansion up to 512GB.

Battery capacities also differ by model but again, the S10+ is the device at the top of the S10 chart with a 4100mAh capacity, compared to 3400mAh for the S10 and 3100mAh for the S10e.

The LG G8 ThinQ also runs on a flagship chipset - the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. There is just one model in terms of RAM and storage, which offers 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also support for microSD, with storage expansion up to 2TB.

The LG G8 ThinQ has a 3500mAh battery, which puts it just above the Galaxy S10.

Fast charging and wireless charging support are present on the Samsung models but only fast charging is supported on the LG model. All the S10 models also offer reverse wireless charging, which the LG does not.

All models run Android but with each company's specific bloatware over the top. For Samsung, this is the redesigned One UI, while for LG, it is LG UX. There are specific software features on board both Samsung and LG devices, such as Shot Suggestions on the Samsung S10 and S10+, and Air Motion gestures on the LG.

Conclusion

Samsung offers the more exciting devices in terms of design, with LG sticking to an incremental update compared to the G7 ThinQ.

That's not to say LG hasn't pulled a few things out of the bag though. Some of the software features are quite interesting, it has a decent-sized battery and it is likely to be cheaper than the Galaxy S10.

For now, you can read our Samsung Galaxy S10 reviews here to see what you think, as well as our LG G8 initial review for more details on all the devices.