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LG debuts V50 with 5G, second screen attachment, and G8 with ‘Hand ID’
LG failed to livestream its MWC 2019 event on Sunday, leaving a slew of people in the dark. But thankfully, nothing groundbreaking or bendable was showcased.
The company did however unveil three devices, one of which is the LG V50 ThinQ 5G. That name’s definitely going to get easier to say.
The V50 looks a lot like the V40 for the most part, bar the flush camera array at the rear. It also retains the notch, and screen.
The device has a 6.4 inch OLED display with 3120×1440 resolution. Beneath its skin, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 this time around, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage with SD card slot.
Image: LG V50 ThinQ 5G with screen attachment
It’s the 855 that’s the game changer though. It comes in tow with Qualcomm’s X50 5G modem, giving the phone 5G support and part of its name.
It’s LG’s first 5G device, and among only four devices announced to date that supports 5G networks.
Beyond that, the phone also sports the same rear camera array as the V40, with a 16MP superwide sensor, 12MP primary sensor, and 12MP telephoto.
Up front, the phone features an 8MP selfie camera with a 5MP wide camera for group pictures.
All this is powered by a 4000mAh battery — LG’s largest in a flagship mobile.
Image: LG G8 ThinQ
And as for unique selling points, the V50 can function with a dual screen attachment. A 6.2 inch display functions like a cover but also provides the user with a second screen. It’s an interesting solution to the bendable smartphone trend we’ve seen thus far in 2019.
It’s powered by the phones’s battery — hence the larger reservoir — and can be positioned at two angles — completely flat or 104 degrees.
As for the price of the V50, it’s not yet clear. Considering that the LG V40 only just launched in markets like the US and South Africa for R12 499, expect a premium.
But a single flagship isn’t enough these days. The company also pulled the rug off the long-rumoured LG G8.
The phone now sports an OLED panel, the first for the G series range. Its display however remains at 6.1 inches with a 3120×1440 resolution.
Image: LG G8s ThinQ
Internally, you’re looking at 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot.
Around the rear there’s a 16MP super wide snapper, a 12MP standard snapper and a 12MP telephoto camera. Basically, the exact same as the V50.
But around the front, LG has added a time-of-flight camera to its 8MP selfie snapper. This allows the phone to capture depth information, and more importantly, powers the phone’s Hand ID authentication system.
Instead of scanning a fingerprint, users can now hold their palms above the screen, let the phone read your veins, and unlock the device.
The G8 won’t support 5G networks, but it does have a 3500mAh battery.
LG’s also offering a stripped down version in the LG G8s, which features a larger screen with lower resolution at 2248×1080, an option for 64GB of internal storage, and a rear camera array with reduced megapixel count.
All devices run Android 9.0 Pie.
All images: LG
