From the Galaxy S10 to the Pixel 4, 2019 is going to be an intense year of competing Android flagships. There's a lot of phones we have to look forward to, one of which being the LG G8.
Last year's G7 was a solid handset that brought some unique ideas to the table, but it was ultimately overshadowed for not being able to stick out enough from its competitors.
Will LG be able to pull that off this year, or will we be met with more of the same?
Here's everything we know about the LG G8!
The latest LG G8 news
February 13, 2019 — LG G8 uses entire display as a speaker, includes Hi-Fi Quad DAC once again
LG's focus on smartphone audio quality will continue with the G8, including a new speaker technology that leverages the entire screen to improve audio quality. LG has announced the G8 will include in-house-developed "Crystal Sound OLED" (CSO) technology that uses the OLED panel as an audio amplifier.
Rather than rely on multiple traditional speakers, CSO lets the G8's display act as a speaker diaphragm to vibrate and produce sound with what LG says is "impressive volume." The G8 will still include a traditional loudspeaker on the bottom of the phone, which can combine with the top portion of the screen for 2-channel audio. That ability to choose which part of the display becomes a speaker also lets the phone use the technology for phone calls with increased quality and no speaker to be seen.
In addition to the brand new display-based speaker technology, LG will include improved traditional audio solutions through a partnership with audio brand Meridian. The LG G8 will have simulated 7.1 surround sound for both its speakers and headphones, as well as an LG-standard Hi-Fi Quad DAC, MQA support for high-quality streaming, and the same "Boomox" speaker tech found in the LG G7.
February 12, 2019 — LG G8 render shows the phone from all angles
The LG G8 ThinQ has leaked once again, and to not much surprise, this latest render from Evan Blass mirrors other leaks we've previously seen.
Around front of the G8 is an OLED display with minimal bezels and a notch at the top. The back houses two rear cameras, an LED flash, and a fingerprint sensor.
This time around we get to see the phone from every possible angle, highlighting The G8's 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, speaker grill, and metal/glass design.
All the big details
What will the phone look like?
On January 17, trustworthy leaker @OnLeaks partnered with 91Mobiles to share the first batch of renders for the LG G8.
As you can see from the renders, the G8's design looks a lot like the one LG used last year for the G7. Just like the G7, the G8 has a glass back, notched display, rear fingerprint sensor, and dual cameras on the back. Also seen is a USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
There's talk of LG working on another model of the G8 that'll feature two displays, so the G8 we're seeing here may not be the only G-series flagship we're getting this year.
What specs will it have?
Once again, there's not a whole lot of info out there regarding the G8's specifications. We've put together the following spec list based on the latest rumors and things that just seem likely based on past LG releases, so take everything here with a grain of salt.
Category | Spec |
---|---|
Operating System | Android 9 Pie |
Display | 6.1-inch OLED 3120x1440 19.5:9 aspect ratio |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
Rear Cameras | Three sensors |
Audio | Sound on Display tech 3.5mm headphone jack Hi-Fi Quad DAC |
Charging | USB-C Qi wireless |
Dimensions | 152 x 72 x 8.4 mm |
When will the G8 be released?
Like everything else with the G8, its release date is also up in the air.
Last year's LG G7 was first announced on June 29, 2018, but that was quite a bit later compared to the G6 and G5 which were both unveiled in February at Mobile World Congress in 2017 and 2016, respectively.
What's LG going to do this year?
An announcement at Mobile World Congress isn't out of the question and seems fairly likely if LG wants to one-up Samsung which will be announcing its Galaxy S10 series just a week before this year's trade show on February 20.
How much is it going to cost?
As for the LG G8's price, don't expect it to be cheap.
Here's what pricing has been like for the last three G-series flagships:
- LG G5 — $650
- LG G6 — $650
- LG G7 — $750
The LG G8 could stick with the G7's starting price of $750 or increase things a bit to $800.
That'd still be cheaper than phones like the Note 9 and Pixel 3 XL either way, but if you're in the market for an affordable phone this year, the G8 probably isn't going to be for you.
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