February 6 — LG G8 ThinQ to feature Time-of-Flight front-facting camera for next-gen AR/VR applications

Cameras have been getting all kinds of crazy in the last year, and while most of that insanity has focused on the rear-facing cameras, LG is partnering with Infineon Technologies to step up its selfie game with the LG G8 ThinQ — debuting at Mobile World Congress in less than three weeks — with "Time-of-Flight" technology.

Time-of-flight cameras use the speed of flight to calculate the distances of its subject, used in collision avoidance systems in cars, facial recognition, and machine vision in robots. Bringing time-of-flight imaging to the selfie camera on your smartphone could have a multitude of applications, from more accurate AR effects like Snapchat filters and the Galaxy S9's Animoji to better depth sensing for Portrait selfies to better "regular" selfies in less forgiving light situations.

LG's press release specifically mentioned facial-recognition and biometric uses for the LG G8 ThinQ's ToF selfie camera, which could hint at improved reliability for the G8's face unlock or iris recognition. Senior VP Chang Ma saig that "Keeping in mind LG's goal to provide real value to its mobile customers, our newest flagship was designed with ToF technology from inception to give users a unique and secure verification system without sacrificing camera capabilities."

We'll see Infineon's REAL3TM image sensor chip and the rest of the LG G8 ThinQ at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 24.

January 27 — Leaked press renders give us another look at the LG G8

After LG's global director of corporate communications denounced last week's renders as not real, a new press render of the device has surfaced on XDA Developers. The render shows off a device that's broadly in line with what we've seen last week, with a wide notch at the top of the display, curved edges, and dual cameras arranged horizontally at the back.

The cutout section at the top is missing the earpiece, with LG rumored to be working on a "Sound on Display" technology that transmits sound via vibrations across the surface of the screen. The device is also rumored to offer facial recognition via a dedicated camera sensor, and LG is also exploring a new gesture control interface.

January 22 — LG teases touchless gestures for the LG G8

LG is all set to unveil its next flagship on February 24, a day before MWC kicks off. If the latest teaser is any indication, the G8 will offer a gesture interface that doesn't need touch input. The video starts off with a piece of paper laid on a screen, and a hand gesture reveals the words "Goodbye Touch".

LG is rumored to be offering a new interface with the G8, and gesture control could be at the core of the experience. LG is also slated to debut a foldable phone alongside the G8 at MWC.

January 17, 2019 — LG refutes latest 'G8' renders

Update: LG's global director of corporate communications, Ken Hong, has strongly refuted these renders on Twitter, describing them as "not real," and replying "it isn't, trust me," to a blog post covering the "G8" CAD images.

Original post: Per yesterday's update, LG appears to be working on at least one variant of the G8 that'll have some sort of two display setup. However, new renders have revealed an LG phone by the codename of "Alpha" that may go to market as the LG G8. This model plays it safe with a much more traditional design.

The renders come from reliable leaker @OnLeaks, and as you can see, the device shown appears to be very similar to last year's G7. There's a screen with minimal bezels and a notch, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a sleek glass back. The dual cameras on the back aren't new, either, but they are now in a horizontal layout instead of a vertical one.

In regards to specs, we're told to expect a 6.1-inch display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and dimensions of 152 x 72 x 8.4 mm.

January 16, 2019 — LG G8 may have two screens, or may have a second screen attachment

Two duelling rumors coming out of TechRadar and CNET today indicate that the LG G8 will indeed have two screens, but it won't be a foldable phone — at least not in the sense we've seen it from companies like Samsung and Royole.

Instead, according to TechRadar, the LG G8, or at least one variant of the phone, will have two distinct displays that fold on a hinge with barely-there bezels that form a single large 7-inch display when expanded. There will also reportedly be a small 3-inch display on the front for checking notifications and doing short-term activities on the phone. The design is reportedly reminiscent of the ill-fated ZTE Axon M, which debuted in mid-2017 to middling reviews thanks to a chunky, awkward design and software that didn't quite take advantage of the single large display.

CNET reports that the LG G8, or another LG phone, will launch with an optional "second screen" case that physically adds dual screen functionality to a single-screen phone. While it's not clear whether this case will be compatible with the regular G8 or something different altogether, CNET says that it will be distinct from the company's long-rumored foldable phone, which is also slated to arrive during MWC.