LG V40 ThinQ vs. Samsung Galaxy S9+: Which should you buy?

LG V40 ThinQ

LG has made a great all-around capable flagship phone, hitting all of the big points with no real downsides. The V40 has all of the latest specs and features, plus an intriguing five-camera array and huge OLED screen. The only potential worrying point is the proportionately small 3300mAh battery.

LG V40 ThinQ

All-arounder

Fun and interesting triple camera setup
High-quality headphone DAC
SD card slot and wireless charging
Simpler software with Google integrations
Phone this large should have a bigger battery
No high storage option
Secondary cameras struggle in low light
Arguably too expensive

Samsung Galaxy S9+

The Galaxy S9+ is the flagship phone all Androids are measured by. It consistently outsells the competition for a reason: it has everything people want, with few caveats. Build quality, performance, specs and features are all here, plus a fantastic camera and well-known brand to wrap it all together.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

The standard

Amazing display
Great pair of cameras
SD card slot and wireless charging
Stereo speakers
Available with 128 or 256GB storage
Software can be cumbersome
Slower wired charging

The two South Korean phone makers have arrived at very similar conclusions with their latest flagships. The V40 and Galaxy S9+ are nearly identical in so many areas, choosing between them comes down to just a handful of points — and most of all, personal preferences.

Which phone is right for you?

In the hardware, specs and core features of the smartphone experience, you get basically the same package from either the V40 or Galaxy S9+. They're near-identical in physical dimensions, and sport the same metal-and-glass construction. Both have good speakers, water resistance, a convenient fingerprint sensor, headphone jack, SD card slot, wireless charging and a huge display.

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CategoryLG V40 ThinQSamsung Galaxy S9+
Operating systemAndroid 8.1 OreoAndroid 8.0 Oreo
Samsung Experience 9.0
Display6.4-inch OLED, 3120x1440 (19.5:9)6.2-inch AMOLED, 2960x1440 (18.5:9)
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 845Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
RAM6GB6GB
Storage64GB64/128/256GB
ExpandableMicroSDMicroSD
Rear camera 112MP, OIS, f/1.5, 78-degree lens, PDAF12MP, OIS, f/1.5 or f/2.4
Rear camera 216MP, f/1.9, 107-degree lens12MP, OIS, f/2.4
Rear camera 312MP, f/2.4, 45-degree lens, 2X zoomn/a
Front camera 18MP, f/1.9, 80-degree lens
Fixed focus
8MP, f/1.7
Auto focus
Front camera 25MP, f/2.2, 90-degree lens
Fixed focus
n/a
AudioBoomBox speaker
3.5mm headphone jack
32-bit Quad DAC
Stereo speakers
3.5mm headphone jack
Battery3300mAh
Non-removable
3500mAh
Non-removable
ChargingQuick Charge 3.0
Fast wireless charging
Quick Charge 2.0
Fast wireless charging
Water resistanceIP68IP68
SecurityFingerprint sensorFingerprint sensor
Iris scanning
Dimensions158.8 x 75.7 x 7.6 mm
169 g
158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm
189 g

Even the areas where these phones differ are merely small differences in implementation or personal preference, which means choosing between these phones comes down to the finer points.

They go toe-to-toe in every respect — the differentiation comes in the minute details.

Both phones have great, high-resolution OLED screens — Samsung's is simply a little better. Both have solid, but unspectacular battery life, though the Galaxy S9+ battery is 10% larger. You can argue Samsung's main camera is better, but LG offers more variety with its wide-angle camera and dual front-facing shooters. The V40 can charge faster thanks to Quick Charge 3.0 tech, but the jump over the GS9+'s Quick Charge 2.0 isn't necessarily perceptible. The V40 has a higher quality DAC for headphone listening, but you may not even notice or know what a DAC is in the first place.

These phones have the hardware and specs to be an Android phone you'll love to use every day.

Really, both of these phones have the hardware and specs to be an Android phone you'll love to use every day. There are a few differences to take note of in the software department, though. If you haven't use an LG phone in a few years, it's worth resetting your expectations with the V40. LG has cleaned up and simplified its experience to the point where it's generally less cluttered and cumbersome than Samsung's take on Android — and that is, of course, a good thing. The V40 still has its quirks, but you can turn off its most-annoying features and don't have to grapple with tons of duplicate apps and bloat. The Galaxy S9+ is infinitely customizable, but the number of features and options can be daunting if you're just looking for something simple.

Finally, you have to look at the price. With the Galaxy S9+ being several months old, it's regularly available around $750-800. The new V40 starts at $900, and U.S. carriers have it for as high as $980. Depending on where you go it'll be about a $150 premium to pick up the V40 — that may be a tough sell for you considering just how similar these phones are.

Andrew Martonik

Andrew was an Executive Editor, U.S. at Android Central between 2012 and 2020.