LG Electronics has confirmed the launch of its first five-camera smartphone, the V40 ThinQ. It will be available to pre-order from 11 October. In addition, the company announced a new hybrid smartwatch, called the LG Watch W7.
The V40 ThinQ, previewed already last month, comes with a 6.4-inch Oled display with QHD+ resolution and smaller bezel than the V30, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.
The rear camera features three lenses: 16MP super wide-angle, 12MP standard angle and 12MP telephoto. The 107-degree super wide-angle lens captures subjects with more of the background with ease, while the telephoto with 2x optical zoom takes clear shots from a distance without a loss in image quality. The Triple Shot feature stitches together the images captured with each of the three lenses into a short video file. The front camera module features a 5MP wide-angle lens and 8MP standard angle that work in tandem to create bokeh effect, with an on-screen slider to adjust the amount of background blur.
LG said the camera is significantly upgraded compared to the V30. The f/1.5 aperture of the main camera delivers greater depth of field, half the shutter lag and significantly faster burst mode compared to the V30. The Dual PDAF also delivers automatic focusing 50 percent faster and about twice as fast as the industry average, the company claims.
The new AI Composition feature taps into the phone’s artificial intelligence to frame, capture and recommend an alternative shot to the one taken by the user; AI Auto White Balance automatically adjusts the color temperature across different lighting situations; and AI Shutter selects the right shutter speed, especially useful when trying to capture fast-moving subjects. Other new features include Cine Shot, 3D Light Effect, Makeup Pro, Custom Backdrop, My Avatar and AR Emoji.
For music lovers, the V40 is the first LG phone to carry the Audio Tuned by Meridian label and the device includes a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC and the Boombox Speaker first introduced on the LG G7.
All four US mobile operators said they will offer the V40, with pre-orders to start 11 October. Verizon received the exclusive on the Moroccan blue colour and will also offer the phone in black, starting at USD 40.83 per month on a two-year contract. Customers who order by 17 October receive a free SanDisk 256GB microSD card and adapter, a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal and enrollment in the LG Second Year Promise programme.
AT&T said it will start taking orders for the phone on 12 October, and the device will be in shops from 19 October. T-Mobile offers the same schedule and is charging USD 200 upfront and then USD 30 per month on a two-year contract. At Sprint, the device costs just USD 20 per month on a Sprint Flex Lease 18-month contract, which the operator says is equal to a savings of USD 360.
Analog and digital watch
LG's new smartwatch combines the mechanical movement of a traditional watch with digital functions and is the first LG wearable to run the new Wear OS by Google platform. LG said the Watch W7 is designed for consumers who value the look of a traditional analog timepiece but desire the convenient functionalities of a connected smartwatch. It is IP68 certified, comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 platform with a 1.2-inch LCD screen.
The device was developed in partnership with Swiss watchmaker Soprod and comes with high-precision quartz movement and physical watch hands wrapped in a stainless steel body compatible with any 22mm watchband. The watch can run for up to two days in full operation mode and then an additional 3-4 days in analog-only mode. In mechanical watch-only mode with its smart features disabled, the watch can operate for up to 100 days before requiring a charge.
