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Updated February 13th, 2019 at 13:37 IST

This is LG G8 ThinQ, launch set for MWC 2019

LG is gearing to launch its next-generation LG G8 ThinQ flagship phone at MWC 2019

Reported by: Saurabh Singh
| Image:self
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LG is gearing to launch its next-generation LG G8 ThinQ flagship phone at MWC 2019. Serial tipster Even Blass has managed to get his hands on what may be the first full-scale render of LG’s upcoming phone. The render that Blass has shared on Twitter shows off the alleged LG G8 from all sides, and going by the tipster’s track record, this could well be the real deal. 

The leak brings with it both good news and bad. LG is keeping the headphone jack in the G8, much like how Samsung is keeping it in the soon-to-launch Galaxy S10. So, that’s good news really, but come to think of it, it’s not very surprising. Wired audio has been one of the key highlights of LG’s G and V-series phones and killing the jack would defeat the whole purpose.  

So, what’s the bad news? Well, the G8 looks exactly like the G7 before it. At a time when rival Samsung is punching holes in the screen, LG’s design scheme looks so very 2018. Now I know there will be buyers who’d prefer a notch over punch-holes but LG already uses the same design in the G7 and V40 (this one does get 5 cameras, but design-wise, it still looks and feels like the G7) and looks like, the G8 won’t be any different. 

Last time I checked, LG phones weren’t exactly flying off the shelves (even though the G7 and V40 are spectacular devices) and by the looks of it, the company isn’t doing much to change that.  

Probably because it is looking to go beyond design and make user experience do all the talking. It’s not like the G7 and V40 have a bad design, so the argument could be, why fix something that isn’t broken. LG has already started dropping Easter eggs in relation to the G8 ahead of its scheduled MWC 2019 launch.  

One of its key stand-outs will be a dedicated 3D Time-of-Flight front camera for applications like secure face unlock, accurate depth mapping and AR using Infineon’s REAL3 chip.   

“ToF is faster and more effective in ambient light, reducing the workload on the application processor thereby also reducing power consumption. And due to its fast response speed, ToF technology is widely used in various biometric authentication methods, such as face-recognition,” LG says.  

It is basically a step-up from Face ID that Apple uses in its iPhone X and XS models. Use cases also include, “more accurate background blur in selfie portraits, as well as potentially having various AR applications.” LG isn’t going into the technical details and how it is going to use ToF in the G8, but it is promising to deliver “a new level of front camera capability in a smartphone.”    

The G8 will also allow users to say, “goodbye to touch,” according to LG, which suggests hovering gestures will be one key aspect here.

ALSO READ | LG V40 ThinQ First Look: This Is The World’s First Five-camera Smartphone

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Published February 13th, 2019 at 13:35 IST

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