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Pixel 3 vs. the competition: Under the surface
It's October, which means we finally get an official look at Google's big phone release for 2018. The Pixel 3 may look plain on the outside, but it's packed with improved front and back cameras with souped-up software that we hope will make the shooters better than their predecessors. Of course, to find out we'll have to wait for the full review in a few weeks. For now, we can take a look at the handset's specs and see how it stands up to this year's crop of flagship phones. Check out the table below:
The iPhone Xs vs. the competition: It's all about the cameras
It's time for a new flagship iPhone, and while the "s" in its name usually means no drastic changes on the outside, there are quite a few souped-up features in the Xs worth noting, like the camera's adjustable depth of field and smart HDR. But the competition continues to be heated, with phones like the Galaxy S9 and the notched G7 ThinQ boasting their own enhanced shooters and Snapdragon 845 chips. We've lined up all these devices in the table below so you can get an idea of how their specs contend, and we even threw in Huawei's P20 Pro with its stellar tri-lens rig. It's one of our favorite phones from this year, even if you can't officially buy it here in the US. What we can't do is compare the iPhone XS to the upcoming Pixel 3 -- for that you'll have to wait until Google's event next month. So stay tuned for that as well as our full reviews of Apple's new handsets.
LG's G7 and V35 are available for pre-order on Project Fi
You no longer have to spring for a Pixel if you want a high-end smartphone on Project Fi. In the wake of an announcement late last month, Google's wireless service has made LG's G7 ThinQ and V35 ThinQ available for pre-order. The pricing for the devices remains unchanged at a respective $749 and $899, but there's now a sweeter incentive to buy them: you'll get a $100 Fi bill credit if you buy either device no later than July 7th. They're still more expensive than the Pixel 2 line as of this writing (Google is offering a $150 bill credit for those devices as well), but it might be tempting if you want a fast phone on Fi and aren't willing to wait a few months.
LG's AI-infused G7 ThinQ is now available in the US
LG's S9-rival, the G7 ThinQ, has arrived in the US and is now available at various retailers and major carriers. The G7 ThinQ is one of the Korean phonemaker's latest premium devices that comes infused with AI features -- there's also the V30S ThinQ and the V35 ThinQ, which shares many of the G7's characteristics and could make LG's lineup a bit confusing. It boasts the first dedicated Google Assistant button found on an Android phone, so you don't need to say "OK, Google" to summon the voice assistant. That button can also conjure up Google Lens, which can detect text, landmarks, media and other real-life objects, giving you a way to quickly translate foreign signs or to look for info on various objects.
Project Fi now works with LG's newest phones and Moto's affordable G6
In spite of recent additions, Google's Project Fi hasn't had great device choices. You've hadto buy a Pixel if you want a high-end phone, and the most affordable modern option has been the mid-tier Moto X4. No more -- Project Fi now supports three more third-party phones that fill in some huge gaps in the experimental carrier's roster. You can now use LG's G7 ThinQ and just-unveiled V35 ThinQ, for starters. They're not cheap at $749 and $899 respectively, but they do give you a viable choice if you feel the Pixel 2 is long in the tooth (or just prefer LG's self-branded designs).
LG G7 pre-orders start this week at Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon
If you've decided that the LG G7 ThinQ is more appealing than its major rivals, you now know when and how you can get it in the US. Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are all beginning pre-orders this week, starting on May 24th for Verizon and the 25th for its rivals. The notch-happy smartphone will officially launch across the carriers on June 1st. Pricing, however, is a different story -- the G7's cost varies signifcantly between networks.
The smartphone notch is a status symbol
Whether you like it or not, the smartphone notch is here to stay. After the Essential Phone and iPhone X brought the notch to the masses, other major brands such as Huawei, ASUS, Oppo and Vivo followed suit soon after, and the latest to join the party is none other than LG with its G7 ThinQ. Admittedly, this is a little painful to watch considering that LG (and even HTC) once stood by its Second Screen idea well before the notch ever happened. LG had a fair reason to join this trend: People like it, and it has the numbers to prove it.
LG G7 ThinQ hands-on: The loudest, brightest smartphone yet
As much as I liked LG's V30 and G6 last year, numbers don't lie: The company's latest earnings show just how tough the smartphone business is. So what kind of approach would LG take this time around? Play it safe or go bonkers? Well, in the end it was a bit of both. With the V30S ThinQ, LG started planting its seeds in the machine learning field, and gave us the first taste of its AI-assisted camera. But barring that, the V30S ThinQ was largely identical to its predecessor. It did give LG a couple more months to polish its latest flagship, the G7 ThinQ, which focuses on delivering the brightest display, the loudest sound and a more powerful AI Cam. Yes, there's a notch, too.
LG G7 ThinQ's speaker is apparently ten times louder than others
Another day, another LG G7 ThinQ teaser. Following the 1,000-nit super bright display, today the Korean giant decided to boast another feature on its upcoming flagship smartphone: the "Boombox Speaker." As the name implies, we're told to expect a speaker that "increases the base sound level by more than 6dB with twice the amount of bass." According to LG's measurements, this apparently translates to more than ten times the loudness than that of a typical smartphone, which is surprising given the usual physical limitations. As a bonus, the bass can be further amplified when you place the device on a solid surface or box.
LG G7 ThinQ will come with a super bright display
LG, as per its tradition of teasing its upcoming flagship smartphones, has yet again dished out some tidbits about the G7 ThinQ ahead of launch next month. Specifically, the latest tease is all about the device's display, which will come in at 6.1 inches large with a QHD+ (3,120 x 1,440; 19.5:9) resolution -- part of which will indeed be occupied by a notch, as shown again by a recent @evleaks tweet and now confirmed by a couple of official screenshots. What's more interesting is that you'll be able to crank this LCD up to 1,000 nits -- beating the 400- to 700-nit brightness peaked by most other smartphones -- thus making it easier to read under bright sunlight.
