The new smartphones from Samsung and LG are making their way to the market, specifically the Galaxy S10E and the LG G8 ThinQ, two devices that are arguably in direct competition with each other because of their similarities and price points.
At that, a comparison between the two is in order.
Specs
The LG G8 has a 6.1-inch P-OLED display with a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution (564 ppi) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and 6 GB of RAM under the hood. It runs on Android 9 Pie with a layer of LG UX 8.0 and provides 128 GB of native storage that's expandable up to 512 GB with a microSD card.
What's more, it's resistant to dust and water with an IP68 rating, and it's MIL-STD-810G compliant, meaning it's more capable of withstanding shocks and the like than the usual smartphone. It's equipped with two cameras on the back: a 12-megapixel main sensor coupled with a 16-megapixel ultra-wide lens. On the front, there's an 8-megapixel snapper. A 3,500 mAh battery keeps its lights on throughout the day.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S10E sports a 5.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with a 2,280 x 1,080 resolution (438 ppi) and a Snapdragon 855 as well. It comes with either 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage or 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
It's powered by Android 9 Pie with the brand's new One UI skin on top. It's also IP68 certified and packs a 3,100 mAh battery. On the rear are two cameras — 12-megapixel wide and 16-megapixel ultra-wide — and on the front is a wide 10-megapixel sensor alongside a 3D ToF camera.
Similarities so far include the same Snapdragon 855 processors and dual-camera setups. Speaking of which, the LG G8 has three cameras in certain markets such as in South Korea. Both also come with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Distinctive Features
Now the LG G8 sets itself apart with its Z Camera that brings not only 3D facial recognition to the table but also Hand ID, a security feature that reads users' vein maps on their palms to identify them.
It also boasts a built-in Hi-Fi Quad DAC targeted at audiophiles, making it hard to beat in the high-quality audio department. On top of that, there's the Air Motion feature that lets users control it with air gestures, which is arguably more gimmicky than useful, though.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S10E offers reverse wireless charging, a feature that's becoming increasingly in demand with the surge of wireless earbuds. Compared with the LG G8, it also has a more modern look, thanks to its Infinity-O Display that does away with the notch but leaves a hole-punch cutout instead, which users can have a lot of fun with in hiding it. Another factor that makes it a better buy is also the option for a higher capacity model, as it can go up to 8 GB of RAM with 256 GB of storage.
Price
The LG G8 is normally $819.99, but it's available for $619.99 from T-Mobile, as well as $649.99 from Best Buy or $699.99 from B&H for the unlocked model. With those prices, it's one of the flagships with the best price-to-quality ratio in the market. However, it's $829.99 at AT&T and $840 at Verizon. In short, pricing varies a lot here.
In the Galaxy S10E's case, the pricing is more straightforward: It's $749.99 across carriers, while the 256 GB model with 8 GB of RAM is $849.99.
To sum things up, the features and specs of both smartphones make them both a compelling buy in their own ways, and the price point is probably the biggest deciding factor here. In other words, the LG G8 is a good phone to go with as long as it's at a discounted price.
