TECH BREAK: LG V40 ThinQ announced

This phone is supposed to be the stuff of legends based on its predecessors and so far, the ‘ThinQ’ line has not disappointed, and indeed, this phone is not far from that fact.

With an aluminium frame that is corseted in glass, it is of a superior build. Aesthetics aside, it has everything else working for it.

It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with an Octa-core processor, backed by a choice of either 4GB or 8GB RAM. LG have added an Adreno 630 GPU, which produces brilliantly on the 6.5 inch display that supports 1440 x 3120 pixels resolution. This display also ships with Dolby Vision and is HDR compliant.

Storage also comes with choices, from 128GB to 256GB which are both expandable to 512GB via a dedicated RAM slot.

It has three cameras at the back, a 16MP sensor which comes with 3-axis and laser auto-focus, a 13MP sensor and an 8MP sensor with optical zoom, all with a common LED flash. At the front is an 8MP sensor for selfies.

For connectivity, there are choices, starting with LTE support, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC support for payments and other contactless services. The phone can be charged or directly accessed via a USB 3.1 Type-C 1.0 port.

Surprisingly, LG has opted for a rear mounted fingerprint sensor for quick access, instead of the increasingly popular under display sensor, the first notable drawback of this phone.

Audio on this phone is also brilliant, with X Surround Sound, and is Bang and Olufsen play certified.

What makes this phone a keeper? First is the reputation it comes bearing. Based on history, it is expected to be a performer, and with its chipset, processor and RAM options, there is little else to deny this.

Then there is the rear camera array, with three sensors. To some, this might be largely overkill, but, this heralds a new era of photography on general mobile devices.

The real sticky issue here comes down to the rear fingerprint sensor, which, many will feel should not exist. This should have gone underneath the screen, but, there is little to be done here. However, it does not deter performance, it just seems oddly placed.

That being said, this is a brilliant phone to look out for. It will run on a 3,300mAh battery, which should give it an easy day of normal use. If that isn’t enough, the phone will support both wireless and quick charging through Quick Charge 3.0, so ideally, this phone won’t need a power-bank.

This is every bit a flagship phone, priced at close to Sh94,000, so it will break banks, but, then again, this is a phone that will run for many years.