LG G8x ThinQ and LG Dual Screen AT&T Wireless Review
TL;DR: LG has made Dual Screen accessories for their newest Android smartphones including the G8x ThinQ. The 2nd screen is identical to the LG G8x, down to the waterdrop notch. Two screens use more power than a single one, so the LG G8x comes with a large 4,000 mAh battery and QuickCharge 4.0. LG swapped out some tech from the LG G8 and added a greater amount of functionality with a folding screen accessory that works, reliably. LG’s newest LG G8x ThinQ Android 9 smartphone from AT&T is available at $779.99 and the Dual Screen Case for $199.
LG G8x ThinQ Dual Screen Unboxing by Chris @24k
Disclosure: The LG G8x ThinQ Dual Screen and AT&T Wireless services were on loan at no cost. I have not been compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Some photos may be courtesy of AT&T or LG.
The most exciting features of the G8x ThinQ are its Dual Screens, fast 5Ge wireless speeds, and QuickCharge 4.0. Foldable screen technology has been on the market for about a year, so LG has decided to get in on the idea, with an innovative and more functional design.
Powering this LG smartphone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 CPU, QuickCharge 4.0 fast charging technology, and wireless charging. This handset charges with a QC 4.0 compatible wall adapter and a USB-C cable. The Dual Screen case comes with a magnetic adapter that attaches at the base. This is a small proprietary adapter. Purchasing one or two additional adapters would be a smart idea, as they could get lost when traveling. Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 4.0 is the newest standard for Android phones.
Most companies have removed the 3.5mm headphone jack, however LG keeps it going at the bottom of the LG G8x ThinQ. It comes with a 32Bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC and DTS X Virtual Sound.
Overview
LG’s G8x ThinQ comes with the Android Pie 9.0 OS, an upgraded UX 9.0 and Google’s security patch from November 2019. Their UX 9.0 settings menu more readily reminds me of that from stock Android 9. The company is now releasing system and security updates faster than in years past, as the flagship smartphone market is innovating and upgrading like never before.
During testing, it did receive a security patch. It has over 6GB of RAM, which means that LG could update the Android OS to Q. Google has said that the LG G8 ThinQ is compatible with Android Q Beta 3 and hopefully testing has already begun for the LG G8x too.
Android 10 for the LG G8 ThinQ started rolling out in late January, from several of the US carriers. I look forward to it rolling out to the G8 AT&T variant soon. Confirmed in late January, LG’s G8 ThinQ running on a different carrier variant with Android 10, now supports desktop mode. An LG G8x with desktop mode would be exciting.
What’s In The Box:
– LG G8X ThinQ Smartphone
– Nano SIM Card AT&T
– 4,000 mAh (non-removable) Battery
– Wall Charger / USB-C Data Cable
– Quick Start Guide
A LG Dual Screen case kit was included with the review shipment. Inside of the box includes a magnetic charging adapter, 3.5mm extender cable, and warranty information. This Dual Screen case kit is an add-on or could be included in a purchase depending on the deal being offered at the time.
LG has begun releasing Android 10 for the previous model, the LG G8 ThinQ. This is good news that they are taking these updates seriously in 2020. A reason for the slow updates in previous years is that they have had to work with multiple carriers to finalize them. LG and AT&T release updates at a middle rate between the top four carriers in the US. From the LG G7, they have doubled the speed at which firmware updates have been rolled out. Flagship smartphones and the customers that use them deserve the latest Android OS with the most recent Google security patches.
LG G8X ThinQ AT&T Smartphone
The G8x’s right side is where the power button is located. The volume buttons are on the left, above the Google Assistant activation button. The Google Assistant can be activated while tapping its button. The Dual Screen case’s design allows for these buttons to work as normal.
Having a pair of quality wired headphones can still use them with the modern LG G8x ThinQ. It comes with the 3.5mm jack and works with the Dual Screen case with an attachment, on the bottom. It includes a Hi-Fi Quad DAC that supports DTS:X Virtual Sound, which sounds more like a concert hall or a room with speakers all around you. Audiophiles will like the quality of sound coming from the Quad DAC and balanced stereo speakers too.
Beyond its Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 CPU (2.84GHz x 1, 2.42GHz x 3, 1.79GHz x 4) and FHD+ OLED screen, LG has packed in hardware and features that differentiates itself from other Android flagship devices. An upgraded 4,000 mAh battery, Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 4.0, ASMR recording, and the ability to run the LG Second Screen kit that makes the G8x ThinQ a big deal amongst top Android smartphones.
The smaller water drop notch of this LG OLED display has many options for the area on each side. It is nice to be able to change the color of these areas. I preferred using the smaller notch of the G8x ThinQ, as it can display more connection information on either side.
LG’s software features are more intuitive and their UX 9.0 reminds me of a more modern Android settings screen. The move to UX 9.0 was mostly forward thinking towards greater usability over UX 8.0, however it could still be closer to stock Android 9. I am excited to see what Android 10 and LG’s newer UX overlay has to offer.
Its squircle (curved) corners, small water drop notch, and edge-to-edge FHD+ OLED display is pleasant to look at. At 2340 x 1880 resolution including notch, its 403 PPI is beyond Apple’s Retina display, but lower than the 500+ PPI of the G8 ThinQ, to save on cost and match the Dual Screen case resolution. LG actually supplies some of their screens to Apple because they work so well.
LG G8x ThinQ Android Smartphone Dual Screen Left Side View
The LG G8x speakers produce 2.4W and the sound they produce is evenly spread across both sides of the device. The balanced audio made listening to music enjoyable. I prefer audio directed at me rather than from the back of a smartphone.
The direct sunlight of Las Vegas is still one of the best ways to test screen capabilities. This smartphone produced impressive results for brightness and contrast. Streaming videos and watching shows with this phone was easier than the single screen LG G8 that I reviewed in 2019. I could easily find the video I wanted to view on one screen while watching a show on the other. LG’s Dual Screen case is a great deal more durable than a plastic folding screen.
A simple yet powerful technology that LG has embedded in their late model phones is the “knock on” for the screen, to turn it on and off. A knock-enabled password can also be set, in lieu of a pattern or number.
Streaming YouTube videos, Mixer and Twitch channels, and live broadcasts all worked with little to no buffering. Los Angeles, California was the city that I tested the LG G8x most in, outside of home city of Las Vegas, which had major parts of it upgraded to 5Ge AT&T Wireless signal.
For the several months of AT&T Wireless service that were available to test, in Western US cities, included Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Sacramento and Elk Grove. While 5Ge is still available only to flagship AT&T smartphones, it is nice to find out that the signal and speed have been upgraded to all of the areas that I visited. Your next phone should be compatible with 5Ge or even regular 5G.
With 5Ge so fast, at over 200Mbps in some tests, I liked that the hotspot function was enabled and I used it frequently. With multiple devices connected, the speed was like using a home cable Internet connection. Going on long trips with the LG G8x was better in some ways than a dedicated hotspot. It provided all of the connectivity that everyone needed, even while I used it to work on social media.
LG presented their G8x ThinQ at CES 2020 with a huge wall of Dual Screens, which was ideal for me so that I could ask them questions about the smartphone I was reviewing. They explained best uses for the Dual Screen case and other key features of the Android smartphone flagship device.
Learning more about @LGUSAMobile’s @ATT LG G8x Dual Screen devices directly from @LGUS at #CES2020. I always enjoy getting the scoop on consumer electronics from the source.#mobile cc @scotthuscher #technews #CES pic.twitter.com/PUnexVhU2C
— Chris Rauschnot (@24k) January 10, 2020
From LG’s booth at CES, I realized that the Dual Screen case must have many uses beyond media consumption. Indeed it does and my tour of features by an LG national trainer showed me the best uses for it. One of them was texting with the Dual Screen case allows for one of the screens to be a complete keyboard in landscape mode. Adding the case does not block RFID.
LG Pay is a digital wallet that lets you access your credit or debit, loyalty, and gift cards. The LG Pay app works securely almost anywhere, at both magstripe and NFC payment terminals. It still works with the LG Dual Screen case too.
Under the glass, the G8x ThinQ comes with an octa-core Snapdragon 855 CPU running at 2.84GHz, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. It can utilize a whopping 2TB microSD card for extra storage. For less than $779.99 or free for a limited time (restrictions apply), this is the LG flagship phone you want and need. Running Android 9 Pie was smooth, even when using multiple tabs in Chrome, streaming social media videos and playing games like PUBG: Mobile. The LG Dual Screen was a cool and useful accessory from LG that enhanced all of my daily social media management routines.
It scans for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals, even when the phone is in airplane mode. I found that the Bluetooth mode did not randomly stay on as the LG G8 had. This can be helpful to save on battery power.
Flush with the back of this smartphone is its dual cameras and flash. Gone is its rear mounted fingerprint sensor, which now works on the front screen. The phone is covered in late model Gorilla Glass 6 and Gorilla Glass 5 to support NFC and wireless charging. However, it does not support reverse wireless charging like Huawei’s Mate 30 Pro or the Samsung Note 10 Plus. Reverse wireless charging is convenient to power up smartwatches or wireless earbuds.
There are many smartphones, including premium models, that do not have an auto (HDR mode, like the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. The G8x ThinQ has HDR, scene detection A.I., Panorama, 360 Panorama, Cine Video, YouTube Live, and a manual mode (shutter speed, white balance, ISO, exposure, contrast, and more) when snapping photos. Going professional is easy by being able to save photos as RAW in the DNG format.
Its most notable video settings include 4k 60FPS, 4K 30FPS, 1080p HD at 30fps, and slow motion. A HDR10 video, steady record, point zoom, Cine Effect, and video portrait are other video modes. Switching between photo and video modes is as easy as a single tap.
The G8x received a notable bump in its forward camera from 8MP to 32MP. There is no forward facing flash built into the water drop notch. The front-facing camera supports story shot, makeup pro, auto shot, gesture shot, gesture interval shot, gesture view, selfie light, and beauty shot. The gesture shot and gesture interval shot snaps a photo with a hand movement, like making a fist twice to take four selfies in a row. The selfie light mode turns up the front screen’s brightness to take photos.
There is 128GB of onboard memory to run apps and store media files. This may seem like a lot for a flagship smartphone, though there is 103GB leftover from what the system and apps take up. I like SanDisk’s A1 128GB microSD card to record 1080p video and run apps.
One of the best features of Android phones is the microSD card slot, like what the LG G8X ThinQ has. This makes it easy to expand storage to backup photos, 4K UHD videos, and very large downloaded files.
It comes with an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. lt endures drops in pools and sinks. Because there is so much processing happening inside of the phone, it uses an internal heat pipe to move heat away from the octa-core CPU. Its size is 6.27” height by 2.98” width by .33” deep, and it weighs 6.79 oz. This water resistance rating was somewhat surprising since it has a headphone jack, multiple microphones, and a USB-C port. The Second Screen case has no such water or dust rating.
LG G8x ThinQ & Dual Screen Back
LG’s G8x ThinQ is a smooth glass Android Pie smartphone from AT&T. I tried using it without a case but the Dual Screen kit was too enticing. I suggest getting a thin silicone case and a 9H glass screen cover for it otherwise. Its photo capabilities are impressive, but the FHD+ OLED screen is one of its best features. Apple would be wise to build an iPhone this nice, it is that good.
The last AT&T smartphone that I reviewed was the LG G8 ThinQ and while this LG G8x ThinQ is mostly the same, it did come with a Dual Screen case accessory that doubles up on multitasking capabilities. Think of it as a folding LG G8x without all of the worries associated with Samsung’s foldable. You still get a flagship-level smartphone, with fast AT&T 5Ge wireless, now with a second screen that is made to last.
Rating: 4.5/5
Pros:
– Larger Screen
– Dual Screen Accessory is Identical to Original Screen
– Bigger Battery & Longer Life
– 6GB RAM
– Home Internet Speed via AT&T Wirless’ 5Ge
– SIM and microSD Combo Tray
– Qualcomm 855 Octa-core CPU
– IP68 Resistance Rating
– Upgraded QuickCharge 4.0
Cons:
– Non Removable Battery
– Dual Screen Accessory Adds Extra Bulk Without Extra Battery Life
– Not 5G Compatible