Lg v50 thinq 5g review in Spanish (full analysis)

Today we bring you the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, the new creation of the Korean manufacturer with which it assaults the high-end again. The G8s was a good terminal, but with certain shortcomings, and what better way to eliminate them with this new model that is also a very different bet than what LG is used to. It is the first mobile phone marketed with 5G connectivity, the new theoretical 10 Gbps standard already implemented in 15 Spanish cities including Malaga. For now, it is available only on Vodafone and El Corte Ingles, although we hope that its market will expand soon.

But it is not only 5G, it also includes Dual Screen technology with a hard case that incorporates a second 6.2-inch OLED screen ideal for consuming multimedia and playing thanks to the Snapdragon 855. Along with a very compact design and 5 highly versatile cameras that of course we will test here. Without further ado, let's get started!

And before continuing, we thank LG for the trust they have placed in us by giving us this terminal to do our analysis.

LG V50 ThinQ 5G technical characteristics

Unboxing

We start this review of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G with the Unboxing of the terminal. On this occasion, the manufacturer has chosen a somewhat different composition from the traditional one due to the fact that the case is included with the dual screen. On the one hand, we have a traditional hard cardboard box for the terminal and its accessories, and on the other, a second flexible cardboard box with the gadget on the second screen.

We do not know if the final bundle for the user will be the same or everything will be included in a larger box, but the truth is that each thing on its side does not inspire too much confidence when it comes to transportation. In any case, both elements are perfectly covered with plastic sheets and their corresponding accessories departments.

In this way, the bundle is made up of the following elements:

• LG V50 ThinQ 5G Smartphone Charging and Data Cable European Charger Housing with Secondary Display Microfiber Cleaner Headphones Jack In-Hear Rubber Headset Set

The only thing that we could miss is a second silicone or hard case to use only the main mobile, but obviously the manufacturer wants us to use the double screen, for something we have it included.

Exterior design

The LG V50 ThinQ 5G leaves no doubt who its creator is, since the manufacturer chanting maintains an aesthetic very similar to that of the G8s for example. However, it gives us a better visual and tactile sensation, using glass for the rear area and very soft and high-quality aluminum frames. Likewise, the design in black in mirror seems to have some treatment that does not leave as much mark as other flagships which is very good.

The feel in hand is fantastic and despite being glass it is not slippery either, largely due to its compact dimensions. These are 76.1mm wide, 159.2mm tall and just 8.3mm thick. They are very good measurements despite having a 6.4-inch screen and a 4000 mAh battery inside . All this is even more optimized weighing only 183 grams, being a very tight weight for what it offers us.

The terminal as a good high-end that it is, gives us IP68 certification, that is, total resistance to dust and resistance to immersion in water. In addition, it has the extra MIL-STD 810G military certification by passing 14 resistance tests that the manufacturer does not detail. Its screen of course has Gorilla Glass 5 with scratch resistance.

Focusing a little more on the distribution of the top of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, we find a screen that includes a notch of traditional type, although significantly smaller than the G8s, which we appreciate. Inside, two photographic sensors and the small upper speaker output are installed. This terminal does not have a hand ID or the G8s gesture detection system, so the space has been optimized. Likewise, you can see some frames in general little used especially on the sides, leaving a couple of millimeters apart. This makes the area of ​​use stand at 83%, a little low compared to its competitors.

We now go to the back where we have excellent news to see that in a terminal as thin as this it has managed to put the three sensors and the flash under the housing. It is possibly the reason why they are distributed horizontally instead of being vertical, but that feeling of touching and seeing that there is nothing protruding is great in my point of view. Right underneath and perfectly positioned, we have the fingerprint reader, which LG has decided to keep back here instead of under the screen.

It is also important to note the 3-pin connector on the bottom. Its function is to send the signal and energy to the secondary screen. Despite being a continuist design of the brand, we really liked the quality of the materials, the feeling of touch and the good grip it has. Finally, indicate that it is only available in mirror black, so the color palette is quite limited.

Ports and connections

Once we know all the details regarding its design and materials, we will go to the sides to see what we have in this LG V50 ThinQ 5G. We anticipate that there will be no surprises.

We start with the upper part that only has the noise canceling microphone, otherwise, we can only appreciate the fine finish of the metal frame.

Continuing with the lower area, yes we obviously have more things. In it, we have the sound output for the second speaker just to the right. Next to it is the call microphone, which is not the same as the noise canceling microphone that is just on the other side of the USB Type-C charging and data port. Finally, the Jack connector also makes an appearance in the left area to the delight of fans of analog headphones.

We go to the left side area, where we have the two volume up and down buttons and the button to use Google Assistant. The truth is that the usefulness of this button is expendable, at least this is because LG has implemented the corresponding button in its software customization layer. In any case, it doesn't get in the way too much, but it would be great if it could be programmed with other functions.

In the right area of ​​the LG V50 ThinQ 5G we find the power and lock button this time, very well located. They learned from the mistake made in the G8s, which is good news . In addition to this, we only have in the area the corresponding removable tray for the double Nano SIM with capacity for a Micro SD card of up to 2 TB.

Housing with Dual Screen

We are not done with the design yet, as the LG V50 ThinQ 5G includes a second display implemented on a hard plastic case. Undoubtedly, an interesting proposal is that of the Korean manufacturer who prefers not to risk making terminals with flexible screens and things like that.

Well, this casing is made of hard plastic and offers us a space on the right to enter the terminal. At the bottom, we find the three-pin connector to communicate with the screen that is located on the left. A large opening in the upper part will allow us to access the cameras and the fingerprint sensor as normal.

The system is articulated by means of two wide fully reversible hinges to close the terminal with both screens inward or both outwards. Keep in mind that this screen is not the same or with the same technology as the main one, but we will see this in more detail later. We do have another speaker above it and a useful notification led on the right of it.

And be careful here, because this screen does not have its own power source as other terminals like the Galaxy Fold do. This means that when we connect it, it will pull the battery of the terminal itself, so the autonomy will be significantly reduced.

Display and features

It is time to focus on the multimedia section of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, and first we will see what its two screens offer us. Focusing on its main screen, we have a panel with P-OLED FullVision technology built by LG itself. We already know that Samsung and LG are the maximum exponents in terms of OLED panels on the market and this shows friends.

We then have a diagonal of 6.4 inches giving us a brutal WQHD + resolution of 3120 × 1440 pixels. This gives us one of the highest densities in the current scene with 545 dpi in a 19.5: 9 format as set by the fees. We are not provided numerical data on the brightness, but it is very high and supports HDR10 and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. Its refresh rate is the standard 60 Hz.

And in this field, it is one of the best screens we have in the high-end flagships, at the level of Samsung's and those of the iPhone, demonstrating the power of LG in this regard. Its viewing angles are perfect, and the representation of color true to reality, with perfect saturation and a really high contrast.

Let us now move on to the second screen, from which we are hardly provided with technical data. Yes, we can see a notable decrease in the diagonal to 6.2 inches and a lower resolution of FHD +, that is, 2340x1080p. What is noted is that its OLED technology is not at the level of the main panel, especially at the viewing angles, which are slightly lower. The brightness is exactly the same, and we can also synchronize both screens to lower and raise the brightness in parallel.

Is it considered a double screen terminal? According to LG, yes it is, although this is rather an optional gadget that nevertheless comes in a fixed way in the purchase bundle. Later we will see that such is the integration, but for the functionalities it offers us, we accept it as a double screen. At least, it is a good and original proposal from the manufacturer. But we miss a second battery for this one, because the battery consumption at maximum brightness will be good bleeding.

Security systems

As for security system, this LG V50 ThinQ 5G does not have the system implemented by the G8s, being intended only for the G range of Koreans. In any case, we have facial recognition and a fingerprint sensor.

Starting as always with the fingerprint sensor, being one of those implemented in the rear we have guaranteed speed and a high hit rate. Although it is true that the system will not register too many replications of our fingerprint, which somewhat limits the positions in which we can put our finger and it certainly shows. Although the unlock is very fast, it does not give the feeling of being at the level of the fastest, perhaps in part because of the animation used to turn on the screen.

Regarding facial recognition, LG always offers us the possibility of completing it with different options or versions of our face, that is, using glasses, hats, etc. Its operation is also correct and unlocking is carried out quickly and with a very low failure rate even in difficult conditions. But again, it is not among the fastest on the market.

Sound with DTS-X 3D and Quad DAC

The sound system that LG puts in its flagships shows great solvency, and this LG V50 ThinQ 5G could not be the exception. As in the G8s that we analyzed, this model also implements a double speaker system in mat with DTS-X 3D technology.

And on this occasion we cannot say that the volume is low as it does in the commented model. Here we have a much higher and more powerful one in every way, having a great update job. The two speakers give us a very powerful and very detailed sound even at high levels. Although it is true that there is no bass, we have been pleasantly surprised by what the terminal is capable of, even at a high level for gaming.

In addition, it has a built-in 32-bit Quad DAC (analog digital converter) to deliver the highest sound quality to the headphones through the 3.5mm Jack connector. And the truth is that with high-quality headphones like the Razer HammerHead Duo it shows a lot. Especially in the detail with which it reproduces the sound and its clarity. We could say that it is at the top of high-end terminals, or that is our feeling.

Hardware and performance

We continue with the section of the specifications of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, in which we do not have too many surprises in terms of the options chosen, and it is a positive thing as we will see.

As a central core, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor has been used together with an Adreno 940 GPU, being the standard configuration before the 855+ version arrived with an improvement in frequency. This 64-bit CPU has 8 cores, 1 Kryo 485 at 2.84 GHz, 3 Kryo 485 at 2.4 GHz and 4 Kryo 485 at 1.8 GHz, with a 7nm manufacturing process being one of the most efficient ever built by Qualcomm. For her, no type of custom refrigeration is specified, such as water, in addition, the minimum thickness of the terminal means that too many flourishes in this aspect are not possible.

For RAM memory, only a 6 GB configuration of type LPDDR4X has been used , working at 2133 MHz as it should be. We do not have any other version available, and the truth is that 8 GB would have been more consistent for a flagship with 5G. Above all it would be very suitable for playing, although for daily use it will be more than enough. Similarly, we only have a storage configuration with 128 GB of UFS 2.1 type expandable with MicroSD card up to 2 TB. We miss a version with 256 Gb, and especially a system that UFS 3.0, more current and that doubles in performance to 2.1.

Benchmark and experience

We will see to see how this LG V50 ThinQ 5G has behaved in terms of gross performance. Next, we leave you with the score obtained in AnTuTu Benchmark in its new version 8, the benchmark software par excellence in Android and iOS terminals. In the same way, we will leave you the results obtained in the benchmark of 3DMark oriented to games and GeekBench 5 that evaluates the performance of the CPU in mono-core and multi-core.

The results are very good in all the tests, which shows that the temperature of the GPU and CPU have been very good. We are above terminals such as the OnePlus 7 or the Black Shark 2, which is very good news for the Korean manufacturer, although far from a recently tested Red Magic that is the fastest terminal with the 855 of today.

In order not to be a gaming-oriented terminal, the experience that it gives us in pure performance is outstanding, not only in benchmarks, but when it comes to playing, which shows what it is capable of. However, the customization layer is not the most fluid we have, and this LG should correct it to improve the transitions and animations of it.

OS

The operating system could not be other than Android 9.0 Pie, with the corresponding LG UX customization layer that the manufacturer continues to use. The implementation is good judging by the results, but during the days that we have been using the terminal, we have detected that at certain times the transitions are not as smooth as we would like. It is not a bad thing that is repeated too much, but with this hardware there should not be the slightest problem.

As we have commented on other occasions, this layer is already a little dated in terms of options management and design in general, at least in our view. It changes a lot to the interface compared to a pure Android, and we have that little problem. As always, we have the Smart World application to download custom launchers and give the terminal a personalized touch.

The application and accessibility system is the same as that of other layers, what's more, we have the Google Assistant in the central button, which makes the physical button used for it meaningless. The options menu is divided into categories, with many LG-specific options such as LG AirDrive, the display settings, or the Always-on system, which comes with a lot of customization behind it and even the possibility of putting applications such as direct access on it. At least hold the double tap to turn on the screen, which is a good option for face unlock, for example.

On the other hand, it has a lot of its own applications installed, which is something that many users do not like, who want a cleaner Android. Also, it doesn't give us the option to remove them, so keep that in mind. At least we have an integrated game launcher, not at the level of Smarthpone gaming, but useful to have all games located.

Integration with Dual Screen

What LG proposes to us is quite different from the rest of the competitors such as the Galaxy Fold or the Huawei Mate X. In this case we can say that it is a much more conservative system, since it will not have flexible screens that can fail. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G terminal proposes a Dual Screen system with a second screen integrated in a hard plastic case or cover.

In it, we have an OLED screen slightly smaller than the main screen with the same brightness. The great advantage of this solution is that it is, so to speak, a separate screen with its own desktop and some of its own options such as unhooking the brightness mode and others. This allows us to simultaneously manage two applications, whatever they are simultaneously.

If we stop to think about it, this offers great versatility, since for example we can have WhatsApp open while we watch a video on the Internet, or we watch a movie while we browse or chat. Running two applications in the foreground is something that until now could only be done with the typical marquee that divided the screen, something very complicated and annoying.

For us, one of the great advantages of the system comes when it comes to playing, since we can use the main screen for the game itself, and the second for example to place a touch control with which to control the character, something that would come Fable for example in racing games or competitive shutter, without fingers in the middle of the main image.

The application is quite simple to use, which we will find either directly on the second screen or in the list of options on the main screen. In addition, with the drop-down menu that we have on the side we can select whether to turn the main screen on or off, in order to manage the energy as we think appropriate. Note that the second screen does not have its own battery. Something that is very important is that, when connecting the second screen, the main one will decrease the resolution to FHD +, that is, 2340x1080p to adjust both of them to the same and improve integration. In addition, this will improve the battery consumption a little.

Finally, in terms of usability, we highlight the versatility of having two screens, but in terms of touch interaction it is not a very comfortable solution. We have two screens in different planes and also one side weighs more than the other for obvious reasons. As an extra, we have a weight of 130 grams that we will have to carry continuously which is not too comfortable. The system allows us to close the terminal or put it screen against screen, in any case, we will always need to open it to take photos or unlock it.

Cameras and performance

We go to see the section on cameras and content capture, in which this LG V50 ThinQ 5G improves the experience with respect to the G8s in our opinion. With a 5-camera setup, we have great versatility both front and rear.

Application

The application that LG uses by default has improved considerably, especially in its user interaction layer. The interface is very clean, as always, but the number of options has been increased considerably and the wheel that allowed us to select the different image modes has been removed.

As always, we have a selection of main modes directly on the screen, although something as fundamental as the night mode is missing, which we will find in the last section of " More ". Likewise, photo or video accessibility has its own independent controls and a mode that allows us to share the photo on social networks directly. Continuing with the part of the image, we have the three buttons to select one of the three sensors, as well as the options of flash, camera change, etc. at the top.

Interesting options have been introduced such as the triple shot and penta shot mod to capture images with all the sensors at once. Likewise, other capture options have been maintained, such as the typical story shot, or the panoramic mode. The operation is very comfortable and intuitive, although the portrait mode is still somewhat annoying and demanding.

Regarding video recording, perhaps it is one of the great improvements that this application has. In addition to recording normally we have a cinema mode with which you can record with an extra stability and being able to zoom or zoom out in a very natural and professional way. We liked this mode a lot, although it is not available in 4K @ 60 FPS.

Rear cameras

Let's start with the main dish in photography of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, the three rear cameras located horizontally and completely meditated on the plane of the glass case. We have:

• Main sensor: 12 MP with focal aperture 1.5 to 78 ^or stabilized and capable of recording 4K @ 60 FPS and slow motion content. Wide angle: 16MP sensor with 1.9 to 107o focal aperture. Telephoto: 12 MP sensor with 2.4 to 47 focal aperture ^or giving 2x optical zoom.

A configuration very similar to the G8s, where the wide angle mainly changes, which increases in resolution, but decreases the amplitude from 136 or 107 degrees, which is quite a lot. Regarding benefits, we found improvements over the model we analyzed a few weeks ago, especially we noticed it in greater detail or better benefits in difficult situations such as at night or against light.

We do not have those 48 MP from other flagships, it is true, but the main sensor shows us a very satisfactory result when we face it in environments of great detail and great depth such as a landscape. The color balance is very true to reality in automatic mode, but we can see how its dynamic range is still improvable, since we can see how the photo is somewhat flatter than what our eyes perceive.

Automatic mode

2X zoom

Automatic + HDR mode

Wide angle

2X zoom + HDR

Minimal blur portrait mode

Maximum blur portrait mode

Portrait mode

Automatic mode

Automatic mode + HDR

Automatic mode + HDR

But we have a lot of versatility, with an AI mode that practically all the mobiles integrate it that improve this contrast a little, giving us that extra that makes our photos more attractive. Similarly, we have an HDR with the possibility of putting it in automatic or manual mode, which we recommend for images with brighter backgrounds than the foreground or exposures against light.

Regarding the wide angle, perhaps we miss a larger aperture to differentiate it more than normal mode, although the con with a 16 MP sensor makes the detail much better, being at the level of the main one. Something similar occurs with the zoom, the typical 2x but with very good benefits thanks to a much improved application.

White balance in night mode (and normal mode) has been greatly improved. Now we will get a much more natural exposure and with better corrections, which will often be just enough and necessary to find that photo that the automatic mode cannot give us.

Automatic mode

Automatic mode

Night mode

Automatic mode

Night mode

Night mode + HDR

Night mode

Automatic mode

Where we have not been too satisfied is in portrait mode since it is still difficult to carry out and the results are not the best we can find either. The sensors have a great capacity for the macro and a very fast focus, that is not to be discussed, but it costs a lot to bring up the "available portrait mode". Sometimes it even gets to bother the amount of times we have to zoom out or zoom in to get what we want without the app bothering us. Something very positive is that we can manually adjust the amount of background blur, something very interesting to achieve the effect we want.

Regarding video recording, we have already seen the interesting solutions that the application offers us. We can combine the three sensors in a single shot very fluidly to zoom or zoom out. Thanks to the Adreno GPU we will be able to record in 4K @ 60 FPS with a good stabilization if we have a decent pulse, if not, we can always choose 30 FPS to improve the shot. The video cinema mode is quite interesting, although it does not offer an image quality comparable to the normal mode, and it is something that could be polished, without sinning from so much processing.

Front cameras

The front of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G is made up of two sensors:

• Main Sensor: 8 MP with 1.9 to 80 focal length ^o Wide angle: 5 MP sensor with 2.2 to 90 ° focal aperture.

These cameras give us a fairly correct performance as long as we do not put them on the spot, with a lot of brightness behind us or too much darkness. We miss a sensor of a few more megapixels to improve the level of detail, although we can always pull the beauty mode that by default is always activated, we do not know the reason.

As in the case of the main cameras, the application still does not give us a wide dynamic range, although we can also set the HDR mode to better this aspect. On the other hand, the wide angle will be very useful for group selfies, although the level of detail is not remarkable in it.

Wide angle selfie

Wide angle selfie

Automatic Selfi

Automatic Selfi

Autonomy

Autonomy with 5G

The issue of autonomy is complicated in this terminal by the fact of having not one but two cameras. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G implements a 4000 mAh battery despite being so thin and compact, which will be very good news for autonomy. In this case we have Quick Charge 3.0 fast charge, which would be 34W, and also wireless charging. As always, the available charger doesn't deliver the maximum power available, but will be able to complete a full charge cycle in just over 90 minutes.

We are going to comment on the consumption results that we have obtained in different situations:

• Normal use without 5G: two days without problems and about 9 hours of screen with 50% brightness. Normal use with 5G: due to the low coverage that is still in Malaga, consumption has risen above all in the idle state, holding little more than 1 day and about 7:30 hours of screen. Games and benchmarks: at maximum performance with 50% brightness we have obtained approximately 5 hours of screen Dual Screen mode normal use: more or less the same as in games, with a little more than 6 hours of screen with the brightness at 50% in both, that is not bad.

Connectivity Is 5G worth it today?

Well, under our concrete experience in Malaga, the truth is that no. We have a fairly low coverage range, and only in certain areas can we use 5G at a speed much lower than what a priori could offer. Perhaps in other cities it is better implemented and it can be used more.

The theoretical capacity of 5G is almost unlimited, with a bandwidth close to 10 Gbps, we could connect in streaming in real time with virtually any device compatible with "the Internet of Things". This LG V50 ThinQ 5G has in its favor to be the first terminal to be marketed in Spain with this type of connectivity, showing the Korean manufacturer that it is at the highest level.

Final words and conclusion about LG V50 ThinQ 5G

We finish this long review of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, a terminal that as we have said just above, will offer us real 5G connectivity in the cities where it is implemented. The first to be marketed of this type in our country, so it currently enjoys this exclusivity. 5G is clearly the near future, but the infrastructure is still weak to squeeze its possibilities, so in our view its capabilities are still limited.

Where we are not limited in performance, with top-of-the-line hardware thanks to the Snapdragon 855, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, which will give us almost impeccable performance even for gaming. Yes we would have liked an 8/256 GB configuration and UFS 3.0 storage.

LG has also opted for an independent double screen configuration through a plastic casing that acts as a case and that implements a second 6.2 ”OLED screen. It offers a lot of versatility for multitasking, especially consuming content while chatting or playing. It is a more conservative idea than flexible screens and it surely lasts longer, but it is also more uncomfortable to use. In addition, it does not have its own battery, so it will greatly affect autonomy.

Regarding the main screen, it is undoubtedly one of the best we have in the high range. LG knows how to make OLED panels and this is the example, with a brutal 3120x1440p resolution and perfect image quality. To this we add an improved dual speaker system compared to the G8s with more volume and sharperness that will delight users.

We recommend reading our guide to the best high-end smartphones.

Where we do need a little more improvement is in the customization layer. LG should do something a little more up-to-date in design and improve fluidity in transitions. Authentication systems are at a very good level, giving a fast experience and a low failure rate.

Also in the cameras they have raised the level, with triple rear sensor and double front sensor justifying the presence of notch. The new interface of the application has improved a lot, with more options and a more intuitive use, we think that it is one of the most complete at present. Although it is true that internally it still offers a dynamic balance to the photos, something that can be improved, although the capacity of the night mode has been greatly improved. We can say that it is not at the level of the TOP, but it is a worthy camera of a high range.

This terminal is available for purchase at Vodafone for a price of € 1026 in cash or different payment plans depending on the chosen rate. Also in El Corte Inglés for a price of 999.90 euros. The model will always be in black and with the second screen included.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ FIRST 5G TERMINAL FOR SALE	- IMPROVABLE PERSONALIZATION LAYER
+ DESIGN IN GLASS WITH IP68 THIN AND COMPACT	- THE SECOND SCREEN HAS NO OWN BATTERY
+ INTERNAL HARDWARE AND PERFORMANCE	- STORAGE IS NOT UFS 3.0 AND MISSING ONE VERSION 8/256
+ DUAL SCREEN WITH MANY POSSIBILITIES	- DUAL SCREEN SYSTEM SOMETHING UNCOMFORTABLE IN USE
+ MAIN SCREEN OF THE BEST IN THE HIGH RANGE	- LITTLE 5G COVERAGE CURRENTLY
+ VERY GOOD PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERIENCE	- NO VERSION AVAILABLE WITHOUT DUAL SCREEN, WHICH INCREASES THE PRICE
+ QUICK BIOMETRIC SYSTEMS
+ EXCELLENT SOUND SECTION
+ 4000 MAH AND GOOD AUTONOMY

The Professional Review team awards him the gold medal:

LG V50 ThinQ 5G

DESIGN - 90%

PERFORMANCE - 85%

CAMERA - 80%

AUTONOMY - 80%

PRICE - 80%

83%

The first Smartphone with 5G for sale in Spain, with improvements in its cameras and a peculiar dual-screen system