LG G8 ThinQ

I am a tad different type of cell phone user. I value some aspects of smart phone uses that many do not: I demand high audio quality for both music and phone calls (yeah, I know: so 2010 of me), I expect decent battery life, I want ease of personalization, and I want good software support, and I want value for the money as I buy my phones outright and not over time through a carrier. Everything else is on a sliding scale for me.

I am very pleased with LG here. This phone has improved on so much. First off, as an audiophile there are only a moderate number of phones out there that excite me, and if you have never attached a decent set of headphones to an LG device or patched it into a good car system, please do so. You will be treated to the best option out there and I think LG should be rewarded for still caring. Not only is the Hi-Fi quad DAC everything it is reputed to be, it has individual controls which allows you to adjust the sound to your liking. I cannot praise it enough. LG is also now backing their phones with 2 year support. Not only is this rocking the latest versions of Android and security patches, LG has committed to Android 11 for it. The battery life is fine- I rock a charge up to a day and a half. I am not a gamer, but I do stream video a ton as well as my music and podcasts so I feel my usage is fairly representative of what can be expected. While I am not a camera guy, I have gotten a few compliments from people who are. So while a grain of salt should be included, I like these shooters. This thing is quick as a hiccup and I have loved how fast it performs. I also prefer the fingerprint sensor on the back as opposed to the in screen type, so if you agree this is huge bonus.

A few downsides: LG still makes you jump through a few extra hoops to get things done than on other devices. They just lag behind on the UI department. While durable and solid, this thing is freaking slippery. I have never held a device more likely to be launched from you hand as you pull it from your pocket, like ever. The Google assistant button is a "love it or it is useless" kind of thing. As I find no real use for it, not being able to utilize the button for something else is just a waste of hardware for me. Also the AI "hand gestures" are tough to master. They are not gimmicks, as they are actually useful. The "hand unlock" especially is kind of neat. But for the time it takes to master them, you could have found other ways to accomplish what they do.

There is one more bonus I cannot understate: The price on this beast is SO GOOD RIGHT NOW. You can literally get this device for half of what a new Galaxy S10 or iPhone 10 are going for, much less what the S20's or next iPhones will set you back. You can get new in box unlocked versions for a hair over 400 dollars, and like new used ones for under 300. There is jus NO WORDS for how good this phone is for that price.