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IFA 2018 is just around the corner, so what should we expect?

Alexandra Arici
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IFA is one of Europe’s biggest tech shows. It usually takes place during the first days of September in Berlin, Germany. Naturally, the industry’s biggest names all make an appearance to show off their wares and latest hot new products.

This year IFA is scheduled to begin on August 31 and will its gates will remain open until September 5. The show is open to the public, so anyone with an interest in tech can go and check out the latest advances in technology.

However, the press day, during which we hear information about new consumer products is set one day before IFA officially kicks off. This fall, we expect August 30 to be the day that’s richest in new announcements. We also expect to hear a few new things on August 29.

But the biggest players in tech will most likely make their announcement a day before IFA starts. With this in mind, what can we expect to see this year at IFA from companies like Samsung, LG and others? Continue reading below to get an idea.

Samsung

Historically, Samsung has used IFA to launch a new Galaxy Note model. However, this year the Korean tech giant will unveil the phablet during an Unpacked event scheduled to take place on August 9 in New York.

On top of that, the tech giant is expected to announce a new wearable called the Galaxy Watch. The wrist-bound gadget will run a new version (4.0) of Samsung’s proprietary Tizen. Although, some rumors claim the smartwatch will get a second version that will run Google’s Wear OS.

Last but not least, Samsung could also announce a new tablet, the often-leaked Galaxy Tab 4.

 

So what will Samsung bring to IFA this year? Well the company might use the event to launch its first Bixby-powered smart speaker, which according to the latest information will be called Magbee.

Fans will also get to see and try the new Galaxy Note 9.

 

LG

Last year during IFA, LG launched the V30. So it makes total sense to assume that the Korean phone maker will want to use the same event to push out the next phone in the line, the V40.

However, given that LG launched the V35 ThinQ in late May, it’s quite possible LG will wait a bit longer before pushing out another device in the V series. Actually, according to recent rumors, LG will host a separate event in October for the V40.

But that doesn’t mean LG won’t have anything to show at IFA 2018. On the contrary, the company might come to Berlin to launch a new speaker or a bunch of new appliances from the ThinQ line.

Motorola

Motorola recently unveiled the Moto Z3 Play. And at IFA we could see the Lenovo-owned company launch another budget smartphone.

Back in May, rumors surfaced that the company was working on its first phones with a notch called the Motorola One and One Power.

In recent days the Motorola One Power was spotted going through TENAA, which is China’s FCC equivalent. Which means the device might be just one step closer to getting released. With IFA coming, it’s quite possible the company will unleash the notchy duo during the event.

According to leaks, the Motorola One Power will come with a Snapdragon 636, up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. A dual-camera setup will also be included in the bundle, as well as a 3,780 mAh battery. We also know the Motorola One Power will be the second phone from the company to be part of the Android One program.

But wait there’s more! There’s a chance the Moto C2 will go official during the IFA 2018, as well. The low-end handset passed recently passed through FCC and was certified by Brazil’s ANATEL too.

The phone is expected to feature minimal specs including 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. So it’s probably going to be part of the Android Go family.

Motorola has yet to unveil its flagship for the year, the Moto Z3. However, we believe the company will do so during a press event which was announced to take place in Chicago on August 2.

Sony

Even though its smartphone business hasn’t been doing all that well in the past years, Sony keeps pushing on. Case in point, the Japanese company will come to Berlin to launch the Xperia XZ3 flagship.

Renders of the upcoming flagship have already surfaced online showing the phone will probably have a single camera on the back. And not a dual-camera one like the Xperia XZ2 Premium.

In recent days, Sony announced a powerful 48-megapixel sensor for smartphones. So in all possibility, it might come included with the Xperia XZ3.

According to a recent listing, the phone could also make a debut with a 5.7-inch display with 2,160 x 1080 resolution and a Snapdragon 845 processor under the hood. Other specs include 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 12-megapixel single shooter on the front.

Huawei

The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro have landed in February, but Huawei is certainly not done with flagships this year. So at IFA 2018, the company might launch the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro (or Mate 11 and Mate 11 Pro, we’re not sure how they will end up being called).

Yet the rumor mill has been pretty quiet on the subject so far. However, some industry sources have claimed that the Mate 20 Pro could arrive with a 6.9-inch OLED screen. An ultrasonic scanner might also be part of the package, as well as a Kirin 980 processor.

Nokia

This summer HMD announced the Nokia 6X and Nokia 5X in China. But the notchy phones will also be launched globally as the Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 5.1 Plus.

Which is why we expecting to see them be formally introduced during IFA 2018. Both devices are pretty middle-range, but they offer the popular notch design on the cheap.

For example, the Nokia 5X has a 5.9-inch HD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. It’s powered by a MediaTek P60 processor, backed up by either 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage.

When it comes to cameras, there’s a dual 13-megapixel/5-megapixel camera combo on the back and a fingerprint scanner. On the front, lives an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and is available for approximately $148 in China. Which makes for a pretty sweet deal, right?

How to keep your Gmails private and prevent third-parties from reading them

Alexandra Arici
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Google has confirmed in recent days that private emails sent and received using its popular email service Gmail can sometimes be ready by third-party app developers.

This means that if you connected third-party apps to your Gmail account such as a travel planning app, then you might have given staff permission to read your emails without even realizing it.

It’s true that these apps do need to receive user consent, but the wording is as such that it’s not clear whether they mean humans, as opposed to computers doing the reading. Apps can request permission to “read, send, delete and manage your email” which will have the effect of allowing employees of third-party apps to read emails.

Edison Software, for example, told the Wall Street Journal that it has review the emails of hundreds of users to build a new software feature.

What does Google say of all of this? The global tech giant doesn’t seem too bothered by the recent revelation and actually said the practice was not against its policies.

While you are encouraged to thoroughly review the permissions screen before granting access to any non-Google application, there’s a way you can hide your Gmails from prying eyes.

You can do so from your Android app or from the desktop app.

How to hide your Gmails on Android

  1. From the Android Gmail app access, the menu located in the top left corner.
  2. Choose Settings
  3. Tap on My Account
  4. Select the hourglass icon located at the bottom and search for apps

  1. Tap on the first result Third-party apps with account access
  2. Revoke the permission given the apps that have access to Gmail by tapping on the “Remove Access” button.

How to hide your Gmails in the desktop app

  1. From your Gmail account, click on your profile image
  2. Click on Google Account

  1. In the Sign-in & security section, click on Apps with account access
  2. Click on the app(s) that have access to Gmail

  1. Click on the Remove access button

That’s it! Just follow these simple steps to ensure your Gmails are hidden from prying eyes.

Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller – Episode 1: the Hangman review

Alexandra Arici
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I don’t know about you, but I have a vice for mystery games. Ever since I played my first Nancy Drew game as a kid, I’ve loved solving virtual crimes and puzzles. So I’m always keen to try out new titles.

In a recent search for a new game to sate my thirst for mystery, I stumbled upon Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller, a game which seemed to blend the classic detective game formula with supernatural elements. I quickly became interested and downloaded the first episode, The Hangman on my Android phone. There are four episodes in total and they are all available for download from the Google Play Store.

The game was designed by indie studio Phoenix Online Studios, which was until a few years ago a group of dedicated hobbyists scattered throughout the world, working on their fan tribute to the King’s Quest games. The Silver Lining was developed over many years and faced a lot of turmoil, but eventually it got released in four chapters. Fast forward to the present, and the studio’s playing a big part in the resurgence of adventure gaming with games like the Erica Reed series.

For this mystery thriller, they brought on board Gabriel Knight-creator Jane Jensen as a story consultant. Not surprisingly, the game packs a dark and intense story-line within an intriguing, albeit at times slow game.

The Erica Reed adventure has been available to play on PC for a few years now, but you can also play it on your Android smartphone or tablet.

Storyline

Cognition is a point-and-click adventure, which follows Boston FBI detective Erica Reed as she searches for clues and solves puzzles in order to solve gruesome murders.

The game approaches very unsettling subjects, so it’s definitely not for the most sensitive players out there. Some cut-scenes are also pretty violent and disturbing, so if you’re not the type to stomach that, I recommend you stay away from this one.

Anyway, Erica Reed is not your average detective. Sure, she’s intuitive and clever, but on top of that, she possesses a special gift. She can see the past through a series of flashbacks.

The game starts with Erica and her FBI partner John McCoy attempting to enter a cemetery where they believe the Cain Killer is holding Erica’s twin brother, Scott, hostage. So your first task is to go rescue Scott.

It’s here that you’re first introduced to Erica’s strange powers. Tap on the Cognition sphere at the bottom left and it will reveal certain glowing areas in your environment. These can be a statue or a table and as Erica examines them, she’ll catch a glimpse of the object’s past. Which in turn helps her get closer to solving the puzzles in the level.

Unfortunately, Erica is unable to save Scott. Or so it becomes apparent after we move on to the next part of the story. Three years have passed and we find that Erica is now living in Boston and is working downtown at the FBI headquarters. She’s determined to track down the person who murdered her brother three years ago. But wait! Didn’t she set the abductor on fire at the end of chapter one? This part got me a little confused, but I have to admit, I was intrigued and very curious to find out what actually happened to Scott.

Erica’s flashbacks continue…

Anyway, Erica is called to investigate a new homicide case involving a man who was hung to death. Her boss wants her to take it slow, but Erica is having none of that.

As you play, Erica’s cognition ability develops into something more complex. For example, Erica can now select three related hotspots in order to unlock evidence that previously existed in the location. Like the ancient artifact that she finds at the hangman crime scene.

The game opens up quite a little bit in the second part. You’re given multiple locations across Boston to visit including the Cemetery where Scott’s buried or the Antique shop, where John’s voodoo queen friend helps Erica understand her abilities.

Even if the game is pretty simple in concept: visit the locations, search for clues, solve the puzzles, it quite challenging at times. I’ve often got stuck and had to revisit each location a couple more times in order to finally figure out a solution. In one particular instance, failing to correctly complete a problem, gets you killed. And you’ll have to start all over again.

The implausible puzzles were another reason why I was slow to make progress. For example, in one scene you need to use your partner’s lighter, but for some obscure reason, John won’t give it to you. You’ll have to distract him with snacks, but not just any snacks. It has to be doughnuts. And oh, they are pretty hard to find around Boston.

But at least the game benefits from a pretty effective hint system. So you can turn to that if you feel your frustration level rising.

Impressions

If you love comics, you’ll adore Cognition’s artwork. The striking 2D backgrounds and character designs are very impressive and detailed, but I can’t say the same for the animations which are quite awkwardly-made, most of the time. Flashback to Scott looking like a freaking zombie in the scene where he was chained up to that table in the underground tomb.

Creepy Scott

On the brighter side of things, the soundtrack, created by Austin Haynes (who also made the music for the Silver Lining) is truly excellent and unsettling. The music does a great job of exacerbating the uncanny feeling that seems to be hanging in the air at all times

The voice acting is pretty good too, albeit a bit melodramatic at times. Although I couldn’t help but get bored with some of the lengthier, superfluous dialogues. Speaking of which, I found the subtitle font way too small.

But this is just one of the limitations of playing this sort of game on a phone. It’s also not that easy to tap on smaller or far-away objects and you can’t zoom either. So yeah you might want to try this game on a tablet, instead of a smartphone like I did. The bigger screen will most likely make a huge difference.

When it comes to performance, the game usually runs pretty smooth, but I’ve noticed the occasional graphics glitches. Loading times are pretty long too, at times.

But if you can see past these (minor) inconveniences, Cognition will provide an overall enjoyable experience. I really loved the story, it’s bizarre, gruesome at times and keeps you guessing until the very end. It’s not at all predictable, which is a very big plus in my book.

Five features we want to see in the Google Pixel 3 this year

Alexandra Arici
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The Pixel 3 has not yet been unleashed upon the world, but if the soon-to-be previous-gen Pixel 2 is anything to go by, we’re expecting great things…

Last year’s Pixel 2 received great acclaim, although, in all fairness, it wasn’t a perfect phone. So here are the top five things we would want to see in the Pixel 3 in 2018. Fingers crossed!

A better display

Reports of multiple display issues on the Pixel 2 XL have surfaced ever since Google announced the phone.

We’ve heard people complain that:

  • The display looks dull and washed out, despite the phone relying on an OLED screen
  • The screen exhibits a blue shift when viewed even slightly off-center
  • The display has burn-in
  • Responsiveness issues on the sides

And these are just a few examples.

So in 2018, we hope Google has learned something from the experience and will bring a higher-quality panel to the new phones. One that will not leave you wondering, why did I pay $850 for this phone?

A more premium design

While the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL certainly crammed a lot of features under the hood, the devices were certainly not the best-looking, not when compared to rivals such as Samsung and Apple.

Yeah, Google has added some nice design touches last year (think the Panda Pixel 2 XL), but the Pixel 2’s outdated look with large bezels disappointed a lot of fans. As for the Pixel 2 XL, it has a pretty huge chassis that makes it pretty bulky.

What’s more, neither the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL actually feel like premium phones. While the industry has been busy developing gorgeous glass designs or perfecting stylish aluminum finishes, the Pixel 2 XL features a flat back with a rough texture.

Hopefully, in 2018, we’ll see a change in dynamics in this department. According to the leaks we’ve seen so far, the Pixel 3 should come boasting a design similar to last year’s Pixel 2 XL. So at least it’s going to look like a modern phone. While the larger Pixel 3 will get a notchy display. Love it or hate it, it seems the notch is here to stay. No word on whether they are going to be glass phones or whether Google is going to stick to metal.

Wider availability

Google’s Pixel phones have a loyal fan base, but the company isn’t breaking any records in terms of sale. Why?

One of the reasons is this – limited availability. The search giant gave the exclusive rights of selling the phone in the States to Verizon, the country largest carrier. The phones are also sold via Google’s own Project Fi and on the Google Store.  Other than that, there are no other official distributors.

This strategy has cut out millions of potential buyers. But if it means to be serious about its smartphone game, Google needs to take steps to put its phones in cellular stores where people can actually walk in and try out the devices before buying.

The Pixels also need a better online presence. At the moment, the Google Store only sells the phone in a handful of locations worldwide.

An improved loudspeaker

Even if both Pixel 2 models feature dual front-facing speakers, the sound quality isn’t one of their best features.

Well this year, Google will hopefully make some sort of upgrades in this department. According to recent leaks, both third-generation Pixels will get stereo speakers. Although, we haven’t heard anything about a potential upgrade in quality this year.

Built-in audio has never been a particularly strong suit for most phones. Although in recent years, we’ve seen a few handsets that actually make onboard audio a priority. Samsung has started doing the same with its Galaxy S9 and LG too with its V30 family and more recently with the G7 ThinQ. So it’s time for Google to get on board with this going trend and outfit the Pixels 3 with a better loudspeaker.

Wireless charging

Wireless charging is certainly no novelty and the Nexus phones of old used to offer this feature.

That all changed when Google introduced the Nexus 6P which had a metal back. Ever since then, the search giant’s phones have lacked this feature.

Well, we certainly hope Google will bring back this little convenience in 2018, at least for the sake of matching the competition. Most high-end phones today offer these feature starting with the Galaxy S9.

Yeah, this would mean the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will have to be made out of glass, but that’s not really a bad thing, considering this design-change would phones would look more premium.

What would you like to see improved in the Google Pixel 3 series? Let us know what you think below.

Alto’s Odyssey now available for Android

AndroidGuys
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In case you missed it, Alto’s Odyssey , the sequel to Alto’s Adventure is now available to download. This new version trades snowboarding for sandboarding but otherwise keeps all elements similar to the original game.

If you’re unfamiliar with the games in general, they are platform, endless runners. You control Alto (until you unlock his friends) and board across dunes, grind, do aerial tricks when you can, and escape villains. The game’s controls’ are pretty simple, relying on just one tap to do anything and timing to do the rest. There’s some pretty relaxing music associated alongside beautiful visual for a game of this state. Unfortunately, there are ads, but you can get rid of them with some pretty cheap IAPs. Alternatively, you can use those IAPs to level up quicker.

Head to the google play store now to download and play Alto’s Odyssey. It’s free, hence the IAPs. Let us know if this game has taken the spot in your phone as the simple pick me up anytime game.

Alto’s Odyssey Play Store Link

The Google Play Store puts a ban on cryptocurrency apps, along with many others

Alexandra Arici
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Google has started banning any apps that have anything to do with the process of cryptocurrency mining from the Play Store. The search giant regularly updates it policies regarding which apps are allowed in the Store.

This week Google changed the guidelines yet again. This can be seen in the July update to Google’s Developer Policy Center. The decision appears to be an extension of a previous ruling. This saw all extensions associated with cryptocurrency mining removed from the Chrome Web Store. However, Google won’t remove apps that manage hardware, which are safe for now.

What’s more, the Google Play Store has placed a ban on apps that allow users to trade binary operations.

Google follows Apple in banning crypo apps

Google is taking a stand against crypto miners, a month after Apple updated its own guidelines to prevent iPhone users from accessing crypto apps.

On top of that, Google says it will automatically remove any apps that appeal to children but include adult themes in their content.  The Mountain View giant will report apps that include images of sexual abused children to the police. At the same time, the developers of these apps will have their Google accounts deleted.

Next, the ban will extend to apps that promote hate speech, violence, self-harm or discrimination based on a number of factors (including sexual orientation or genre). Furthermore, Google won’t allow apps that facilitate the sale of explosives, firearms or ammunition. Also targeted are apps that teach users how to make their own guns.

Obviously, Google is also taking a stand against apps that have to do with selling or manufacturing illegal drugs. The search giant won’t spare apps that merely promote the use of prescription drugs without a prescription either.

It’s a long list, but if you want to check it out in full we suggest you hit the source link.

Best Buy deal gets you the Moto E4 for free, but there’s a catch

Alexandra Arici
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On the market for a new smartphone, but you’re on a really tight budget? Then you might be interested to know that Best Buy currently has a promotion that allows customers to get the Moto E4 for free.

Of course, there’s a catch. Best Buy has partnered up with Sprint for this deal, so in order to get the phone sans paying any cash, you’ll be required to sign up for a 24-month Sprint installment plan. Thus you will be able to save a total of $145. These savings will be reflected in reduced monthly payments over the life of the device.

The deal is available for a limited time

The deal is available only today, July 27 and tomorrow, July 28. So if you want a free Moto E4 we suggest you hurry up. Old and new Sprint customers are eligible to take advantage of this promotion.

Yeah, the Moto E4 is a bit outdated, as the Moto E5 lineup launched not so long ago. But it was ranked among the best budget phones of last year.

The low-end phone comes with a 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution and standard 16:9 aspect ratio. So you won’t get razor-thin bezels here.

The Moto E4 is powered by a MediaTek MT6737 processor, backed up by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It also ships with a standard 8-megapixel main camera, and a 5-megapixel selfie snapper.

The phone ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box and relies on a 2,800 mAh battery. It’s not much, but if you’re not a power user and you’re looking for basic phones, the Moto E4 is more than capable to cover your needs.

But before you jump on board with this deal, consider this. Best Buy is also offering the prepaid Moto E4 variant for Virgin and Boost Mobile for $55 and $91 respectively. The unlocked version costs $79.99.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 said to offer exclusive access to Fortnite at launch

Alexandra Arici
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Epic Games released their smash hit game, Fornite on iOS back in April. But Android users are still waiting for the game to be released on their platform.

Well, today we have some news to share with you on this topic. According to sources familiar with the matter who talked to 9to5Google, Epic Games has partnered with Samsung for the release of Fornite for Android.

The game will be exclusive to the Galaxy Note 9 for 30 days, before becoming available to anyone with an Android device. But even more interesting is the fact that Samsung plans to market the Galaxy Note 9 as a “gaming phone”.

The Galaxy Note 9 could be Samsung’s rumored gaming phone

What’s more, the Korean tech giant will offer a pre-order bonus for the Note 9 in a form of $100 to $150 worth of V-Bucks (the in-game currency for Fornite). Users who don’t care about that can opt for the wireless AKG headphones instead.

We recently heard a rumor that Samsung might be working on a gaming phone of its own. The gaming phone niche has really taken off as of late with companies like Razer, ASUS and Xiaomi all launching dedicated gaming handsets.

Some have speculated the foldable Galaxy X will be Samsung’s first gaming phone. Yet if the current report is correct, Samsung is not building a separate gaming phone, but will merely market the Note 9 as such. And the partnership Epic Games will justify this maneuver.

Given that the Galaxy Note 9 is expected to be a moderate upgrade over the Galaxy Note 8, Samsung is trying to find ways to make its next flagship stand out. Hence the exclusive Fortnite access reserved for early adopters.

According to rumors and leaks, the Galaxy Note 9 will arrive next month with a large 6.3-inch QHD Super AMOLED display with 18:5:9 aspect ratio. The phablet will feature a Snapdragon 845 processor under the hood with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM on board. Rumors also claim that this year, the Note 9 will arrive with a large 4,000 mAh battery.

V30, G7 ThinQ, V35 ThinQ: What’s the difference in the LG phones from 2018?

Alexandra Arici
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LG has traditionally released devices the same time as its biggest rival, Samsung, but after beating the Galaxy S8 to launch in 2017 with its G6, and still getting trounced by it in sales, the company decided a change in strategy is needed.

Ever since CES 2018, we’ve heard LG was planning to alter its strict yearly release cycle. CEO Cho Sung-jin said the company “will unveil new smartphones when it is needed. But we will not launch it just because other rivals do.”

This might explain why not even a month after it introduced the G7 ThinQ flagship, LG also launched the V35 ThinQ, which comes to succeed the V30. Well sort of.

READ: The first thing you should do with your new Android phone

The LG V30S ThinQ, which was introduced back at MWC 2018 is an incremental update, mostly when it comes to software. But the LG V35 ThinQ brings a bigger hardware upgrade.

All in all, LG’s lineup seems very confusing, so in what follows we’re going to try and highlight the differences between the two flagships and the V30 which was launched last year in August.

Design and display

  • V35: 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.3mm, 157g
  • V30: 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.3mm, 158g
  • G7: 153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9mm, 162 g

From a design perspective, the V35 is extremely similar to the V30, so much so that you might have trouble telling the two apart. They both feature a 6-inch display with curved corners and razor-thin bezels and …no notch. They also have glass backs with dual camera assemblies and a fingerprint sensor living beneath.

But while the two handsets share the same IP68 certification, the V35 features Gorilla Glass 4 instead of the Gorilla Glass 5 on the V30.

LG V30

If you really love the notch, you’ll have to go for the G7, which is also a bit taller and thicker than the V35 and V30. It also weighs a bit more.

One big difference is the power button. The V35 uses the fingerprint sensor as the power buttons, but the LG G7 has a new power button located on the right edge of the phone. The latter is also the first smartphone to feature a physical button to summon the Google Assistant, located on the left side of the phone.

LG V35 ThinQ

The display on the G7 is quite similar to the one of V30 and V35, save for the notch. It’s a bit larger at 6.1-inch and comes with 3,120 x 1,440 resolution. Now while the G7 uses a Super LCD display, the V30 and V35 are rocking sharp and vibrant OLED screens. Yet the G7 does have an advantage, its Super Bright Mode. With this mode turned on, the display will hit 1,000 nits thus providing plenty of brightness, so you can see clearly in daylight.

LG G7 ThinQ

Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages to having an LCD or OLED screen. Depending what you’re looking for, it’s up to you to decide which form is superior.

Performance

The V35 has been updated internally to reflect that it’s launching in 2018. So instead of the Snapdragon 835 of the V30, the new phone relies on a Snapdragon 845. It also gets 6GB of RAM, instead of 4GB. There are two versions of the V35, one with 64GB of storage and a + model with 128GB.

Obviously, the LG G7 ThinQ also runs on a Snapdragon 845 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (in the US). They all support microSD card slots.

LG G7 ThinQ

The V35 ThinQ retains the same 3,300 mAh battery as the V30, while the G7 relies on a smaller 3,000 mAh power source.

There’s another big difference when it comes to audio. Both V30 and V35 offerings offer quad DAC support for headphones, but the V35 has DTS:X 3D surround sound. And so does the G7.

Unfortunately, the V35 does not get the Boombox speaker of the G7, which uses the inside of the phone as an echo chamber to enhance sound quality.

Cameras

The cameras on the V35 are very similar to the G7’s. There’s a main dual-lens setup on the back comprised of two 16-megapixel sensors, one standard and one wide-angle.

LG V35 ThinQ

In contrast, the V30 paired a 16-megapixel sensor with a 13-megapixel wide-angle one. There’s a narrower field of view of 107-wdegrees on the V35, compared to the 120-degrees on the V30. LG says this will enable users to shoot wide angle photos with less distortion and increase sharpness.

The front camera also gets a bump to 8-megapixels on the G7 and V35 from the 5-megapixel of the V30.

LG V30

What’s more, the V35 ThinQ benefits from the AI camera that was introduced by the V30S ThinQ. Although these features weren’t originally offered on the V30, they eventually made it on board via a software update.

The AI camera will do things like automatically identify what’s in the shot and help users find the optimal settings to make the photograph look good. The V35 ThinQ also gets the 4K video recording mode, as well as the 240 fps slow-motion one.

Price and final thoughts

The LG G7 ThinQ has yet to start shipping, but the phone is up for pre-order at Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile starting at $750.

The LG V35 ThinQ, on the other hand, will only be offered by AT&T and Google’s Project Fi. Pre-orders start on June 01. The phone will cost a heavy $900.

LG G7 ThinQ

So what should you get? As always, it depends. The V35 offers the same great design as the V30 in a slim glass package that has been updated to be as powerful as recently launched flagships. The camera also gets a boost to give you the same experience as you’d get on the G7.

However, there’s no notch on the V35 which includes an OLED display and not an LCD one. Also note that the Boombox speaker is missing from LG’s latest flagship, although it still has Quad DAC and DTS-X Virtual Surround Sound. On the bright side, you get more RAM on board of the V35 and a bigger battery.

LG V40 rumor roundup, what we can expect

Alexandra Arici
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LG had a busy spring/summer season. The Korean tech company not only unveiled the LG G7 ThinQ flagship, but also pushed out another variation of its V30 model, not so long ago. Called the V35 ThinQ, the phone is currently offered at AT&T and Project Fi. The other carriers have opted to sell the G7 ThinQ instead.

Well, even with the recent V35 ThinQ launch, it seems like LG will be sticking to its usual recipe this year. Which involves launching a new model in the V series at the beginning of autumn. The phone will be called the LG V40. It will come to replace the V30 which was launched last year during IFA 2017.

The LG V40 might arrive a bit later this year

Information about the phone is pretty scarce right now, but one thing is pretty evident. Given that the V35 ThinQ was announced in late May, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for LG to unveil another flagship so soon after.

So instead of reserving the IFA tradeshow to unveil a new product in the V series, LG will probably push the date for the V40 launch. Our supposition is backed-up by a recent report which claims the phone will arrive in October.

Of course, chances the information is not correct and the the phone could go live much sooner.

What else can we expect? Well according to an insider who talked to the Android Police, the LG V40, which is codenamed Storm, will have a notched display. In contrast, the V35 has a regular one. The new device will also borrow the dedicated Google Assistant button from the G7 and will come equipped with LG’s Quad DAC.

According to ETNews, the phone will also come equipped with 3D facial scanning for facial recognition. The system will supposedly use structured light.

Another report from the TechRadar, claims the upcoming device will feature an impressive screen-to-body ratio of up to 90%.

The most intriguing rumor, though, has to do with the V40’s cameras. It seems like the phone will come with a total of five cameras in board.

Thee cameras will live on the back, in the vein of the Huawei P20 Pro. The sensors will be of 20-megapixel, 16-megapixel and 13-megapixel variety. Two of them will feature super wide-angles, while the third will be a telephoto lens.

What about internal specifications, you might be wondering? Given that the V40 is expected to go official at the latest in October, the phone will probably rely on a Snapdragon 845 processor. It will most likely include 6GB of RAM like the V35+, although an 8GB of RAM version could also be possible.

As we approach the IFA 2018, more information about the V40 will probably become available. There’s still a chance that we’re going to see the phone go live during the Berlin event. Although we tend to believe the October timeframe makes more sense.

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