But on which one should you spend your hard-earned money? We compare the giants of the Android world. The LG V30 continues the company’s ‘V’ line of large phones, which lean heavily in the direction of photography and video capture. Samsung on the other hand has bravely launched a new Note model after the disasterous Note 7, which had to be withdrawn from sale after a number of units caught fire or exploded. It does show a deep commitment to the Note range from Samsung, and one that looks like it could be well rewarded. But LG has been making great strides in its hardware in recent years, so these titans are worthy adversaries.
LG V30 vs Note 8: Price and Availability
Premium smartphones are never going to be cheap, but the Note 8 does take things into new territory with its whopping £869 price tag. You’ll likely be buying it on a contract and so the price may not bother you so much, but buying the Note 8 SIM-free is still the cheapest way to buy it, of course. Now, to be fair, you’re getting a whole lot of technology for your money, and the Note range is practically a PC these days, especially thanks to the optional DeX station that can dock the unit to a display, keyboard, and mouse setup. That being said, a DeX dock will set you back an additional £99, which brings the cost nearer £1000. LG’s V30 seems reasonable in comparison, but it still weighs in at a shade under £700, so these handsets are not for the faint of wallet. The Galaxy Note 8 is available to buy now. There’s no official date for the LG V30, but you can register your interest with Carphone Warehouse, and we expect the unit to appear in shops in the next month or so.
LG V30 vs Note 8: Features and Design
Displays
Obviously one of the most standout features of these devices is their displays. The LG V30 boasts a 6in OLED panel, which has rich, bright colours, and a 1440 x 2880 resolution for crisp text and images. The modern design reduces the bezels to almost non-existent, which LG claims gives the front of the unit a makeup of 83 percent screen and 17 percent body. Samsung is no slouch in this area either, with the taller Note 8 besting its rival by employing a 6.3in Quad HD Super AMOLED display. Again, the bezels are kept to a bare minimum, while the screen delivers gorgeous visuals. As both of these are phablets, it’s not surprising that they’re on the large size. The slim bodies make them comfortable to hold, but using them really is a two-handed affair. The V30’s dimensions of 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.4 mm make it slimmer and shorter that the Note 8’s 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm, with the latter having an excuse due to the S-Pen stored within its frame.
S-Pen
Samsung has led the way with smartphone stylus for some time now, and the current S-Pen that accompanies the Note 8 is as precise and easy to use as it’s ever been. It marks the Note range out from its competitors, adding a new layer of productivity to the premium device.
Hi-Fi DAC
LG has a trick of its own under the hood of the V30 though, with the inclusion of a Hi-Fi Quad DAC, that’s sure to appeal to audiophiles who want top quality sounds from their mobile device.
Water resistance
IP68 ratings for both devices mean that can survive a dip in water with no ill effects. Very good to know when you’re spending this kind of money on a device.
Processor, memory, storage, and OS
Performance-wise the V30 and Note 8 have comparable specs, with the former utilising the latest Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM, while Samsung has installed its own Exynos 8895 chip that also appears in the Galaxy S8 and S8+. 6GB of RAM gives it a slight edge over the V30, but we expect the two to be neck and neck in the speed stakes. The storage on offer is similar too, with either handset containing 64GB built-in and a MicroSD card slot offering an expansion of up to 256GB. LG has announced that the V30 will arrive with Android 7.1.2, while the Note 8 is marginally behind with 7.1.1. Hopefully both will move up to the newly revealed Android 8 not long after release.
Cameras
Another area where the handsets have strong showings is that of cameras. Both come with dual lens units for the main optics. The LG V30 has a 16MP f/1.6 standard lens paired with a 13MP f/1.9 wide angle variant. These combine to offer 2160p video at 30fps, and plenty of scope for crystal clear still images. Samsung has fitted the Note 8 with two 12MP cameras, one a f/1.7 wide-angle lens, accompanied by a f/2.4 telephoto lens. Dual optical image stabilisation should keep things steady, and the 4K video at 30fps makes it a powerful tool for capturing those important moments.
LG V30 vs Note 8: Specifications
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
