Considering the G8. Convince me.

[Casualballer]

I've had an LG phone in the past, so I'll do my best to answer your questions:

1) The LG Skin is a mixed bag - you either love it or you hate it! Since you've used Samsung phones, you know their OS's can be a little heavy. But, simple solution: if you don't like the skin, you can download a launcher to replace it!

2) Compared to an S7, the G8 will have a far superior camera. Phones like the Pixel 3 and the Huawei P30 will have better ones, but the G8 will still take great pictures and get the job done well. My husband has the G7 ThinQ and its camera is awesome - so the G8's must be even better!

3) This can be due to a variety of variables.

Brand recognition. People go for what's "in" - so that would be Samsung and Apple - and so other brands, like LG, sometimes go by the wayside.

Online presence - people are more likely to post about questions or issues with products - rather than praise reports - which may give potential customers a skewed sample when doing online research about which phones to buy.

You may also be hearing about LG's bootloop on past devices (the G4 was primarily affected by this) - that may have tainted the brand a little bit. But Samsung had the Note 7 fiasco; and Apple had the purposeful slowdown of devices... So every manufacturer has their own set of issues. No one is immune! But I have yet to hear of any current LG iteration having a widespread bootloop problem.

In the end, it all boils down to what you think you'd be happy with. Personally, I'm considering the G8 as one of the contenders for my next phone. But if you are unsure, try out the phone in the store and see what you think! Watch Android Central and Android Authority reviews! And let us know what you decide!

Thanks for the detailed reply. I've never really messed with launchers and themes before but have been told that they can dramatically change the feel of the software. How does that work?

 

[Mike Dee]

I suffer from a condition I call CAPS (Compulsive Android Purchase Syndrome). I always want to have the “latest and greatest.” I’m almost 80 and my eyes aren’t what they used to be, so I need a display that’s fairly large and bright, I have a significant hearing loss so I need a phone that will reliably stream Bluetooth to my hearing aids, and I like a fingerprint sensor that’s located on the back of the phone. I had a Google Pixel 3 but the 5.5” display wasn’t large enough for me. Samsung offered me a good trade allowance on an S10 Plus, but that phone didn’t work out for me. There must have been something wrong with the Bluetooth because I could hear callers, but often callers couldn’t hear me. I could have exchanged the phone but I hated the in-screen fingerprint sensor that didn’t work reliably. I said goodbye to the S10 Plus and started using a used LG G7 that I had purchased on Swappa as a backup phone. The G7 worked great for me. The Bluetooth streaming to my hearing aids was reliable, the fingerprint sensor was located in the right place for me and, although I generally prefer an AMOLED display, the LCD display on the G7 was very good. I would have kept the G7 but my carrier, T-Mobile, made me an offer to upgrade to a G8 that I couldn’t refuse. They gave me $310 for my G7 and sold me a G8 for $620. I love the G8. I’m sure the “experts” would argue with me, but I think the display and cameras are every bit as good as those on the S10 Plus. The phone is just as fast and smooth as the S10 Plus and the fingerprint sensor is perfectly located for me. I don’t use the gimmicky hand gestures and I don’t care about the UI because I use the Nova Prime launcher on all my Android devices. I stream everything to my hearing aids so I can’t comment on the headphone DAC. I’ve read complaints about the radios in LG phones but, in my area, I get good reception on T-Mobile. The G8 is running Android 9 and I don’t expect a quick update when Android 10 is released, but that’s not a big deal for me. I don’t know if I’ve convinced you, @Casualballer, but the G8 is a great phone for me.

The G8 is a great phone. I won't say it's a bad display...in fact it's pretty good but it's definitely not as good as the Samsung S10. The camera on the S10 is slightly lacking compared to the Pixel and Huawei but still better than the G8. Cameras performance often depends on how much value you place on the camera and how you like your photos.

 

[dekatch]

I've had two lg phones in the past and a few Sony's and Samsungs.

lg's are really well built. never had and damage to my lg's while dropping them quite a lot.
Sony's otoh don't even need to drop. on two of my sony's the display came off on the edges. stupidly enough just after couple of month on the one phone. Sony's are way too fragile imo.
right now I'm using the note 9 which i got cheap.

but to get to my point. if built quality on lg's didn't change drastically, I'd consider an lg any day.

lg's are still on my favored side and i never experienced huge connectivity issues with my lg's. they are probably worse when reception is bad to begin with, but I'm not in one of those areas, my reception was always great

 

[chanchan05]

I'll take a stab at number 4:
The G7 and V30 still don't have Pie, nearly 10 months after it got released. There's barely any marketing as well, and there's really nothing special about the G series other than the wired audio quality. It's a jack of all trades, does well in everything much like a Samsung S series, but the one thing it's absolutely great at (wired audio), is something that doesn't really end up high in the majority of the population's wish list, especially since the wireless audio boom where the DAC doesn't really end up doing anything.
At least with a Samsung, people get wowed by the best screen in the market. With LG, they'd probably be using some form of wireless buds and hence don't hear the difference between getting an LG and a Samsung. Basically, they'd feel like they lose something while gaining nothing.
However, if you feel that you really want a great wired audio experience, then nothing can tough the LG offerings. The only other phones I know that have a great DAC (but still inferior) are the 32bit Cirrus Logic ones in the Exynos Samsungs.
All in all, the G8 is a great phone. You just have to decide if you're willing to get the best wired audio experience over the best display. Also, if you're someone to get mad at others getting OS updates a year behind, LG may not be for you.. Samsung and Huawei are like 4months behind Pixels, and well, as of typing, LG 9 months behind.
LG's woes aren't in the device itself. Hardware wise it's great. It's just the software support and marketing support around it that's lacking.
Also get it like 2months after release so you can get it at half price.

 

[editguy]

Interesting discussion. I've always found it curious that people buy phones with the expectation of getting the next couple of OS upgrades (unless the company promised that). I've always purchased a phone for what it is when it's sold and expect nothing except bug fixes and security updates. Also, it seems like kinds of a moot point with a lot of people because they buy new phones so frequently (annual or even semi-annual basis).

 

[chanchan05]

Interesting discussion. I've always found it curious that people buy phones with the expectation of getting the next couple of OS upgrades (unless the company promised that). I've always purchased a phone for what it is when it's sold and expect nothing except bug fixes and security updates. Also, it seems like kinds of a moot point with a lot of people because they buy new phones so frequently (annual or even semi-annual basis).

It's promised. Google's contract with OEMs mandates that devices get updated for at least 18mos and at least every quarter for the devices. That means you should be expecting at least one OS update for an LG. Except they drop the ball on that and basically puts them at a disadvantage with other manufacturers who do more than just security updates. Especially since the changes in Pie makes some apps have features for Pie phones and above only.
With LG, you know that every single other brand you get will get an update to the next OS, and LG you can only expect security updates.
An example would be the G8. It's more expensive than the S10 or S10e, and like them is a jack of all trades type of device. The LG does have better wired audio though. But then, looking at the cheaper S10 options, not only do you get assurance that your phone is updated software wise for 2 years at least, the main advantage of the LG is negated if the buyer is into the whole wireless audio thing, and a lot are.
LG's mistake here is that they're too expensive with too little marketing and they offer nothing stand out, while also not giving you software updates.
I'd buy a G8, if it was maybe at least 200USD cheaper than the S10 and be content with no OS updates and all the features it has and no OS updates and just security ones. But if I'm spending 800USD, I might as well get the one that brings relevant software for longer. The DAC is irrelevant to me since I usually use BT headphones anyway.
But again this is a personal preference. I don't see the value in LG if it's priced as it is. It offers less for the same price. Only Apple with its cult can pull that off. Even if they were at the price I suggested, OnePlus is still a concern.

 

[editguy]

It's promised. Google's contract with OEMs mandates that devices get updated for at least 18mos and at least every quarter for the devices. That means you should be expecting at least one OS update for an LG. Except they drop the ball on that and basically puts them at a disadvantage with other manufacturers who do more than just security updates. Especially since the changes in Pie makes some apps have features for Pie phones and above only.
With LG, you know that every single other brand you get will get an update to the next OS, and LG you can only expect security updates.
An example would be the G8. It's more expensive than the S10 or S10e, and like them is a jack of all trades type of device. The LG does have better wired audio though. But then, looking at the cheaper S10 options, not only do you get assurance that your phone is updated software wise for 2 years at least, the main advantage of the LG is negated if the buyer is into the whole wireless audio thing, and a lot are.
LG's mistake here is that they're too expensive with too little marketing and they offer nothing stand out, while also not giving you software updates.
I'd buy a G8, if it was maybe at least 200USD cheaper than the S10 and be content with no OS updates and all the features it has and no OS updates and just security ones. But if I'm spending 800USD, I might as well get the one that brings relevant software for longer. The DAC is irrelevant to me since I usually use BT headphones anyway.
But again this is a personal preference. I don't see the value in LG if it's priced as it is. It offers less for the same price. Only Apple with its cult can pull that off. Even if they were at the price I suggested, OnePlus is still a concern.

I guess I don't care about OS updates because they seem to bring more problems than benefits. I always reject them because I encounter too many people who have problems after updating. Besides, I usually replace my phones every six to eight months and the new ones come with(and were designed for) the new OS. And that's true of most brands (even Apple). If the phone works well when I buy it, and any bugs are fixed. I'm satisfied. But I guess we all have different expectations. Personally, I don't care for Samsungs so if there's another offering with similar benefits and price, I'm going for that. And, since I'm on Tmo, if I decided to get it the price is $619. I consider that very reasonable for what the phone has to offer. One Plus isn't in consideration for me because it doesn't have a headphone jack and no wireless charging. Just my opinion. Obviously we all have different needs or criteria for what we want.

 

[editguy]

So in my situation I was buying through t-mobile and they have it priced at about 620$ (plus whatever tax is depending on where you buy it.) At that price it's a whole different ballgame imo

Let us know how you like it after you have some experience with it!

 

[chanchan05]

So in my situation I was buying through t-mobile and they have it priced at about 620$ (plus whatever tax is depending on where you buy it.) At that price it's a whole different ballgame imo

That's sort of exactly the price I said that I'd be willing to buy it and not be bothered by the lack of OS updates, since a Galaxy S is 800.

 

[chanchan05]

I guess I don't care about OS updates because they seem to bring more problems than benefits. I always reject them because I encounter too many people who have problems after updating. Besides, I usually replace my phones every six to eight months and the new ones come with(and were designed for) the new OS. And that's true of most brands (even Apple). If the phone works well when I buy it, and any bugs are fixed. I'm satisfied. But I guess we all have different expectations. Personally, I don't care for Samsungs so if there's another offering with similar benefits and price, I'm going for that. And, since I'm on Tmo, if I decided to get it the price is $619. I consider that very reasonable for what the phone has to offer. One Plus isn't in consideration for me because it doesn't have a headphone jack and no wireless charging. Just my opinion. Obviously we all have different needs or criteria for what we want.

We have different expectations because I expect the phone to last. I keep a phone as primary for two years then it serves as a secondary work phone for two more. So OS updates are important to me. I don't mind getting it late as long as I get it in a relatively acceptable time frame.
The headphone jack requirement for you does limit you to Samsung or LG though.
In your case, LG will fit well considering you're already getting a new phone quickly.
On a personal experience note, I've never had issues with updating devices.

 

[editguy]

We have different expectations because I expect the phone to last. I keep a phone as primary for two years then it serves as a secondary work phone for two more. So OS updates are important to me. I don't mind getting it late as long as I get it in a relatively acceptable time frame.
The headphone jack requirement for you does limit you to Samsung or LG though.
In your case, LG will fit well considering you're already getting a new phone quickly.
On a personal experience note, I've never had issues with updating devices.

I guess I expect them to last, too. I still have older phones that I occasionally pop my SIM into. I just don't care about the OS.
On a personal note, where did the ChanChan come from? I ask because, until recently, I taught high school broadcast and video production and early on my broadcast students started calling me Chan Chan (my last name is Chandler).

 

[chanchan05]

I guess I expect them to last, too. I still have older phones that I occasionally pop my SIM into. I just don't care about the OS.
On a personal note, where did the ChanChan come from? I ask because, until recently, I taught high school broadcast and video production and early on my broadcast students started calling me Chan Chan (my last name is Chandler).

My name is Kristian. Several years ago some female friends had the idea of calling us guys using reduplication of the last syllables of our names. Kenneth became net-net, Jonathan was tan-tan, and I became chanchan (no idea on the spelling change). It just stuck.

 

[OhAlfie]

Luckily for me we have Jump on Demand with T-Mobile so I can change phones every 30 days if I so desired. So if the LG G8 I have now seems to be failing in any way, I just hand it over and get another phone of my choice with no upgrade fees etc.

 

[Arcanen ZZ]

My reason for getting one was very simple. It's a Snapdragon 855 phone that I was able to get for free on a $35 unlimited data plan because of AT&Ts special (family plan and work discount).

 

[pccapso]

Just got one unlocked last week. My requirements: headphone jack, OLED, rear fingerprint reader, SD card support, not Samsung. The G8 was the only phone newer than 2017 that ticked all those boxes. I am not a fan of notches, but with a OLED it is easy to hide. For whatever reason the telephoto camera and the hybrid SIM/SD card options are exclusive to the Korean version, but i can live without the camera and deal with having only 1 Sim and a SD card. For what it's worth i am coming to this phone from my ZTE Axon7 after over 2 1/2 years if use. Also LG has made pledges and formed a department or something to improve updates, but i would not put to much stock into talk.

 

[Joe De Los Santos]

My last 4 phones have been Lg's. Other than the boot loop issue on the G4, which did happen to me near the very end of my time with it, I have loved every one of the phones. My favorite is my current V30. Clearly the single BEST phone I have every had and I really don't want to part with it. However, seeing that the G8 is out now, I think I am going to take the plunge and go for it. I have had the V series for the last 3 years and I'd love to hold out for the V50, but I don't think I will be making much of a difference with such a lack of 5G here.
I have loved the cameras and the ease of use with the IU as I have gotten so used to it. I have customized all of my phones to just my liking. All of them have been efficient to use, easy to set up, I love the playing music on all of them and that is one of the features I love the most.
The phones have been bulletproof. They are built like tanks and can take a beating.
The best thing though, is how many people are stunned by my LG's! Everyone always asks, "is that the new iphone?" They always comment on the great pictures and video. Then I tell them what it is and they are shocked!
So the G8 it shall be and I look forward to another great phone.

 

[Morty2264]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I've never really messed with launchers and themes before but have been told that they can dramatically change the feel of the software. How does that work?

You're welcome!

Well, I too haven't dabbled much with launchers. They are like changing the entire setup of your phone as get as how you view your homescreen; what your icons look like; how you navigate your homescreen (ie, with swipes), etc. You can download launchers through the Google Play Store. Most launcher apps will have screenshots of what their setups will look like so you can have an idea of what you'll be getting if you also download the app. Launchers like Nova are well known and convenient to use.

Or, if you just want to change up a bit of what your phone would look like, I recommend downloading a theme - it just changes your icon pack, wallpapers, and maybe your font. You can even try the Zedge app - they will have icon packs, wallpapers, and ringtones/notifications for you to choose from! That may be a less "aggressive" option for you.

Let us know what you decide!

 

[gl14]

I'll add one more thing I haven't seen mentioned here: it's narrower than other large screen phones, which makes one handed use a bit easier.

One handed use is essential for me, since I use my phone while walking around quite a bit. While I have a G7, not a G8, I got it in large part because of its (relative) one handed useability. Chose it over the Sony XZ2 compact due to the latter's lack of a headphone jack, which is also a strong plus for me.

Came from a Galaxy S6, and wanted something else beside Samsung after an update from them borked my Wi-Fi connectivity, plus a dislike for Samsung duplicating Google services and doing a poorer job (Bixby, Galaxy Store, etc). I don't need stock Android, but Samsung software is way too bloated for my tastes.

I tend to keep my phones 2-3 years, so won't be upgrading to a G8, but I'm happy with LG so far, and the narrowness of the G7/8 is a big reason to consider it over the V30/40 or other large screen phones if your care about better one handed use but still want (or can tolerate) larger screen sizes.

 

[dekatch]

I guess I don't care about OS updates because they seem to bring more problems than benefits. I always reject them because I encounter too many people who have problems after updating.

ehm, so you running some Android 1, 2, 3 or 4?

the phenomenon that many users have troubles with some new updated software is not uncommon. you know, when something is new, it gets all the attention and therefor allot of individuals who encounter something weird, odd or buggy report on an social platform.

also the reason, people uproar on social platform only to report problems but rarely to just say something nice. after all, the social platforms are helping platforms and not ball shaking platforms. so issue reportings on those platforms shouldn't really frighten you, unless some new whatevergate is mentioned.

 

[editguy]

ehm, so you running some Android 1, 2, 3 or 4?

the phenomenon that many users have troubles with some new updated software is not uncommon. you know, when something is new, it gets all the attention and therefor allot of individuals who encounter something weird, odd or buggy report on an social platform.

also the reason, people uproar on social platform only to report problems but rarely to just say something nice. after all, the social platforms are helping platforms and not ball shaking platforms. so issue reportings on those platforms shouldn't really frighten you, unless some new whatevergate is mentioned.

The oldest OS I have is 5 on a Nexus 4. That's the only one i ever upgraded and i did have trouble with it, but finally got it solved. I'm not frightened of them, I just don't feel the need. But i don't use it any more. I just tend to be satisfied with the phones as i purchased them after bug fixes (which every new OS has). I understand that other people want the latest OS, but it's never been an issue for me. As long as it continues to perform the way it was intended to when new, I'm good with it. But i do upgrade phones fairly frequently.