LG’s latest and greatest flagships, the LG G8 ThinQ and LG V50 ThinQ, have been announced, boasting improved specs and slightly tweaked designs. The G8 ThinQ is available for purchase, though the V50 ThinQ hasn’t launched yet, as it’s LG’s first 5G smartphone. It will be available in May, when Sprint’s first 5G network goes live too.
In our LG G8 ThinQ review, we said the phone isn’t worth its $850 launch price, but for $600 or less, it’s a good buy. Well, several retailers are launching the phone at a discounted price, and we’ve rounded it all up here if you’re looking to make the LG G8 ThinQ your next phone. If you want to know more about the V50 ThinQ, check out our hands-on review from Mobile World Congress.
The LG G8 ThinQ is available for purchase and there are a range of places you can buy it from. We recommend buying the unlocked model, as it means you can swap carriers easily. It’s available from both Best Buy and B&H, and both retailers are selling it for $700 instead of $850. In regards to Best Buy, if you activate it on a carrier today, you can nab it for $650.
AT&T is carrying the LG G8 ThinQ, and it’s available now. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most expensive places to buy the phone from as it will set you back $27.67 per month for 30 months, which amounts to a total of $830, on the AT&T Next plan. You can also buy it outright for $830.
Sprint
If you’re on Sprint, you can now get the LG G8 ThinQ for $15 per month on an 18-month lease after a $20-per-month bill credit has been applied to your account for two bills. There are a few caveats, though, as the fine print says it requires an 18-month lease “with approved credit and new line of service.” Alternatively, you could simply pay full price and get the phone for $840.
T-Mobile
On T-Mobile, you can now get the LG G8 ThinQ for $25.84 per month for 24 months, which amounts to $620. Surprisingly, if you wanted to buy the phone outright, it will only cost $620 — that’s one of the cheapest prices we’ve seen if you wanted to pay full retail price for the phone.
Verizon
Verizon’s model of the LG G8 ThinQ is the cheapest if you buy it on a monthly payment plan. You can get the phone for $20.42 per month for 24 months, or a total of $490 (it’s usually $35 a month for 24 months, which is $840). If you want to buy it at full price, it will cost $840.
Pricing and availability for the LG V50 ThinQ is a little less concrete. We still don’t know exactly when the phone will be available, nor how much it will be. Given the fact that that the phone has 5G compatibility, we do expect it to be a little more than the V40 ThinQ, which came at $900. The LG V50 ThinQ could be $1,000 or more, given current trends in smartphone pricing.
Sprint
We know for sure that the Lg V50 ThinQ will be available on Sprint’s network, and Sprint said pricing and availability will be announced “soon.” For a time, the V50 ThinQ will actually be exclusive to Sprint, as it will launch alongside Sprint’s first 5G network, though other carriers will eventually get the phone as well.
Verizon
While Sprint will probably be the first to offer the LG V50 ThinQ, it will soon follow on Verizon, too. The device is expected to launch on the carrier at some point in the summer.
AT&T
AT&T pricing and availability for the LG V50 ThinQ has yet to be announced. We’ll update this article as we hear more.
T-Mobile
We’re not sure exactly if the LG V50 ThinQ will be available on T-Mobile, but we’ll update this article as we hear more.
I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps
The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.
The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far
Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.
Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look
Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.
Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.
