【The Ages of Lulu (1990)】

The The Ages of Lulu (1990)LG V35 ThinQ is a familiar device, and there’s no getting around that. It's yet another Android smartphone from LG, a manufacturer that has had plenty of them this year, including the similarly named flagship LG G7 ThinQ that landed this past spring.

It's not even the first phone in the V30 series. The first iteration debuted last October with the LG V30, and that model was quickly refreshed as the LG V30S ThinQ in February at Mobile World Congress. It all makes you think someone at LG should look up "fragmentation."

SEE ALSO: Google Assistant finally works with every major smart home brand

Regardless, now we have the LG V35 ThinQ, which takes the best from all the phones I just mentioned and throws in some new tricks. That makes this device, spec-wise, just as much of a flagship as LG G7.

You can only buy the V35 ThinQ from certain carriers in the U.S., namely AT&T and Google's ProjectFi, and it retails at a relatively expensive $899.

So is it worth the high price?

It has the look

From a design standpoint, the LG V35 ThinQ does feel like a high-end phone. LG is keeping with the style of putting a button on the back that doubles as a power button and fingerprint reader. This has been LG's preferred location since the LG G2. The back button placement still feels correct, even though the V35 ThinQ is a wider device.

I'm able to comfortably grip my hand around the phone, while my index finger can rest on the back and easily reach the power button. Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S9+ have a similar design, with the power button slightly below the camera on the back. If this is your first device without the power button on the side, it should be an easy adjustment.

LG is keeping bezels alive on the V35, which makes it look a bit like the Pixel 2 XL. It's a little surprising that the V35 doesn't have a notch, given that many manufacturers have been opting for notches, including LG with the G7. Instead, you get enough room on the top lip for an earpiece, sensors, and a front-facing camera.

The front is relatively clean, with no branding, but you will find "LG" and "V35 ThinQ" logos on the back. Thankfully there's no carrier branding on the outside, but software tells a different story (we will get to that in a bit).

So while the design is similar to previous LG phones, the V35 ThinkQ is still a nice device. The bezels are thin and won’t have you missing the notch, and the edges on the device look sleek. The metallic sides match well with the glossy black front and back, which is a mostly glass build. It’s also remarkably thin at 0.29 of an inch deep, and feels nice to hold.

Wait, what is ThinQ?

The "ThinQ" label designates LG's AI (artificial intelligence) brand. It connects several of LG's products, including appliances, home entertainment gear, and smartphones.

On ThinQ phones, the AI powers some light integration with custom commands for the Google Assistant. AI Cam will that automatically suggest the best photo settings based on what it can see. LG will hopefully expand on this small list in the future with software updates.

A sharp display, but nothing outstanding

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Let's talk about the screen, which is a 6-inch 2,880 x 1,440 (QHD+) OLED display. It looks really nice, with colors that are attractive and bright, and the blacks are plenty black. Unlike the G7, which has a thinner footprint, the V35 ThinQ has an 18:9 aspect ratio -- the current ratio of choice for phone manufacturers.

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I think the Samsung made OLED panels on the Galaxy S9 and iPhone X shine a bit brighter than the V35's. They get a bit brighter without being excessively vibrant and perform really well in direct sunlight.

Plenty of speed with 6GB of RAM

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Make no mistake, the LG V35 ThinQ is a flagship device -- there's a reason AT&T is opting to sell it instead of the LG G7 ThinQ. It packs a punch with the software experience thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with an ample 6GB of RAM.

While LG opted for a dedicated Google Assistant button on the LG G7 ThinQ, the V35 doesn't have one. The V35 still provides a custom Google Assistant experience that allows you to ask the Assistant to perform specific tasks, like take a photo in a particular mode. LG seems to be setting up these custom voice commands as a core feature, but they don't provide much of an advantage over simply doing the task manually.

Not that Google Lens is bad. It works just fine: You can hold the camera up to product (like a fruit or candy bar), and, after a few seconds, it'll tell you what it is. It worked decently with products, but landmarks were a bit tough to nail down -- it didn't successfully identify the Washington Square Arch in New York City.

Lens is definitely a feature that will improve with time, as almost all Android devices have access to it. But while the V35 lets you open it with the Google Assistant, the AI features don't represent an innovation from LG.

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The V35 ThinQ is running Android 8.0 Oreo with an LG skin on top. It's not a clean version of Android by any means, and looks more like a colorful version of iOS with apps organized in a grid format.

Another downside of the non-stock Android experience is the bloatware. I tested the AT&T variant, and with 64GB of internal storage, and out of the box I found that out of the box 15GB was already taken up. Turns out there were a bunch of preloaded apps ranging, from AT&T ones to games. Luckily many were removable, but it's a hassle. In any case, 64GB for a close-to-$1,000 phone just seems like a ripoff in 2018. At least you can expand via microSD card slot.

Productivity and general apps like Twitter, Gmail, Snapchat, Instagram, and Chrome run like a breeze. Like I did with the Moto G6, a sub $300 Android phone, I tried out Asphalt 6 0on the LG V35 ThinQ. The phone handled the game like a champ, and I found that there was no lag when playing.

Pairing a relatively robust 3,300mAh battery with such an efficient processor makes for a device that lasts a full day. It should stand up to a day filled with gaming, everyday apps, and streaming. LG includes a fast charging brick inthe box, so you can quickly recharge if the battery is getting low.

A sharp camera with AI tricks that can exaggerate

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The LG V35 features has the same camera as the G7, and it can tend to exaggerate color in the images. On the back are a 16-megapixel standard lens and a 16MP wide-angle lens, which is at least an improvement over the V30. These two pair up for a dual-lens setup and, yes, you can do the all-important "portrait" bokeh effect.

By default, AI Cam will analyze the image to identify what is being photographed and then choose the best shooting conditions. It did a good job rendering sunsets, TVs as entertainment devices, and people. While the identifying was fast, I felt that the camera itself struggled with processing the image. Unfortunately, the results tended to be exaggerated in terms of color reproduction with this mode.

LG's portrait mode allows you to customize the level of blur. And this mode is just one of the 19 found on the V35 ThinQ. Super Bright Mode is meant for taking photos in low light, and has varying results. Whether it is an indoor or outdoor shot, you do lose some resolution, which results in grainy images. For low-light photography, you are better off with the Galaxy S9, as it has two aperture settings. I think your best bet is tossing the custom modes aside and sticking with auto. After all, you can apply your own edits before you share to Instagram.

Left:A wide-angle shot Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Right:A standard shot Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Being able to switch from wide-angle to a standard view in a snap is still a neat trick. It worked well for the skyline in NYC, as well as for group shots of friends. The power of dual 16MP cameras makes for a shot that will stay clear until you zoom very far in. I think pics from the main camera fair pretty well, but the processing by LG can cause many of them to lose value.

The front-facing 8-megapixel wide-angle lens is a better standard for what LG should aim towards. It performs well for selfies, even ones with several people, producing Snapchat- or Instagram-ready shots with aplomb.

Some final thoughts

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The LG V35 ThinQ is a suitable device -- it checks off the boxes of a good screen, fast processor, and quick user experience. And while the camera isn’t terrible, many of the photos I took looked over-processed, with exaggerated color.

I find myself struggling to recommend the device, given its high price point and the fact that there isn’t a standout feature. I was looking forward to seeing more of a refinement to the AI features of the ThinQ line, but in the end, they strike me as inflated and can take away from the experience.

LG’s latest iteration into the V Series continues the design language and pushes the specs farther, but at the same time, it feels like a variant of the V30s and G7. You are better off looking at a Samsung Galaxy, Pixel 2, or even an iPhone, all of which have more of a "story" to them. For $899 you should be getting a real flagship that stands for something, but in the end the LG V35 ThinQ left me wanting.

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Topics Android Reviews