LG V30S ThinQ: Dumb name, smart camera

LG bucked tradition and held of announcing a new flagship smartphone at this year’s Mobile World Congress, instead unveiling a slight refresh of the LG V30 / LG V30+. Somewhat awkwardly called the LG V30S ThinQ, the device is a minor hardware refresh featuring some new software smarts.

The first of these new software features is an "AI-powered camera" which is able to detect your subject - for example, a person, an animal, a flower, or food - and adjust image settings to get you a better picture. This is similar functionality to what Huawei introduced with the Mate 10.

The second is new voice commands that augment Google Assistant. These allow you to access popular smartphone functions without having to tap through multiple menus.

Some of these new features will be rolled out to existing V30 devices as a software update, but LG has yet to confirm specific. 

The main hardware update found in the V30S is bump from 4GB of RAM to 6GB. All other specifications are identical to the V30+ that launched locally at the end of last year. These include a 6-inch Quad HD+ display, a Snapdragon 835 processor, 128GB of expandable storage, IP68 water-resistance, and a 3,300mAh battery. 

LG Australia has explicitly said that it is not sure if or when the V30S ThinQ will launch in Australia, making a local release seem somewhat unlikely. 

If you’re after a properly new LG flagship smartphone, the company is expected to take the wraps off its next hero device in June.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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