LG G8X ThinQ (Dual Screen) 

Design

• The main phone has a solid, conservative (un-flashy) glass sandwich design - the aluminium frame is sandwiched by two panes of Gorilla Glass
• Impressive, high-quality fit and finish
• The LG G8X’s camera module is completely flush with the rear surface - which creates an entirely smooth back
• There's a handy Google Assistant button on the left - a single press launches Assistant, and a double press shows your info feed
• IP68 protection from dust and water
• The key USP about this phone is of course the 'second screen' case accessory (included) that adds an additional identical screen to the side of the main display, to produce an alternative take on a true 'folding' phone
• With its second screen, the G8X weighs a whopping 330g - the combined package is significantly bulkier and heavier than say the Galaxy Fold, and is thus much more cumbersome to carry around in your pocket
• The optical in-display fingerprint sensor works reliably but isn’t as fast as more recent takes on the tech by OnePlus and others (and there is no face unlock either)
• One of the most slippery phones around when used without a case

Displays

• Both the main phone display and the second screen are identical and are very good, vibrant 6.4 inch OLED displays with HDR 10 support - they produces pitch blacks and brilliant whites
• The sunlight legibility is also good
• The phone has no less than seven colour modes: auto, cinema, sports, game, photos, web, and expert - allowing for a lot of customisation, according to your taste
• There's also a narrow monochrome window on the outside of the case that lets you see the time, weather, and notifications

Dual Screen Experience

• The G8X dual screen experience is quite smart in that it delivers much of the folding phone experience without the insane cost - rather than sink lots of cash into developing pricey 'true' folding screen technology, LG instead took the relatively easy way out: it created a second-screen accessory for one of its flagship phones - the LG G8X ThinQ is thus a standard phone with a nice big screen that fits into a screen-toting case - when in the case, people can take advantage of the extra screen to run separate apps - the effect provides much of the utility you see in the Galaxy Fold for a fraction of the price
• If you have the Dual Screen set to on, it will light up every time you unlock your phone - by default, it acts as a separate home screen panel with its own app dock at the bottom and space for widgets and shortcuts - in this state, you can open any app on the second screen no matter what you’re doing with the main screen
• In practical experience, 2 major use cases emerge for the dual screen experience - one is multi-tasking (i.e. simply running 2 separate apps on the 2 screens), and the second is using the 'LG Game Pad' (the main screen turns into a customisable game pad for controlling the action on the second screen - making this quite a great phone for heavy gamers)
• You will like watching media on your phone - even if you never end up using the LG Dual Screen much, it’s an effective kickstand and protective case all in one that props up one (or both) displays to watch at ideal angles
• Overall, the possibilities of having a second display are endless - it's great for productivity, gaming, entertainment, mindlessly scrolling through social networks, and more
• Of course the case with the second screen is easily removable, so when you don't want to carry a bulky phone, you don't have to lug it around
• When viewing shared content on both screens, there is a thick hinge down the middle
• The experience is sometimes buggy - for example, either of the 2 screens can sometimes go off, or sometimes flicker (these issues might be sorted via software updates)
• The 2 screens pretty much exist as separate spaces (except in Chrome which supports the 'wide view' mode to stretch the app to use both screens together) - and this is one area where LG could have done better with software - you cannot drag-and-drop content from an app (or even an app) on one screen to the other (these scenarios are all possible on the Galaxy Fold)

Software

• The G8X runs Android 9 Pie, along with LG’s latest user interface skin - the UX from LG mostly feels natural & intuitive
• Some of the add-on features include a night mode, dark theme, blue light filter - there’s also a separate video enhancement option, which will automatically boost brightness and saturation when watching movies
• Given that Android 10 is already here, launching with Android 9 is a bit of a downer

Performance

• 2019 flagship grade performance with the speed beast Snapdragon 855 at the core - everything from daily use to complex games is a breeze - in fact, heavy games don't task the phone at all, even when using the Dual Screen for gameplay

Camera

• Good set of primary cameras - 12MP standard + 13MP super-wide - they offer mostly-accurate exposure, have sharp focus, and manage to get accurate white balance
• Good software-based portrait mode (you can manage the amount of blur)
• The 13MP ultra-wide lens is among the better ones amongst the current crop of smartphones, managing pretty decent quality, that's not too far behind the primary camera
• Good low-light images from the standard lens, with good detail, very balanced exposure, low noise, and accurate colours - there’s also a Night View mode that slightly reduces the noise further
• Decent 32MP front-facing camera - it does fairly well in daylight - there's also software-simulated portrait mode which works well
• Good video recording quality at 1080p - detail, sharpness, colors, contrast, and dynamic range are all good - recording at 4K is average though
• The camera is quite awkward to use with the Dual Screen attached
• While the clicked images are mostly accurate, they could have packed more visual punch
• While the overall camera quality is not bad, the absence of a telephoto, or dedicated depth sensor, both of which are often found in this price bracket, limits the versatility of shots you can take
• On the whole, while the dual camera setup on the LG G8X ThinQ is solid for the price - it's certainly not up to the level of the best camera smartphones (the likes of iPhone 11, the Pixel 3/3a, and the Galaxy S10 series)

Audio

• Good, loud stereo speakers
• Excellent audio quality via headphones too - LG continues to be an audiophile's brand, producing some of the best sounding phones on the planet (it’s a shame LG is the only company interested in high-end audio these days)
• There's also a good old 3.5mm jack at the bottom, which is a rare find in flagships these days

Battery

• Good battery life as a 'single' phone - with a 4000mAh battery, it pushes from breakfast to bedtime consistently without sweat
• Supports wireless charging & 21W fast charging
• Extensive use of the Dual Screen however takes a noticeable toll on battery life, and you might need to re-fill the battery before night
• The phone’s USB-C port is inaccessible when using the second screen, so LG has used a MagSafe-like magnetic connector - which adds one more adaptor for you to carry around, when you are using the second screen

Verdict

• When compared to standard flagships, the LG G8X ThinQ stands it's own ground, checking most boxes, though not particularly standing out in any (except the amazing sound quality) - but include the 'second screen' flexibility, and you have a very interesting & powerful multi-tasking tool on your hand, especially for the right kind of person - it's a unique, 'nothing like anything' experience, that brings the major draw of foldable phones down to a very digestible price point - effectively the LG G8X ThinQ offers about three-quarters of the experience of the Samsung Galaxy Fold for a fraction of the cost
• But devices like G8X ThinQ are not for everyone - if you are looking for a more "conventional" flagship, you will find an excellent option in the OnePlus 7T Pro which offers an amazing, 'full screen' 90Hz display, more versatile cameras, faster "fast charging", and an unmatched software experience