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February 15, 2019: The European variant of the LG V40 ThinQ with model number LMV405EBW now supports bootloader unlocking via the company’s official tool. This model is also found in the wider EMEA region. The device has been added to the rather short list of LG devices that support bootloader unlocking, but there is still no room for the U.S. variant of the same phone. Original article continues below.

Earlier this year, LG announced that it would be changing its smartphone strategy and only release new flagship phones when there’s a need to do so and not just because other smartphone vendors are doing it. But since then, we’ve seen quite a lot from the Korean company: LG V30S ThinQ, V35 ThinQ, G7 ThinQ, and now there’s the ultimate of them all, the LG V40 ThinQ.

This is LG’s attempt to take on the big boys like Samsung Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS Max and even the upcoming Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Google Pixel 3 XL. In addition to the big OLED screen and powerful specs, the V40 ThinQ – no more ThinQ guys, I promise – also packs an impressive five cameras, three on the back and two on the front. Whether you’ll want one or not, the V40 is another alternative in a market segment with some really great phones that are also very pricey.

Specs

  • 6.4-inch 19.5:9 QHD+ P-OLED display with a notch
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
  • 6GB RAM
  • 64GB or 128GB storage with microSD support
  • Tri-lens 12MP + 16MP + 12MP main camera
  • Dual 8MP + 5MP selfie camera
  • 3300mAh battery
  • Android 8.1 Oreo
  • Extras: USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack,  BoomBox speaker, DTS:X 3D Surround Sound, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Quick Charge 3.0, wireless charging, etc.

Undoubtedly, the star of the LG V40 show is the five-lens camera setup. There’s a standard 12MP, a 16MP ultra-wide angle and a 12MP telephoto lens on the back while the front has a standard 8MP and a 5MP wide-angle lens. The two camera lenses on the front are housed by a notch, just like many other 2018 flagship phones, while the rear setup is arranged diagonally with the fingerprint scanner just below.

There’s nothing new in terms of specs that we haven’t seen before. The V40 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor coupled with 6GB of RAM and two storage options of 64GB and 128GB, although some markets may only get the former. The company also brought the G7’s Boombox speaker to its ultimate 2018 flagship and kept faith in the 3.5mm audio jack and USB-C port for connectivity, a combination you cannot take for granted these days.

With Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 covering a significant chunk of the exterior, LG didn’t need to sweat to include support for wireless charging in the V40, but whether it supports fast wireless charging is still unknown. As for USB charging, there’s Quick Charge 3.0 to speed up juicing the 3300mAh battery on board.

Speaking of which, the 3300mAh unit used by LG seems way small for a 6.4-inch gadget with a QHD+ resolution. In comparison, the Galaxy Note 9 with an equal-size screen has a 4000mAh battery that can easily last a day and a half or even two when used moderately. On this, LG could have done way better.

LG launched the V20 with Android 7.0 Nougat preinstalled, becoming the first to the market with the new OS, even ahead of Google. As it is, it seems this was just a one-off stunt because like the V30, the V40 doesn’t come with the latest OS available at the time of its launch. But of course, with the help of Project Treble, we hope to see the V40 make the switch from Oreo 8.1 to Pie before the close of the year.

Related: LG Android 9 Pie update news

LG V40 price and availability

LG will open pre-orders for the V40 on October 11th and sales begin on October 18th. This is with respect to the U.S. market and more specifically, on Verizon Wireless, where the phone will retail at between $900 and $980 depending on where you buy it. Beginning from the former we have U.S. Cellular at $900 followed by T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and then Verizon at $920, $950, $960, and $980, respectively. Of course, you won’t miss a bunch of offers on these carriers as well as others from LG itself.

There’s no mention of the unlocked model’s availability and price in the U.S., so at the moment you may have to do with the carrier variants. Of course, an unlocked model should arrive sooner or later.

As for the rest of the globe, we still don’t know when the LG V40 will be available, but looking at the U.S. release, we should see the device in other markets towards the end of this month and in November 2018.