LG G7 ThinQ announced with focus on AI and audio

LG just officially announced the LG G7 ThinQ in New York, and I will update this post a bit later with some hands-on experiences and images.

To start with, let's clarify the ThinQ name for you since I couldn't figure out how to say it until I heard LG speak it at the launch event. I thought it was pronounced "think", but it is actually something like "than queue" -- to which the natural response is, "You're welcome." ThinQ is LG's branding for its artificial intelligence technology across all of its various product lines, including TVs, appliances, and now phones. If you don't like it, then just call this phone the LG G7.

SPECIFICATIONS
Once again, LG revealed the name last month when it sent out invites for the launch event, so there are no surprises there. We have also seen a ton of leaks and there is little left to imagination. Thus, here are the official specs:

- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
- Display: 6.1 inch 19.5:9 3120 x 1440-pixel resolution FullVision
- Operating system: Android 8 Oreo
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB internal storage with microSD storage card
- Cameras: 16-megapixel wide angle f/1.9 (107 degrees) and 16-megapixel standard f/1.6 (71 degrees) dual-rear cameras; 8-megapixel front-facing wide angle f/1.1 camera
- Wireless technology: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
- Audio: Hi-Fi Quad DAC, DTS:X 3D surround sound, Boombox speaker
- Water resistance: IP68 dust and water resistant rating, MIL-STD-810G compliant
- Battery: 3,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 and wireless charging technologies
- Dimensions: 153.2 x 71.9 x 8.2mm
- Colors: Platinum Gray, Aurora Black, Moroccan Blue, and Raspberry Rose

HARDWARE

As you can see, there is really nothing lacking in the new LG G7 ThinQ. It has both ample internal storage and a microSD card slot. We still have a 3.5mm headset jack, too. The cameras have some of the highest specs in a dual camera phone, so we look forward to further detailed testing in various conditions.

The 3,000mAh battery looks a bit light for a device of this size, but the rest of the specs look great. LG has been incorporating some drop protection, meets the MIL-STD-810G standard, but people haven't seem to notice in the last few phones. Given the use of glass and metal, this is actually important protection that stands above most other flagship smartphones.

The Boombox speaker uses a resonance chamber in the phone that is advertised as having 10-times the resonance found in a typical modern smartphone, which means we should see the best audio performance from this device. Bass is also advertised to be greater than we have heard on other smartphones so get ready to rock out.

As shown above, the LG G7 ThinQ also has a 32-bit quad DAC for support of high-quality audio files.

Similar to what we see with Huawei's latest phones, LG incorporates AI into the camera app so that certain subjects are recognized with settings adjusted for optimal shots. Supported objects include people, flowers, pets, food, beverages, fruit, beaches, snow, and more. There are 19 different scene identifiers, and once the scene is identified, you are also presented with four intelligent filter options. You can always turn off the AI, too, and then you can use the camera as you would with any other smartphone.

Rumors led us to believe there would be a dedicated button for Google Assistant on the LG G7 ThinQ. This is indeed true, and as a part of this focus on Google Assistant, LG added 32 LG device specific commands. While Samsung Bixby is powerful, it requires you to use it regularly to take advantage of its capability. Adding some device-specific commands to Google Assistant looks to be a preferred option for a personal assistant.

As LG works to regain consumer confidence in its products, it is providing a second-year promise in the US that provides two years of warranty coverage with registration.

INITIAL HANDS-ON IMPRESSIONS

The launch presentations were short and sweet, so I then made my way to the demo area. The LG G7 ThinQ is much lighter than I anticipated and smaller than the big smartphones I have been using lately. Last year's LG G6 was underrated for its size and power, so I am pleased to see another great in-hand feel phone launch.

There is a super bright display mode for outside viewing that puts the phone into an incredibly bright state where you see the full 1,000 nits appear. The LCD is stunning in this state and should do very well outside.

The Raspberry Rose looks as good as I hoped and that may be the color I go after on a US carrier. The Moroccan Blue also looks good and is a very dark blue color.

The Boomsound option is rather stunning, and given the dust/water-resistance and shock-resistant rating, this may be a good device for summer fun with music.

The rear fingerprint scanner no longer also serves as the power button. It is just a fingerprint scanner, with the power button now moved to the right side.

All the extremely capable advanced settings are still present, so you get the floating bar and much more to make the device fit your specific needs and desires.

Pricing and availability information should be coming soon from carriers.