LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen review

Design

The LG G8X may have changed in more than one way since the G8, but its design and build are staying the same. And that's great news - the G8 was a resilient smartphone with exceptional good looks and now so is the G8X.

The LG G8X is a dual-glass smartphone with a metal frame in-between - a combination that has stood the test of time. The front is shielded by a Gorilla Glass 6 with subtle 2.5D edge, while the back has a Gorilla Glass 5 piece, but curved towards the edges.

LG has been known for making its phones tough, and the G8X keeps the tradition going. It is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance, but it has also passed 12 of the MIL-STD-810G tests - low pressure, high temperature, low temperature, temperature shock, solar radiation, rain, high humidity, salt fog, sand and dust contamination, water submersion, vibration and shock tests.

While those military standard tests do sound reassuring, the LG G8X is not shatter-proof, and the glass can probably break even after a single drop. So, yes, the G8X is a tougher nut to crack compared to a few of its competitors, but it's still crack-able.

Another treat we just loved in the most recent LG phones is the flush camera at the back. Indeed, there is no hump on the G8X, the two rear snappers sitting behind the rear Gorilla Glass 5, and it conveniently provides protection to them, too. We are quite tired of the camera bumps, especially of those square mountains of late, so not having one is a sight for sore eyes.

One of the first changes since the G8 is the screen - it is now larger at 6.4" and has a smaller droplet-shaped notch. It is still a P-OLED panel but of a lower 1080p+ resolution. We guess two 1440p screens (when used with Dual Screen case) would have been too much even for the Snapdragon 855 chip so we can understand the swap for a more mainstream screen.

Inside the notch sits a brand new 32MP selfies camera, relying on pixel-binning for promising 8MP shots. We are yet to see the results, but it sure sounds like an upgrade and should fare better than LG's old selfie shooters.

The screen has noticeable black bars above and below the screen, thicker than the leaders' in the industry. We didn't mind these one bit though, they are not that large or eye-sore, but you can't call this panel bezel-less as it has more prominent bezels than most of its opponents.

LG was the first to put the fingerprint scanner at the back of the phone, and it was still there on the LG G8. That is no longer the case on the G8X, though - the reader is now under the display, and it is of the widespread optical solution. Setting it up is easy, and it is fast and reliable.

There is a very thin grille above the screen, between the frame and the glass - the earpiece is beneath. The LG G8X has two speakers for stereo sound, and the earpiece acts as the second speaker when playing music, games, or videos. There is no notification LED anywhere on the G8X.

The second speaker is at the bottom of the G8X, next to the USB-C port and the audio jack.

The LG G8X has all kinds of buttons on its sides. On the left, you'll find the volume keys as well as a dedicated Assistant trigger. On the right is the lone power key. And if you are looking for the hybrid SIM slot - the tray is at the top of the G8X.

Let's take one final peak at the back - the dual-camera is indeed flush with the back. There is also what seems to be a dual-LED flash next to the snappers, but there is a single LED underneath, and we have no idea what's behind the seemingly empty part of the flash glass.

The LG G8X measures 159.3 x 75.8 x 8.4 mm - quite more massive than the compact G8 - it is 7mm taller and 4mm wider. The X also weighs 192g (without the Dual Screen case that is), 25g heavier than the G8.

The LG G8X is a great looking smartphone, a big one, sure, but still sleek. We appreciate the smaller notch and the flush cameras, even though the glass above the snappers is always smudged, and regular cleaning is a must. In fact, this was the main challenge with our G8X - keeping it clean as the back was always covered in fingerprints.