How to buy the LG V30S ThinQ: Everything you need to know

Now the LG G7 ThinQ has been announced, it may be easy to forget the LG V30S ThinQ is still waiting for release, despite being made official in February. If the G7 ThinQ’s notch annoys, then the V30S ThinQ provides many of the same G7 features with a traditional screen layout, and may be worth considering instead.

The V30S ThinQ is a lightly updated version of the LG V30, a phone released at the end of 2017, and is gradually starting to arrive as a pre-order device ahead of its still-unknown release. Here’s what you need to know about buying the LG V30S ThinQ.

Pre-orders

The LG V30S ThinQ hasn’t been announced by any of the major carriers in the U.S., but B&H Photo has added the phone to its range. Initially priced at $930 without a contract, the phone has been reduced by $200 to $730, a far more reasonable price. This is for the 128GB version of the V30S ThinQ. It’s a GSM phone, so will not work on Verizon, Sprint, or other CDMA networks.

This price is lower than the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, a device we’ve put the V30S up against in a camera shootout, and almost equal to the standard Galaxy S9. B&H Photo’s price drop is listed as a reduction, rather than a permanent fall, meaning if you want the V30S ThinQ at this price, you may not want to wait too long; it could return to $930 at any time. Even if you do pre-order the phone with B&H, which claims it’s an exclusive for now, there is no release or delivery date attached.

Currently, the V30S ThinQ does not have a U.K. release date either, and isn’t available as a pre-order.

LG V30 vs. V30S ThinQ

What’s the difference between the 2017 V30 and the 2018 V30S ThinQ? Visually, the two phones are identical, and the only technical changes are an increase in RAM to 6GB and the chance to buy a 256GB version. There is no 64GB V30S ThinQ, only 128GB or 256GB. Otherwise, LG has enhanced the camera with some artificial intelligence, which adds scene recognition to the camera, plus a new Bright Mode for improved low-light photos. The V30S ThinQ also comes in two new colors, Moroccan blue and platinum gray.

Otherwise, the specification is the same. This means a beautiful 2880 x 1440 pixel, 6-inch OLED screen, a Snapdragon 835 processor, a dual-lens wide-angle camera on the back, Android 8.0, excellent audio, and exciting video recoding capability.

LG V35 ThinQ and LG V40

One more thing to consider before you go out and buy the LG V30S ThinQ: The rumors about an LG V35 ThinQ. It’s possible the phone will very similar to the V30S ThinQ, and be available as an exclusive through AT&T. If you’re happy with a contract, and aren’t in a hurry for a new LG phone, it may be worth holding off until this phone makes an appearance. It’s rumored for summer. Additionally, keep an eye on rumors regarding the LG V40, which will logically follow the V30/V30S later this year.