Aim high and fall short

The LG V35 ThinQ is a familiar device, and there is no way around it. This is yet another Android smartphone from LG, a manufacturer that has had a lot this year, including the same lighthouse named LG G7 ThinQ that landed last spring.

This is not even the first phone in the V30 series. The first iteration began last October with the LG V30, and this model was quickly updated as LG V30S ThinQ in February at the Mobile World Congress. All this makes you think that someone at LG should look for "fragmentation".

Regardless, now we have the LG V35 ThinQ, which takes the best of all the phones I just mentioned and throws new tricks. This makes this device, in terms of specifications, a flagship product of the LG G7.

You can not buy the V35 ThinQ from some carriers in the US, namely AT & T and Google ProjectFi, and it sells for a relatively high price of $ 899.

So is it worth the price?

He has the look

From a design point of view, the LG V35 ThinQ feels like a premium phone. LG maintains the style of putting a button on the back that also serves as a power button and fingerprint reader. This has been LG's favorite location since the LG G2. The location of the back button is still correct, even though the V35 ThinQ is a larger device.

I am able to comfortably grab my hand around the phone, while my index finger can rest on the back and easily reach the power button. Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 + have a similar design, with the power button slightly below the camera at the back. If it's your first device without the power button on the side, it should be an easy fit.

LG keeps the glasses alive on the V35, which makes it look a bit like the Pixel 2 XL. It's a little surprising that the V35 does not have a notch, since many manufacturers have opted for notches, including LG with the G7. Instead, you get enough space on the top lip for a headset, sensors, and a front camera.

The front is relatively clean, unbranded, but you will find the "LG" and "V35 ThinQ" logos on the back. Fortunately, there is no brand portage outside, but the software tells a different story (we'll come back a little).

While the design is similar to previous LG phones, the ThinkQ V35 is still a good device. The glasses are slim and you will not miss the notch, and the edges of the device look elegant. The metallic sides harmonize well with the shiny black front and back, which are mainly made of glass. It is also remarkably thin at 0.29 inches deep, and feels nice to hold.

Wait, what is ThinQ?

The "ThinQ" label refers to the AI ​​(artificial intelligence) mark of LG. It connects several LG products, including home appliances, home entertainment devices and smart phones.

On ThinQ phones, the AI ​​allows a slight integration with custom commands for the Google assistant. AI Cam will automatically suggest the best photo settings based on what he can see. LG hopes to expand this list in the future with software updates.

A net display but nothing special

Let's talk about the screen, which is an OLED screen of 6 inches 2,880 x 1,440 (QHD +). It looks really nice, with attractive and bright colors, and the blacks are very black. Unlike the G7, which has a thinner footprint, the V35 ThinQ has an aspect ratio of 18: 9 – the current ratio of choice for phone makers.

I think the Samsung made OLED panels on the Galaxy S9 and the iPhone X shine a little brighter than the V35. They become a little brighter without being excessively bright and work very well in direct sunlight.

A lot of speed with 6 GB of RAM

Make no mistake, the LG V35 ThinQ is a flagship device – there's a reason why AT & T opts to sell it instead of the LG G7 ThinQ. It packs the software experience through a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with an ample 6 GB of RAM.

While LG has opted for a dedicated Google Assistant button on the LG G7 ThinQ, the V35 does not have one. The V35 still offers a personalized Google Assistant experience that allows you to ask the assistant to perform specific tasks, such as taking a picture in a particular mode. LG seems to set up these custom voice commands as the main feature, but they do not provide much benefit over the simple manual execution of the task.

Not that Google Lens is bad. It works very well: you can hold the camera up to the product (like a fruit or candy bar), and after a few seconds, she will tell you what it is. It worked decently with the products, but the benchmarks were a bit difficult to pin down – it failed to identify the Ark Square in New York.

Lens is definitely a feature that will improve over time as almost all Android devices have access to it. But while the V35 lets you open it with the Google Assistant, the AI ​​features do not represent an LG innovation.

The V35 ThinQ runs on Android 8.0 Oreo with an LG skin on the top. This is not a clean version of Android by any means, and looks more like a colorful version of iOS with applications organized in a grid format.

Another disadvantage of the non-stock Android experience is the bloatware. I've tested the AT & T variant and, with 64 GB of internal storage, I discovered that right out of the box, 15 GB was already in use. It turns out that there was a bunch of preloaded apps ranging from AT & T to games. Fortunately, many were removable, but that's a problem. In any case, 64 GB for a phone of nearly $ 1000 seems just like a scam in 2018. At least you can extend via microSD card slot.

Productivity and general apps like Twitter, Gmail, Snapchat, Instagram and Chrome work like a kid's game. As I did with the Moto G6, an Android phone under $ 300, I tried Asphalt 6 0on the LG V35 ThinQ. The phone handled the game like a champion, and I found that there was no lag in playing.

Coupling a relatively rugged 3300 mAh battery with an equally efficient processor makes it a device that lasts a full day. It should withstand a day filled with games, daily applications and streaming. LG includes a fast loading brick the box, so that you can quickly recharge if the battery becomes low.

A sharp camera with AI tips that can exaggerate

The features of the LG V35 has the same camera as the G7, and it may have a tendency to exaggerate the color in the images. On the back are a standard 16-megapixel lens and a 16-megapixel wide-angle lens, which is at least an improvement over the V30. These two pairs for a two-lens configuration and, yes, you can do the effect "portrait" bokeh very important.

By default, AI Cam analyzes the image to identify what is photographed and then chooses the best shooting conditions. He did a good job in making sunsets, TVs as entertainment devices and people. While the identification was fast, I felt that the camera itself was struggling to process the image. Unfortunately, the results tend to be exaggerated in terms of color reproduction with this mode.

LG's portrait mode lets you customize the level of blur. And this mode is just one of the 19 found on the V35 ThinQ. Super Bright mode is designed to take pictures in low light and has variable results. Whether it's an indoor or outdoor shot, you lose some resolution, resulting in grainy images. For low light photography, you are better with the Galaxy S9 because it has two aperture settings. I think your best bet is to throw the custom modes aside and stick with auto. After all, you can apply your own changes before sharing on Instagram.

Being able to switch from a wide angle to a standard view in a jiffy is always a trick. It worked well for the skyline in New York, as well as for group photos of friends. The power of dual 16MP cameras provides a snapshot that will stay clear until you zoom very far. I think that the photos of the main camera behave rather well, but the treatment by LG can lose a lot.

The 8-megapixel wide-angle front-facing lens is a better standard for what LG should be aiming for. It works well for selfies, even those with multiple people, producing plans ready for Snapchat or Instagram with confidence.

Some final thoughts

The LG V35 ThinQ is a suitable device – it checks the boxes of a good screen, a fast processor and a fast user experience. And even though the camera is not terrible, most of the photos I've taken look over-processed, with exaggerated colors.

I fought to recommend the device, considering its high price and the fact that there is no standout feature. I looked forward to seeing more refinement in the AI ​​features of the ThinQ line, but in the end, they seem to me as bloated and can take away from the experience.

The latest iteration of LG in the V series continues the design language and pushes the specification further, but at the same time, it feels like a variant of the V30 and G7. It's better to watch a Samsung Galaxy, a Pixel 2 or even an iPhone, all of which have a "story" about them. For $ 899, you should get a real flagship product that represents something, but in the end, the LG V35 ThinQ left me wanting.