I got sent an LG G8 thinQ to test out. There was some sort of PR message about how the display was great for gaming on the move. Side note: the display is fantastic just FYI. Anyway, I try avoid mobile games because I’m a pay to play girl and they’re money traps screaming for my hard owned doll hairs. BUT FOR THE BLOG, I would enter the realm of mobile gaming. That’s a lie, I just really wanted to jam some Pokemon Monsters and figured this was a great opportunity. And then I found out Pokemon Masters isn’t available in South Africa and I didn’t have the energy to try set up a different account or VPN to get it.
Now what?
Before I get into the phone review (which is why you came here) I need to tell you a story about Bejeweled. I found the daddy to Candy Crush on a day flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg after seeing someone in a seat in front of me playing. I started playing and then 4 hours later we were landing and I was upset because I couldn’t play any more. Every flight is now a beloved reunion with Bejeweled. Airlines that don’t offer this ridiculous tile matching joy are immediately black listed (not really, but dramatic effect). Anyway, turns out EA has Bejeweled Classic in the Google Play Store (click here if you want to have a problem too) and so my “phone review” began.
Four hours later
Seriously, I played the game for four hours one evening. I’m obsessed with it. Is it the best way to judge a phone display? No. But the display is good. I’ve told you that already. A good way to judge battery life? Yes. The G8 thinQ went strong. I actually stopped writing this to play for 40 minutes. My bad. So first off – the LG G8 thinQ has a great battery. They’ve tossed in a beefy 3500mAh battery and it does the job. the 6.1″ display is fantastic and looks great. Shiny gems are shiny. The phone is also loaded with a Snapdragon 855 chip so it is has the processing power to play mobile games like PUBG without much of an issue.
Let’s talk about the phone
Out the box it is a sleek, thin smartphone with a glass finish. That looks really great but is balls in reality, so LG have tossed in a clear plastic cover to help you a long. You’ll need it because that glass backing gets slippery. There are lots of buttons: volume buttons, a power button, a finger print sensor button on the back and a Google Assistant dedicated button the left. Let’s be real now, who actually uses that assistant? Actually, this is a good place to go – because the LG G8 thinQ has more crap on it that you won’t use than most phones. It’s filled with ridiculous bloatware you’ll get annoyed about. Which is a pity.
I also think the amount of unlock options is bizarre. You can do patterns, use your finger print, use your face or do this strange air motion option in front of the phone camera to navigate around. I used the finger print, it worked fine, I didn’t waste my time on all the other rubbish because it all just seemed completely ridiculous and unnecessary.
The verdict?
The bloatware is stupid. The gimmicks are dumb. They clog up an otherwise wonderful device. The cameras are fine. They take nice photos and you’ll be happy with your Instagram feed. The screen is great, the battery is fab and the processor is decent. The LG G8 thinQ is a good phone. It’s a really nice phone actually. If you’re willing to spend 20 minutes on set up taking off all the stupid stuff and ignoring the silly gimmicks you’ll be happy. You’re looking at a price point of anything from R8000 to R10 000. I think it is well priced and if you’re an Android fan you’ll be happy. Bejeweled is also the best time waster on the planet and everyone should download it.
Disclosure: the phone was sent to me to review and goes back now. Which is good because I can’t spend this much time playing a mobile game during working hours.
