LG G8S ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S23+: A Generational Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S23+ is the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 offers significantly improved performance and efficiency, translating to smoother multitasking, better gaming, and longer battery life. While the G8S ThinQ remains a capable device, the S23+ delivers a modern smartphone experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | LG G8S ThinQ | Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat19 1600/150 Mbps | HSPA, LTE-A (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, February 24. Released 2019, July 02 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 155.3 x 76.6 x 8 mm (6.11 x 3.02 x 0.31 in) | 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| Weight | 181 g (6.38 oz) | 196 g (6.91 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) MIL-STD-810G compliant* *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2248 pixels (~401 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.21 inches, 97.6 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | G-OLED, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12 | Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) - single-SIM modelmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual-SIM model | No |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1.4µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.6, 49mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.4, 14mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 1080p@240fps, HDR, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 8 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, AF TOF 3D, f/1.4, (depth sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | - |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC3 Wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 3550 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mirror Black, Mirror Teal, Mirror White, Carmine Red, New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | LMG810, LM-G810, LMG810EAW | SM-S916B, SM-S916B/DS, SM-S916U, SM-S916U1, SM-S916W, SM-S916N, SM-S9160, SM-S916E, SM-S916E/DS |
| Price | About 480 EUR | $ 780.00 / C$ 1,399.99 / £ 919.08 / € 1,185.89 / ₹ 94,999 |
| SAR | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.04 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.77 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 111h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1234077 (v9) GeekBench: 5073 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
LG G8S ThinQ
- Significantly lower price point
- Still capable for basic tasks
- Headphone jack (likely, based on LG's history)
- Outdated chipset and software
- Slower charging speeds
- Inferior camera performance
Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Exceptional performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Fast charging and wireless charging
- Superior camera system
- Long-term software support
- Higher price tag
- No headphone jack
- Larger size and weight
Display Comparison
The context data lacks detailed display specs for the LG G8S ThinQ, but it's known to feature an OLED panel. The Galaxy S23+ boasts an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, indicative of a high-quality OLED display. Crucially, the S23+ likely utilizes LTPO technology, enabling variable refresh rates for improved power efficiency. The 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S23+ allows for more processing power dedicated to display tasks, potentially resulting in smoother animations and more accurate color reproduction. While the G8S ThinQ's display is adequate, the S23+ offers a more advanced and visually appealing experience.
Camera Comparison
Without detailed camera specs for the G8S ThinQ, a direct comparison is limited. However, the S23+ benefits from Samsung's advanced image processing algorithms and likely a larger main sensor. The S23+’s image signal processor (ISP), integrated within the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, offers superior noise reduction and dynamic range. While the G8S ThinQ likely has a competent camera for its time, the S23+ delivers consistently higher-quality photos and videos, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. The inclusion of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) in the S23+ is a given, and likely more advanced than the G8S ThinQ’s implementation.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The LG G8S ThinQ's Snapdragon 855 (7nm) is a capable performer, but the Samsung Galaxy S23+'s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) represents a massive leap forward. The 4nm process node delivers significantly improved power efficiency, meaning less heat generation and reduced throttling during sustained workloads. The S23+'s CPU architecture – Cortex-X3, A715, and A710 cores – is far more advanced than the Kryo 485 cores in the G8S ThinQ, resulting in faster single-core and multi-core performance. The S23+ also benefits from faster LPDDR5X RAM, further enhancing responsiveness.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23+’s 45W wired charging with PD3.0 is a significant advantage over the G8S ThinQ’s 18W QC3 charging. Samsung advertises 65% charge in 30 minutes, a speed the G8S ThinQ cannot match. While the S23+ has an endurance rating of 111 hours, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s efficiency plays a crucial role in maximizing battery life. The G8S ThinQ, with its older chipset, will likely require more frequent charging, even with similar usage patterns. The S23+ also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the G8S ThinQ.
Buying Guide
Buy the LG G8S ThinQ if you prioritize a significantly lower price point and are comfortable with an older chipset. It's a viable option for basic smartphone tasks and media consumption. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23+ if you demand top-tier performance, a more refined camera system, faster charging, and a longer software support lifespan. It's the choice for power users and those seeking a future-proofed device.