LG G8X ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: A Detailed Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing future-proofing and a more refined software experience, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is the better choice. Its Snapdragon 888 (or Exynos 2100) offers a significant performance leap over the G8X's Snapdragon 855, despite slightly lower battery endurance. However, the G8X's exceptional 111-hour endurance rating remains a strong argument for those prioritizing longevity.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | LG G8X ThinQ | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 1960/75 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1600/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 14, 20, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - USA | 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, September 06. Released 2019, November 01 | 2022, January 04 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2022, January 07 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 159.3 x 75.8 x 8.4 mm (6.27 x 2.98 x 0.33 in) | 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 192 g (6.77 oz) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) MIL-STD-810G compliant* *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~83.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~86.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| 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 (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 1Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - Version 2 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - Version 1Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - Version 2 |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 660 - Version 1Mali-G78 MP14 - Version 2 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual-SIM model | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.4, 9mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 3.15 MP, AF | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Triple | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/192kHz audio 24-bit/192kHz audio recording Tuned by Meridian Audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | Unspecified |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C, 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Browser | HTML, Adobe Flash | - |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| - | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 21W wired, PD, QC3 9W wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Talk time | Up to 12 h (multimedia) | - |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | New Aurora Black | White, Graphite, Lavender, Olive |
| Models | LMG850EMW, LM-G850, 901LG, LM-G850N | SM-G990B, SM-G990B/DS, SM-G990U, SM-G990U1, SM-G990W, SM-G990E, SM-G9900, SM-G990B2, SM-G990U2, SM-G990W2, SM-G990U3 |
| Price | About 560 EUR | € 199.00 / $ 143.95 / £ 154.99 / ₹ 29,990 |
| SAR | 1.12 W/kg (body) | 0.77 W/kg (head) 0.90 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.90 W/kg (head) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 1.48 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.2dB / Crosstalk -93.4dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 111h | Endurance rating 92h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.9 LUFS (Very good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 339726 (v7), 411980 (v8) GeekBench: 11251 (v4.4), 2870 (v5.1) GFXBench: 38fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 566529 (v8), 719696 (v9) GeekBench: 3049 (v5.1) GFXBench: 56fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
LG G8X ThinQ
- Exceptional battery life (111h endurance)
- Unique Dual Screen accessory potential
- More affordable price point (likely)
- Older Snapdragon 855 chipset
- Lower display brightness
- Potentially limited software updates
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Powerful Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 chipset
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Faster charging and wireless charging
- Shorter battery life (92h endurance)
- Potential for Exynos variant throttling
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 792 nits compared to the LG G8X ThinQ’s 603 nits. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting deep blacks typical of OLED panels. While neither specifies refresh rate, the S21 FE’s panel is likely more color accurate and benefits from Samsung’s display calibration expertise. The G8X’s lower brightness may be noticeable for users consuming HDR content or working outdoors.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking for the G8X. The S21 FE’s camera system likely benefits from Samsung’s advanced image processing algorithms. While sensor size and aperture details are unavailable, the S21 FE’s more modern ISP (Image Signal Processor) within the Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100 will deliver superior image quality, especially in low-light conditions. The G8X’s camera is likely competent, but will fall behind the S21 FE in dynamic range and detail. The presence of a 2MP macro camera on the G8X is unlikely to significantly impact overall image quality.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Galaxy S21 FE 5G utilizes either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm) or the Exynos 2100 (5nm), both built on a smaller, more efficient node than the LG G8X’s Snapdragon 855 (7nm). This translates to a substantial performance advantage for the S21 FE, particularly in GPU-intensive tasks. The S21 FE’s CPU, featuring a Cortex-X1 prime core, further enhances responsiveness. While the G8X’s Snapdragon 855 remains capable for everyday tasks, it will struggle with demanding games and multitasking compared to the S21 FE. The 5nm process also implies better thermal management, potentially reducing throttling during sustained workloads.
Battery Life
The LG G8X ThinQ shines in battery endurance, achieving a remarkable 111-hour rating. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G, with a 92-hour rating, lags behind. However, the S21 FE compensates with faster charging – 25W wired with 50% charge in 30 minutes, compared to the G8X’s 21W. The S21 FE also adds 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the G8X. While the G8X offers longer runtimes, the S21 FE’s faster charging mitigates the difference for many users.
Buying Guide
Buy the LG G8X ThinQ if you absolutely need maximum battery life and are intrigued by the Dual Screen functionality, and are comfortable with an older chipset and potentially limited software updates. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G if you prioritize performance for gaming and demanding applications, a brighter and more modern display, and a more up-to-date software experience with longer guaranteed updates.