LG Q8 (2018) vs Samsung Galaxy S22 5G: A Generational Leap in Mobile Technology

Comparing the LG Q8 (2018) to the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is a study in contrasts. The Q8 represents a solid mid-range offering from a now-exited smartphone manufacturer, while the S22 embodies a modern flagship experience. This comparison isn't about finding a direct competitor, but understanding the advancements made in mobile technology over five years and whether those advancements justify the price difference.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user in 2024, the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is the clear winner. Its vastly superior processing power, significantly brighter display, and modern features like 5G connectivity and wireless charging outweigh the Q8’s lower cost. However, the Q8 remains a functional device for basic tasks.

PHONES
Phone Names LG Q8 (2018) Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 201, 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
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat6 300/50 MbpsHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTEGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 -1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2018, August. Released 2018, August2022, February 09
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2022, February 25
Body
Build-Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions160.1 x 77.7 x 8.4 mm (6.30 x 3.06 x 0.33 in)146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.30 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIMNano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight172 g (6.07 oz)167 g / 168 g (mmWave) (5.89 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) MIL-STD-810G compliant* *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditionsIP68 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 Victus+
Resolution1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~389 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Size6.2 inches, 99.7 cm2 (~80.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeIPS LCDDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW
ChipsetQualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 (14 nm)Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW
GPUAdreno 506Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW
OSAndroid 8.1 (Oreo)Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (dedicated slot)No
Internal64GB 4GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
 eMMC 5.1UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesLED flash, panorama, HDRLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single16 MP, PDAF10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF
Triple-50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (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
Video1080p@30fps8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
Features-HDR
Single5 MP, 18mm (ultrawide)10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video1080p@30fps4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker YesYes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/192kHz audio32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth4.2, A2DP, LE5.2, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioStereo FM radio with RDSNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compassFingerprint (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)
Battery
Charging18W wired, QC325W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 3300 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 3700 mAh
Misc
ColorsAurora Black, Moroccan BluePhantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora Purple
ModelsLGM-X800L, LM-Q815S, LM-Q815K, LM-Q815LSM-S901B, SM-S901B/DS, SM-S901U, SM-S901U1, SM-S901W, SM-S901N, SM-S9010, SM-S901E, SM-S901E/DS
PriceAbout 300 EUR$ 172.63 / C$ 304.00 / £ 186.11 / € 198.01
SAR-1.03 W/kg (head)     1.15 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-1.21 W/kg (head)     1.59 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life- Endurance rating 85h
Camera- Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker- -26.4 LUFS (Good)
Performance- AnTuTu: 745496 (v8), 881428 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 69fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

LG Q8 (2018)

  • Significantly lower price point
  • Functional for basic smartphone tasks
  • Headphone jack (likely, based on LG's historical design)

  • Outdated chipset and slow performance
  • Inferior display quality
  • Limited software support and security updates

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G

  • Exceptional performance with Exynos 2200/Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Bright and vibrant display
  • Versatile camera system with advanced features

  • Higher price
  • Potential for thermal throttling under sustained load (Exynos variant)
  • Battery life, while good, isn't exceptional

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 boasts a significantly more advanced display. While both lack detailed panel information beyond brightness, the S22’s measured 982 nits peak brightness dwarfs what the Q8 likely offered. The S22’s ‘Infinite’ contrast ratio (nominal) suggests a superior OLED panel, delivering deeper blacks and more vivid colors. The Q8, being an older LCD, will struggle in direct sunlight and lack the color accuracy of the S22. The S22’s potential for higher refresh rates (not specified, but common in flagships) further enhances the viewing experience.

Camera Comparison

Both phones feature 'Photo / Video' capabilities, but the underlying technology differs drastically. The S22 benefits from a modern image signal processor (ISP) within the Exynos 2200/Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, enabling advanced features like improved low-light performance, HDR processing, and computational photography. While sensor sizes aren’t specified, the S22’s flagship status implies a larger, more capable main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS). The Q8’s camera system, while adequate for its time, will struggle to match the S22’s detail, dynamic range, and overall image quality. Ignoring the likely 2MP macro lens on both, the S22 offers a far more versatile and capable camera experience.

Performance

The performance gap is immense. The LG Q8’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, with its Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.6 GHz, is designed for efficiency, not speed. The Galaxy S22, depending on the region, features either the Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, both built on a 4nm process. These chips utilize cutting-edge CPU architectures – Cortex-X2, A710, and A510 – offering a massive leap in processing power and efficiency. The S22’s LPDDR5x RAM (implied by its flagship status) further accelerates performance compared to the Q8’s likely LPDDR3. This translates to significantly faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and the ability to handle demanding games.

Battery Life

Both devices share an endurance rating of 85 hours, but this doesn’t tell the whole story. The S22’s 25W wired charging with Power Delivery 3.0 (PD3.0) is significantly faster than the Q8’s 18W Quick Charge 3.0 (QC3). The S22 also adds 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Q8. The 4nm process of the S22’s chipset contributes to better power efficiency, meaning it can deliver comparable battery life despite potentially having a smaller battery capacity. The S22’s faster charging speeds minimize downtime.

Buying Guide

Buy the LG Q8 (2018) if you need a very affordable, basic smartphone for calls, texts, and light web browsing, and are comfortable with a significantly older device and limited software support. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G if you prioritize performance for gaming and demanding apps, a vibrant and bright display, a versatile camera system, and future-proof 5G connectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 2200 chip in the Galaxy S22 overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
The Exynos 2200 variant of the Galaxy S22 is known to be more prone to thermal throttling than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 version, especially during extended gaming. While not a crippling issue, users may experience some performance dips after prolonged use. The Snapdragon variant generally maintains cooler temperatures and more consistent performance.
❓ Is the 2MP macro camera on either phone actually useful for taking detailed close-up photos?
Generally, 2MP macro cameras on phones in this price range (especially the Q8) are of limited utility. The low resolution results in images lacking detail and sharpness. While they can be fun to experiment with, don't expect professional-quality macro photography.
❓ Can the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G run demanding games like PUBG Mobile at 90fps?
Yes, the Galaxy S22 5G, particularly the Snapdragon variant, can run PUBG Mobile at 90fps with the appropriate graphics settings. The phone's powerful processor and GPU, combined with a high refresh rate display (if enabled), provide a smooth and responsive gaming experience.
❓ How long will the LG Q8 (2018) continue to receive software updates and security patches?
The LG Q8 (2018) is no longer receiving official software updates or security patches from LG, as LG has exited the smartphone market. This poses a security risk, as the phone is vulnerable to newly discovered exploits. Using the Q8 for sensitive tasks is not recommended.