LG V40 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy A14 5G: A Battle of Endurance and Value

The LG V40 ThinQ, a 2018 flagship, represents a time when manufacturers prioritized high-end specs at a premium price. Now, years later, it faces off against the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, a modern budget device focused on affordability and 5G connectivity. This comparison isn't about raw power; it's about understanding where each phone excels and who benefits most from its strengths.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing long battery life and 5G connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is the clear winner. Its 130-hour endurance rating significantly surpasses the V40 ThinQ’s 64 hours. While the V40 offers a superior display and potentially faster processing, the A14 5G delivers a more practical experience for daily use.

PHONES
Phone Names LG V40 ThinQ Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - V405QA7HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - V405QA71, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands-2, 5, 66, 77 Sub6/mmWave - USA
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (4CA) Cat16 1024/150 MbpsHSPA, LTE, 5G
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTEGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - V405QA71, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 40, 41, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - India
Launch
Announced2018, October 03. Released 2018, October 162023, January 04
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2023, January 12
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frameGlass front, plastic back, plastic frame
Dimensions158.8 x 75.7 x 7.6 mm (6.25 x 2.98 x 0.30 in)167.7 x 78 x 9.1 mm (6.60 x 3.07 x 0.36 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight169 g (5.96 oz)202 g (7.13 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-
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 5-
Resolution1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~537 ppi density)1080 x 2408 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~400 ppi density)
Size6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio)6.6 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~80.2% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeP-OLED, HDR10PLS LCD, 90Hz
 Always-on display-
Platform
CPUOcta-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver)Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - SM-A146BOcta-core (2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - SM-A146P
ChipsetQualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm)Exynos 1330 (5 nm) - SM-A146BMediatek Dimensity 700 (7 nm) - SM-A146P
GPUAdreno 630Mali-G68 MP2 - SM-A146BMali-G57 MC2 - SM-A146P
OSAndroid 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10Android 13, upgradable to Android 15, One UI Core 7
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - USA onlymicroSDXC (dedicated slot) - International
Internal64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM
 UFS 2.1-
Main Camera
FeaturesLED flash, HDR, panoramaLED flash, panorama, HDR
Single-13 MP, f/2.0, (wide)
Triple12 MP, 27mm (standard), f/1.5, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3-axis OIS 12 MP, 52mm (telephoto), f/2.4, 1.0µm, 2x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS 16 MP, 16mm (ultrawide), f/1.9, 1/3.1", 1.0µm, no AF50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF 2 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec., HDR video, gyro-EIS1080p@30fps
Selfie camera
Dual8 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (standard), 1/3.2", 1.4µm 5 MP, 21mm (wide), f/2.2, 1.4µm-
FeaturesHDR-
Single-13 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1.12µm
Video1080p@30fps1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesYes
35mm jackYesYes
Loudspeaker YesYes
 32-bit/192kHz audio 24-bit/48kHz audio recording Tuned with Meridian Audio-
Comms
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD5.2, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO
RadioFM radio (market/region dependent)FM radio (Exynos 1330 chipset only), recording
USBUSB Type-C 2.0USB Type-C 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNAWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer (USA only)
Battery
Charging18W wired, PD2.0, QC3, 50% in 36 min 10W wireless (Qi)15W wired
TypeLi-Po 3300 mAh, non-removableLi-Po 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsNew Platinum Gray, Carmine Red, New Aurora Black, New Moroccan BlueBlack, Light Green, Dark Red, Silver
ModelsV405, LM-V405, LM-V409NSM-A146B, SM-A146B/DS, SM-A146P, SM-A146P/DS, SM-A146U, SM-A146U1, SM-A146U1/DS, SM-A146W, SM-A146P/N, SM-A146P/DSN, SM-S146VL, SM-A146M
PriceAbout 330 EUR$ 77.63 / C$ 151.00 / £ 97.00 / € 159.79 / ₹ 14,990
SAR-1.00 W/kg (head)     1.00 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-0.56 W/kg (head)     1.28 W/kg (body)
Tests
Audio quality Noise -93.3dB / Crosstalk -94.1dB-
Battery life Endurance rating 64h Endurance rating 130h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: 161500:1 (nominal), 4.256 (sunlight) Contrast ratio: 1334:1 (nominal)
Loudspeaker Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 77dB -26.8 LUFS (Good)
Performance AnTuTu: 254304 (v7) GeekBench: 8568 (v4.4) GFXBench: 16fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 307886 (v9) GeekBench: 1727 (v5.1) GFXBench: 12fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

LG V40 ThinQ

  • Superior display quality with exceptional contrast.
  • Potentially faster processing power (Snapdragon 845).
  • Supports wireless charging (Qi).

  • Significantly shorter battery life.
  • Older device with limited software support.
  • Potential for battery degradation due to age.

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

  • Exceptional battery life (130-hour endurance).
  • Modern 5G connectivity.
  • More efficient chipset (Exynos 1330/Dimensity 700).

  • Inferior display quality compared to the V40 ThinQ.
  • Slower charging speed.
  • Lower processing power than the V40 ThinQ.

Display Comparison

The LG V40 ThinQ boasts a dramatically superior display, with a contrast ratio of 161500:1 compared to the Galaxy A14 5G’s 1334:1. This translates to deeper blacks and more vibrant colors on the V40. While the A14 5G reaches 519 nits of peak brightness, the V40’s nominal contrast ratio suggests excellent visibility even in bright sunlight. The A14 5G’s display is adequate for everyday tasks, but the V40’s panel is in a different league for media consumption and gaming.

Camera Comparison

Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but a detailed comparison is hampered by a lack of specific sensor information. The V40 ThinQ likely features a more sophisticated camera system befitting its flagship status, potentially with larger sensors and better image stabilization. However, the A14 5G benefits from modern image processing algorithms. The presence of a 2MP macro camera on the A14 5G is largely inconsequential, offering limited practical benefit over the main sensor.

Performance

The LG V40 ThinQ’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, built on a 10nm process, was a flagship processor in its time, featuring an octa-core CPU clocked up to 2.8 GHz. However, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G’s Exynos 1330 (SM-A146B variant) or Dimensity 700 (SM-A146P variant), both fabricated on more efficient 5nm and 7nm nodes respectively, offer improved power efficiency. While the Snapdragon 845 may still outperform the Exynos 1330 in raw CPU benchmarks, the A14 5G’s chipset benefits from architectural improvements and potentially better thermal management, especially considering the V40’s age and potential battery degradation.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G dominates in battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 130 hours versus the V40 ThinQ’s 64 hours. This substantial difference is likely due to the A14 5G’s more efficient chipset and potentially larger battery capacity (though specific capacity isn't provided). While the V40 ThinQ supports faster 18W wired charging with Quick Charge and PD2.0, and even 10W wireless charging, the A14 5G’s 15W charging is sufficient given its longer overall runtime. The A14 5G’s superior endurance minimizes the need for frequent charging.

Buying Guide

Buy the LG V40 ThinQ if you need a phone with a significantly better display for media consumption, prioritizing contrast and color accuracy, and are comfortable with an older device that may have limited software support. Buy the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G if you prefer extended battery life, 5G connectivity, and a more modern software experience, even if it means sacrificing some processing power and display quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 1330 in the Galaxy A14 5G overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
The Exynos 1330, built on a 5nm process, is generally efficient and shouldn't exhibit significant overheating during typical gaming. While it won't match the sustained performance of a flagship Snapdragon, it's designed for moderate gaming loads and benefits from improved thermal management compared to older, less efficient chips.
❓ Is the 2MP macro camera on the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G actually useful for taking detailed close-up photos?
Unfortunately, the 2MP macro camera on the A14 5G is largely a marketing feature. Its low resolution and fixed focus limit its ability to capture truly detailed close-up shots. Results are often soft and lack clarity, making it less practical than utilizing the main camera with digital zoom.
❓ Can the LG V40 ThinQ still receive software updates and security patches?
As a 2018 device, the LG V40 ThinQ is no longer officially supported with software updates or security patches by LG. This poses a security risk and means you'll miss out on new features and improvements. While custom ROMs are an option, they require technical expertise and may void any remaining warranty.
❓ How does the charging speed of the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G compare to the LG V40 ThinQ in real-world usage?
While the V40 ThinQ supports 18W fast charging, the A14 5G’s 15W charging is sufficient given its significantly larger battery capacity. The A14 5G will take longer to fully charge, but its superior endurance means you’ll need to charge it less frequently overall.