LG V50 ThinQ 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S10+: A Deep Dive Comparison
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a polished experience and versatile camera, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ is the better choice. However, the LG V50 ThinQ 5G’s superior battery life (96h endurance vs 91h) and early 5G support make it compelling for power users and those in 5G-covered areas.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | LG V50 ThinQ 5G | Samsung Galaxy S10+ |
| 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) / 1900 / 2100 - USA | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| 5G bands | 41, 260, 261 NSA | - |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/75 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, February 24. Released 2019, April 19 | 2019, February 20 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2019, March 08 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), ceramic back, ceramic frame |
| Dimensions | 159.2 x 76.1 x 8.3 mm (6.27 x 3.00 x 0.33 in) | 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm (6.20 x 2.92 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Weight | 183 g (6.46 oz) | 175 g / 198 g (ceramic) (6.17 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~538 ppi density) | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 100.2 cm2 (~82.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 103.8 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | P-OLED, HDR10 | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 11 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 12 MP, 27mm (wide), f/1.5, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3-axis OIS 12 MP, 52mm (telephoto), f/2.4, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, 2x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS 16 MP, 16mm (ultrawide), f/1.9, 1/3.1", 1.0µm, no AF | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec., HDR10 video, gyro-EIS | 4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 8 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 5 MP, 21mm (wide), f/2.2, 1/5.0", 1.12µm | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm, depth sensor |
| Features | HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 1080p@60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | - |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/192kHz audio 24-bit/192kHz audio recording Tuned with Meridian Audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, PD2.0, QC3, 50% in 36 min 10W wireless (Qi) | 15W wired, PD2.0 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4100 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | New Aurora Black | Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink, Ceramic Black, Ceramic White, Cardinal Red, Smoke Blue |
| Models | LM-V500, LM-V500N, LM-V500EM, LM-V500XM, LM-V450PM, LM-V450 | SM-G975F, SM-G975U, SM-G975W, SM-G975U1, SM-G9750, SM-G975N, SM-G975X |
| Price | About 550 EUR | $ 199.00 / C$ 879.99 / £ 999.00 / € 299.00 / ₹ 39,940 |
| SAR | - | 1.06 W/kg (head) 1.03 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.52 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -92.5dB / Crosstalk -92.6dB | Noise -93.0dB / Crosstalk -94.3dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 96h | Endurance rating 91h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 194000:1 (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.514 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | -24.7 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 343758 (v7), 421934 (v8) GeekBench: 10928 (v4.4), 2672 (v5.1) GFXBench: 22fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 333736 (v7), 399901 (v8) GeekBench: 10387 (v4.4), 2190 (v5.1) GFXBench: 23fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
LG V50 ThinQ 5G
- Exceptional 96-hour battery life
- Early 5G connectivity
- Faster wired charging (18W)
- Less refined software experience
- Camera performance trails the S10+
Samsung Galaxy S10+
- Polished and feature-rich software
- Versatile camera system
- Reverse wireless charging
- Slightly shorter battery life (91h)
- Exynos variant may throttle under load
Display Comparison
Both phones feature excellent OLED displays, but differ in key areas. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G achieves a measured peak brightness of 533 nits, while the S10+ boasts an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (4.514 in sunlight). While the S10+'s contrast ratio is nominally higher, the V50’s 194000:1 nominal contrast is still excellent. The S10+’s display is likely to perform better in direct sunlight due to its higher contrast, offering a more vivid image. Both lack high refresh rate technology, common in later flagships.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but Samsung’s implementation is more versatile. While both feature photo and video capabilities, the S10+’s camera system is generally considered more refined in terms of image processing and overall quality. The S10+’s camera suite likely benefits from Samsung’s more mature image processing algorithms. The LG V50’s camera is still competent, but lacks the consistent performance and feature set of the S10+. The presence of a 2MP macro camera on the S10+ is largely a marketing gimmick, offering minimal practical benefit.
Performance
The chipset configuration is a key differentiator. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G consistently features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7nm), while the Samsung Galaxy S10+ shipped with either the Exynos 9820 (8nm) or the Snapdragon 855 depending on the region. The 7nm process node of the Snapdragon 855 generally offers better thermal efficiency than the 8nm Exynos 9820, potentially leading to less throttling during sustained workloads. Both CPUs utilize an octa-core configuration, but the Exynos’ Mongoose M4 cores are less efficient than the Kryo 485 cores found in the Snapdragon. Users with the Exynos variant may experience slightly lower sustained performance.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the LG V50 ThinQ 5G truly shines. Its 96-hour endurance rating significantly surpasses the S10+'s 91-hour rating. While the S10+ offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, the V50 supports faster 18W wired charging with PD2.0 and QC3.0. The V50’s larger battery capacity and more efficient chipset contribute to its superior longevity, making it ideal for users who demand all-day battery life.
Buying Guide
Buy the LG V50 ThinQ 5G if you absolutely need 5G connectivity and prioritize maximizing battery life above all else. Its 96-hour endurance rating is exceptional. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10+ if you value a more refined software experience, a versatile camera system, and the convenience of reverse wireless charging. It’s the better all-rounder for daily use.