LG has announced the launch of its latest smartphone, theLG G7 ThinQ, following in the footsteps of theLG V30S ThinQthat launched in the latter half of 2017 and succeeding theLG G6that launched in 2017.

The new flagship from the South Korean company arrives a couple of months later than rivals Samsung, but has the extra time helped the G7 ThinQ conquer theGalaxy S9and mightyS9+?

Here we have compared the LG G7 ThinQ to the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ to see how they differ and help you work out which one might be right for you.

LG G7 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Design

The LG G7 ThinQ introduces a notch at the top of its display to reduce its bezels, but it continues with the aluminium core and glass rear found on theLG V30andLG G6.

There is a vertically-aligned dual camera in the centre of the rear with a circular fingerprint sensor beneath it, while a dedicated Google Assistant button is positioned below the volume rocker on the left of the device and a power button is positioned on the right.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ also offer aluminium cores and glass rears, though only the S9+ has a dual rear camera. The regular S9 features a single camera lens on the back.

Both Samsung devices feature an almost all screen front, with no notches and curved edges and they both have an oval-shaped rear-positioned fingerprint sensor. They also both come with a dedicated Bixby button.

In terms of physical measurements, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is the largest and heaviest, measuring 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm and weighing 189g. The Galaxy S9 is the smallest at 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm but the LG G7 ThinQ is the slimmest and lightest at 153.2 x 71.4 x 7.9mm and 162g.

All three devices being compared here are IP68 water and dust resistant.

LG G7 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Display

The LG G7 ThinQ features a 6.1-inch FullVision display with a Quad HD+ resolution and a software-disguisable notch at the top. The G7 has a pixel density of 563ppi, an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and it isHDR10-compatible.

Opting for a Super Bright LCD screen, the G7 ThinQ has a peak brightness of 1000 nits, which is claimed to be the brightest ever for a smartphone. It also has various user-selectable display modes, adjusting the settings depending on the type of content.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a 5.8-inch Infinity Display, while the S9+ has a 6.2-inch Infinity Display. Both have a Quad HD+ resolution, resulting in pixel densities of 570ppi and 529ppi respectively.

The Samsung devices offer an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 and they opt for Super AMOLED panels for vibrant, punchy colours and deep blacks. They too are HDR compatible.

LG G7 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Hardware and audio

The LG G7 ThinQ has theQualcomm Snapdragon 845 platformunder its hood, supported by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It comes with microSD support for storage expansion and there is a 3000mAh battery.

The Samsung S9 and S9+ feature either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor or the Exynos 9810 chipset, depending on the region. Both variants offer 64GB of storage with microSD support for storage expansion, but the S9 has 4GB of RAM and a 3000mAh battery, while the S9+ has 6GB of RAM and a 3500mAh battery.

In terms of audio, the LG G7 ThinQ has DTS:X 3D Surround Sound for up to 7.1 channel performance with headphones. It also includes a four-channel DAC for improved audio via the headphone socket and there is a Boombox speaker on board to increase the base sound level, meaning louder speakers.

The Samsung devices meanwhile offer stereo speakers tuned by AKG and surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack on both Samsung devices too and they come bundled with AKG headphones as well. Samsung’s phone also sounds great through the speakers.

LG G7 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Camera

The LG G7 ThinQ has a dual rear camera. It is made up of a standard 16-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.6 and a 107-degree wide-angle 16-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.9. The wide-angle lens is the part that’s really unique here.

Optical image stabilisation is on board, along with a bokeh effect feature, andlike the LG V30S ThinQ, the G7 ThinQ’s camera is boosted by AI skills. You’ll also find an 8-megapixel fixed-focus front-facing camera.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a 12-megapixel Super Speed Dual Pixel sensor on the rear, offering Dual Aperture of f/1.5 and f/2.4, while the S9+ has an extra 12-megapixel telephoto sensor on its rear with an f/2.4 aperture.

The S9 has optical image stabilisation, digital zoom up to 8x and selective focus, while the S9+ has dual OIS, optical zoom at 2x and digital zoom up to 10x, as well as live focus with bokeh filters. Both devices have an 8-megapixel autofocus front-facing camera and they both offer super slow-motion video recording capabilities from their rear cameras.

While Samsung aims to deliver low light photos thanks to that mechanical aperture, LG uses AI and pixel combining.

LG G7 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Software

The LG G7 ThinQ runs onAndroid Oreowith LG’s software over the top, while the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ run on Android Oreo with Samsung’s software over the top. All devices have Android at their core but they will differ in user experience.

The G7 ThinQ comes with AI capabilities, hence the ThinQ name, so you’ll find Voice AI that responds to voice commands and Vision AI that relates to the camera. Google Assistant is more deeply integrated too, with a dedicated launch button, as well as supportingGoogle Lens.

Samsung’s devices also offer AI capabilities, though these come in the form ofBixby. There is Bixby Voice for voice commands and Bixby Vision for AR experiences for translation, shopping, place, food and image. Google Assistant is on board too, but it is Bixby that has its own launch button.

LG G7 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Price

LG has yet to announce theprice of the G7 ThinQbut it will be available towards the end of May, beginning of June.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 costs £739 while the S9+ costs £869, one of the most expensive phones on the market - although there are somegood deals to be had.

LG G7 ThinQ vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Conclusion

The LG G7 ThinQ and the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are very similar in terms of specs. They all offer their own advantages, but the overall performance should be near enough on par with each other.

The G7 ThinQ places a big focus on audio, while sitting in the middle of the two Samsung devices in terms of physical size and display size. It is also likely to be the cheaper of the three devices being compared here.

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ has the largest battery capacity, along with a bump in RAM, while the standard S9 and the S9+ both feature slow-motion video recording, which might be a desirable feature for some. We will update this feature once we have reviewed the LG G7 ThinQ in full.