LG G8 ThinQ pre-orders starting this Friday in South Korea

The new LG G8 ThinQ has all it takes to become one of the most popular Qualcomm Snapdragon 855-powered flagships to hit the market in 2019, although many might avoid it simply because it's not a product carrying the Samsung or Apple logo on the back. However, those who can get over the LG brand — and the few flagships plagued with various problems that the company released in the past — can enjoy a solid package for a very good price.

The 6.1-inch LG G8 ThinQ's highlights include an OLED touchscreen that also acts as a speaker, a Time of Flight (ToF) image sensor as part of the front dual camera setup, as well as touchless commands. The handset is both IP68- and MIL-STD-810G-certified for protection from various hazards. For now, there is only a 6/128 GB version available in black, gray, or red, but more choices will probably hit the market in the future.

The LG G7 ThinQ had a debut price of KR₩898,700, and now the LG G8 ThinQ is ready to hit the South Korean market with a slightly lower price tag — KR₩897,600. This price is currently equivalent with around US$790 and will get you the G8 ThinQ with 6 GB of memory and 128 GB of internal storage — the only memory/storage configuration to be available at launch. Pre-orders will start this Friday and full retail availability will follow on March 22.

The 128 GB Samsung Galaxy S10e, a budget model of the S10 lineup that is inferior to the G8 ThinQ, has a price tag of KR₩899,800. However, Samsung is currently in control of more than 60 percent of the South Korean smartphone market, while both Apple and LG struggle around the 15 percent barrier (16.7 percent and 14.3 percent for 2018, according to Strategy Analytics).