LG Electronics (LG) today announced the arrival of the new Q8, LG’s latest powerful, stylish and durable smartphone that inherits core features from LG’s flagship lineup – in particular the “prosumer” V series – but designed for one-handed usage and extreme portability.

As the second device announced in LG’s newest Q series, the Q8 delivers Hi-Fi sound, prosumer quality video and photo capabilities and water and dust resistance in a compact package.

The Q8 builds on LG’s powerful heritage in photography and videography, with features such as Steady Record 2.0 for smooth, judder-free video recording. Like many of LG’s high-end smartphones, the Q8 incorporates dual lenses on the back to capture broad interiors and sweeping vistas as well as a wide angle camera on the front for truly breathtaking wefies. With a 120-degree wide angle lens and 83-degree standard lens up front and a 135-degree wide angle, 78-degree standard lens on the back, the LG Q8 is truly a shutterbug’s dream come true.

LG Q8 takes audio to the next level with Hi-Fi Recording which utilises two high AOP (Acoustic Overload Point) microphones to minimise crowd and background noise when recording outdoor events. Audio files are saved in 24-bit / 48 kHz LPCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation) format – the same format used in the movie industry. As one of the first smartphone manufacturers to offer manual video mode in its devices, LG bestowed the Q8 with the ability to tweak every aspect of the recording process.

The Q8 raises the ante in smartphone audio with Hi-Fi Quad DAC from ESS Technology, a world leader in high-performance audio products. The Quad DAC in the LG Q8 cuts white noise by 50 percent and up-samples music files to Hi-Fi quality to deliver crisp, lush sound uncharacteristic of smartphone audio systems. And the HD Audio Recorder captures studio-quality audio via 24-bit / 192 kHz in lossless FLAC format. For customers who want complete control over the audio recording experience, Studio Mode in the phone’s HD Audio Recorder was designed with exactly such users in mind.

The customizable always-on Second Screen on top of the main display offers users a handy shortcut to contacts, tools and apps. For gaming aficionados, the next-generation, Vulkan-compatible 3D graphics engine brings the most powerful and resource-hungry mobile games to life in vibrant colours.

What’s more, LG Q8 boasts water and dust resistance, just in time for summer. Rated IP67, it can be safely immersed in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes, meaning that the Q8 will resist splashes, drops on the beach and other possible hazards. The phone is protected by a metal frame with rounded corners that absorbs the majority of shocks and vibration.

“The LG Q8 is a welcome member to our newest Q line of smartphones that addresses the needs of customers who want the best content creation device without paying for extra features they don’t want or need,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The Q8 gets much of its DNA from past V devices but is designed for one-handed use and ease of portability.”

The LG Q8 will initially be available in key European markets starting this week followed by markets in Asia next month.

Key Specifications: *

  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 820 Mobile Platform
  • Display: Main 5.2-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440 / 570ppi). Secondary IPS Quantum Display (160 x 1040 / 570ppi)
  • Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM / 32GB UFS ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
  • Camera: Front: 5MP Wide (F1.9 / 120°). Rear Dual: 8MP Wide (F2.4 / 135°) / 16MP Standard (F1.8 / 78°)
  • Battery: 3,000mAh (embedded)
  • Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat
  • Size: 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm
  • Weight: 146g
  • Network: LTE / 3G / 2G
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.2 BLE / NFC / USB Type-C
  • Color: Urban Titan
  • Others: Water and Dust Resistant (IP67) / Steady Record 2.0 / Hi-Fi Video Recording / HD Audio Recorder / Studio Mode / High AOP Mic / Second Screen / 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC / Fingerprint Sensor / Qualcomm Quick Charge™ 3.0

*Specification may vary depending on the particular market.