Last week, we compared the V30+ to two flagships already – the Google Pixel 2 and Huawei Mate 10 and fared well except for the cameras. For this one, we got Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.
| SPECS | LG V30+ | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 |
| Display | 6″ 1440 x 2880 P-OLED (~537 ppi)
Gorilla Glass 5 |
6.3″ 1440 x 2960 Super AMOLED (~403 ppi)
Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Dimensions & Features | 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.3 mm, 158g
Hybrid dual-SIM tray |
150.5 x 77.8 x 8.2 mm, 186g
Hybrid SIM tray, metal unibody |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 | Exynos 8895 Octa |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.45 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo) | Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz & 4×1.7 GHz) – EMEA |
| GPU | Adreno 540 | Mali-G71 MP20 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM, 128GB + microSD | 6GB RAM, 64/128/256GB (expandable up to 256GB) |
| Connectivity | LTE Cat. 16, 802.11ac, Wi-Fi Direct, BT 5.0, GPS, Stereo FM, USB 3.1 Type-C 1.0, NFC, 3.5mm headphone jack (ESS Sabre ES9218P DAC) | LTE Cat. 16, 802.11ac, Wi-Fi Direct, BT 5.0, GPS, USB 3.1 Type-C 1.0, NFC, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Cameras | Rear: Dual: 16 MP (f/1.6, 1 µm, 3-axis OIS, PDAF) + 13 MP (f/1.9, no AF), phase detection & laser autofocus, LED flash[Video] 2160p@30fps, Cine Log FormatFront: 5 MP (f/2.2, 1/5″, 1.12 µm)[Video] 1080p@30fps |
Rear: Dual: 12 MP (f/1.7, 26mm, 1/2.55″, 1.4 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF) + 12MP (f/2.4, 52mm, 1/3.6″, 1 µm, AF), OIS, phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, LED flash[Video] 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, dual-video rec.Front: 8 MP (f/1.7, 25mm, 1/3.6″, 1.22 µm), autofocus, dual video call, Auto HDR[Video] 1440p@30fps |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Po 3300mAh | Non-removable Li-Ion 3300 mAh |
| OS | Android 8.0 (Oreo) LG UX 6.0+ |
Samsung Experience Android 7.1.1 |
| SRP | PhP 42,000.00/$840 | PhP 48,500/$970 |
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From a design standpoint, general design differences are there. For one, the displays are similar to a near-identical aspect ratio with the Note 8’s being wider due to its Infinity Display. Only the top bars are populated with their respective earpieces and cameras.
Moving to the frame, both do have metallic sides with their antenna bands running down the upper and lower portions. Speakers and the USB Type-C port are bottom-mounted for both. As for the headphone jack, the Note 8 has its jack on the bottom while the V30+’s is located on the top-right side.
Testing the buttons, the Note 8 has its single-bar volume rocker and Bixby button on the left with the power/lock button on the right. On the V30+, its volume buttons are on the left too and its last button, the home button that also works as the fingerprint scanner, is on the back, below its camera.
..which brings us to the glassy finishes. Each mirrored what their front faces look like at the back with the exception of having no displays. Their cameras are both arranged in a horizontal manner on top along with the flash, and on the Note 8, it has its fingerprint scanner on the other side. Regarding badges and whatnot, the Bang & Olufsen and LG logos are both on the back for the V30+ and with the Samsung branding too for the Note 8.
The Note 8’s display is .3 inches larger and is Super AMOLED while the V30+’s is a P-OLED. With regards to detail and pixel density, the V30+’s 6-inch display is a bit more packed but with a lower screen-to-body ratio. Both are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and Always On Display-capable, being OLED.
Side-by-side, the V30+’s display is colder even when configured and is actually less bright than the Note 8 in extreme midday lighting conditions. In the color and detail department, the V30+ suffers from having poor contrast when compared to the Note 8 and produces less vibrant images across all settings.
Compared to the tried-and-tested Samsung Experience, LG’s UX 6.0+ is actually more animated, fitting the V30 aesthetic further. With a wide range of vibration feedbacks, the V30+ definitely does well on that part without being annoying or repetitive. There is not much to talk about major differences between the two except for Bixby Voice and Bixby Assistant on the Note 8, which is pretty handy for hands-free operation for the modern world. Another would be the S-Pen which gives the Note 8 more usability over the V30+ which we discussed here.
And since we’re talking about the whole package regarding experience, the V30+ is surprisingly better to use in one-hand operation despite Samsung’s native support for it. The fingerprint scanner could have been placed a lot better than where it is since you will be prone to shuffling the phone to get your fingerprint be read nicely.
Over to the cameras, the Note 8 is king. Details are made much better with more accurate and vibrant colors. It is also to be noted that the Note 8 performs much faster with regards to autofocusing and shutter speed on full auto. Stabilization is also on the Note 8’s for the most part since I find framing and composition much easier on it even while taking videos.
And on the subject of videos, what the V30+ has over the Note 8 is its Cine Log format allowing for wider color-grading that can be used professionally and a fully-manual video recording mode. As for the quality, they are on par when it comes to detailing and stabilization, then again, if you’re into videography, the V30+ is a must try.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE1jDV6pit8?start=239&feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
| Device | AnTuTu | PCMark Work 2.0 | Geekbench | Androbench |
| LG V30+ | 173349 | 5611 | SC: 1910
MC: 6373 |
Seq. Read: 690.84MB/s
Seq. Write: 205.52MB/s Ran. Read: 77.08MB/s Ran. Write: |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | 175171 | 5816 | SC: 2033
MC: 6587 |
Seq. Read: 780.47MB/s
Seq. Write: 206.51MB/s Ran. Read: 126.96MB/s Ran. Write: |
In terms of performance, nothing much can be said in the way of difference. The Note 8’s EMEA version running on an Exynos 8895 goes toe-to-toe against the widely-used Snapdragon 835 in various benchmarking tools and games.
| Device | Battery | MS Battery Rating | Charging-Time (0-100) |
| LG V30+ | 3300mAh | 38h 4m | 1h 59m |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | 3300mAh | 38h 36m | 1h 52m |
And the same as the performance metrics, battery statistics are near-identical with the greatest difference in our battery rating test.
While the past two categories have been awfully similar, here’s where the V30+ takes a stand over the Note 8. Not only is its speaker better out-of-the-box with its B&O tuning, it is also equipped with ESS Tech’s Sabre ES9218P DAC that knocks out the Note 8’s believed-to-be Cirrus Logic CS43130 DAC which is also found on the S8 and S8+. The soundstage is significantly wider on the V30+ but the Note 8 does hold up well in terms of presets and native tuning. If you’re an audiophile looking for a decent DAC that is mainly a phone, I would highly suggest the V30+. Do note that the Hi-Fi option needs to be enabled first in the settings and also consumes additional power in the process.
To sum things up, the V30+ has the better audio capabilities, a unique haptic feedback system, cheaper, and better video recording formats. As for the Note 8, it has the S-Pen, is better for photography, and an option for expandable storage. Whatever you choose is up to you – we are here to provide concise details about what delivers what to help you, the consumers, what to buy. So, which is it? Is it the LG V30+ or the Samsung Galaxy Note 8? Let us know in the comments below along with a like. To keep updated with our upcoming comparisons, subscribe and ring that little bell that appears on the side. As always, this has been Caesar of ManilaShaker, and thank you for reading! ‘Til then!
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