iPhone XS Max vs. LG's Newly Announced V40 ThinQ

LG today debuted its next-generation smartphone, the LG V40 ThinQ, equipped with an all glass body and a display notch for housing camera equipment, much like the iPhone XS and XS Max.

We were able to get one of LG's new V40 ThinQ smartphones ahead of their launch, and we've got the first V40 ThinQ vs. iPhone XS Max comparison that highlights the differences between Apple's flagship device and LG's new flagship device.


The LG V40 ThinQ features an all glass body with an aluminum frame, while the iPhone XS Max has an all glass body with a stainless steel frame. Apple has done away with the headphone jack, but the V40 still has one, and instead of a Lightning port, it features a USB-C port.

In the hand, the LG V40 ThinQ feels lighter than the iPhone XS Max, but due to the size, it's still a two-handed device.

lgv40iphonexsmaxbody
The V40 measures in at 6.4 inches with a high-quality HDR OLED display that is as sharp and vibrant as the 6.5-inch HDR OLED display of the iPhone XS Max.

iphonexsmaxvslgv40front
Both devices have a front-facing notch, and while the V40's notch is somewhat less obtrusive, it's also housing lesser equipment. The V40 ThinQ features two front-facing cameras, one with 8 megapixels and the second with 5 megapixels. The cameras enable a fast and efficient facial recognition feature for unlocking the device, but as with most Android implementations, it's not using 3D facial mapping and is less secure.

lgv40iphonexsmaxnotch
Because of the weaker facial recognition implementation, LG's new device continues to offer a fingerprint sensor at the back.

The back of the LG V40 ThinQ is outfitted with three horizontal cameras, while the iPhone XS Max uses a dual camera system. In the V40, there's a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 16-megapixel wide-angle lens.

The three cameras enable a range of useful features like Triple Shot for three photos at once from different angles, a Cine Shot for creating a photo with one part of the image in motion, and slow motion and portrait features similar to what you'll find in the iPhone XS Max.

lgiphonexsmaxcamera
We think the LG V40 is a solid iPhone XS Max competitor with its light weight and its impressive camera equipment, and in a future video, we'll delve further into the triple-lens camera system as rumors have suggested it's something we might see in next year's iPhones.

What do you think of the new LG V40 ThinQ? Does it measure up to the iPhone XS Max? Let us know in the comments.

Tag: LG
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

44267547 Avatar
95 months ago
Interesting how the 2017 iPhone X was chastised heavily for having a notch, now the competition is supporting this feature, but less secure than Apples 3D facial mapping.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
95 months ago
Is this even a real comparison? The LG is a knockoff.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aegelward Avatar
95 months ago
I'm not sure why people continue to tout so called iPhone competitors. The truth is there is nothing out there that can complete remotely with any iPhone in the lineup.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
12643 Avatar
95 months ago
In all seriousness, what useful or fascinating things can I do with Apple's A12 chip that I can't with others? I'm switching to an Android phone (most likely the Pixel). What will I be sacrificing?
Supreme power efficiency coupled with computing power that is literally years ahead of anything Android has to offer. Some things you don’t really notice, like the system detecting faces in photos and grouping photos of the same person together for you automatically. Other things you do, like when you play games with desktop level graphics.

Don’t worry though, Google will gladly take your data off your device, process it, and serve it back to you so you don’t need as much power on device. As long as they can mine it, store it indefinitely, and make it available to their ad partners. Don’t believe me?

https://www.inquisitr.com/4968901/google-allowed-third-parties-to-read-your-gmail-messages-in-yet-another-breach-of-user-privacy/

Enjoy your Android experience.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
95 months ago


Like the Chinese knockoff cars, they try to look the part but don't succeed. Under the hood it's not even a competition.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WilliamG Avatar
95 months ago
Wait, so the LG only has FIVE cameras? I wouldn't buy a phone with fewer than 12 cameras, personally.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)