V30 vs S8+, shopping decision

which one should I get?

  • LG V30

    Votes: 16 57.1%

  • Galaxy S8+

    Votes: 7 25.0%

  • Other (explain)

    Votes: 5 17.9%
  • Total voters
    28
GhengisKhan

GhengisKhan

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
May 16, 2005
Messages
7,808
It's time to upgrade. My Galaxy S6 got destroyed. I'm going back and forth between the LG V30 or a Galaxy S8+. I plan on using it for recording action videos (skateboarding) and vlogging, as well as the normal texting and calls. Can anyone help me with actual data as to why I should get one over the other?

They both record 4k @30fps, and are capable of doing slow motion shots.

The DAC built in to the V30 would be nice, but I'm not a huge audiophile.

I kinda like the "edge" features on the S8+.

I usually strip the bloatware from the phones before I start using it.

I'm just kind of undecided.

Also, I'm on AT&T so price for the phones are nearly identical. (Next plan, I'm not paying full price up front).
 
V30 = should cost less, depending on the model you get can provide an unlockable bootloader for custom ROMs/experimentation, better battery life in multiple reviews so far (not a HUGE amount over the S8/S8+ but it does last longer), the DAC obviously offers superior audio playback, the rest of the stuff is entirely up to you I suppose.

And yes, I voted for the V30.
 
If your only choice is between the V30 and the S8+, V30 all day. The edge on the S8 is pretty much all gimmick.

But if you could get another phone, I would only recommend the Pixel/Pixel 2 on Android. And if price is really a factor, then I would recommend the Essential phone.
 
I had the S8+ when it first came out, and I returned it soon after, mainly just couldn't get comfortable with the edge screen. And people won't believe this, but Lagwiz was still there, yes the Samsung UI is much improved and faster than ever, but not lag not totally gone

I had T-Mobile ship me the V30 this week, and I really like it so far. Battery life is fantastic, but so was the S8+, the size of the V30 is shockingly small for a 6" screen, it's lightweight and a very comfortable size for a large phone, if that makes sense.

I debloated it with the LG Package Disabler, and then installed the Pixel 2 launcher, and running all Google apps, like Google Phone, Google Calendar, Messages, etc...all of those running as the default in system settings. Right now my V30 is like a Pixel. Gets good battery life, and is also a beautiful designed phone, really is a looker
 
Just got the V30 for myself, on T-Mobile, and my wife has an S8+ - it's really a better phone, in my opinion. It's super-sleek, plenty fast, and does what I need it to. And if you're into it, the QuadDAC is pretty excellent with some decent headphones.
 
V30 since your going to be doing video's. Most reviews really highlight the work LG did on the video recording side.
 
May as well save money and buy S8 not S8+. The S8+ doesn't have any different hardware other than the bigger battery to accommodate the bigger screen. Battery life is even rated the same.
 
The slow motion on the V30 is pretty bad. It uses a really low bit rate compared to the S8.

The S8 looks to have a better auto mode in low light. The V30's camera is a few generations behind when the shooting conditions aren't ideal.

The V30 absolutely destroys every other phone on the market when it comes to recording audio. There's an AOP mic added to the 3.5 mm jack that is utterly amazing. I uses two mics to record stereo audio and the AOP mic records loud sounds with absolutely zero distortion. It's the first cell phone I've ever owned where the audio in my video recordings is natural.

The V30's wide angle camera is worth the price of admission too. It has some quirks but I use it a lot more than I thought I would....it's really useful.

I have the V30 and picked it over the S8 for the reasons above. If the V30 had a larger camera sensor it would quite literally be the perfect phone.
 
Just use the modded GCam and your low light will be every bit as good. Slow motion can't be helped without root though.
 
GCam still can't overcome the small sensor so no, it doesn't make low light every bit as good. They still come out blurry or soft with no detail.
 
Blown 89 said:
GCam still can't overcome the small sensor so no, it doesn't make low light every bit as good. They still come out blurry or soft with no detail.
Click to expand...
That's simply not the case. All smartphone sensors are tiny but many can produce decent results because it's the algorithms that actually make the image look good.

Don't believe me? Go take a Pixel 2 or Galaxy S8 running AOSP using Manual Camera and see how well the images look without the fancy processing that's being done.


It's the reason why phones with even nicer sensors often end up with far poorer images (e.g., Sony phones).
 
ChronoReverse said:
That's simply not the case. All smartphone sensors are tiny but many can produce decent results because it's the algorithms that actually make the image look good.

Don't believe me? Go take a Pixel 2 or Galaxy S8 running AOSP using Manual Camera and see how well the images look without the fancy processing that's being done.


It's the reason why phones with even nicer sensors often end up with far poorer images (e.g., Sony phones).
Click to expand...
GCam doesn't fix the V30's shortcomings...having a sensor significantly smaller doesn't allow it to capture as much light. You can't overcome the physical limitations of the chip with software. The V30 will consistently require higher ISO and longer exposures resulting in a worse image unless you have a tripod and a still subject.

The bottom line is that using GCam makes the camera every bit as good simply isn't true. Not even remotely.....and I've done side by sides as I desperately want the V30 to work as well as the Pixel in those situations.
 
Blown 89 said:
GCam doesn't fix the V30's shortcomings...having a sensor significantly smaller doesn't allow it to capture as much light. You can't overcome the physical limitations of the chip with software. The V30 will consistently require higher ISO and longer exposures resulting in a worse image unless you have a tripod and a still subject.
Click to expand...
People are already using GCam and getting good results. It'll obviously be somewhat below larger sensors but it moves the quality from below to above par. You can choose to believe whatever you like however.
 
ChronoReverse said:
People are already using GCam and getting good results. It'll obviously be somewhat below larger sensors but it moves the quality from below to above par. You can choose to believe whatever you like however.
Click to expand...
GCam makes some images better...yes. It's my go to when I need to a quick auto-mode shot. Once the scene isn't lit as well even GCam can't overcome the hardware limitations and you get terrible results. The other phones at the table nailed that shot. Every hair on his head was sharp and crsip. The V30 looks like water color. People wanting GCam to make the V30 into a Pixel 2 are living in a fantasy land. Sorry man, the proof is in the pudding. The V30's camera is a few generations behind in this regard.
IMG_20171027_201850.jpg
 
That looks more like a problem with the particular GCam that anything else. Even a camera "of several generations back" wouldn't do that. The watercolour effect is clearly a processing error of the post-processing. Most likely it's a mismatch of the assumed sensor capabilities and the actual sensor.

I've seen this sort of issue on the Htc 10 with many versions of the modded GCam. Only certain APKs (not always or even usually the latest) and settings combinations work properly.

Are you using the Auto HDR+ here or the full HDR+?
 
That particular one was full HDR+. HDR auto, and enhanced did the same thing. I'd love it to just be software because that is literally my only gripe about this phone. It's amazing otherwise.
 
Which particular version of the GCam are you using and what settings are you on? camera.raisr and camera.enable_vesper are enabled in the developer settings too right?
 
Justintoxicated said:
It looks like the camera focused on the napkin ^
Click to expand...
Tap focussed on my son...I think the camera looks in focus because it has more light above it. Every other shot looks like that too. I must have taken 20 shots messing with the camera. Here are two more......the closeup of his face was auto mode on the stock camera, the other GCam.
 

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ChronoReverse said:
Which particular version of the GCam are you using and what settings are you on? camera.raisr and camera.enable_vesper are enabled in the developer settings too right?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what version those were taken with but they were the recommend settings. The best settings so far are:
Model: Pixel 2XL
Config: Nexus 6P
HDR+ Parameters: Medium
Version: 5.1.014.171916386

raisr and vesper are enabled.

The new version improved low light slightly but it still struggles with slight motion and detail.
 
Blown 89 said:
I'm not sure what version those were taken with but they were the recommend settings. The best settings so far are:
Model: Pixel 2XL
Config: Nexus 6P
HDR+ Parameters: Medium
Version: 5.1.014.171916386

raisr and vesper are enabled.

The new version improved low light slightly but it still struggles with slight motion and detail.
Click to expand...

The way GCam works, motion will destroy it in lower light even with the Pixel. I'm using Pixel 2XL + Pixel + Super High on my Htc 10 (Nexus 6P sensor + OIS) which usually looks okay but adds lag on startup with Auto HDR+ (while it's filling the buffer).

The IMX258 in the V30 has smaller unit cells than the IMX377 in the Htc 10 but it also is an Exmor RS (as opposed to Exmor R) design which reduces noises per cell in comparison. It may ultimately be inferior but it shouldn't be that far off. The original Htc One M7 already demonstrated that having much larger unit cells isn't nearly the entire story.
 
Debate is over for me. I picked up a V30 this morning, after being so heavily favored here. I'm pretty damn impressed so far. My son as an S8+, and we did a side-by-side test where we both took pictures of a dark corner of his room. My V30 turned out a significantly better image. I'm happy so far!
 
I hear the haptic feedback on the V30 is similar to the iPhone 7 and up. Does it really feel as sharp as those phones?
 
ChronoReverse said:
I hear the haptic feedback on the V30 is similar to the iPhone 7 and up. Does it really feel as sharp as those phones?
Click to expand...
It certainly feels nice. I haven't handled any iPhones by comparison. But then again, I haven't handled any used butt plugs either. ;)
 
ChronoReverse said:
I hear the haptic feedback on the V30 is similar to the iPhone 7 and up. Does it really feel as sharp as those phones?
Click to expand...
I have both an iphone 7 & the v30... Yes the haptic feedback is on par.. I honestly dont notice a difference between them, but when I use the girlfriends or daughters 6s/6s plus or my note 8 at work it always jumps out and I can tell the difference.
 
ChronoReverse said:
I hear the haptic feedback on the V30 is similar to the iPhone 7 and up. Does it really feel as sharp as those phones?
Click to expand...
Yes. The haptic feedback on this phone is impressive. I never thought that would actually matter but it's really nice.
 
I would get the S8 Active over the S8+, just because I hate the curved edges because they make the phone much more delicate, you can't get a (cheap at least) glass screen protector for them either, and the edge features are straight gimmicks IMO.

So I chose the V30 between the phones in the poll, but if camera performance is priority, then you should be looking at the Pixel 2 phones over anything else.
 
I think the only clear advantage the S8+ has on the v30, is accessories. Tlu have a much better selection of cases and such for the Samdung than you do for the LG.

I have the s8 now and my son has the s8+.

I plan to buy the unlocked v30 when released and will sell my s8.

I just am not a Samsung fan, which is sad. I used to love Samsung.
 
If you gotta buy now, I'd go with the Samsung. Sorry, I'm a Samsung fanboi.

If it isn't URGENT, maybe wait on the S9 in January...It supposedly fixes a couple problems that people had with the S8.
 
Shlunky said:
I think the only clear advantage the S8+ has on the v30, is accessories. Tlu have a much better selection of cases and such for the Samdung than you do for the LG.
Click to expand...

From what I've seen, the screen on the S8+ is much, much better than the V30.
 
You make a good point, I totally forgot about that.
I would very much like to hold a V30 to see the differences myself. I know the screen on my s8 is very good.

§
 
I was going back and forth on many phones and I picked up an S8 cheap. Samsung screens are just so damn good. Install Nova launcher prime and Bk disabler and tweak enough and the software looks and acts like a pixel. Point being that if you have a bad screen you are screwed but you can adjust software.
 
mls1995 said:
I was going back and forth on many phones and I picked up an S8 cheap. Samsung screens are just so damn good. Install Nova launcher prime and Bk disabler and tweak enough and the software looks and acts like a pixel. Point being that if you have a bad screen you are screwed but you can adjust software.
Click to expand...
Damn, I just saw a 64GB unlocked S8 on Amazon for $575. Thinking very hard about grabbing one.
 
I had an S8+ for a couple weeks and enjoyed it. The one thing I hate about the infinity displays are the curved edges. Watching videos or playing games in landscape has the very top and bottom slightly distorted as a result. Wasn’t a big fan of that. I’m all for edge to edge screens, but would prefer to have a tiny side bezel than a curved display.
 
exlink said:
I had an S8+ for a couple weeks and enjoyed it. The one thing I hate about the infinity displays are the curved edges. Watching videos or playing games in landscape has the very top and bottom slightly distorted as a result. Wasn’t a big fan of that. I’m all for edge to edge screens, but would prefer to have a tiny side bezel than a curved display.
Click to expand...

get the at&t active, which is flat
 
I have the note8 on verizon. I would have gotten the S8 active if I were on AT&T. I would appreciate the flat screen and extra ruggedness. I did not like the fact there were no black friday deals for any LG phones except the Tmobile BOGO.
 
I am still very happy with my choice. I'm shopping for a case right now. I had ordered one from Amazon but it was lost in shipping.
 
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