G8s ThinQ Smartphone (2019), Octa-core CPU Kyro, 128GB, 6GB RAM, 6.21" G-OLED 1080 x 2248, microSD, 8MP Front, 13MP Rear, Android 9.0 Pie

Ok, just to clear, if you can afford a new iPhone or Samsung , go ahead and buy one of those. Still reading? Ok good; now, I’ve lived with this phone for a couple of months so I feel this is fair . The G8s does everything that you could reasonably expect a £500 smartphone to do very well and one thing exceptionally. Browsing speed is good, phone call reception is good, screen is good, battery life is good, camera is, err... good enough, (they are one or two better options if a high end camera is what you are looking for), but if it’s stunning audio performance at a reasonable price that you are looking for , then look no further. LG have been producing great sounding smartphones for a while now, (my old phone was a G5 with the B&O DAC), and this is another great one. It has a headphone socket and the sound from this is gorgeous but even over Bluetooth there is plenty of power and openness. I’ve been able to compare it to friends latest iPhone12 & Samsung S21 and I prefer it to both of these. I haven’t heard the Sony Xperia 1 ii and as they have come down in price recently, it might be worth comparing it this if you can. LG get a bit of rough deal for their smartphones & the company can sometimes be accused of lacking a clear direction in what they want to deliver, but if you are a bit of an audiophile on a budget like myself, I can highly recommend this phone.