And then there's the camera. As I mentioned, there are only two of them around back: a 16-megapixel wide camera with a 107-degree field of view, and a 12-megapixel camera that can see a more standard 78-degree span. In my limited time with the G8, these cameras seemed perfectly nice — LG's cameras aren't typically known for capturing the punchiest, most effective images, but colors came through with a lot of verve and there was plenty of detail to be found. That said, losing one of the three cameras I got used to on the V40 feels like a distinct step backward, and I don't really get LG's rationale here. What's more bizarre is that the G8 actually comes with three rear cameras in other regions. Like I said: the G8 is weird.

So far, though, it seems like LG has gotten one thing right that Samsung struggles within the S10: fixing barrel distortion in wide-angle photos. Quite a few of the sample shots we've taken with Samsung's new flagship have notable distortion around the edges — as much as I love the quality of those ultrawide images, they the pronounced curvature of objects that should appear straight is really grating. I can't say for certain that the issue doesn't exist at all on the G8, but at the very least, it's much less noticeable. That's at least partially because the G8's wide camera has a slightly narrower field of view, but LG also says there's some AI helping here too.

All told, I'm very glad to see LG let its freak flag fly a little again. We're now in an era of smartphone history where 5G and new screens and foldable designs are dominating the conversation, and LG's work here is a clear sign that the company doesn't mind striking off in its own direction. Of course, whether any companies — or any customers for that matter — follow LG down that path remains to be seen.

Update 4/4/19 8:11AM ET: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that outside of the US, the LG G8 ThinQ comes with three rear cameras instead of two.