A newer version of Android would've been nice though. LG seems to have had a closer-than-usual working relationship with Google over the past few years -- that's why the LG V20 was the first to get Android Nougat two years ago and why G6 was the first non-Pixel phone to ship with Google Assistant. It would've been nice if LG had scored a similar deal and shipped Android 9.0 Pie on the V40 ThinQ, but the phone's fans will just have to wait for an update like everyone else.

Considering the headaches last year's V30 display gave us, I was a little concerned about what might happen this year. Well, there was no need for that -- the G7's screen was perfectly serviceable, and the V40's 6.4-inch OLED screen hasn't given me reason to complain either. It's bright and nicely saturated, and its relatively narrow 19.5:9 aspect ratio ensures that despite its overall size, it fit nicely in my hands. Big smartphones like this can be difficult to work with single-handedly and you might run into a little trouble if you have tiny mitts, but I've found the V40 a lot more comfortable to use for long periods of time than the iPhone XS Max. It certainly helps that it's a little lighter than some of the other big flagships I've tested this year. (My wrist thanks you, LG.)

I've seen some people concerned about the V40's 3,300mAh battery, and that's not unwarranted -- rivals like the Galaxy S9 Plus and Huawei's P20 Pro have slightly bigger batteries. You don't need to worry too much though. The V40 easily survives a single day's use, and I've sometimes been able to use it for a few more hours after waking up before realizing I forgot to charge it.