LG Q8 is a smaller, waterproof V20

Major features of last year's handset packaged into 5.2-inch chassis for new Q series device.

LG is building out its new mid-tier Q series of phones with a more pocketable take on last year's flagship V20. The LG Q8 includes basically all the main features of the V20, only now in with a 5.2-inch Quad HD screen, and with the added bonus of IP67 water resistance, and a fixed internal battery. (Sorry, removable battery fans.)

From the wide angle camera to the Quad DAC and ticker display, almost all of the V20's standout features are alive and well in the Q8.

The LG Q8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD. And around the back is a similar combination of 16-megapixel, f/1.8 main camera with OIS, along with 8-megapixel f/2.4 wide-angle shooter. The V20's ticker display makes a return too, with a 160x1040 screen resolution — a curious addition, since it's looking like the upcoming V30 will do away with this longstanding V-series feature. On the inside, a 3,000mAh fixed battery should provide enough juice for a full day's use, considering the smaller display size. And the V20's 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC rounds off the feature list.

On the software side, it appears we're mostly dealing with the V20's software, transposed down onto a smaller display. It's based on Android 7.0 Nougat and LG UX 5.0. The display being a standard 16:9 panel, the software doesn't seem to include the 2:1 display optimizations of the software from the LG G6 and Q6.

LG's Italian promo site lists the Q8 as being available in July, though there's no clear indication as to which other markets, if any, the phone will be arriving in.