LG K40 is the successor to K30 and it’s the latest entrant in this series. LG K50 is announced as well, but it’s not yet launched in the USA.
In this post, we’re going to point out the differences and similarities between LG K20, K30 & K40 and would try to find out if K40 is a true successor or not.
Please make sure that in this post I’m comparing the MetroPCS / T-Mobile variant of LG K20, K30 & K40. There will be differences between these variants and those from Boost Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum, Xfinity or the Factory Unlocked Version.
So Let’s start with the Differences at first and later on we’ll cover the similarities between these 3 models –
Difference between LG K40, K30 & K20 Plus – MetroPCS / T-Mobile
On the left-hand side is LG K40, K30 is at the center & K20 plus at the right.
1. Release Date & Price
| NAME, PRICE & RELEASE DATE | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Number | LM-X420MM | LM-X410MK / X410TK | MP260 / TP260 |
| Release Date | Feb 2019 | May 2018 | December 2016 |
| Current Price | Around $100 | Around $70 | Around $70 |
LG K40 is not yet released for T-Mobile but the MetroPCS variant does work with T-Mobile sim card.
The price mentioned in the above table is the approximate price for a new phone at eBay.com. The price does fluctuate very often.
2. Body & Design
| BODY & DESIGN | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Material | Plastic | Metal & Plastic | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 6.02” x 2.83” x 0.32 “ | 5.85” x 2.95” x 0.34 “ | 5.85” x 2.96” x 0.31 “ |
| Weight | 5.1 oz | 5.93 oz | 4.94 oz |
| Removable Battery | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
You may have noticed from the above specs, that LG K40 is more compact as compared to K30 & K20 due to its 18:9 aspect ratio. It’s also lighter than LG K30.
K40 offers a better grip due to its plastic back. K30 is quite slippery and best to be used with a case. It’s also the heaviest among the 3, probably due to the use of metal in its construction.
Among the 3, only K20 Plus has a removable battery.
3. Phone Layout
| PHONE LAYOUT | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Button Location | Right | Back | Back |
| Speaker Grill Location | Bottom | Back | Back |
| Sim Card / Memory Card Slot Location | Left | Right | Under the Battery Door |
| Additional Hardware Button | Dedicated Google Assistant Key | ✖ | ✖ |
In the case of K30 & K20 Plus, the Power button at the back doubles as a Finger Print Sensor. However, in K40 the fingerprint sensor is at the back & the Power button is shifted towards the right.
In K40 the positioning of speaker grill from back to the bottom is a step towards the right direction. The audio quality from the speaker is also improved as compared to K30 & K20 Plus.
There is an addition of a dedicated Google Assistant key, below the volume rocker on K40.
4. Display
| DISPLAY | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | 5.7 inches | 5.3 inches | 5.3 inches |
| Aspect Ratio | 18:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Screen Resolution / Wallpaper Size | 1440 x 720 pixels | 1280 x 720 pixels | 1280 x 720 pixels |
| Pixel Density | 282 ppi | 277 ppi | 277 ppi |
The display on LG K40 can be considered as the biggest upgrade. Even though the display size is increased from 5.3 inches to 5.7 inches, the dimensions are almost identical thanks to the 18:9 aspect ratio.
The screen resolution is also increased to 1440 x 720 p from 1280 x 720p to compensate for the increase in the screen estate. However, the PPI (pixels per square inch) remains almost the same.
5. Software & Additional Features
| SOFTWARE & ADDITIONAL FEATURES | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android Version | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 8.1 Oreo | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Notification LED Light | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Surround Sound | DTS:X 3D Surround | DTS:X 3D Surround | ✖ |
| Mini View / One Handed Operation | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
Notification LED is included for the first time in LG K40. This feature is usually missing in this price range.
K40 has the lastest Android Pie 9.0 operating system as opposed to Oreo and Nougat on K30 and K20 Plus respectively.
A mini view is introduced in K40 for easy one-handed operation.
LG K40 Firmware Download & Software Update
6. Hardware & Connectivity
| HARDWARE & CONNECTIVITY | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFC / Android Pay / Android Beam | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Processor / CPU | 1.8 GHz Quad-Core | 1.4 GHz Quad-Core | 1.4 GHz Quad-Core |
| Chipset | 14 nm, Qualcomm Snapdragon SDM450 | 28 nm, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 MSM8917 | 28 nm, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 MSM8917 |
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Adreno 308 | Adreno 308 |
NFC is also a part of the package in LG K40. It was a very needed upgrade and should be included in every Android smartphone.
LG K20 Plus and K30 share the same hardware which is now upgraded in LG K40. K40 has a 1.8 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 450 processor with Adreno 506 GPU.
7. Camera & Battery
| CAMERA & BATTERY | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Manual Mode / Controls | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Selfie Flash | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Battery Capacity | 2890 mAh | 2880 mAh | 2700 mAh |
| Battery Life / Talk Time | Up to 12 hrs | Up to 13 hrs & 40 mins | Up to 14 hrs |
| Standby Time | Up to 19 days & 10 hrs | Up to 10 days & 10 hrs | Up to 17 days |
The camera image resolution is the same on LG K20, K30 & K40 i.e 13MP. However, the image quality has improved over a period of time. K40 camera offers better picture quality as compared to its predecessors.
K40 also has a Selfie Flash (Front Flash) and can also produce Bokeh Effect in Selfie Mode.
K20 Plus comes with a 2700 mAh battery. K30 & K40 have a slightly bigger 2800 mAh battery.
LG K40 Dark Mode – Double your Battery Life
8. Root Status
| Root Status | LG K40 | LG K30 | LG K20 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root Compatible | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Unlockable Bootloader | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Custom ROM Availability | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
Out of the 3, only LG K20 Plus has an unlockable bootloader and thus can be rooted.
K30 & K40 comes with a locked bootloader with no way to unlock it as of now. There is no way to root LG K30 & K40 at present.
LG K40 Root & Bootloader Unlock
Similarities between LG K40, K30 & K20 Plus
With the help of the below table, we can check the similarities between K20 Plus, K30 & K40. It also covers the features which are missing in all 3 of them.
| What they share in common | LG K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
|---|---|
| BODY & DESIGN | K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
| Color | Black |
| Memory Card Slot / Expandable Memory | ✔ |
| Waterproof | ✖ |
| DISPLAY | K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
| Display Type/Technology | IPS LCD |
| Contoured / Curved Edge | ✔ |
| Gorilla Glass | ✖ |
| NETWORK | K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
| Sim Size / Type | Nano |
| GSM / CDMA | GSM |
| Wifi Calling | ✔ |
| SENSORS | |
| Accelerometer | ✔ |
| Gyroscope/VR Compatibility | ✔ |
| Magnetometer/Digital Compass | ✔ |
| Fingerprint Sensor | ✔ |
| Ambient Light Sensor | ✔ |
| Proximity Sensor | ✔ |
| CONNECTIVITY | K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
| USB | Micro USB 2.0 |
| USB OTG | ✔ |
| Bluetooth | ✔ |
| Wifi | ✔ |
| Wifi Tethering / Hotspot | ✔ |
| GPS | ✔ |
| IR Blaster | ✖ |
| MHL / Slimport Compatible | ✖ |
| Screen Mirroring / Miracast / Screen Share | ✖ |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
| FM Radio | ✔ |
| Face Recognition (Face Unlock) | ✔ |
| Flashlight | ✔ |
| Google Assistant | ✔ |
| Multi Window / Split Screen | ✔ |
| Quick Charge / Fast Charging | ✖ |
| Wireless Charging / Qi-enabled | ✖ |
| MEMORY | K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
| ROM / Internal Storage / Memory | 32 GB |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| CAMERA | K40, K30 & K20 Plus |
| REAR | |
| Image Resolution / Megapixels | 13 MP |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Flash | Single LED Flash |
| Aperture | f/2.2 |
| Zoom | Up to 4x, Digital Zoom |
| Video Resolution | 1080p @ 30fps |
| HDR | ✔ |
| Face Detection | ✔ |
| Slow Motion | ✖ |
| Time Lapse | ✖ |
| Video Stabilization | ✖ |
| FRONT | |
| Image Resolution / Megapixels | 5 MP |
| Video Resolution | 1080p @ 30fps |
Conclusion
After the above comparison, we can easily deduce that K40 is a worthy upgrade in terms of hardware, software, and features as compared to LG K30.
In the nutshell, K40 has
- A Bigger Screen with 18:9 aspect ratio
- Lesser weight
- Notification Light & NFC
- Better hardware, 1.8 GHz Octa-Core CPU with Adreno 506 GPU
- Latest Android Pie 9.0 firmware
- Better Camera. Selfie Flash & Bokeh Effect in Front Portrait Mode
You may also like to check out the following comparison –
LG K40 vs K30 vs Aristo 4 Plus vs Stylo 4 – Antutu Benchmark Test
For any query or suggestion, please leave a comment below.