LG Electronics today announced the arrival of the new Q8, LG's latest durable smartphone that inherits core features from LG's "prosumer" V series.

As the second device announced in LG's newest Q series, the Q8 delivers Hi-Fi sound, prosumer quality video and photo capabilities and water and dust resistance in a compact package.

The Q8 supports features such as Steady Record 2.0 for smooth video recording. Like many of LG-s high-end smartphones, the Q8 incorporates dual lenses on the back to capture broad interiors and sweeping vistas as well as a wide angle camera on the front. it has a 120-degree wide angle lens and 83-degree standard lens up front and a 135-degree wide angle, 78-degree standard lens on the back.

LG Q8 also supports Hi-Fi Recording, which utilizes two high AOP (Acoustic Overload Point) microphones to minimize crowd and background noise when recording outdoor events. Audio files are saved in 24-bit / 48 kHz LPCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation) format - the same format used in the movie industry. As one of the first smartphone manufacturer to offer manual video mode in its devices, LG bestowed the Q8 with the ability to tweak every aspect of the recording process.

The Q8 raises the ante in smartphone audio with Hi-Fi Quad DAC from ESS Technology. The Quad DAC in the LG Q8 cuts white noise by 50 percent and up-samples music files to Hi-Fi quality. And the HD Audio Recorder captures studio-quality audio via 24-bit / 192 kHz in lossless FLAC format. For those who want complete control over the audio recording experience, Studio Mode in the phone's HD Audio Recorder was designed with exactly such users in mind.

The customizable always-on Second Screen on top of the main display offers users a shortcut to contacts, tools and apps. For gaming aficionados, the Vulkan-compatible 3D graphics engine brings resource-hungry mobile games.

What's more, LG Q8 boasts water and dust resistance. Rated IP67, it can be safely immersed in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes, meaning that the Q8 will resist splashes, drops on the beach and other possible hazards. The phone is protected by a metal frame with rounded corners that absorbs the majority of shocks and vibration.

The LG Q8 will initially be available in European markets starting this week followed by markets in Asia next month.

LG introduced the Q series earlier this month with the launch of the Q6 and Q6 Plus, touted as affordable mid-tier phones with premium features. The Q series is meant to sit between LG's premium G and V series and lower-tier X and K series.

LG will also unveil its fall flagship phone, the V30, on August 31 at the IFA tradeshow in Berlin.

Key Specifications:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Mobile Platform
• Display:
• Main 5.2-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440 / 570ppi)
  • Secondary IPS Quantum Display (160 x 1040 / 570ppi)
    Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM / 32GB UFS ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
• Camera:
  • Front: 5MP Wide (F1.9 / 120°)
  • Rear Dual: 8MP Wide (F2.4 / 135°) / 16MP Standard (F1.8 / 78°)
• Battery: 3,000mAh (embedded)
• Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat
• Size: 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm
• Weight: 146g
• Network: LTE / 3G / 2G
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.2 BLE / NFC / USB Type-C
• Color: Urban Titan
• Others: Water and Dust Resistant (IP67) / Steady Record 2.0 / High AOP Mic / Second Screen / 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC / Fingerprint Sensor / Qualcomm
• Quick Charge 3.0 /Hi-Fi Video Recording / HD Audio Recorder / Studio Mode /