In this rumor roundup, we’re looking at the latest reports on the LG G6 release date, specs, design, price and availability. This post is updated regularly.
There are a bunch of smartphones we’re looking forward to seeing in 2017. One of them is the upcoming LG G6, which is expected to bring another reboot for the series. But how exactly will the LG G6 look, what will it offer specs-wise, when will it be released, and how much will it retail for? If you’re interested in getting answers to these questions, read on.
We have rounded up the all the latest reports regarding the LG G6. Keep in mind that most of these reports are unofficial for the most part, so take them with a grain of salt. Just as most manufacturers these days, LG doesn’t reveal much regarding its flagship phones prior to the official release. We can however, offer some educated guesses.
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LG G6: release date
Last year, LG announced its flagship device — the G5 — in late February, during Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The device went on sale in early April, more than a month after it was officially unveiled.
LG has a different strategy set up for the G6. The company will announce the device during MWC, but it will start selling it a full month earlier than its predecessor. This means that the G6 just might hit markets across the globe around late February or early March.
LG has in fact confirmed the G6 will see its global debut at MWC in Barcelona. According to a credible report out of Korea, the G6 will be made available in stores as early as two weeks after the phone’s debut. Evan Blass reported that the LG G6 would be released in South Korea as early as March 9, while in the US the LG G6’s release date is reportedly set for April 7.
LG has a good reason for speeding things up. The company wants to get its flagship device on the market before everyone else. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S8 series of smartphones a bit later than usual next year — in April — which means less competition for the G6 from the start.
The strategy just might work for LG, but on the other hand, people who are really interested in getting a flagship from Samsung or Huawei, which will announce the P10 around the same time, probably won’t mind waiting a bit to get them.
LG G6: specs
Let’s start with the display. LG already confirmed the size and characteristics of the LG G6 display. The panel will be 5.7 inches and feature an interesting 18:9 aspect ratio, as opposed to the 16:9 format that is found on most smartphones. This aspect ratio means that the phone will be taller, relatively speaking, and thus better suited for web content. The resolution of the LCD panel will be 2880 by 1440, for a pixel density of 564 ppi.
If consumers want a bigger phone from LG, they can also opt for the V20, but there’s a very good chance that the “V30” will feature a larger display when it arrives this fall, in order to differentiate from the mainstream flagship, the G6.
We initially expected to see the Snapdragon 835 processor, along with at least 6 GB of RAM, under the hood of the G6. This will probably be the norm for flagship smartphones coming in the later part of 2017. However, a couple of reports poured cold water on our expectations. According to Forbes and The Verge, the first device to use the new Snapdragon 835 will actually be the Galaxy S8. Reportedly, the LG G6 will only come with a Snapdragon 821 processor due to this reason. For more details on the likely rationale behind this decision, check out this post.
While the G5 comes with 32 GB of storage, the G6 is expected to offer double that. So that’s 64 GB of space for your apps, videos, pictures, and other data. If that’s not enough for you, don’t worry. The device will most likely retain the microSD slot meaning that you’ll be able to expand the storage.
As of now, there aren’t many rumors regarding the primary camera. LG G6 is expected to feature a dual camera setup just as its predecessor. The cameras might have more megapixels and come with a larger aperture, which will hopefully make a difference in low light performance.
The front-facing camera is also expected to come with a few nifty tricks. Back in October, LG announced an all-in-one iris scanning module and the G6 might be the first to sport it. The module doubles as both an iris scanner and a front-facing camera and uses a filter changing mechanism to switch between the two functions.
Regarding audio quality, LG recently issued a press released which detailed the upgraded Quad DAC audio system confirmed to appear in the Korean version of the G6. This is said to be superior even to the Quad DAC included in the LG V20, which provides one of the best audio experiences of any Android phone ever. That said, it’s not clear whether this chip will be available in international versions as well.
We also expect that the LG G6 will come with a bigger battery (likely over 3,200 mAh), which won’t be removable, a waterproof body, wireless charging, and the latest version of Android with LG’s user interface on top.
LG is keen to highlight the work it put in to make the G6 as safe as possible, without sacrificing performance. The device will feature heat pipes to disperse heat away from the processor, as well as a thoroughly tested battery and other components – a clear barb at the embarrassing Note 7 recall of archrival Samsung.
One more interesting thing to note is the fact that LG teased the improved reliability of the G6. Coming from the widespread bootloop issues that affected many recent LG devices, the teaser seems to suggest that LG is eager to put its dodgy reputation behind.
Galaxy S8 or LG G6: which are you most looking forward to?
LG G6: design
In terms of design, the G5 wasn’t that well received among consumers, as its aluminum body didn’t really feel that good in the hand. That’s why the rumors suggest that LG will step up its game with a complete G6 makeover.
According to several reports, LG’s upcoming flagship will sport a tempered glass back, which will give it a completely different look compared to the G5. Is opting for glass instead of metal a good or a bad thing? Well, design is a very subjective matter, and as always, some people will hate it while others will love it. So you’re going to have to answer that question yourself.
Leaked images out of South Korea suggest the LG G6 design will feature a brushed-metal finish, possibly under a layer of glass.
We think that a glass body can look just as premium as a metal one. Just look at the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. But nevertheless, a glass body does have its drawbacks. It’s a fingerprint magnet and is not quite as durable as metal.
Read: So the Galaxy S8 and LG G6 look kinda similar, huh?
You’re probably also wondering if the G6 will have a modular design like the G5, right? While there was some uncertainty around it, we can now tell for sure that the module experiment has concluded and the LG G6 will not feature a modular design. LG’s Chief Technical Officer Skott Ahn revealed that modules won’t be a priority on the LG G6, all but confirming that the device will feature a unibody design.
LG G6: mobile payment service – LG Pay
Mobile payments are becoming more and more popular. There are already a bunch of them available including Samsung Pay, Android Pay, and Apple Pay. It looks like LG will soon join the fray, as the upcoming G6 will reportedly come with the company’s new mobile payment service called LG Pay.
The service will use both NFC as well as Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), which supports older magnetic credit card machines. And, as most card readers are compatible with MST, you’ll be able to use the service in most shops, restaurants, and bars.
Keep in mind that the service will probably not launch globally. Launching a mobile payment service in a certain country is no easy task. LG has to get the banks on board which can obviously take time.
LG G6: Google Assistant
We don’t know much about LG’s plans for the G6 software, but we do know that Google Assistant will be front and center. In fact the LG G6, will be the first smartphone (other than the Pixel and Pixel XL) to feature Google’s intelligent virtual assistant system.
Google Assistant: top features you should know
LG G6: price
Flagship devices are expensive, and the LG G6 will be no exception. We assume that it will be available at the same price point as its predecessor, which launched in the US for around $650. Over on the Old Continent, the price of the device at launch varied quite a bit among different countries. But in most cases, the LG G5 was more expensive in Europe than in the US, mainly because of higher taxes.
We expect that the LG G6 will be sold at the same price point as the G5 in European countries, but the UK might be an exception. Because of the Brexit and a weaker pound, LG might make up for its losses by increasing the price in the UK. We hope that this won’t happen, but it is possible.
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This is all the information we have heard so far regarding the upcoming LG G6’s specifications, design and release date. Once we hear more, we’ll let you guys know by updating this post.
Meanwhile, feel free to tell us your thoughts on the upcoming LG G6. How do you think it will stack up against other flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S8? Let us know by posting a comment down below.