LG's G5 smartphone flopped when it was launched in the market. The smartphone introduced the modular design, which replaces its bottom part for extra parts such as a camera grip or sound module. The company has since learned their lesson from that risk, and they are totally ditching the modular design for the upcoming LG G6.
An LG spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that they are "scaling back" the modularity for the G6 and will instead showcase "aesthetics and usability," perhaps with the more traditional glass back. LG Chief Technology Officer Skott Ahn said in an interview this week that for the G6, the firm chose to "follow customer acceptance," CNET reported.
Ahn said that the handset will be released to the public "in the very near future." The LG G6 will be announced in the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in late February, and it will have an initial release in North America, South Korea and Europe.
The device is expected to be priced between $500 and $600 just like the G5. There are reports that the LG G6's manufacturing cost would be cheaper than the G5.
Speculations have popped up recently about the LG G6. According to claims, the device would have a non-removable battery and a waterproof feature that's adhesive-based like Apple's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Phone Arena reported.
Other reports claimed that the LG G6 would have a metal polished finish akin to Apple's Jet Black iPhone 7 models. With that design, LG's device will have a high-level gloss without sacrificing its durability.
The LG G6 is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 835 chip and 6 or 8 GB of RAM. There's a huge chance that the handset would be equipped with a USB Type-C port, a 32 GB expandable internal memory, a 3.5mm jack, a 4K screen and a front-facing camera module with an all-in-one iris scanner.
The LG G6 is also expected to be Daydream-ready, Google's hardware and software for mobile virtual reality. Aside from that, the device would likely have the Android Nougat and a mobile payment service just like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. LG's payment service would probably have MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology.
Take note that some of these are speculations for now. For now, consumers need to wait for an official announcement from LG about the G6.
Are you excited for the LG G6? Are you glad that the company ditched the modular design for the smartphone? Sound off in the comments section below!
