There are reports LG may exit the smartphone industry soon. While the Korean giant has posted losses for several quarters, it has continued to show with the launch of its products that it hasn’t lost its drive for innovation, a trait that we wish was common among manufacturers.

In honor of LG’s contribution to the phone industry, here are six innovative smartphones that it has made, some of them from an era when it wasn’t a struggling phone company.

LG DoublePlay

Dual display phones are not new to LG and one can even say that only a very few manufacturers have as much experience with dual displays as LG.

One of its earliest dual-display phones was the 2011 LG DoublePlay, an Android smartphone with a horizontal slider design that opened to reveal a QWERTY keyboard with a screen in between the keys.

The main display was a 3.5-inch screen with a 320 x 480 resolution and the smaller display was a 2.0-inch screen that divided the keyboard into equal halves giving it a split design.

What did the smaller display do? It could display music playback controls while you surfed the web on the main screen. The smaller display also served as an extension of the bigger one for certain features. For example, you could cycle through your bookmarks or open tabs on the small screen while the main browser was open on the larger display. There was also an app called Richnote that allowed you quickly jot down information or ideas without exiting the app on the main screen. There were multiple other uses too but one interesting feature LG added was the ability to push the app on the small screen to the larger display with a single button.

LG Crystal

These days, we have seen companies launch phones with see-through back panels that allowed you to see their “internals”. These phones are meh when compared to the 2009 LG GD900 Crystal, a slider phone with an actual see-through part that didn’t show fake or ugly internals.

The LG Crystal’s transparent alphanumeric keypad is actually a touchscreen with alphabets and numbers etched on the surface. It had its own illumination which made it even cooler in the dark. And since it is actually a touchscreen, you could glide your finger over it and use it to navigate the device just like you would use a touchpad. It also supported multi-touch gestures such as pinch to zoom.

LG G Flex

The LG G Flex was a device that packed multiple impressive technologies. From its concave curved Plastic OLED screen that made it comfortable to use, to its flexible LiPo battery, and the specially coated back panel that self-healed from scratches; the LG G Flex deserves to be in the smartphone hall of fame.

Other interesting features of the LG G Flex include its rear-mounted power and volume buttons as well as its rear-mounted IR blaster that allowed you to control electronic appliances by holding the phone upright rather than horizontally like a regular remote control.

LG G5

The LG G5 may have been considered one of LG’s failures but it deserves to be mentioned as it is LG’s take on a modular smartphone, an area that only a few manufacturers dared to tread.

The G5 had what is called a Magic Slot that allowed you to remove the bottom part of the phone and swap it for an add-on accessory. LG called these accessories LG Friends. One of these add-ons is the LG Cam Plus which brought hardware camera controls such as a physical shutter button, a camcorder button, and a zoom dial. This add-on also had a built-in battery, thus bumping up the phone’s total battery capacity. Another add-on was the LG Hi-Fi Plus which had a Bang & Olufsen DAC for hi-res audio.

LG V10

Remember we said earlier that LG isn’t new to dual displays, the LG V10 is another example of the Korean manufacturer’s obsession with dual screens. This flagship which launched in 2015 had two screens that sat atop each other.

The main screen was a 5.7-inch QHD screen and on top of it was a smaller 2.1-inch touchscreen next to the dual selfie cameras. By the way, LG was the first manufacturer to launch a phone with two front-facing cameras.

This second screen had its own display driver which means it worked independently of the main screen. It was always on and apart from displaying notifications, it also had shortcut icons for certain apps and toggles for features such as Wi-Fi, camera, Flashlight, and ring mode. You could also customize it to display a message of your choice. When the main display is in use, the smaller screen displayed the recent apps menu and shortcuts to features such as taking a screenshot.

LG Wing

The LG Wing is the manufacturer’s latest attempt at a dual-screen device and its approach is different from the others we have mentioned above.

This time, LG has hidden a second display behind the main one, and to access it, what you have to do is slide the 6.8-inch outer display, which is connected to a swivel mechanism, to the left. With the main display, which now sits in a landscape position, out of the way, you can now access the smaller 3.9-inch secondary display. When opened, the LG Wing looks like an upper case “T”. You can hold the phone in this mode or turn it upside down, so the larger display is at the bottom.

There are several use cases for this dual-screen design. You can watch a YouTube video on the main screen while scrolling through the comments on the second screen. Also, if you launch the camera app, the second screen will display the camera controls and you can decide to scroll through your gallery on the smaller screen and the larger display will show the current selection. A number of multimedia apps also take advantage of the second screen by displaying controls there while the content plays on the larger screen. These are a few of the use cases of the LG Wing.

So these were some of the interesting smartphones from LG over the past few years. Do you think we missed out on a particular model? Let us know down below.

RELATED:

• A company spokesman says LG Rollable’ development has not been suspended
• Apple reportedly being helped by LG for foldable iPhone development
• LG patents a rollable smartphone with a secondary display

The post Six interesting phones that Prove LG was Never Afraid of Innovation appeared first on Gizmochina.

One of the distinguishing features of the LG V series flagship phones is it secondary screen that can be used for accessing frequently used apps and for checking notifications. Fresh speculations suggest that the upcoming LG V30 may not feature the secondary ticker screen.

Although the secondary screen is a very unique feature which sits above the main screen on LG V10 and LG V20 phones, it seems that it failed to impress the consumers. According to XDA Developers that claims to have received information from a “trusted source,” the South Korean company may axe the secondary screen won’t be available on the LG V30.

In November 2016, well-known tipster had claimed that the LG V30 won’t be featuring a secondary ticker screen, but he had claimed that the LG V30 may still feature a secondary screen. XDA’s report does not clearly mention whether LG would be ditching the ticker or the secondary screen feature entirely from its upcoming flagship.

Most of the LG flagships that have released in the past have come with LCD panels. However, LG is expected to switch to OLED panel for LG V30 in this year. The probable reason behind removing the secondary screen from LG V30 is that its display may carry support for 18:9 aspect ratio that was introduced on LG G6’s Full Vision Display. Hence, the LG V30 may appear like a larger edition of the LG G6.

There is a possibility that the tall screen that will be arriving on the LG V30 may have a section at the top to display the contents of the ticker screen. OLED panel provides the ability to control each of its pixel which means the upper section of the screen may remain in always-on state while the other part of the screen can remain in sleep state to consume less battery.

The publication has further claimed that the Snapdragon 835 chipset will be powering the LG V30 along with 4 GB of RAM. It will be coming with a native storage of 64 GB. Previous reports have stated that it would be also available 6 GB RAM option. The upcoming flagship phablet from LG will also feature a microSD card slot.

As far as the launch date of LG V30 is concerned, it is speculated to get announced at the end of August. Also, it may get showcased at the IFA 2017 event that will be held between Sept. 1 to 6 in Berlin, Germany.

(source)

The post LG V30 May Not Feature its Most Unique Ticker Screen Feature appeared first on Gizmochina.

LG had introduced its first V series flagship smartphone as LG V10 in October 2015. In the previous year, it released the LG V20 in October. Hence, the rumor mill has been speculating that the LG V30 would be introduced in October this year. Fresh information coming through South Korean media suggests that LG may debut the V30 early this year. It is now speculated to launch as early as in August.

A report published on Aju Business Daily that has been cited by The Investor claims that the LG V30 is arriving in August this year. Moreover, it even states that the LG G7 would be launching in January 2018. First of all, we would like to convey our readers to take this report with a pinch of salt as there is no concrete evidence to support these claims.

If the new rumor about the LG V30 is true, the South Korean company may unleash it during the major press conferences that will be held on the last two days of August. It may then debut the V30 at the IFA event that officially begins on Sept. 1 in Berlin, Germany and release it on a later date.

Read More: LG G7 with Snapdragon 845 Could be Ultimate Flagship in 2018?

LG has never used the IFA platform to announce the LG V series smartphones probably because these phones have not been launched in European markets. However, this year, LG may use a different strategy to unveil the LG V30. However, on the contrary, Samsung may launch the Galaxy Note 8 at August end and in September, the new iPhones will arrive. These high popular smartphones can completely disrupt the sales of LG G7 if it is launched in August.

As far as the LG G7’s January 2018 release is concerned, it seems that the company may unleash it through the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that will be held in the same month. However, the CES platform is normally used to showcase next-generation home appliances like TVs and refrigerators. It will make more sense if the LG G7 flagship smartphone is unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona that is usually used for showcasing mobile devices. It seems that LG is looking forward to launch the LG G7 before the Samsung Galaxy S9 is introduced. It may so happen that the LG G7 may get announced in January and then release in February.

(source|via)

The post LG V30 Releasing Soon in August and LG G7 Coming in January 2018? appeared first on Gizmochina.

The LG V20 is now official. Launched late last night, the phone brings along some new features while retaining some from the LG V10 such as the second display at the top.

First Android 7.0 Nougat Phone

The usual norm is for Google to launch the new version of android alongside the new nexus devices, but this year was different. The new nexus (Pixel) phones haven’t launched yet but older nexus devices are already running Android Nougat.

The LG V20 is the first phone to launch with Android Nougat out of the box and LG wants you to know that. However, it comes with LG’s UX 5.0+ on top.

Dual Cameras Out, Dual Cameras In

The LG V10 launched with 5MP dual front facing cameras and a 16MP rear camera. The V20 on the other hand drops one of the front cameras and adds an extra one to the rear. The camera in front is a 5MP f/1.9 wide angle shooter and the rear cameras are a combination of a 16MP f/1.8 camera with OIS and an 8MP f/2.4 135° wide-angle camera. There is also laser auto focus, PDAF, and dual LED flash.

Hi-Fi Audio, Hi-Fi Video

The LG V20 is the first phone in the world to feature 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC. The DAC chip helps reduce ambient noise levels by up to 50%. LG says listening to audio tracks will sound close to a live performance when using compatible wired headsets. Yes, the V20 has an audio jack.

The V20 also has Hi-Fi video recording which when activated lets you record lossless 24-bit audio alongside your video.

Full Specifications of LG V20

• 5.7” QHD IPS Quantum Display and 2.1” IPS Quantum Display
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Snapdragon 820
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB ROM expandable to 2 TB via SD slot
• Rear cameras: 16MP f/1.8 camera and 8MP f/2.4 wide angle camera
• Front camera: 5MP f/1.9 wide angle camera
• Fingerprint scanner
• USB Type-C
• Cat 12 LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
• 3200mAh removable battery
• Quick Charge 3.0
• Dimensions: 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm
• Weight: 173 g

READ MORE: Xiaomi Sets Up Second Assembly Plant in India

Colors, Price, and Availability

The LG V20 will be available in Titan, Silver, and Pink. LG has not announced a price tag and a date when the phone will be available for purchase.

The post LG Officially Launches LG V20: Hi-Fi Quad DAC, Removable Battery, and Android Nougat appeared first on Gizmochina.

LG has not had a successful year so far as the LG G5 wasn’t well received even though it was the first device to be released this year with ”replaceable” hardware. The Korean tech giant has however announced the release of the V20 which is the successor to last year’s dual-screen and tri-camera V10.

A recent leak has released details of the LG V20 which will launch in September. LG is reportedly sticking to the capable Snapdragon 820 SoC which is a surprise as some other flagships that will be released later this year and will compete with the V20 will feature the slightly more powerful SD 821.

The phone will also feature a 5.5” FHD  in-cell screen which is thinner but smaller and lower than the V10 which has a 5.7” 2K screen. It will sport 3/4GB of RAM, with 32GB and 64GB ROM variants, Adreno 530 GPU, and an SD card slot that can take as much as a 256GB card.

The cameras have been bumped up to 20MP  on the rear from last year’s 16MP and 8MP for selfies compared to last year’s 5MP setup. The company has not revealed if the front facing camera will be a dual setup like it’s predecessor.

The LG V20 will come with USB Type-C and a 4000mAh battery. There should also be Quick Charge 3.0 giving that the V10 has QC 2.0.

RELATED: Xiaomi Will Be The First Chinese Manufacturer To Release SD 821 Flagship

The unique selling point of the phone is that it will launch with Android 7.0 Nougat (confirmed by LG) making it the first OEM to release a phone running Google’s latest iteration of android.

(Source, via)

The post Leak Reveal Details of The Upcoming LG V20 Phone: SD820, 4000mAh Battery & More appeared first on Gizmochina.