Samsung is reportedly delaying the release of the Galaxy S8 to ensure that it gets everything right this time. The company has beefed up testing procedures, and is trying to regain consumer confidence. The S8 is Samsung’s most important release following the Galaxy Note 7 disaster. Sensing an opportunity, LG Electronics is looking to beat the Galaxy S8 to market by a month with its flagship LG G6.
Can LG G6 beat Galaxy S8?
Sources familiar with the matter told Korean publication ETNews that LG would unveil its next-gen flagship on February 26, a day before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) kicks off in Barcelona. The LG G6 would hit the store shelves on March 10, less that two weeks after its unveiling. That’s the release date for the South Korean market, where the company might be trying to grab a portion of the back-to-school sales with the semester beginning the same month. It is expected to be available in other major markets by the end of March.
On the other hand, Samsung is yet to release the results of its investigation into the Galaxy Note 7 explosions. But reports indicate that the core problem was hardware design rather than faulty batteries. There have been two conflicting rumors about the Galaxy S8 unveiling. One says Samsung may show off the device at the Mobile World Congress, while the other says the S8 would be unveiled in late March or early April in New York. But both these reports confirm that the phone would release on April 18th.
LG G6 display to have an 18:9 aspect ratio
ETNews added that March 10 release of LG G6 is part of the company’s “multi-angle strategy” to grab an upper hand in the premium smartphone market. The LG G5 with its modular design failed to garner consumer attention. LG Electronics would ditch the modular design with the G6, meaning the next-gen phone would look more like a conventional smartphone.
Meanwhile, LG Display has unveiled a new 5.7-inch LCD display with 2880×1440 resolution. The new display panel would go into the LG G6. The screen has a unique aspect ratio of 18:9. Most smartphones have an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is considered ideal for media consumption. Other phones such as Xiaomi Mi Mix has a 17:9 aspect ratio, with the extra space used for Android’s software buttons. LG Display said it has also improved the display efficiency by 30%.
Snapdragon 835 to power both phones
Both the LG G6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S8 would be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chipset that was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show. Qualcomm claims its new processor is 35% smaller and 25% more energy efficient than Snapdragon 820. Snapdragon 835 is also 20% faster than its predecessor. It supports the Quick Charge 4 technology that can provide five hours of battery life in just five minutes of charging.
The LG G6 is said to feature a dual-camera system and a fingerprint scanner on the back. On the other hand, Samsung’s flagship phone is rumored to get rid of the physical home button and 3.5mm headphone jack. It will have Samsung’s own AI assistant called Bixby.
