Once upon a time HTC showed Samsung stiff competition in the Android market, but these days it has LG to fear. The G5 was a fantastic phone, and the LG G6 should be even better — potentially with waterproofing and wireless charging! So, should you wait for the LG G6 or buy the LG G5 now? We round up the LG G6 rumours, including details on the LG G6 UK release date, price and specifications. Also see: Best new phones coming in 2017
Latest update: The Verge has leaked a photo of the LG G6, which reveals very slim bezels and a large 5.7in screen. It says the display will have an unusual aspect ratio of 2:1.
In not so great news, according to rumours the LG G6 will not be allowed to run the Snapdragon 835, since Samsung (which is helping Qualcomm build the chip) gets first dibs. It has now been confirmed that its Galaxy S8 will not launch at MWC 2017, whereas LG has already sent out save the dates for 26 February. Allegedly the LG G6 will be forced to use the Snapdragon 821, which represents only a small improvement over the Snapdragon 821, but we’re not convinced. We have contacted Qualcomm for comment and will update this article accordingly if and when we hear back.
For the first time in 2016 LG announced its annual flagship upgrade at the MWC tradeshow in February, putting it in direct competition with the also announced Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. In previous years LG had held off until later in the year for a late-Spring launch.
This paid off well for LG and the company has already confirmed that it is to follow the same pattern for the G6 with a MWC 2017 launch. Samsung is expected to announce its Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus at an Unpacked press conference, either the day before MWC starts on 26 February or later in March, so expect LG to also pick 26 February to announce its G6. (The HTC 11 will likely be another key rival to the LG G6.)
A save the date email has now gone out from LG for 26 February at 12 noon. This will be the LG G6 launch, so mark your calendars now.
As for when the phone actually goes on sale, the word on the street in Korea is 10 March 2017, which puts its onsale date more than a month ahead of the Galaxy S8’s expected 18 April onsale date. The G6 is expected to launch initially in South Korea, Europe and the North America.
At the top of this page you’ll see LG’s teaser video for its upcoming announcement, which focuses on what people view as the ideal smartphone. A key theme in the video is the idea of a better screen but within a smaller, more manageable body that you can hold in one hand when texting, for example. So that could be what’s on the cards for the G6.
Also see: LG G5 review
LG has always managed to undercut its rivals on pricing, and its ability to make high-end handsets at great-value price points has always been a key reason to choose LG. The LG G5 had a £529 SIM-free RRP in the UK, so we expect LG to keep the price roughly similar for the G6. Given the current economic climate we would certainly be surprised to see it cost any less than the G5.
With the G5 LG tried the whole modular thing with its ‘Friends’ accessories that were bought separately.
