[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics’ upcoming G7 smartphone is expected to adopt an advanced liquid crystal diode display panel, which is interpreted by industry officials as a move to launch more affordable premium phones with organic light-emitting diode display phones, according to news reports and leaks on April 2. 

Dubbed by media and tech experts here as “G7,” LG’s new flagship model is predicted to be unveiled at the end of this month in Seoul, and released next month.

 

LG Electronics` G6

Ahead of its debut, some detailed information of parts and functions likely to be adopted for the new LG phone were leaked.

The G7 phone would adopt M+ LCD panels, named and manufactured by its affiliate LG Display, in which a pixel is comprised of red, green, blue and white to emit more light than normal LCD panels while consuming about 40 percent less power.

Some in the industry say the M+ LCD panels will help cut production costs of the premium phones, and raise price competitiveness against Apple and Samsung’s OLED phones. 

According to a 360-degree video render image leaked by French tech expert Steve Hemmerstoffer on April 1, the LG G7 is also being prepared to adopt a notch design on its screen, looking similar to Apple’s iPhone X.

The fingerprint scanner is placed below a dual camera module on the rear of the smartphone, the video showed. 

On the left side of the device, a new button is added below the current volume button, which is assumed by some industry officials here to work as a switch for artificial intelligence functions, like Samsung’s Bixby button. 

LG’s AI platform ThinQ that is operating on the latest V30S smartphones is highly likely to be added to the upcoming phone, some observers say.

“Any of the circulating rumors about the new phone are not confirmed yet, including the timing of the debut,” said an LG official.

By Song Su-hyun/The Korea Herald (song@heraldcorp.com)