[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics said on Jan. 6 it will release its Q9 smartphone, featuring key elements from flagship models such as an AI camera and the LG Pay mobile payment system, this week.

The 6.1-inch LG Q9 comes with 16-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. Its battery capacity is 3,000 mAh. 

The 19.5:9 ratio screen boasts a brightness of 1,000 nits. A nit is a unit of luminance equal to one candela per square meter.

LG said the smartphone's Hi-Fi Quad DAC delivers the same high-quality sound as premium audio devices.

The smartphone has earned "MIL-STD 810G" certification by meeting tough security requirements approved by the U.S. Department of Defense.

The device will hit local shelves Friday priced at 499,400 won (US$444).

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)