First impressions of LG G6 smartphone – memories of last year’s G5 flop erased with release of new model
More streamlined than its disappointing predecessor, the LG G6 aims to deliver a reliable, usable premium smartphone with Siri-like artificial intelligence system, extra widescreen and double camera set-up
After last year’s flop with the modular G5 (a model with a removable bottom that let users swap in various accessories such as a high-quality camera and audio unit), LG this year opts for a relatively safe device – the new G6 – that fits into the conventional “premium smartphone” handbook right now: a unibody glass phone with an aluminium frame.
Yes, that means LG’s removable battery – it was the last major phone maker to offer this feature – is no more.
That doesn’t mean the G6, announced at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, is a boring phone. The major selling point this year is its super slim bezels at the top and bottom of the display. Shredding the fat from both sides means the G6, despite sporting a 5.7-inch screen, is physically smaller/slimmer than last year’s G5 and its 5.3-inch screen.
The 5.7-inch LCD panel here isn’t a standard display either, as LG has opted for a 18:9 ratio (ie 2:1) instead of the industry standard 16:9. That means the G6’s display is longer than most phones, a decision the company made in unison with Italian filmmaker Vittorio Storaro, who showed up at the launch explaining his vision of a mobile phone with extra widescreen so it can play films the way filmmakers intended.
