LG typically launches two flagship smartphones a year - the G Series and the V Series. In the past, the G Series has been announced around Mobile World Congress (MWC) - late February - while the V Series has traditionally launched in the last quarter of the year.
It's odd, therefore, that rumours have recently appeared suggesting a device called the LG V50 ThinQ will launch at MWC alongside the LG G8. Will that really happen? Will LG change up the pattern and launch two flagship phones at the end of February?
Is a February launch for the LG V50 likely?
We would be very surprised to see LG launch the V50 ThinQ at MWC, even if it is rumoured to be the company's first 5G phone. One of the telling things is that there have been very few leaks for the LG V50 - and if we know anything about phones, it's that they leak.
Characters like Evan Blass (EvLeaks) or Steve Hemmerstoffer (OnLeaks) are notorious for offering snippets of information about upcoming devices many months prior to their release, so it's strange nothing has surfaced about the LG V40 ThinQ's successor with only weeks before its suggested launch.
Furthermore, launching two flagship phones alongside each other puts them in direct competition, whilst also theoretically leaving nothing for the rest of the year - unless LG is planning to announce a LG V55 ThinQ in October. That's of course a possibility, but it could also be that the V50 ThinQ will be announced but not released until later in the year.
What we do know is that LG doesn't want to be seen to be dragging its feet over a 5G phone launch and hand the initiative to Samsung. All the talk around the LG V50 is about 5G - and 5G isn't really here yet. Of course the V series focus has often been on Korea and the US, two territories likely to have viable networks to support the new device. Would LG really launch a phone for 5G and an alternative - the LG G8 - without 5G at the same time?
With all that said, the LG V50 is rumoured to be coming to Europe and North America starting at 1.3 million wan (£890/$1,163 USD), so as far as it doesn't make sense, there are still rumours that it's going to happen.
What could the LG V50 ThinQ feature?
- Triple camera
- 6GB+ RAM
- 4000mAh battery
- 5G modem
If the rumours are correct and the LG V50 ThinQ is announced alongside the LG G8 at the end of February, we'd expect it to sit slightly above the LG G8 in terms of specs.
In the past, the V Series has generally inspired the G Series rather than the other way round. The V Series was the first smartphone to offer a Quad DAC for example. It also moved up to a triple rear camera with the V40, while the G8 is rumoured to be sticking with dual.
No rumours have suggested what the V50 ThinQ's design might look like or what features it could have on board, but we'd expect improvements on the LG V40 ThinQ. As it is said to be LG's first 5G device, it will likely offer the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip, like the LG G8 is expected to have, but the V50 ThinQ will have the optional X50 5G modem on board too.
Other reports have suggested it will come with a 4000mAh battery and a liquid-cooling chamber to remove heat from key components. It's claimed early 5G prototype devices have had issues with heat.
We'd also expect at least 6GB of RAM, like the LG V40 ThinQ, and at least 64GB of storage - though we see this jumping up to 128GB for the LG V50. A triple camera system on the rear is also likely, possibly a dew-drop at the top of the display rather than a notch like the LG V40 and if we had a wish list - an in-display fingerprint sensor would be on it.
For now, we don't know much else about the LG V50 ThinQ. We can't see it being launched at MWC but we will happily be proved wrong.
from Pocket-lint http://bit.ly/2RtPLma
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