Sunday, April 30, 2017

Mini-version of G6 smartphone coming soon?

By Lee Min-hyung

LG Electronics is preparing for the launch of a compact version of its latest flagship G6 smartphone.

This rumor is going viral after overseas media reported that the company is planning to unveil a 5.4-inch handset, tentatively named G6 Mini, equipped with the same 18:9 display ratio as the G6.

Nothing specific has been confirmed over its launch, features and price.

But leaked images show the new model comes with a very similar design to the latest G series _ including dual rear cameras and a circular fingerprint scanner.

"We cannot confirm anything about any product that has not been launched," an LG Electronics spokesman said, Sunday.

The company declined to comment further.

The move is reportedly aimed at diversifying the firm's mobile product lineups with different display sizes, following the global premium handset trend led by Samsung and Apple.

Apple has launched two flagship iPhone models ― based on 4.7- a nd 5.5-inch displays in recent years. Samsung Electronics also has two different premium lineups ― the Galaxy and Galaxy Note series ― whose key difference is also the display size.

Even if LG also uses a two-track strategy by launching two models each year ― the G and V series ― the company has so far failed to leave a strong design identity in terms of display size between the two models.

The LG G6, unveiled this February at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC), comes with a 5.7-inch full-vision display which the firm says offers an optimum viewing experience. The company did not add any eye-catching selling points to the device, but the latest model has so far received the most favorable initial market response in the firm's mobile history.

Last month, LG posted a record pre-order of some 80,000 here for the latest G series. LG is pinning hopes on the new device, seeking to revive its sagging mobile unit from years-long failures for its predecessors � �� the G5 and G4.

The launch of the G6 improved the firm's profitability by a huge margin, with its mobile unit reporting only a 200 million won ($175,000) operating loss in the first quarter. This is an outstanding performance, compared with a quarter ago when the division posted a 467 billion won operating loss.

The company attributed the G6 and the firm's realignment of its business structure to the improved earnings.

In the second quarter, the company said it would focus on diversifying sales channels of the G6 overseas, in a bid to increase its share in the global premium smartphone market.


Source: Mini-version of G6 smartphone coming soon?

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