In the last few months, we have seen many conflicting reports regarding LG’s next flagship smartphone. The LG G7 was first rumored to launch in January, but that didn’t happen. Then, a rumor stated that the phone would be announced in March and be released in April. However, that rumor was quickly followed by a report which stated that LG Electronics’ chief had ordered the development of the G7 to be started from scratch. Instead of announcing the G7 at Mobile World Congress, LG announced the V30S ThinQ, a variant of the V30 which comes with software enhancements as well as more RAM and storage.
Evan Blass stated last month that the G7 was codenamed Judy, and the phone would be announced in June. Complicating matters even further, a recent report by ETNews stated that the LG G7 and the G7 Plus will launch in May with the display notch and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip, although no official event has been scheduled as of now.
Now, a report by The Investor states that LG will likely adopt an LCD for its upcoming flagship smartphone, which has been tentatively referred as the G7. The move to adopt LCD instead of OLED will be done to reduce costs at a time when the company is facing continuous losses of its mobile division.
The report states that OLED displays are double or triple the price of LCD panels. It cited the research firm IHS market by stating that for example, the 5.5-inch LCD of the iPhone 8 Plus costs Apple $52, while the 5.8-inch OLED display for the iPhone X costs $110.
We have previously explained the advantages and disadvantages of OLED displays over LCDs in smartphones. According to the report, the LG G7 will feature LG Display’s MLCD+ screen, which is said to consume 35 percent less power than a conventional LCD, while having better brightness.
LG’s first smartphones with P-OLED displays were the G Flex and the G Flex 2. Last year, the company made a comeback in OLED by launching the V30 with a new 6-inch WQHD+ (2880×1440) P-OLED display. However, the quality of the P-OLED panel wasn’t as good as that of Samsung’s AMOLED displays according to a majority of reviewers. The Investor states that the phone didn’t succeed in helping LG’s mobile division make a turnaround as the unit suffered losses for the 11th consecutive quarter in Q4 2017.
The report adds that LG’s shift back to LCD may have something to do with Apple. This year, Apple is expected to focus on a rumored 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD, which will be released alongside the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones. LG Display and Japan Display are expected to supply LCDs for the new iPhone variants.
At this point, nothing about the LG G7 is confirmed, so it is possible that this report is incorrect. Regardless, here’s hoping that LG ships a great display for the G7 with respect to brightness, contrast, viewing angles, power consumption, and color accuracy.
Source: The Investor