MWC 2017: LG goes back to its roots with the G6

And so goes the cycle of global tech events, folks. This time around, we’re keeping watch over the ongoing Mobile World Congress, which is reigning over Barcelona, Spain, until March 2 – well, tomorrow.

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But even before MWC’s official first day, several big brands have held their respective launch events – and grabbed the headlines before the rest of the pack. LG is one of those brands that opted for an earlier unveiling, and the product in question is one we’ve been hearing about for a while now: its new mobile flagship, the G6.

(Wait, did that LG-Far East Movement marketing concept push through? Why the hell not?)

Unlike its predecessor, the interesting modular but unpopular G5, the LG G6 sticks to a more traditional design concept. Size-wise, it thankfully doesn’t venture into phablet territory: a 5.7” FullVision display with an 18:9 aspect ratio provides improved visual quality, but still enables users to operate the device with one hand. And while we’re not exactly fans of watching shows and movies on our phones – we still depend on our TVs for that entertainment option – the G6 also touts Dolby Vision and support for HDR 10, which could eventually change our minds if and when we see the phone in action.

We also dig the dual 13MP rear camera with a 125° wide-angle lens. We don’t take as many photos and videos these days, but it’s nice to know that if ever vanity strikes, we can fit in more into our selfies and group shots. 

Simultaneous photo and video capture, Match Shot, and Grid Shot are all primed to boost everyone’s social media addiction to even higher levels. The Game Optimizer setting for battery saving will be really helpful for those who still play battery-draining games like Pokémon Go, and the G6’s water and dust resistance will be a boon for users who don’t always treat their gadgets like gold. The larger display, inclusion of Google Assistant, and Android Nougat enhancements mean the G6 can do split-screen viewing, too. For people who love to work and/or multitask while on the go, or want to enhance their entertainment and multimedia experience (as seen in the camera modes stated above), these would be considered sufficient reasons to own the G6 in the future.

Underneath, LG’s most current flagship device has all the hardware you expect from mobiles, but with a few twists. Not M. Night Shyamalan-ish, but enough to keep it interesting. According to GSM Arena and Pocket-lint, the G6 has been given a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, 4GB of RAM, the choice of either 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage (expandable via microSD for both single- and dual-SIM models), and a non-removable 3300mAh battery. LG will also use its UX 6.0 UI for this smartphone aside from the aforementioned Android Nougat.

As is the norm with global announcements, we have no word yet on when the G6 will be available here in the Philippines, but it is expected to be out on the consumer market by the first quarter of 2017. BGR.com stated that LG’s Juno Cho confirmed the flagship device’s South Korean market debut on March 10, with a price tag of 899,800 won (around PhP40,000). Known phone-spec leaker Evan Blass has also stated on Venture Beat that the G6 would go on sale in the US market a month after its South Korea launch. Basically, we’ll just have to wait our turn.