LG G6 – Saying Bye to Bezels

The LG G6 marks for a striking departure from last year LG G5. The modular approach has been finally put to rest, and another feature that has been buried is the removable battery. In its place, is a dust and water-resistant phone, a glass and metal body combo, and a screen to body ratio that harks back to the G2 days.

One thing LG did right this time is the emphasis on the screen, and the LG G6 offers a high screen to body ratio of over 78%. The extra tall 18:9 ratio 5.7″ screen makes for an interesting multitasking perspective, but overall, the choice seems to be positive with a narrower body making the phone easier to hold and operate, while still allowing for an expanded display. The oft-aligned, rounded bezels does look a little odd from a design perspective.

18:9 ratio will introduce challenges such as app compatibility, but with Samsung S8 rumoured to also have an 18:9 ratio, developers should be more inclined to add support for the resolution soon.

Another great thing about the G6 is the incorporation of the dual camera. That was undoubtedly the stand out feature on the G5, and the G6 has improved it further. The G6 uses an improved wide camera lens, with both lens closer on par in terms of quality, where previously the wide angle lens was the unfortunate poorer cousin.

For tech enthusiasts, the use of the Snapdragon 821 might be a sore point, as it is a processor that was used in 2016’s flagship, and yet still adopted by the G6. When the Samsung S8 rolls around with the rumoured Snapdragon 835, there would be comparisons and the 835 will definitely be faster. But by how much? And can people actually feel the difference? Apple has shown a great phone doesn’t require the fastest processor, but can LG pull such a feat off? I was thinking since the G6 was featured to have both an excellent DAC, and good imaging / camera features, LG should have offered the G6 with a 128 GB option, instead of the now standard 32 GB. That would have been quite a statement.

We are eagerly waiting for LG Singapore to announce launch details, which should be soon. If they still want to retain the early mover advantage over Samsung. It remains to be seen which model would come to Singapore. Would we still have the wireless charging option – that’s bound for the US? Or the version with the excellent Quad Hi-Fi DAC that’s for the internal Korea market? Or would we be like Europe and have a G6 that has both features cruelly taken away.