2016 was a rough year for LG as the company’s flagship device, the LG G5, flopped on many accounts. The device was the company’s first take on a modular design but didn’t really do much to wow anyone with its expensive modules and awkward design.
Fast forward to this year and LG’s ready to take another leap with its flagship smartphone. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Chief Technologist Skott Ahn confirmed the company would be moving away from a modular design.
This comes after LG said it was committed to modular smartphones and that all of the LG G5 “Friends” would be compatible with future versions. So, now it seems that the modules you expected to use for years to come, will be rendered useless if you upgrade to the upcoming LG G6.
Ahn also confirmed that the G6 would be released in the “very near future”, making it likely that we’ll see the device at Mobile World Congress. The device will also launch in the US, Europe, and South Korea, while only being available in China if purchased online.
Despite previous rumors that suggested a non-modular smartphone will be much cheaper to build, the price for the G6 is still expected to range between $500 and $600.
Some of us are still holding out hope for LG to wow us once again, and offer something that is practical and powerful. With Samsung expected to hold off until after MWC 2017, now may be the time for LG to pull out all the stops and surprise everyone with an excellent flagship.