EXCLUSIVE:
Along with LG’s widely reported mobile strategy reboot earlier this year — in which the company vowed to eschew traditional release schedules — came an obvious question: When will the first new hardware come to market, if not in early spring? Thanks to a person briefed on the company’s plans for a device codenamed “Judy” (in line with LG’s traditional reliance on female monikers), the details are finally starting to come into focus.
Whereas the latest phones announced by the Korean manufacturer have been little more than existing handsets with new color schemes or additional software features, Judy is a brand new design. With a 6.1-inch, 18:9 Full Vision display, it’s significantly larger than its predecessor, the 5.7-inch LG G6 (though it will apparently not be branded as the G7).
LG is said to be employing a fairly new type of display for the device, a so-called MLCD+ panel. Because its RGBW matrix contains a white sub-pixel (the color of much online text background), it is allegedly capable of high, 800-nit brightness while consuming 35 percent less power than standard IPS LCD panels.
Specs-wise, Judy reportedly ticks off many of the requisite boxes demanded by mobile enthusiasts.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 845? Check (coupled with 64GB of internal storage but a somewhat disappointing 4GB of RAM).
- Dual rear cameras with glass optical elements and high aperture? Check (the 16-megapixel sensors are matched with f/1.6 lenses).
- Water, dust, and impact resistance? Check (IP68 ingress protection plus military standard durability).
- Stereo speakers? Check (described as a “boombox” speaker).
- High dynamic range imaging? Check (HDR10).
- Wireless charging, digital assistant, voice recognition, and camera AI? Check, check, check, and check.
Besides a somewhat low standard RAM allotment (which could see a boost in an accompanying Plus-type model), Judy sounds like a fitting follow-up to 2017’s very capable G6 and V30. But you’ll have to wait patiently through early spring to purchase one: A targeted June launch means that it may not be available globally until sometime this summer.
