MWC 2016: LG to Launch new ‘X Series’ Mid-Range Smartphones, each with a Singular Premium Feature
by Ian Cutress on February 16, 2016 8:15 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- LG
- Trade Shows
- MWC 2016
- X cam
- X screen
No sooner had I finished writing the news on the LG Stylus 2 announcement had another email landed in my inbox. On the back of the mid-range model with a stylus, LG is to launch a whole new series of smartphones called the ‘X’ series. These are essentially mid-range devices, but with one premium component more akin to a high-end device. In this instance, LG is initially going to offer an ‘X cam’ and ‘X screen’, each with obvious high-end upgrades.
LG X cam | LG X screen | |
SoC | Octa-Core 1.14 GHz (dual 4xA53 ?) |
Quad Core 1.2 GHz (Snapdragon 410?) |
RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB |
NAND | 16 GB | 16 GB |
Display | 5.2-inch, 1080x1920 IPS LCD | 4.93-inch 720x1080 IPS LCD + 1.76-inch 80x520 IPS LCD |
Dimensions | 147.5 x 73.6 x 5.2-6.9 mm Weight unkown |
142.6 x 71.8 x 7.1 mm Weight Unknown |
Camera | 13MP + 5MP Rear + ? |
13MP Rear |
8MP Front | 8MP Front | |
Battery | 2520 mAh | 2300 mAh |
OS | 6.0 at Launch | 6.0 at Launch |
Connectivity | Unknown | Unknown |
Network | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE |
Colors | Titan Silver White Gold Pink Gold |
Black White Pink Gold |
The X cam (there’s no capital C in the name) will be using dual cameras on the rear to allow for better depth-of-field effects, color accuracy and image quality. That being said, the second dual camera is only a 5MP implementation and I imagine we will find our more at the LG press conference at Mobile World Congress next week. Unfortunately LG doesn't seem to want to share a photograph of the rear to show the camera as of yet. The front of the X cam will also feature ‘3D Bending Glass’, providing a curved finish on the front and designed to sit more comfortably in the hand. The X cam fits into the mid-range specifications in the other areas – a 5.2-inch 1080p screen, an octa-core 1.14 GHz SoC (presumably dual quad ARM Cortex A53s), a 2520 mAh battery and a 16GB/2GB storage plus memory combination.
X cam on left, X screen on right
The X screen brings a feature from LG’s high end V10 model down to the mid-range: instead of dual cameras this time we get dual screens. The main screen is a 4.93-inch 720x1280 screen, which is fairly common in smartphones of this segment, but this is enhanced through a 1.76-inch 520x80 secondary screen above it and off to the right. This screen is always-on, and runs almost separately to the main phone software allowing users to check status and adjust calls without disrupting the software on the main screen. The rest of the specifications run similar to the X cam, except the 1.2 GHz quad core SoC which looks similar to the Snapdragon 410 in the Stylus 2.
Again, similar to the Stylus 2, specifications may be adjusted depending on region, although Asia, Europe and Latin America will be the first markets. One thing to note is that both units do not advertise microSD slots as of yet, which may or may not just be a PR oversight which we are trying to confirm. We will most likely hear more information, pricing and release dates during LG’s press conference at Mobile World Congress next week. The concept of a mid-range product with a single high-end component is actually rather intriguing, and opens up the possibility of a high-end SoC in a device, or 128 GB of storage in a mid-range, or 5000 mAh as that key component.
Source: LG
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phoenix_rizzen - Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - link
Other than the capacitive buttons, you pretty much described the LG G2. It's barely a mm or two wider/taller than the Optimus G, has a bigger battery, faster SoC, 1080p screen. Unfortunately, it's ARMv7/32-bit only, and the last Android release for it was 5.0.2 (4.4.2 for the Canadian version).But there's not much out there today that compares to it, unless you spend $600+ CDN on a Galaxy S6 or LG G4.
Or, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. Slightly faster/more efficient SoC than the G2, 720p <5" screen. Unfortunately, even with the Z5 line being out for 6 months, prices on this phone haven't really come down any. I'd gladly replace my G2 with one of these if they were available for around $300 CDN.
erple2 - Sunday, February 28, 2016 - link
That can't be true - I thought the nexus 5 and the LG G2 were hardware twins? My Nexus 5 currently runs Android 6.0.1...rancho - Monday, February 29, 2016 - link
I still use an LG G2 and he's correct, the last official release was 5.0.1. There's a stable release of CM12.1 for 5.1.1 but I'm currently running CM13 6.0.1 and it works brilliantly.I could probably stick a new battery in it soon, but for now I don't see any reason to get a new phone the G2 is awesome.
asfletch - Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - link
I'm thinking along similar lines, which is why I'm still running a ye olde GS3 with a big extended battery. Fix pentile and give me a moderate speed boost (SD650 would be perfect) and I'd be happy. NOS Droid Turbo for ~$300 might be as close as we can come...although I'm loath to buy anything without a removable battery. Wonder if the rumoured LG H840 (G5s?) will come to the party (without the OLED probably).zodiacfml - Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - link
Right. Yet, I wouldn't just consider any phone without the Nexus branding which makes it a premium feature for me. I feel it is time for Samsung to make a Nexus again with an AMOLED screen with a 14nm SoC.Murloc - Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - link
I bet some people would spring for a X batteryBurntMyBacon - Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - link
@Murloc: "I bet some people would spring for a X battery"Ooo. Ooo. Pick Me. Pick Me.