LG has previously released teasers suggesting the G6 will have a bigger screen but a smaller body than the outgoing G5. The only way to achieve this is reducing the size of the display bezels, something other manufacturers are also planning to do with their 2017 flagships.
Today, LG officially announced “Full Vision,” the 5.7-inch 2880×1440-pixels display that will make its debut on the G6. It features an unusual aspect ratio of 18:9, making its height exactly twice its width.
Although LG hasn’t explicitly confirmed the panel is bezel-less, the name seems to fit with the previous hints and rumours. The company will use Full Vision branding to accompany its “bezel-less” marketing claims. Alongside the new display, the G6’s chassis is thought to feature full water and dust resistance, giving you Full Vision wherever you are.
The G6 is important for LG because it represents a chance for the company to recover from its recently lacklustre smartphone launches. Although innovative, last year’s G5 has failed to attract any significant consumer attention. It features a modular accessory system that lets you attach additional hardware on-the-fly.
LG launched the G5 with a selection of modules that could adapt the phone to specialist uses. However, as was anticipated at the time, the company failed to support or actively promote the ecosystem. As with other modular mobile efforts, the G5’s “friends” have fallen by the wayside, ignored by potential customers as a clunky grab for attention.
LG won’t be making the same mistake this year. It has abandoned its modular technology entirely, focusing instead on the hardware that people actually use and care about. For most customers, that starts with the display.
By innovating with Full Vision, LG will aim to win back people who avoided it last year. The company has a history of launching new display features, becoming the first manufacturer to launch a Quad HD smartphone with 2013’s G3.
The G6 will be officially announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month. LG will have a chance to steal the limelight with its new flagship, in no small part due to Samsung’s absence from the event. The company is launching the Galaxy S8 later in the spring as it recovers from the recall of the Note 7.
For LG, this means a chance to convince people of the benefits of bezel-less displays before Samsung unveils its own take on the design. However, neither brand is the first to offer such a screen – Xiaomi launched its almost bezel-less Mi MAX back in October.
The Mi MAX is really an oversized phablet though, sporting a 6.4-inch 2040×1080 resolution display. For many people, the G6 could end up being the first “true” bezel-less phone, starting a trend that looks set to continue over the next few months.
