LG Is Launching Two More New Smartphones At MWC

LG has sprung another surprise in the run up to Mobile World Congress after revealing it will be launching a whole new family of smartphones at the show.

The news, which comes days after LG confirmed the launch of its forthcoming G5 smartphone by announcing an official case for the device, concerns the new ‘specialist’ X series, which will look to offer devices with one key selling point whilst keeping prices low.

The first two devices, the X cam and the X screen, will officially be revealed at MWC on February 22, and could well signal a whole new commercial direction for the smartphone industry when they go on sale across Asia, Europe and Latin America from next month.

No bells, no whistles

“The X cam and X screen are designed for customers who do not want or need all the bells and whistles that come with today’s high-end phones but still desire a great camera or advanced display,” LG’s press release announcing the X series read.

As suggested by the name, the X cam (pictured left) will come with dual 13MP and 5MP cameras on the rear of the device (alongside an 8MP front camera), allowing for greater depth and detail in the image.

Featuring a 5.2in FHD display, the X cam is built using LG’s 3D Bending Glass for a curved front edge that is lightweight at just 118g but also fits snugly inside your hand.

Inside, there’s an octa-core 1.14Ghz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a 2,520mAh battery, all powering a device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, meaning this is firmly in the mid-tier of smartphones.

Multi-view

The X screen (pictured right) is a bit more interesting, as it comes with an “Always-on” Second Screen, which had previously been seen in LG’s V10 device. This 1.76in secondary screen sits above the main 4.93in HD display to help with multi-tasking on the device, allowing users to access frequently used apps, answer calls without interrupting the current activity or just play music.

The second screen also lets users check time, date, battery status and other notifications without ever having to turn on the phone.

Elsewhere, there’s a quad-core 1.2Ghz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a 2,300mAh battery, alongside Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera, meaning its certainly no slouch either.

“Everyone has a favourite smartphone feature,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “At LG, we think there’s room for devices that do one thing very well and that customers shouldn’t have to pay for features that they don’t want. At the end of the day, we’re committed to offering consumers more choices.”

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