14 DAY TRIAL // LG usually unveils its flagship Android smartphone at a dedicated event about a month after MWC (Mobile World Congress) trade fair, which is scheduled for late February.
However, the G6 is likely to be revealed one month earlier at MWC 2017, which means LG will put in on shelves for sale sometime in March.
The information reported by Korean media is based on the fact that LG has already informed component suppliers that it will start manufacturing the G6 in February.
The Korean media also claims that the reason behind LG's decision to launch the G6 one month earlier is because it wants to boost sales of the product after the G5's lukewarm reception.
Since the smartphone business' contribution to LG's revenue heavily relies on sales of its G series flagships, the South Korean company was hit hard this year when LG G5's sales fell short of forecast.
A source familiar with LG's plans said that “although G5 was introduced in February at MWC, it was initially scheduled to be released in April. It seems that LG Electronics has pushed forward the release date of G6 after believing that release dates of its products are late compared to its competitors’ products.”
LG G6 might not have to compete with the Galaxy S8 after all
If the information provided by the Korean media proves to be accurate, the LG G6 will have a hard time competing with Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S8, assuming the latter won't be delayed into April, which would make LG's marketing strategy even more effective.
Analysts expect LG to slightly change its smartphone strategy and go for “stable changes” over “bold innovations” following the G5's fiasco.
The G6 won't feature a module-type design any longer, and LG is said to be focusing on services and functions like mobile payment, wireless charging, and waterproof.
An LG official commented on these reports and said that “although we are preparing our next strategic smartphone, we can's disclose any detailed information about it.”