Velvet's Successor 'Rainbow' Scheduled for Q1 Release
Replacing G·V Series with 'Universal' Line
7.4-Inch Expandable Rollable, Possible March Unveiling
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] LG Electronics has outlined its flagship lineup set to be unveiled in the first half of next year. The main highlights are the LG Rainbow, the successor to the Velvet, and a rollable smartphone that is expected to make a mark in smartphone history.
According to industry sources on the 4th, LG Electronics plans to release the flagship model 'LG Rainbow (tentative name)' in the first quarter of next year. Its existence was revealed recently when a model number LM-V700N was spotted in the telecom operators' network systems. Rainbow is the project name, and the actual model name has not yet been finalized.
The existing G and V series will be discontinued, and like the Velvet, the new brand will be launched with differentiated design and emphasized product features. With Samsung Electronics expected to unveil its flagship Galaxy S21 in January, LG Electronics is also likely to advance its release schedule.
LG Electronics is operating its flagship smartphone development project on two tracks. Conventional bar-type smartphones are released under the 'Universal' line, while innovative form factor smartphones are launched as part of the 'Explorer Project.' The 'Wing,' released last October, was the first product of the Explorer Project. Next year in the first half, the lineage will continue with a rollable smartphone.
LG Electronics' ambitious 'Rollable Phone' is under development with a target release as early as March. Recently, Google revealed an emulator (a program that allows mobile systems to operate identically on PCs) for application developers on the Android developer site, during which some specifications of the rollable phone were disclosed.
The LG Rollable Phone features a 6.8-inch display that extends to the right, expanding up to 7.4 inches. It includes a function to change the aspect ratio according to usage scenarios, such as phone mode (20:9), video mode (16:9), and productivity mode (3:2). It is expected to be equipped with Qualcomm's new chipset, the Snapdragon 888, a 4200mAh battery capacity, and 16GB of RAM. LG Electronics has registered the trademark 'LG Rollable' in the US, Europe, and Korea. The rollable phone is also highly likely to be named 'LG Rollable.'
Industry expectations for the unfolding smartphone are high. An industry insider explained, "Since the rollable phone is a form factor that has never been released before, it is important to ensure quality rather than rushing the release schedule to avoid durability controversies."
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