There’s not a lot of originality going around the smartphone industry in the last few years. Now that we’ve collectively settled on rounded corners and one single home button, there’s not much left to do apart from add waterproofing and make things thinner.
Last year’s LG G5 was one of the few phones to buck the trend, thanks to a weird removable battery and the ability to add modules. It was an interesting approach to phone design, but also a rather catastrophic flop that cost LG millions. So, for the 2017 flagship G6, LG is doubling down on a boring, utilitarian smartphone for the masses.
According to a new report from CNET, the big changes for the LG G6 will be a non-removable battery, waterproofing, and slightly thinner bezels. That lines up with other rumors we’ve heard about the phone, and also confirms that LG is moving in the same direction as everyone else, making a cookie-cutter phone that has the same features we all kinda want.
The battery and waterproofing moves go hand-in-hand. The best phones from Apple and Samsung are now waterproof, and that feature has proved more popular than LG’s dumb modules, or a user-replaceable battery. It’s really difficult to waterproof a battery cover that you can easily pop off, so it looks like LG is following everyone else’s lead and doing away with that.
In addition to the physical details, CNET also says that LG will be using the older Snapdragon 821 processor, rather than the 835. The decision isn’t driven by cost or design, but rather availability. Samsung has snapped up all the Snapdragon 825 supply for months, so for LG to launch its phone on time, it has to go with the older processor. Let’s just hope we get a lower pricetag to match. b
