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Unique features of the LG G6 that set it apart from the current competition

Published: Feb 26, 2017, 6:00 AM

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Unique features of the LG G6 that set it apart from the current competition

LG finally lifted the veil on the G6 at MWC earlier today, and it sure was a sight to behold! The LG G6 has an amazingly compact footprint with almost bezel-less design, as a spacious 5.7-inch display occupies its front in a strikingly efficient manner. It boggles the mind how a device with almost the same dimensions as the 5.3-inch LG G5 can have such a big screen and remain adequately usable with one hand at the same time. But there's more to the G6 than skin-deep beauty – the entire phone has been cleverly devised to utilize the new screen aspect ratio to its fullest, and this is evident throughout both it's industrial design and revamped user interface.

With the G6, LG boldly ditches the current standard screen aspect ratio of 9:16 in favor of a beautiful new 9:18 “FullVision” display, that is both substantially bigger than that of the G5, and yet utilized so efficiently as to keep the new phone about the same size as its predecessor. The 9:18 screen aspect ratio is further employed throughout the phone's brand new UI, coming off as particularly useful, for example, while running two apps side-by-side (or on top of each other) in multi-window mode.

G6's “FullVision” display is truly a game changer, so let's see what else it brings to the table, apart from fulfilling LG's “big screen, small phone” idea, and look at some other unique features of the G6 that really make it stand out from the rest.

Dolby Vision technology brings the best of Hollywood on the small screen

The LG G6 supports both the Dolby Vision and HDR 10 formats, meaning that its display is capable of reproducing up to 64 billion colors (12 bits) when displaying Dolby Vision content, LG claims. This means not only a heck of a lot of colors being displayed at on the screen at the same time, but also more accurate color reproduction, brighter whites, deeper blacks, and other bells and whistles, such as Dynamic Scene Optimization and Color Rendering Performance.

The LG G6 also supports the HDR 10 format (1 billion colors, 10 bits), which is a smart move on part of the Korean tech giant, as currently there is more content in HDR 10 than Dolby Vision available on major streaming services, although the scales are sure to tip the other way in the near future.

Further, the wider 18:9 screen (that's when you are holding the phone in landscape mode) lends itself perfectly to watching movies, as big productions are usually shot in wider aspect ratios.

If you want to learn more about G6's “FullVision” display, check out these informative posts:

Overhauled user interface that is designed around the “FullVision” display

Square view in G6's camera that lets you take photos and preview them at the same time

As we said in the beginning, the new 9:18 display not only leads to a more compact device, but is also utilized throughout the new user interface. For example, when running two apps in multi-window mode, you get two perfect square windows, no matter which way you're holding the phone – in portrait or landscape mode. LG also showed us how the new aspect ratio can be leveraged when designing adaptable app user interfaces. For example, when the phone is turned sideways, the stock calendar app displays the calendar in a square window on the left side of the screen, while the right portion is occupied by a detailed schedule view. Similarly, the new camera UI allows you to shoot 1:1 (square) photos, while simultaneously previewing already taken photos.

It is improvements to the user experience like these that could facilitate an industry-wide transition to the new aspect ratio, but phone makers will have to put significant effort into showcasing what can be done before app developers begin implementing similar conveniences into their apps. It's a safe bet that this will take some time, but slow beginnings are not necessarily a bad thing if they lead to something positive in the end.

The G6 is the first non-Pixel phone to come with Google Assistant out of the box

The LG G6 has the honor of being the first non-Pixel device to utilize Google's new Assistant from the get-go. There are no ostensible differences between the service on the G6, and it is launched in much the same way as on the Pixels – by holding the Home button. Either way, it's good to see that Google doesn't intend to keep the wits of its AI under wraps, and it's a pretty safe bet that Assistant will grace other phones as well in the near future.

Clever camera setup on the back

Thanks to G6's dual-cam setup, you can shoot both normal and wide-angle photos

Similarly to the LG V20, the G6 sports a dual-camera setup on the back, with one of the shooters having a wide-angle lens, while the other is a regular one with narrower field of view. By default, you shoot in normal view, but you can switch to wide angle mode on the fly for those super expansive shots.

The LG G6 is a distinctly unique and interesting device at this point, but other major phone makers will release products with a similar approach to design in the very near future. How the G6 will hold up against the fierce competition, especially against the impending juggernaut that will be the Galaxy S8, remains to be seen. But for now, we'd just rather enjoy the G6 for what it is – a well-rounded and peculiar device, a harbinger for things to come.