This new LG U is like a Nexus 5X in disguise

While the Nexus brand has been killed off to make way for the Pixel and Pixel XL, LG is still fond of the Nexus 5X (which it manufactured for Google), and it just unveiled a new smartphone that's based on it. Called LG U, the new handset was announced in South Korea, LG's home country.

Just like the Nexus 5X, the LG U sports a 5.2-inch 1080p display, comes with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, and has a front that's pretty much identical with that of the Google-branded device. The LG U also has roughly the same weight and dimensions as the Nexus 5X (135 grams and 147.6 x 73.2 x 7.7 mm vs. 136 grams and 147 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm). However, there are some changes when it comes to features. The LG U is powered by a 1.14 GHz octa-core processor (possibly a Snapdragon 4xx), packs a larger 3000 mAh battery, and supports microSD cards. Moreover, there's an 8 MP camera on the front, and a 13 MP one on the back.

Speaking of the back of the LG U, this is completely different from what the Nexus 5X is offering: the entire rear surface is a glossy one, the camera and accompanying LED flash are situated on the left side, and there's no fingerprint scanner anywhere on the device. Laser auto focus seems to be missing, too (plus, that 13 MP rear camera may not be as good as the 12.3 MP unit of the Nexus 5X). 

In South Korea, the new smartphone will be exclusively available via LG U+ (the country's third largest mobile carrier, obviously controlled by LG). It will go on sale at the end of this month for around $340, running Android Marshmallow and coming in three color versions - black, white, and pink. At the moment, we don't know if LG is planning to release the LG U, or any similar handset, in more markets. But maybe it should bring it to the US and other regions - what do you think?


source: LG (translated)