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Alleged LG G9 ThinQ renders show quad-camera setup, notched display

By Joshua Swingle

Updated: Jan 14, 2020, 8:17 AM

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LG Android

UPDATE: LG has responded to our request for a comment with the below statement. Ken Hong, for reference, is the executive that denied the accuracy of the LG G8 ThinQ renders by Steve Hemmerstoffer last year. The original story continues after the quote.

"It's sad that some still feel the need to create fake renders of products and then call them leaks."– Ken Hong, Head of Global Corporate Communications, LG Electronics

The Samsung Galaxy S20, Huawei P40 Pro, and iPhone 12 have been dominating the headlines recently. But it turns out LG is also hard at work on a new flagship and, thanks to tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer, we now know what it’ll probably look like.

LG is going all-in with the cameras this year

Expected to be marketed as the LG G9 ThinQ once it hit shelves, the upcoming smartphone builds upon the design of the fairly new LG G8X ThinQ by adopting a tall display complete with a small, waterdrop-like notch towards the top.

In an attempt to better compete with the latest flagships from Samsung and Huawei, though, the size of the screen is reportedly being increased from 6.4-inches to somewhere in the region of 6.8-inches. Hemmerstoffer didn't provide any further details about the panel, although LG's OLED technology is expected to return alongside the in-screen fingerprint scanner.

LG G9 ThinQ CAD-based render

As you may have noticed, the bezels around the display remain largely unchanged. LG has, however, put in some extra effort on the rear by replacing its arguably weak dual-camera setup with a much more impressive quad-camera setup. This is housed within a horizontal module and, as a result, means the phone looks quite similar to the Galaxy S10 5G from the back.

Details about the camera configuration are yet to leak but it should incorporate an updated main sensor that's accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle shooter, a telephoto camera, and a Time-of-Flight sensor. The versatile system looks set to be paired with a dual-LED flash.

The much-loved headphone jack is still there

Like most other flagship smartphones these days, the LG G9 ThinQ appears to feature a metal frame carved out of aluminum. It's home to the power key on the right side and individual volume buttons on the left. LG's close relationship with Google also continues with what appears to be a dedicated Google Assistant button.

As for the rest of the smartphone, the SIM card tray and microSD card slot seems to be included on the top, while the bottom is home to a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a speaker. The latter is paired with an in-ear speaker towards the top of the display, suggesting LG is permanently ditching the G8 ThinQ's Sound-on-Display technology.

LG G9 ThinQ CAD-based render

Regarding the internal specifications, LG is expected to fit the phone with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 865 and a 6/128GB internal storage configuration as standard, although other options could be available.

Like most other 2020 flagship smartphones, Android 10 should be present straight out of the box. It'll be paired with the latest version of LG's custom overlay and support for 5G networks. The battery capacity remains unclear at this stage, but a minimum of 4,000mAh is to be expected alongside some sort of fast charging technology.

LG G9 ThinQ announcement and release date

The LG G9 ThinQ will probably be announced in late February at an MWC 2020 press conference in Barcelona. Because LG is typically slow when it comes to releasing products, however, shipments of the flagship smartphone probably won't begin until late March or early April.

Pricing remains a total mystery at this stage, although the company's shrinking presence in the high-end smartphone segment would suggest it'll avoid positioning the phone as a direct Huawei P40 Pro and Galaxy S20 competitor. As such, it'll probably be priced in the region of $700 and be positioned as an iPhone 11 and OnePlus 7 Pro competitor.