LG vows to make smartphone business profitable in 2021 with "wow factor"

The executive didn’t elaborate on the plans for an expanded lineup but they likely involve growing LG’s presence in the low-end and mid-range segments. After all, that’s where the company continues to perform best and the vast majority of market share lies.

As for the “wow factor” that was mentioned, it certainly seems as though this will be more related to software than hardware. After all, recent LG V60 ThinQ and G9 ThinQ leaks don’t point to anything very revolutionary on the company’s next flagships. 

Like rival Sony, LG was previously betting heavily on the introduction of 5G connectivity as a path back to growth. However, as market data shows, only Samsung has so far been able to capitalize on its arrival with shipments of around 7 million devices and a market share of almost 75%. 

This year, the company is once again expected to put a big emphasis on 5G. But unlike the LG V50 ThinQ 5G which debuted as one of the first compatible devices on the market, in 2020 virtually every flagship on the market and even many mid-range smartphones will support the networks, meaning LG will be relying heavily on those aforementioned “wow factors” to stand out from the competition.

As mentioned above, the leaks so far don't point towards anything major for LG's next flagships. The LG V60 ThinQ and LG G9 ThinQ are expected to be 5G and 4G LTE variants of the same device, meaning they'll both feature 6.8-inch OLED displays coupled with in-screen fingerprint scanners, although it's unclear at this stage whether they'll be optical or ultrasonic sensors.

Also expected on the next-generation devices is an aluminum frame that incorporates a USB-C port on the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The latter isn't as common as it used to be on smartphones, leaving LG as one of the few mainstream brands that still offer the legacy port.

Regarding the camera department, the South Korean giant has finally ditched its dual-camera setup in favor of a much more versatile quadruple-camera layout. It's expected to incorporate an upgraded primary sensor that's accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle shooter and a 3x telephoto snapper. 

Also understood to be included is a dedicated Time-of-Flight sensor, which will hopefully improve the quality of portrait photos and any other shots were background blur is required.