LG has been desperately trying to squeeze a profit out of its mobile division for the last few years, but even though the company recently confirmed the imminent outsourcing of its low to mid-end smartphone designs and production, the 2021 spiritual successors to the 5G-enabled Velvet and Wing will undoubtedly remain in-house.
For the time being, however, there's absolutely no indication that these exciting devices will be called LG Velvet 2 and Wing 2, with the Korea-based tech giant instead planning to adopt unique Rainbow and Rollable labels.
That's according to a number of recent reports, the latest of which highlights that LG Rollable is merely a tentative name for a potentially game-changing product scheduled to see daylight at some point in the "first half" of 2021. The somewhat mysterious ultra-thin and lightweight handset could be preceded to stores by a more conventional flagship almost certainly branded LG Rainbow and a budget-friendly Q83 model with built-in 5G support.
Who's ready to rock and roll?
This may sound unlikely for a company that has yet to unveil a single direct rival for Samsung's Galaxy (Z) Fold or Z Flip lineups, but LG purportedly aims to beat its arch-enemy to the punch when it comes to so-called "rollable" (or extendable) mobile devices.
The first brand to showcase such a product (albeit not in a final, commercial-ready form) was TCL all the way back in March, followed by Oppo just last month. One of these two companies, as well as other major China-based industry players, could end up releasing a rollable phone in limited numbers before LG, but Samsung is expected to focus on expanding its foldable portfolio next year and only take things to the next level in 2022.
LG Rollable concept renders
The key difference between a rollable and a foldable device is that the former can change its shape (at least in theory) without causing display wrinkles or deformations of any sort. A sliding mechanism is needed in order to pull that off, but just like any moving part, that may well impact the long-term durability of these undeniably eye-catching products.
Still, LG clearly feels rollable designs could generate high demand, possibly among the same people who found the quirky Wing alluring, reportedly moving ahead at full steam with a 6.8-inch phone capable of stretching out to cover up to a 7.4-inch screen area.
The LG Rainbow will be "based" on the Velvet's design
While the exact release schedule and specifications of the LG Rollable are still under wraps, the LG Rainbow is tipped for a March 2021 commercial debut (at least in South Korea) with a Snapdragon 888 processor on deck.
This very interesting-sounding slab will essentially follow in the footsteps of both the LG Velvet and V60 ThinQ 5G, finding inspiration in the former's objectively magnificent design while packing Qualcomm's next ultra-high-end chipset.
Obviously, that means the LG Rainbow will most likely be priced closer to the $900 starting tag of the Snapdragon 865-powered V60 than the $600 mark of the upper mid-range Velvet. The only other thing we "know" about the Rainbow is that it will "come with Wacom's AES (Active Electrostatic)" stylus, although it's unclear if that means the phone will be sold alongside a stylus as standard or simply support the aforementioned writing accessory for folks willing to purchase it separately.
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Another (semi) interesting device rumored to come out by the end of June 2021 is the LG Q83 5G. If the name is any indication, this could offer slightly humbler specs at an even lower price than the already reasonable LG Q92 5G, also known as the K92 5G.
Much like the Q92/K92, the LG Q83/K93 is expected to sport a, cough, "unique rear camera design", targeting "both domestic and foreign markets" with "excellent hardware specifications compared to its price." The question is will the specs be "excellent" enough and the price low enough for LG to take on Samsung's 5G-capable Galaxy A-series handsets?
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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