LG G7 (Neo) Makes An Appearance At MWC 2018 With iPhone X-Style Notch

The successor to the LG G6 wasn’t officially launched during MWC 2018, but the LG G7 (Neo) did make an appearance at the event. The device is believed to be the prototype that LG reportedly decided to scrap in favor of a new device codenamed “Judy.”

The LG G7 (Neo) was first spotted by the Israeli publication Ynet, which shared a short hands-on video of the handset. The G7 (Neo) features a 6-inch 3,100 x 1,400 OLED display with a screen aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The device also appears to have an iPhone X-style notch, vertically-aligned dual cameras on the back and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The display’s aspect ratio is different from the G6 and the V30. Those handsets feature 18:9 aspect ratio displays. The G7 (Neo) aspect ratio is closer to the Essential Phone’s 19:10 aspect ratio. LG also appears to have put in place a software solution that can hide the display notch on the phone. The software solution appears to look very similar to how LG applied its secondary screen design for the LG V10 and V20.

Just on design alone, the LG G7 (Neo) looks like a premium high-end Android flagship that fits in well with the current smartphone trends. Under the hood, that’s also the same story. The G7 (Neo) is listed as being powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with up to 6GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage and a 3,000 mAh battery. The device is presumably running Android Oreo, but that wasn't confirmed by LG.

The LG G7 (Neo) is also said to have a “boombox” feature that uses a DTS-X component. Apparently, this feature will allow the speakers on the device to play audio with “high resonance” when it’s placed on any surface, according to 9To5Google.

So why is LG showing off the G7 (Neo) at MWC 2018? That remains a mystery, but it does give everyone some clues on what to expect from LG’s rumored “Judy” phone. Notorious leaker and VentureBeat reporter Evan Blass (@evleaks) believes that the LG G7 (Neo) is the device that LG scrapped in favor of the upcoming “Judy” device. One of Blass’s sources also said that LG also showed off a Q7, the V35 and a new smartwatch at the same MWC 2018 venue.

LG’s “Judy” smartphone is believed to be the direct successor to last year’s G6. It’s said to arrive with a 6.1-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. What’s intriguing about the upcoming device is that it won’t be using LG’s own OLED panels. Instead, the company is said to be using a new MLCD+ display. Other rumored specs include the Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM,64GB of storage and dual 16MP cameras on its back.