Today in Barcelona, LG officially unveiled the G6, the next installment of the venerable G-series that's now classified as a lower-end flagship below LG's V-series. Like the G5 before it, the G6 receives a significant makeover, with an all-new design, a bigger display, and updated hardware.

In an effort to boost sales last year, LG modernized the G5's design and construction and gave it a pair of features that set it apart from Korean rival Samsung's Galaxy phones. It switched from a traditional plastic construction to a thin, all-aluminum chassis that was painted over to hide the antenna lines. The previous model's rear-mounted volume controls were relocated too.

The G5's most innovative feature was its detachable chin module that granted access to the battery and allowed for quick battery swaps, a unique ability for a metal phone. This base module could also be replaced with additional accessories, making the G5 one of the few attempts at a modular smartphone. Unfortunately, the initial modules, the LG CAM Plus and LG Hi-Fi Plus, were uninspiring, and more compelling options failed to materialize. Swapping modules was also clunky because it required removing the battery and rebooting the phone, an issue not shared with Motorola's superior Moto Mod solution that was introduced alongside its new Moto Z family.

The G5's modular gamble failed to pay off, and its other features were not enough to justify its higher price, leading to poor sales that fell well below LG's expectations. Increasing competition from Chinese OEMs is also placing additional pressure on LG, which can ill afford another misstep. It's not too surprising then to see LG take a more conservative approach with the G6, focusing on correcting the previous model's shortcomings rather than adding radical new features to make it stand out.

LG G Series LG G6 LG G5 SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 821

(MSM8996 Pro)


2x Kryo @ 2.34GHz

2x Kryo @ 2.19GHz

Adreno 530 @ 653MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820

(MSM8996)


2x Kryo @ 2.15GHz

2x Kryo @ 1.59GHz

Adreno 530 @ 624MHz Display 5.7-inch 2880x1440 (18:9) IPS LCD 5.3-inch 2560x1440 IPS LCD Dimensions 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm

163 grams 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm

159 grams RAM 4GB LPDDR4 4GB LPDDR4-3188 NAND 32GB / 64GB1 (UFS 2.0)

+ microSD 32GB (UFS 2.0)

+ microSD Battery 3300 mAh (12.54 Wh)

non-replaceable 2800 mAh (10.78 Wh)

replaceable Front Camera 5MP, f/2.2, wide-angle (100°), auto HDR, screen flash 8MP, 1/4" Toshiba T4KA3, 1.12µm pixels, f/2.0, HDR, screen flash Rear Camera Primary: 13MP, Sony IMX258 Exmor RS, 1.12µm pixels, f/1.8, PDAF, wide-angle (71°), OIS, auto HDR, dual-tone LED flash Primary: 16MP, 1/2.6" Sony IMX234 Exmor RS, 1.12µm pixels, f/1.8, Laser AF, 3-axis OIS, HDR, color spectrum sensor, LED flash Wide Angle: 13MP, Sony IMX258 Exmor RS, 1.12µm pixels, f/2.4, PDAF, wide-angle (125°), auto HDR, dual-tone LED flash Wide Angle: 8MP, Sony IMX268 Exmor RS, 1.12µm pixels (assumed), f/2.4, wide-angle (135°), Laser AF, OIS, HDR, color spectrum sensor, LED flash Modem Qualcomm X12 (Integrated)

2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 12/13) Qualcomm X12 (Integrated)

2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 12/13) SIM Size NanoSIM NanoSIM Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO, BT 4.2, NFC, IrLED, GPS/GNSS Connectivity USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5mm headset USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5mm headset Additional Features QC 3.0 fast charging, wireless charging (WPC & PMA)2, IP68 environment protection, Hi-Fi