SEOUL – South Korean tech giant LG has unveiled a new top-end model that is designed for split-screen uses.
The G6’s display has an 18:9 aspect ratio, rather than the 16:9 used by most handsets. It means that when viewed in landscape mode, the screen appears wider than normal.
LG’s latest flagship smartphone has an elongated display in order to make it better suited to showing two apps at once. But the G6 has shunned the modular design of its predecessor meaning it no longer supports slide-in hardware enhancements.
The new device was unveiled in Barcelona ahead of the opening of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show, the BBC reported.
LG’s new phone was also distinguished by being the first Android device announced to include Google Assistant – the search giant’s voice-controlled rival to Apple’s Siri – beyond Google’s own Pixel phone.
Split-screen
The G6’s display measures 5.7in (14.5cm) compared to the G5’s 5.3in (13.5cm) component. It is also brighter, adding support for high dynamic range (HDR) video playback. This makes compatible footage appear more vibrant and detailed in the shadows.
The new device can also be submerged underwater for up to half an hour.
The new phone is designed around Android 7’s support for split-screen software, allowing two same-sized square interfaces to be seen either side-by-side or one-above-the-other, depending on how the phone is held.
LG is the world’s sixth bestselling smartphone maker, according to the research firm IDC. Figures indicate that the South Korean firm shipped 7% fewer handsets in 2016 compared to the previous year.
