Johannesburg - South Korean manufacturer LG launched its flagship G6 smartphone into South Africa on Tuesday, with the device expected to retail from Friday.
The G6 was launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February and is part of the new wave of smartphones making their way to SA after announcements at the congress.
The local launch in Johannesburg presented an opportunity for a hands-on experience with the device.
The G6 is undoubtedly a well-designed smartphone with a sturdy body, which has a completely different shape to that of its predecessor.
However, LG downgraded many specifications on the device as well as ditching its venture into the modular space.
The device's primary camera has been downgraded from 16 megapixels to 13 megapixels.
The smartphone features a Snapdragon 821 chipset and a 3300mAh Li-Ion battery, which is slightly larger than its predecessor’s 2800 mAh, likely to power the larger display on the device.
READ: LG takes two steps forward and a huge step back with the G6
The G6 has a high screen-to-body ratio with a 5.7 inch display and 1440x2880 pixel resolution, which makes for a great screen size when holding the device.
The device’s predecessor, the G5, scooped numerous accolades at the Mobile World Congress last year and was hailed as one of the most innovative smartphone launches of the 2016 event by numerous international publications.
The G5 device was coupled with auxiliary accessories, such as a Hi-Fi speaker, extra battery pack and camera attachment – dubbed as “Friends” – and contributed to praise for the phone.
The accessories were attached to the device from the bottom, by unclipping the battery.
However, LG has since deviated from creating additional accessories for its flagship device, making no mention of the Friends during the launch of the G6.
Of course, with the drastic change in the shape and design of the G6 device the Friends are no longer supported by any other device aside from the G5.
It will retail at R1 4629.