G7 smartphone coming May 2 – LG says ThinQ about it –

LG will brand all its AI-driven appliances including a new G7 smartphone as ThinQ.

ThinQ covers home appliances for the home, laundry and kitchen and works with Google Assistant (some items have Amazon Alexa support as well). GadgetGuy has an overview of the CES 21018 ThinQ announcement here.

It recently upgraded its V30S to ThinQ. The G7 will be launched on 2 May. Australian pricing and availability will follow.

“Now is the time when manufacturers must pay close attention to what customers need and want for their smartphones,” said Hwang Jeong-hwan, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

“With the LG G7 ThinQ, LG is continuing to deliver on its promise to enhance core technologies to meet customers’ real-life needs by incorporating AI technologies that are more than features; they are part of the user experience.”

Details of the G7 are scarce

It was a glaring omission from the recent Mobile World Congress. We expect

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
• 4/64GB RAM/storage and a micro-SD card
• 6” 18:9, 3120 x 1440 POLED screen with an Applesque notch (later rumours suggest it is an IPS LED screen)
• Dual rear cameras – normal and telephoto
• Five colours – red, black, grey, and blue in gloss or matte
• An AI button (like Bixby) but likely for Google Assistant
• 5mm combo audio jack
• Bottom firing speaker and earpiece (for stereo)
• 3,000mAh battery

GadgetGuy’s take – the G7 will be a formidable upper-mid-range phone

LG’s V series is its flagship competing directly with the Samsung Galaxy Series.

The G series has always been upper-midrange and done a great job. In fact, buying a G6 (RRP$1000) for under $600 is a bargain – possibly the best value in the market.

GadgetGuy covered the G6 here.

Our advice – consider the LG G7 as a premium product without quite the same price tag. If it lives up to the G series heritage (and it will) it will be an excellent product.