LG 2019 Smartphone Roadmap Is A Long Wait For 5G, Foldable Fans

It may not sound like it, but LG's mobile business is actually in danger. It has been failing to make profits for quarters straight and has recently changed mobile business heads. With new leadership, the company is expected to quickly turn around and revamp its strategy and its portfolio. But based on reports of the company's roadmap for 2019, it might not be as quick as some would hope it to be.

For one, LG will open the new year with a mid-range phone, not its premium flagship. That will be the LG Q9, which will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, not the company's latest "high-end" (really mid-range) platform. It'll have 4 GB of RAM and a large 6.1-inch screen believed to have a notch.

LG's real flagship, the LG G8, isn't expected until March. But while it will be its nominal flagship, it won't be its most interesting that year. 2019 will most likely be marked by two separate trends: 5G and foldable screens. And LG isn't in a rush to put out either.

LG's first 5G-capable handset will come by April or May and won't be part of the G series, a company senior official reportedly said. Given the timing, it's unlikely to be part of the V line either and could be an entirely new letter. It's not in a hurry to adopt this technology probably because it knows 5G isn't going to spread that fast anyway.

It's even less hurried to put out a foldable phone, which could be as late as Q3 of 2019. Unlike Samsung and Huawei, LG isn't interested in being first but in getting things right. Considering some of the problems its phones are experiencing, from OLED display issues to bootloops, it definitely needs to do so.