LG G6 vs LG G5: What’s the rumoured difference?

The launch of LG’s next flagship is only weeks away, with many expecting the new device to debut at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.

Rumours have been circulating about the device for several months however, giving us an indication of what features we might be able to expect. Here is how the LG G6 compares to the LG G5, based on the leaks and speculation.

LG G6 vs LG G5: Design

• G6 expected to offer more premium design
• G6 expected to be waterproof
• USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack expected on both

The LG G6 is rumoured to be coming with a metal and glass solid body, offering very slim bezels at the top and bottom of the display and curved corners. The company is said to be scaling back the modularity of the G5 and delivering a more premium finish in comparison to last year’s model.

No measurements have been leaked for the G6 as yet, but as there is said to be a good screen to body ratio, chances are it will offer similar measurements to the G5. The G6 is also said to be waterproof.

The LG G5 measures 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm and weighs 159g. It has a painted aluminium build, which means it offers a slightly plasticky feeling, but the bottom is removable, allowing for a replaceable battery, along with the addition of LG’s Friends modules.

The LG G5 has a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, all of which are also expected to feature on the LG G6.

• LG G6: What’s the story so far?

LG G6 vs LG G5: Display

• G6 to offer a larger, sharper display
• G6 expected to provide better screen-to-body ratio
• G6 to offer 18:9 aspect ratio

The LG G6 is confirmed to be coming with a 5.7-inch 2880 x 1440 Quad HD+ LCD display. It is claimed to be the first screen to sport an ultra-wide 18:9 aspect ratio and it will deliver a pixel density of 564ppi.

LG has said the display will be ideal for multi-tasking and dual-screen functions and the company has also said it will use its In-Touch technology for a more responsive experience.

The LG G5 has a 5.3-inch display with a standard Quad HD resolution that produces a pixel density of 554ppi, meaning despite it being smaller, it has a slightly softer display to the new model. It does offer an Always-On screen though, which delivers certain notifications without the need to power on the main display, something which hasn’t been confirmed yet for the G6.

The G5’s display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and has a screen-to-body ratio of 70.1 per cent. The G6 will most likely have Gorilla Glass 5 protection and it has been suggested its screen-to-body ratio will be above 90 per cent.

• LG G5 review

LG G6 vs LG G5: Cameras

• G6 reported to have all-in-one front camera and iris scanner
• G6 expected to retain dual-rear camera setup
• G5 delivers excellent results

Rumours surrounding the LG G6’s camera have been thin on the ground so currently it is not clear what we might see on the new device. There has been one report of an all-in-one camera and iris scanner on the front, and we’d expect the dual rear camera setup from the G5 to remain, but camera leaks have been minimal.

The LG G5’s dual rear camera is made up of a 16-megapixel sensor with a f/1.8 aperture and an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor offering a f/2.0 aperture. Laser autofocus and optical image stabilisation are both on board and it is one of the phone’s best attributes, delivering fantastic results.

Accompanying the dual-rear camera is an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper. It features an aperture of f/2.0 and it is capable of video recording up to 1080p. We’d expect improvements for the G6 as with any flagship successor, but what these will be is not yet known.

LG G6 vs LG G5: Hardware

• G6 expected to have SD821 chip
• Bigger battery expected for G6
• G5 has a removable battery

According to the leaks, the LG G6 will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, rather than the latest SD835. We’d expect at least 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, along with microSD support, though leaks have been scarce in this department too.

The G6 is reported to be coming with wireless charging and chances are there will be a larger battery capacity on board, though as the modularity element of the G5 is said to be ditched, don’t expect a removable battery for the G6.

The LG G5 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, supported by 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and microSD support. The battery capacity sits at 2800mAh and although there is no wireless charging, the G5 does have a removable battery.

Last year’s flagship also supports 24-bit audio so we would expect the new flagship to do the same.

• Samsung Galaxy S8: What’s the story so far?

LG G6 vs LG G5: Software

• G6 expected to launch on Android Nougat
• Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa both rumoured for G6
• Similar software experience, but G6 will offer new features

The LG G6 will no doubt launch on Android Nougat with LG’s Optimus UX interface over the top. It has been claimed that LG might also include Google’s Assistant, something which is currently only found on the Google Pixel and Pixel XL devices, as well as Amazon Alexa, which Huawei introduced on the Mate 9.

The LG G5 launched on Android Marshmallow, though it too now runs on Nougat and it also has the LG software over the top. The software and user experience between the G6 and the G5 should therefore be similar, though there will be some extra new and exciting features on the G6 when it arrives, as is normally the case.

LG G6 vs LG G5: Conclusion

The LG G6 is likely to improve on the G5 in several areas, as is normally the way with a new flagship. Based on the rumours, it looks like the G6 will offer a better, more premium design, along with a better display and hardware improvements.

The LG G5 took all the right steps when it came to innovation, but the modular design wasn’t for everyone, leaving it to fall short of its competition. The LG G6 looks like it could set right the wrongs of its predessor however so fingers crossed all those rumours become reality.

We will update this feature as more leaks appear, as well as when the final announcement and official details regarding the LG G6 are revealed.

• LG G6: What’s the story so far?