LG shrugs off Qualcomm chip concerns
Models promote LG Electronics’ new curved smartphone, the G Flex 2, during a launch event at the company’s headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of LG Electronics
G Flex 2 unveiled; timing for G4 release unknown
By Bahk Eun-ji
LG Electronics said it will release its new flagship handsets as scheduled, dismissing growing concerns over the stability of key processor chips manufactured by Qualcomm.
“The system overheating problem is not just dependent on the performance of the central processing unit (CPU), but it also depends more on how it can be optimized in the device. The G Flex 2 has completed various kinds of tests about the overheating and is ready to provide optimal performance to customers,” said Woo Ram-chan, vice president at LG's handset unit.
He made the remarks at a press conference to unveil its latest G Flex 2 smartphone.
Unlike Samsung Electronics, which has its own processor chips, LG Electronics is entirely sourcing processors from Qualcomm, meaning that any technology troubles involving Qualcomm could delay the release of LG's flagship handsets.
During the conference, LG executives declined to comment on whether it plans to release its new flagship mobile device ― tentatively named the G4 ― during this year's Mobile World Congress exhibition.
LG is said to be delaying the launch of the G4 due to the continued overheating-related issues of Qualcomm chips.
Woo said the company is well aware of the concerns about the overheating issue of the Snapdragon 810 in the market.
Right after the company showcased the new mobile phone at this month’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, it faced concerns about technological issues about Qualcomm’s chipset used in the model.
It reportedly overheated at certain voltages and performance degradation was caused by memory controller problems. Its clock rate, an index representing a processor's performance, was also estimated to be lower than its predecessor, the Snapdragon 805.
Cho Sung-ha, an executive vice president in sales, also dismissed the rumor about the processor, saying overheating was not found in the G Flex 2.
To the question of why the full high definition (HD) display is used for G Flex 2, instead of high-end quad HD display, the vice president compared the G Flex 2 to a sleek sports car, while its flagship model, G3, is like a luxury sedan.
“Considering the balance with the flexible design, we concluded that the full HD display is more suitable for the model,” Woo said.
The G Flex 2 is the company’s second curved Android smartphone. LG said this second model is more focused on its design, not to mention its performance.
It has a 6-inch plastic organic light emitting diodes (OLED) display with 1,080 x 1,920 pixels. Its self-healing back plate recovers from scratches in just 10 seconds, the company claims.
Cameras in the model were also upgraded with a 13-megapixel rear camera with laser auto focus and 2.1 megapixel front camera.