LG's next flagship G4 to hold detachable battery

LG Electronics Co.'s next flagship smartphone is expected to keep detachable batteries like its predecessors, industry sources said Sunday, a move that may allow the company to lure users unfamiliar with Samsung's new built-in batteries.

The G4 will come with 3,000 mAh batteries that can be separated from the smartphone, and also have a port which allows users to insert secure-digital (SD) memory cards to expand data capacity, the sources said.

Such features contrast with Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S6 released last week, which boasted built-in batteries that can be charged on a wireless basis, along with an edition that has 128-GB of data capacity but no port to add more SD cards.

"The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge boast a fast wireless-charging system that allows users to use smartphones four hours through a 10-minute charging," an industry insider said. "However, the G4 will appeal to users who are more familiar with detachable batteries."

LG has been providing a peek of the new smartphone through several teaser advertisements. So far, the G4 is said to come with a high-powered camera that enables users to take clear and vivid photos in dark conditions, and possibly a leather body that compares to the Galaxy S6's metal frame.

Analysts estimate that LG Electronics will ship 80 million smartphones this year, up 30 percent from a year earlier.

"Amid the rising competition in the smartphone sector, the annual shipment of the G4 is expected to reach 9.2 million units, up 15 percent from the first-year performance of the G3," Korea Investment & Securities Co. said.

The G4 smartphone will be launched on April 29 in South Korea, the United States, Britain, France, Singapore and Turkey.

LG took up 4 percent of global smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2014 to rank No. 5 along with Chinese brands such as Xiaomi and ZTE which held same shares, hovering below Apple Inc.'s 20 percent and Samsung's 19 percent, Hong Kong-based industry tracker Counterpoint earlier said. (Yonhap)