Just four months after we laid our hands on LG's flaghip G2 smartphone, the Korean firm has confirmed that its successor – the LG G Pro 2 – will be making its debut next month (February 2014).
The news came as LG posted its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2013, which saw a 29 per cent increase in annual revenues from its mobile division and an 18 per cent growth in Q4 revenues.
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Published 20.01.2014:
It has only been a matter of months since LG launched the flagship G2 smartphone in the UK, but reports are now suggesting that we may see both the G2 Pro and G3 make their debuts during the first half of 2014.
Industry sources have been quoted by asiae.co.kr saying the G2 Pro will be in stores as early as February. Meanwhile, the G3 has been pencilled in for release, rather precisely, on May 17th.
The LG G2 received a thumping five-star review and came toting an innovative rear button placement and support for high-res audio.
MORE: LG G2 review
If the G3 is launched in May, it will see LG deviate from a cycle that saw the first G series model released in September 2012 and the launch of G2 last autumn. It will also restrict the time that LG has to sell the LG G2 Pro.
If the reports are confirmed, one reason why LG may be changing its approach is its rival to the G3, the Samsung Galaxy S5. We're expecting an announcement in the next couple of months about the S5 launch.
By releasing the G3 in May, rather than waiting until the autumn, LG could be looking to prevent Samsung stealing a march in the Android smartphone market over the summer given the pair's likely comparable features.
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It is expected the G3 will come with a 2560x1440 QHD display, with the screen diagonal being slightly larger than its predecessor at 5.5in. It's also anticipated that the phone will have a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation.
We'll be keeping our ear to the ground for further announcements from LG, as well as all the latest news to come out of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014, which is being held in Barcelona next month.
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by Pete Hayman