A week ago, LG revealed that a new phablet - the LG G4 Note - is in the works. Now, rumors are rife that the high-end device will be the one sporting a metal body and not the flagship LG G4.
With the industry preference veering towards metal over plastic, LG seems to be on course to jump onto this bandwagon and follow the trend.
The latest news is courtesy of ZDNet Korea, which sites industry sources. Per the publication, LG is looking to make use of metal in favor of plastic for its future line-up of smartphones.
This move will enable the company to throw the gauntlet to rivals like Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple who are already deploying metal cases or inserts for their flagship smartphones.
ZDNet's source has let on that LG is contemplating the introduction of Computer precision control (CNC) equipment. This source, an industry partner, has revealed that LG intends to "introduce a CNC machine for making metal case."
While the LG G4 Note will benefit from a metal casing, the LG G4 will have to wait till it gets a taste of the same. Why you ask? Because the process of switching to CNC is not only expensive but also time consuming. Therefore, even if LG takes a call to go-ahead with the manufacturing of metal cases for its flagship LG G4, the company will not have it ready in time for the smartphone's launch.
However, a possibility exists that LG may miss the LG G4's anticipated launch timeline, which basically means that the company may have time to hop onto the metal casing bandwagon.
On the other hand, the leaked renders of the successor of the LG G3 suggests that the flagship LG G4 will tout a polycarbonate body.
Reportedly, it will be the rumored LG G4 Note (which is said to tout a 3K display) and not the LG G4 which will benefit from a metal body. It will be the first LG smartphone to endorse a metal case, ditching polycarbonate in the process. This is the "premium" device LG has hinted at earlier and is anticipated to launch in H2 2015, likely at the IFA 2015 in Berlin.
