CLEVER. If LG Electronics itself gave the image of the LG G6 (seen on the left above, beside the G5) to U.S.-based site The Verge, then we have to hand it to the manufacturer for letting its Korean rival have the stage first to talk about the reasons for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fire incidents. No way you’d want to get upstaged when you’ve made something that has the potential to turn your luck around, right?

And yes, it seems that LG will be off to a better start this year. What is widely believed to be the first official photo of the LG G6 reveals that while there are antenna bands at its top, the upcoming flagship phone looks more premium than its predecessor, thanks to minimal bezels and a screen with rounded corners.

The handset is probably the closest a smartphone maker can get to the almost-bezel-less Xiaomi Mi MIX, a device hailed as the smartphone of the future. Except for Sharp, of course. But there are rumors that the next top-of-the-line phones from Samsung and Apple will be like the Mi MIX.

LG Display earlier confirmed that the G6 will sport a 5.7-inch 1440p screen with an unconventional aspect ratio of 2:1 and a display-to-bezel ratio of greater than 90 percent.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) initial review: Off on a positive note

The Verge reports that the LG G6 will be water-resistant and made entirely of glass and metal. The headphone jack will supposedly live on, but the battery will no longer be removable — a move that might turn off some LG fans. Suffice to say that the modular design, which the manufacturer didn’t execute well in last year’s G5, is indeed out.

Making a comeback is the dual-lens system, if these renders from case maker Ghostek are any indication. Which is good news because if there’s one thing the LG G5 did well, it’s in the photography department. 

This is just the start. Expect more leaks as we approach the smartphone’s February 26 launch at MWC 2017 in Barcelona — two months ahead of the supposed Samsung Galaxy S8 launch.

Video you may want to watch: A sneak peek at LG’s flexible phone or tablet, and more!

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