We have known for a while now that the LG G6 will not be refreshed at the upcoming MWC 2018 mobile tech show, rather, the company has plans to unveil the LG V30s, which is some kind of refurbished V30 with new AI capabilities.

In addition to skipping the LG G7, the Korean company is also rumored to be considering a new name for the dwindling LG G series. We’ve heard talk of LG Icon, but like most of the details in this post, this isn’t official just yet.

According to VentureBeat, the would-be LG G7 is under development with codename Judy. LG has a habit of using female names as codenames, which doesn’t make the current name choice strange.

Related:
LG G7 — All you need to know

LG Judy specs and features

  • 6.1-inch MLCD+ 18:9 Full Vision display screen
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
  • 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM
  • Dual 16MP camera with f/1.6 aperture
  • IP68 dust and water resistant
  • Boombox stereo speakers

Even as we prepare for the long wait, the usually hawk-eyed Evan Blass has already come across details of the LG G6 successor, which, as noted, is being developed under codename Judy, a typical LG codename.

As you can see from the list of specs above, LG Judy will be a 2018 flagship phone. Notably, Judy will come with a new MLCD+ display screen that will reportedly consume 35% less power than the standard LCD panel used on the LG G6.

We don’t know the battery capacity yet, but looking at what the new display screen promises coupled with the improved efficiency of the Snapdragon 845, we expect drastic improvements in battery life compared to both the V30 and G6. Unfortunately, the 4GB RAM looks like 2017, but it does open the door for a Plus or Pro variant with a bigger 6GB RAM and probably 128GB storage, twice the amount on the base model.

Competition:
Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus — All you need to know

Judy will also come with other capabilities such as HDR10 imaging, wireless charging, voice recognition, camera AI (probably similar to LG V30s) and preinstalled Google Assistant. Of course, Android Oreo will run the show out of the box.

LG Judy price and release date

  • June 2018 launch touted
  • Global availability targeted for this summer
  • No price details available yet

It’s understandable that LG is looking for a fresh start. The company’s mobile division has been making losses for the past few years, which has called for drastic changes in a bid to keep up with the likes of Samsung and Apple.

LG confirmed that it will no longer be releasing phones just because other OEMs are doing so. Instead, new LG flagships will only be released when the company feels it’s worth it. Otherwise, you’ll only be seeing refurbished units like what’s set to happen with the LG V30s.

With this in mind, it’s likely that the LG Judy could be the company’s only flagship phone this year – and maybe for a while longer. Blass says that the phone will be made official somewhere in June 2018, with global availability targeted for later this summer.

Competition:
Huawei P20 and P20 Plus — All you need to know

Being an LG G6 and V30 successor as well as the phone that will be charged with the duty of overturning LG’s fortunes in the smartphone business, don’t expect Judy to come on the cheap. It’s likely to cost in the same regions as the V30, which made its debut priced at about $800.

The LG Judy, or whatever its retail name turns out to, should be available at all major carriers in the US, like T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.