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Andrew Hoyle/CNET
For all the leading-edge hardware that makes up the forthcoming LG G3 , it may not be enough for the hardware-maker. Indeed, before the flagship smartphone has even gone on sale, there are already rumors of a more powerful refresh in the works.
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Forget that Snapdragon 801 processor stuff — what LG really wants for its killer phone is a Snapdragon 805. At least that’s the rumor making the rounds today. According to Korean site Naver (translation), LG is cooking up a slightly bolder version of its G3 and may introduce it as soon as July.
While it might not sound all that different on the surface, the Snapdragon 805 is considerably more robust. Benefits in this latest generation CPU include 4K video support, image post-processing, and enhanced gaming. Toss in a modem with theoretical download speeds of 225Mbps and gaming that tops it all, and you can see why LG might want to push the envelope.
Really, who can blame LG for wanting to squeeze in as much bang possible for the buck? Everyone else is doing, too. Only months after Samsung released its Galaxy S5 , persistent rumors suggest a
is close at hand. HTC, for its part, was once expected to roll out a souped-up version of the One M8; coincidentally, this one also had “Prime” in its title.
It seems that Android handset-makers are again shying away from big annual flagship releases and are content with an arms race, of sorts. When is the last time we waited a full 12 months before an Android manufacturer trumpeted its latest and greatest?
To me, it feels like the early days of the platform when companies would constantly push out hardware “firsts” and tout the best-in-class specifications. The problem, as I see it, is this can lead to confusion and irritation over which model to buy: Do I buy now or should I wait a few months for the even “better” version?
One thing we might also consider when dealing with refreshes and variants is general availability. Some models could be relegated to specific markets, while others are offered more broadly. But, with only a few weeks to go before the rumored new-and-also-improved G3 arrives, we should find out LG’s intentions sooner or later.
